Away From Reality
~~WOOT CHAPTERNESS!!! ENJOY!!:)~~
After signing the right forms, Mike and Anna had taken Laura home to rest in a more comfortable environment. The nurses had showed them how to inject her with the right medication and informed them on when to inject her. Other than that they were on their own from now on, waiting and hoping that somehow this was all just some bad nightmare.
Anna had slowly calmed down a few days after they had brought Laura home and was now taking responsibility for her daughter’s medication and other needs. Mike however, was a different story.
He had grown increasingly bitter and sarcastic and his patience for his sick daughter was dropping to a new low. To make matters worse, her brain was swelling so much that she could barely stand up straight due to the dizziness and was forced to either remain in bed or sit on the couch all day.
It was difficult for the parents to watch their daughter’s personality drastically change with each day. By the time the first week passed, her mind was brought down to the level of a four year old with constant need for care and attention.
She would cry most of the day because she was in so much pain and the medication didn’t seem to help that much, although it calmed her considerably during the evening and she would just fall asleep.
Not only were Mike and Laura distant from each other but he and Anna were also growing apart. He would barely say two words to her each day and would hide out at the studio until it was time for Laura to get injected, making her drowsy…that way he wouldn’t have to deal with her.
Anna’s stress level was beginning to rise, especially when Mike came home late on purpose just so that he wouldn’t have to talk to anyone and just go to sleep. It was getting to a point where Anna had to beg Mike to help out, to clean her sheets, to feed her, to inject her.
All he would do was either blowing her off for work or silently walk away, ignoring her completely. Even Laura was becoming increasingly upset by her father’s disappearances during the day and she would cry even more when she didn’t get to see him.
It was paining Anna to see her daughter so distraught because she really needed her father and he was never there. You’d think he would be since his daughter was dying, but the reality was he just couldn’t handle it.
He couldn’t even look at her anymore because every time he did, it reminded him of her condition and what would happen to her in a matter of months…perhaps weeks. He was watching his daughter deteriorate and it was killing him. It was only a matter of time before he snapped.
“ Mike!”
Anna rummaged around the house trying to find that infamous purse that always seemed to lose itself so easily. She had a very important meeting to attend and needed Mike to watch Laura incase she became violently ill.
She knew Mike was probably hiding downstairs with his guitar or outside in the backyard with his guitar…he really liked his guitar, especially when he was trying to avoid his family.
“ Michael!” she yelled as loud as she could and grumbled when she didn’t hear him coming.
“ Why are you shouting?” Laura asked painfully and sunk further into the couch.
Anna sighed uneasily and rubbed her forehead with frustration. “ I’m sorry sweetie, I’m trying to find your father.” She apologized calmly.
“ Why?” she asked weakly.
“ Because I have to go to work for a while…MIKE!”
“ What the hell are you screaming for?” he demanded as he walked into the kitchen.
“ Where were you?” she hissed.
“ Putting away my guitar…what do you want?” he growled.
“ I have a meeting to go to so you need to stay home with Laura.” She explained quickly and bent down to look under the couch for her purse.
“ Anna I’m not staying here, I have-.”
“ –Work, yes I’ve heard it a million times. You know what? Take a break from that fucking job for a while and take care of your DAUGHTER. Incase you didn’t know she’s sick.”
Her eyes brightened slightly as she spotted her purse and grabbed it out from under the couch, standing up straight.
“ How could I forget?” he muttered bitterly with dark eyes.
Anna stared into those black orbs and sighed heavily. He looked really tired…even more tired than usual. It was either the late night working at the studio or it was the worrying about his daughter. Somehow she figured it was both.
“ Michael, she needs you weather you like it or not.”
“ She needs you too and besides, I’ve only been her dad for like fourteen months. She doesn’t care if I’m here or not.” He argued angrily.
“ She has been crying non-stop for the past four days because you have been locking yourself up at work. She misses you Mike and you can’t even see that. At least be here for your dying daughter.” She muttered quietly, trying not to let Laura hear.
“ Why can’t Chester be here?” he demanded.
“ Chester isn’t her father and you need to take responsibility for her.”
“ I have other responsibilities.”
Anna shook her head and began walking towards the door. He was being extremely self centered and selfish. He was only thinking about himself when he should have been thinking about Laura.
“ Take care of your fucking daughter.”
And with that, the front door slammed shut. Mike stared at the wooden paneling around the door and gave a deep glare, hearing Laura sniffing through quiet cries. She was in pain…again…it was like it never stopped and he never got to rest because of her. He wished he could just drive a screwdriver through his skull so he didn’t have to hear her heart breaking cries of agony.
Mike slowly walked towards the couch and stared down at the weeping girl with an emotionless face.
“ Dad…” she whimpered quietly as he watched the tears streaming down her pale cheeks.
He never moved, never twitched a finger to her sorrowful sobs. Instead of sitting down beside her and holding her, he just stood there with dark eyes, watching her intently with a sickening curiosity. So this is what it’s like to see someone you love die.
All that crying and screaming; it’s disgusting. Why couldn’t she have just died in the hospital so I don’t have to watch this. Why must I watch my own flesh and blood deteriorate from this Earth?
Laura raised her arms in an attempt to grab him but he backed away slowly before she could reach him. “ Dad.” She cried while clutching the air desperately.
He was getting closer and closer to that fragile edge within his own mind, trying hard not to listen to her cries.
“ Daddy please.” She sobbed in agony.
Mike walked slowly into the kitchen and turned his back to the small child, feeling his cheeks burning with agitation. He had to get out of this situation…he couldn’t watch her die. With each sob, he ran his fingers through his ruffled spikey hair and closed his eyes, trying to close himself off from the stressful sounds his daughter was making.
With each passing second, her cries became louder and louder as the pain in her body intensified. All her muscles and joints were having acute spasm as well as her head was pounding and throbbing terribly.
“ Dad it hurts.” She cried out loudly.
Mike swallowed hard and stared around the kitchen almost with dizziness. For an entire week, that was all he had been hearing from her. It hurts, I can’t feel this, I can’t feel that, I can’t see, why does it hurt? Please help me, hold me, hug me, be here for me, feed me, clothe me, wash me, make the pain stop!
His breathing became rapid and uneasy as she screamed for his attention. The screaming and crying was so loud that he was sure the entire neighborhood could hear her. He wouldn’t have been surprised if the windows in the kitchen shattered.
“ Laura stop.” He muttered breathlessly over her screams.
“ I don’t feel good…I don’t feel good!” she cried loudly, causing his ears to throb.
Mike paced around the kitchen as she kept repeating those same words over and over again and there was no way he could make her stop.
I could hit her over the head with a frying pan…yeah that would do it…she’d be quiet for once. Maybe I could end her suffering earlier than planned.
He gave a small chuckle at the thought and blinked tears from his eyes as his daughter continued to scream. He had no idea what had just come over him but somehow he felt that killing her would end both their suffering.
Then silence echoed throughout the room.
Mike blinked slowly with curiosity as Laura sat up carefully, sniffing lightly through her evident tears. Why had she suddenly stopped screaming? He watched her dark eyes squint into a heavy wince and she grabbed her stomach, leaning forward somewhat.
“ Please…I-I don’t feel good.”
Mike’s eyes widened with deep frustration and anger at her words. He had heard them enough. “ You don’t feel good? You don’t FEEL GOOD? WELL FUCKING HELL!” Laura ducked as Mike suddenly grabbed a few plates off of the counter and began throwing them in her direction, each one hitting the wall.
“ I KNOW YOU DON’T FUCKING FEEL GOOD SO WHAT THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO FUCKING DO ABOUT IT? WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK I FUCKING AM YOU SACK OF SHIT!”
Laura sobbed into the couch as the plates shattered and cracked around the living room, falling to the floor in a pile of broken china. Mike grabbed all the plates and cups he could find and just started throwing them at her in fits of rage, all the while screaming at her to shut up.
“ I HATE YOU, YOU LITTLE BITCH! WHY WON’T YOU JUST SHUT UP! JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP!”
“ Stop!” She screamed at the top of her lungs.
Mike grabbed the frying pan from the stove and quickly hauled it over to her and raised it above his head, staring down at her with wide empty eyes. “ I’ll make it fucking stop!” he screamed.
Laura closed her eyes as tight as she could, preparing her head for the skull shattering blow. Just as he was about to smash her head open with the frying pan…his wrists tensed and he stopped cold, staring down at the shaking, crying child.
She was innocent…brought down by a disease that no one could control. It wasn’t her fault she couldn’t walk…couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep…and couldn’t even think like a normal fourteen year old.
Mike blinked through stinging tears and watched her lower herself down onto the cushions and press her face into them. Her sobs were muffled within the cushions and he slowly lowered his arms, dropping the frying pan onto the floor with a loud clang.
Laura jumped with a start and attempted to calm her hyperventilated cries. He had lost all control of himself and was about to kill his own daughter. What kind of sick person does that?
Mike stumbled back into the kitchen while slipping over broken plates and cups. He grabbed the centre island and choked out a heavy sob, then fell to the floor and wrapped his arms around his knees, bringing them to his chest. He rocked back and forth slowly while sobbing into his knees.
His spiked hair shook against his forehead as he continued to cry. His world had really come crashing down around him in this moment. For one, his daughter was still crying heavily into the couch and was too afraid to move, and also he had tried to smash her over the head with a frying pan.
What’s wrong with me?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
As Anna walked into the house, her heart immediately stopped and her blood ran cold. Broken china and glass was spewed out everywhere. It looked like there had been a bar fight in her own house…but how the hell did this happen?
“ Mom.”
Anna looked over at the couch and dropped her purse, rushing over to her trembling daughter. She bent down in front of the couch and ran her fingers through her dark hair, eyeing the long tears streaks down her cheeks.
“ Laura sweetie, are you alright?” she breathed with deep concern.
The small girl nodded a little and sniffed quietly, finally receiving the much needed compassion from her parent. Anna looked around the room and quickly spotted the frying pan on the floor.
He didn’t…
“ Laura…where’s your father?” she asked quietly.
She raised her eyes to her mother’s and squinted with fear. “ Kitchen…” she whispered.
“ Did he hurt you?” Anna asked softly.
Laura choked back her sobs and grabbed her mother’s arm. Anna stroked her hair gently and kissed her on the head, trying her best to comfort the frightened child.
“ Its okay…you’re alright…I’m here.” She breathed soothingly.
God…if he hurt her…
Slowly, she released herself from her daughter’s grasp, all the while telling her to remain calm…that’d she’d be right back. She silently made her way into the kitchen while stepping on broken glass.
She spotted Mike on the other side of the centre island, sitting and shaking with his arms around his knees. She bent down slowly and eyed him with a deep frown, watching his spikes shake as he cried.
This was definitely going to be an interesting conversation…
~~Sorry to cut it so short but if i kept writing the next part, you'd have like an hour long chapter. anywhoo...sorry for the cliffhanger and more to come soon...review and thank you!!:)~~
Sleeping Awake
~~I'm back...woot...so anyways, this chapter is kind of short and i had writer's block for like a week so...enjoy!!:)~~
“ Michael.”
He kept his head buried in his knees as Anna attempted to get his attention. It was obvious that he was having some sort of nervous breakdown and she didn’t know if it was even safe to go near him.
“ Mike…” she touched his knee lightly and he pulled away from her in panic. She was surprised by his actions because usually he would want someone near him when he was upset…now he was acting like he was frightened to be near anyone.
“ Mike its okay…calm down…it’s me.” She explained softly.
He lifted his head slowly and sniffed, feeling the tears still burning down his red cheeks. Anna watched his black eyes closely, searching for any sign of what his mental state was like.
He looked freakishly disturbed and frightened…like he had done something he shouldn’t have done…something terribly wrong. She had never seen him like this before and to be honest, it was scaring the shit out of her…so much she was even shaking now.
“ Mike what happened?’ she breathed.
He looked around the kitchen slowly and swallowed hard, trying to find his voice…which was now cracked and weak. “ G-get her away from me.” He pleaded desperately.
“ Mike what are you talking about?”
His face contorted with pain and sorrow as he stared into his wife’s eyes. “ I-I did something v-very bad…”
Just those five words sent chills running up and down her spine…and caused her heart to skip a beat. Anna was getting to the point where she wasn’t even sure if she wanted to know what had happened while she was gone.
She stared at him intently and gazed at her own reflection in his watery eyes. “ Mike tell me what happened.” She stated slowly.
He lowered his head and peered around the floor, eyeing each broken plate and shattered mug. If he told her…she might leave him. There was no way to explain what he had almost done…well in no way that was positive. He was mentally unstable and she knew that…even HE knew that.
He gave a small sniff and lowered his eyes, watching his own tears hit the broken glass. He took a deep breath and slowly began.
“ S-she was crying and screaming…”
“ Okay.” Anna replied quietly, trying to figure out what he was getting at.
“ I-I was so mad…I threw plates at her…t-then I grabbed the frying pan.”
Anna’s eyes widened as he turned to her with a crazy look in his eyes. Something about him seemed wrong at the moment. He didn’t look like himself…didn’t even sound like himself.
His black eyes contrasted against his pale face and his voice came out shaky and coarse.
“ I was going to kill her…”
Anna’s heart stopped as she stared into his devilish features. A small smile curled around his lips, followed by a light chuckle.
“ Her head would have popped open like a tomato.”
Anna backed away from him slowly as his laughter became louder and louder. She stood up quickly and grabbed the phone, dialing the familiar number. She waited and waited for someone to pick up and cringed at Mike’s disturbing laughter. She shuddered slightly as someone picked up the phone.
“ Hello?”
“ Chester…we have a problem.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“ Where is he?”
Anna led Chester into the kitchen and he stopped cold, watching Mike crying on the floor. He was now on his stomach, pawing at the broken glass and cutting his hands terribly.
Blood ran around his tears and created a pinkish mix on the cold floor. Chester turned to Anna slowly and glared in horror.
“ What the hell happened?”
“ I don’t know…he said he almost killed Laura.”
He looked back down at the crying man and covered his mouth with one hand. “ Where’s Laura?”
“ She’s upstairs sleeping…Chester I don’t know what to do. Mike won’t stop crying…he won’t get off the floor…something is seriously wrong.” She warned shakily.
“ And you called me because…”
“ You’re his best friend. I thought maybe you could talk to him and calm him down a little.” She explained.
Chester sighed heavily and bent down beside Mike, careful not to lower his body onto the blood. Mike sobbed into the floor and clutched a large piece of glass, digging it into his skin.
Red liquid oozed between his fingers and poured onto the floor, matting into his damp hair. “ Mike…can you hear me?” Chester asked quietly.
Mike coughed heavily through his sobs and looked up slowly through his darkened eyes. Chester stared down at him with nothing but compassion and touched his shoulder lightly. Unexpectedly, Mike moved away from him and hit his back against the bottom of the counters.
He stared at Chester with a red face covered with tears and sweat. “ Its okay man, it’s me…just calm down.”
“ I almost killed her.” He cried, staring at him with shaky eyes.
“ I know…it’s not your fault…you’re just scared.” Chester explained.
“ S-scared?” Mike stuttered with confusion.
Chester approached him slowly and gave a small nod. “ Laura is very sick…I know you can’t handle it but you have to be strong now. She needs you to be strong. We need you to be strong.” His voice was soft and caring and it seemed to have calmed Mike down a bit, although he was still crying.
“ I was going to k-kill her.” He whispered.
“ But the important thing is you didn’t. Mike you don’t want her to die…no one here wants her to die but you have to start accepting the fact that she will. Becoming violent isn’t going to help anyone.” He explained softly.
Mike’s eyes squinted in sadness as he lowered his head to the floor. “ What’s wrong with me?” he whimpered.
“ I’d be lying if I said nothing. This fear that you have of her dying is hurting you Mike and it’s making you unstable. What you really need to do right now is calm down and stop worrying about Laura. No one blames you for what has happened to her and no one is angry that you tried to kill her.”
Mike stared up at him as the tears slowly stopped flowing. Chester extended his hand and gave a weak smile. Mike swallowed hard and grabbed it, feeling Chester pulling him up.
Anna watched intently as Mike lowered his head and wiped his tears with a bloody hand. “ Mike…you’re going to be okay.” Chester whispered gently.
Mike blinked slowly and deep down inside he was thinking: Not a chance. He gave a small nod despite what he was feeling and saw Anna giving a small smile out of the corner of his eye.
Chester looked down at Mike’s hand and winced. “ Ouch…here I’ll fix that for you.” He muttered and grabbed a few bandages from the kitchen cupboard as Mike sat down at the centre island.
Anna turned her head as she heard a small shuffling sound behind her. Laura braced herself against the wall and stared at Mike curiously, watching his red cheeks shine under the light of the kitchen.
Anna grabbed her gently and held her so that she didn’t fall over. “ Laura, you should be in bed.” She suggested quietly.
She never took her eyes off of her father as she held onto her mother tightly. “ He’s hurt.” She stated quietly.
Anna sighed uneasily and watched Mike’s dark eyes slowly turn towards his daughter. Laura and Mike stared at each other silently as Chester wrapped a bandage around Mike’s hand.
Suddenly, Laura detached herself from her mother’s arms and wobbled over towards Mike before Anna had a chance to grab her. Laura grasped the centre island tightly and stared into her father’s eyes, watching them darken with each passing second. He looked very angry and very upset. Would he hurt her again?
“ Chester…” Anna warned with a hiss.
“ Yeah, I’ll make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid.” He whispered back.
They both watched as Laura approached Mike slowly and cautiously, stopping briefly to regain her balance. She shuffled herself forward a little and stopped in front of Mike, eyeing his tears. He stared into her pale face and felt his eyes softening with her gaze.
Slowly, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and buried her head into his warm neck. He swallowed hard as he felt her hands stroking his hair gently.
“ I love you daddy…”
Mike stared at the wall in front of him and blinked slowly at those four words absorbing into his mind. He was unable to speak as a small tear slowly trailed its way down his crimson cheeks.
Chester jumped forward as Mike raised his hand but then relaxed as he watched it slowly lower onto Laura’s back. Mike wasn’t even sure he wanted to put his arm around his daughter but fortunately maternal instinct took over and he grasped her tightly.
He would have told her he loved her too but unfortunately it was too painful. How can you love something that’s dying and not expect it to hurt? Even this hug was painful for him and he just felt like running away from it all…leaving everyone behind and never turning back.
Laura raised her head and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek before slowly pulling herself away from him. Somehow, in all her innocence she could sense that he was hurting more than her.
Anna wrapped her arms around her daughter and slowly brought her upstairs, leaving Mike and Chester alone together in the kitchen. After a long while of silence, Chester decided to pipe up and say something to end the tension of what just happened.
“ That was nice…”
Mike stared up at him with a glare and wiped his eyes. “ Why are you still here?”
“ I’m her uncle Chester.” He replied with a defiant smile.
Mike rolled his eyes and rubbed his throbbing hand. “ You’re not even related to her.”
“ What makes you so sure that Anna didn’t sleep with me after she slept with you? She could be my daughter for all you know.” He explained with a frown.
“ Chester, Laura was born right after Anna got out of high school…you met Anna fourteen months ago. I don’t think you are her father and besides, you never slept with Anna.” Mike explained with a slight grumble.
“ That you know of.” He smiled.
“ She’s my fucking wife!” Mike replied with wide eyes.
“ I was joking, Holy Christ…are you off your meds or something?’ Chester asked with an arched brow.
Mike stood up quickly and approached him, cornering him against the counters. “ If you don’t leave, I’m going to have to be put on medication.” He warned quietly.
“ What’s with all the hostility? Can’t a guy joke around without getting his ass kicked by his best friend?”
“ Not when the best friend is having a particularly bad week.”
Chester lowered his eyes and gave a heavy sigh. “ You know, I’m no expert and forgive me for saying this but…since your daughter is dying, shouldn’t you be spending time with her instead of throwing pots and pans and kicking your best friend’s ass?”
Mike stared at him for a long moment and slowly backed away, giving Chester some room to breathe. “ You’re right, I’m sorry.” Mike muttered through his teeth.
“ You don’t sound very sorry.”
“ What do you want me to do? Drop onto my knees and beg you for forgiveness?” he demanded.
Chester eyed him curiously and put a finger to his chin. “ That would help.”
“ Out.” Mike ordered calmly.
“ You know, you should start being nicer to me.” Chester explained as Mike walked him to the front door.
“ Yeah why’s that?”
“ I’m the singer in the band and if you piss me off…I’ll leave. Imagine how many Chester-craving fans there are out there. They’ll kick your ass into the ground and eat you alive.”
“ Hey, I replaced the first singer and I can do it again.” Mike replied with a small smile.
“ You wouldn’t!” Chester gasped.
“ I’m the captain of this band. I can do whatever the hell I want. Besides, it was my band to begin with.” Mike explained.
“ I’d like to see you scream Crawling.” Chester muttered and opened the door.
“ And you will…as soon as you can rap both verses in In The End.”
“ It’s not that hard Mike, trust me.” Chester snorted with a laugh.
Mike crossed his arms and gave a small nod. “ Go for it man…”
Chester stared at him with narrowed eyes and cleared his throat. “ Sing Crawling and then maybe I’ll do it.”
“ Nice try.” He smiled back.
“ Bastard…” Chester muttered and walked out of the house.
Mike shook his head and closed the front door, hearing Anna behind him. He turned around slowly and lowered his eyes with guilt. Anna approached him slowly and ran a hand through her hair.
“ I need you to stop pushing yourself away from her.”
“ Why?” he asked quickly.
“ Because she only has a few weeks left. She’s getting weaker Michael.”
“ Then you can take care of her because I will not watch my daughter die.” He muttered and entered the living room.
Anna glared at him as he sat down on the couch and slowly began staring into nothingness. He was pushing himself away from his entire family.
Laura’s slow death was killing him.
Reveal to me the mysteries
Can you tell me what it means?
Explain these motions and metaphors
Unlock these secrets in me
Describe the vision, the meaning is missing
Won't anybody listen?

Define the riddles of my mind
Nothing is really what it seems

Dreaming of Zion, Awake
Sleeping Awake
Dreaming of Zion, Awake
Can't stop Sleeping Awake

Do you see what I see?
And can you hear what I hear?
Do you feel what I feel?
Can't stop Sleeping Awake
Do you see what I see?
And can you hear what I hear?
Do you feel like I feel?
Can't stop Sleeping...

Can you see it? The writing,
Can you tell me what it means?
Translate the symbols, Enigma
Expressions keep questioning me
The message is written, the meaning is missing
Won't anybody Listen?

Prophesy, interpretate the signs
Nothing is really what it seems

Dreaming of Zion, Awake
Sleeping Awake
Dreaming of Zion, Awake
Can't stop Sleeping Awake

Do you see what I see?
And can you hear what I hear?
Do you feel what I feel?
Can't stop Sleeping Awake
Do you see what I see?
And can you hear what I hear?
Do you feel like I feel?
Can't stop Sleeping Awake

Do you see what I see?
Can you hear what I hear?
And do you see what I see?
And can you hear what I hear?
And do you feel like I feel?
And can you dream like I dream?

Do you see what I see?
Can you hear what I hear?
Or do you feel like I feel?
Or do you dream like I dream?
Anybody see me?
Anybody hear me?
Anybody feel me?
Anybody out there?!?

Dreaming of Zion, Awake
Sleeping Awake
Dreaming of Zion, Awake
Can't stop Sleeping Awake

Do you see what I see?
And can you hear what I hear?
Do you feel what I feel?
Can't stop Sleeping Awake
Do you see what I see?
And can you hear what I hear?
Do you feel like I feel?
Can't stop Sleeping Awake

Anybody see me?
Anybody hear me?
Anybody feel me?
Anybody out there?!?

{Song: Sleeping Awake}
{Artist: P.O.D}
{{Dedicated to Robbourdon/mike hehe}}

~~More to come soon...hope everyone hasn't quit this fic just yet...and the fate of Laura is coming very soon so keep watching for it...thankees for the reviews and thankees so much for reading!! YOU GUYS ROCK!!:)~~

Cut And Bruised By The Fall Again
~~WOOT FAST UPDATE...ENJOY!!:)~~

Night came quickly over the household and it was time for Laura’s medication. Anna sat down on the couch beside her and opened the cap to the syringe, tapping it lightly to get rid of the air bubbles.
Mike had been silent during most of the evening and had remained in the kitchen, just sitting at the centre island with his own thoughts. As soon as Anna lowered the needle to her daughter’s arm, she back away quickly, almost catching her arm against it.
Anna sighed with frustration and stared into her daughter’s frightened eyes. “ Laura, it’s not going to hurt…I promise.”
“ Yes it will.” She whined back.
“ It never hurt the first six times.”
“ Yes it did.”
“ You never complained about it then.”
“ Well I’m complaining now” Laura replied and blinked away her tears.
Anna looked up from the couch and glanced over at Mike who was calmly reading the evening newspaper. “ Does she do this with you?”
He looked up slightly and licked his lips. “ No.”
“ Why the hell not?”
“ She trusts me…although I don’t know why.” He muttered and returned to his paper.
Anna looked back down at Laura who was already shaking because of the pain. “ Sweetie, the medication will help you feel better. If you don’t take it then you will be in pain.”
“ I’d rather be in pain than have a needle stuck in me for ten seconds.” She growled.
“ Ten seconds is really not that long.”
“ Anna, ten seconds is an eternity. I remember when I got my booster shot in grade one…holy hell it hurt like a bitch.” Mike explained.
Laura stared at him in fear and moved away from her mother slowly.
“ Michael, you are NOT helping.” Anna grumbled angrily with lowered eyes.
“ I’m only warning her. And at leased I’m not lying to her about the pain. Laura, it’s going to hurt…A LOT.”
“ Mike…stop being an ass and help me.”
“ I am helping…I’m telling Laura about the dangers of needles. They all hurt…and it doesn’t matter who injects you.” He explained with a furrowed brow.
Laura stared at him with wide eyes and her shivering increased. Somehow she knew she was going to have nightmares about this. Anna sighed heavily and eyed Mike with a deep glare.
“ Scaring her is not going to stop her from dying and it is certainly not going to make you feel better about it.”
“ I beg to differ.”
“ Michael why are you doing this? Do you want to make her final weeks on Earth a living hell?” she demanded.
“ Newsflash Anna…THEY’RE ALREADY A LIVING HELL!’ he yelled.
Laura sunk deeper into the couch and tried to tune out her father’s loud billowing voice. Anna stood up and dropped the needle onto the table, then walked towards Mike.
“ They are only a living hell because you are being a self-centered little prick.” She hissed.
He raised his eyes and stood up, gasping in disbelief. “ You are so full of shit.”
“ At leased I’m strong enough to accept the fact that she’s dying. At leased I’m not crying about it and telling myself that I’m a horrible parent. At leased I have enough courage to go near her and help her through this. She needs her parents Michael and you are abandoning her!”
“ Fuck you Anna, I’m not abandoning her. I’m right here!” he shouted.
She stared at him with icy blue eyes and raised her hands in defeat. “ Oh, you’re right here. So I guess everything is okay. You see the problem with that is…she’s over THERE. You are NOT here Mike, you are so far away you can’t even see how weak she is.”
Mike shook his head and paced around the kitchen with anger. “ I don’t give a shit about how weak she is. You know what, I’m not going to be here when she dies.”
“ Yeah, figures.” Anna breathed angrily.
“ Why can’t you just get it through your head that I don’t want to watch her die? Can’t you understand how hard that is going to be?” he demanded.
“ Have you ever even thought how hard it’s going to be for me to watch it happen? I’ve been her mother for fourteen years for Christ’s sake.”
Mike growled angrily and approached her. “ It’s different with her and me. I don’t care how long you’ve known her for…this is going to fucking kill me.”
Anna nodded a little and gave a small smile. “ Well then good...your money will pay for your funeral…and your dying daughter will even get a chance to see what her funeral will be like!’ she yelled.
Mike stared at Anna with pure hatred burning within his dark eyes. This fight was not going to end pretty. “ Why don’t you just stab me with a knife now and get it over with?” he asked.
“ Because I’m not really keen on cleaning up your fucking blood. I have a daughter to medicate incase you forgot.” She muttered back.
Mike grabbed the butcher knife from the counter and walked over to Anna, holding it up dangerously. She eyed the end and noticed it glinting under the dim lights of the living room.
“ Put that fucking thing down.” She warned.
“ No…since you want Laura to be at my funeral then go ahead and kill me.” He explained and handed her the knife.
“ I am not going to stab you Mike so forget it.”
“ You are such a fucking coward.” He hissed viciously.
Anna stared up at him through her dark lashes and watched him slowly walk towards the couch.
“ If you can’t kill me then…at leased have enough courage to end her suffering.” He muttered.
Laura stared up at the knife and blinked out burning tears. “ Dad?” she asked nervously.
Anna walked towards him slowly and eyed Laura shakily. “ Mike, you get away from her right now, you hear me?”
“ Well I’m assuming since you can’t end her suffering then I’m going to have to.” He explained calmly.
“ Michael, you are not going to kill her!” Anna shouted in panic.
“ Watch me.” He snarled.
“ What the fuck is wrong with you!” Anna screamed at him as her hands balled into shaking fists. She couldn’t believe he was actually going to stab his own daughter after freaking out about it that afternoon.
“ I’d rather kill the little bitch than watch her die slowly and painfully!” he yelled.
Anna slapped him so hard that tears formed in his eyes. He dropped the knife and heard it clang to the floor loudly. His cheek burned and stung terribly as he slowly turned his head towards her and stared at her with blank eyes.
Anna took a deep breath and mentally kicked herself for smacking Mike right in front of a very shaken Laura. She watched Mike for a reaction to the slap…any reaction at all, but found nothing but empty eyes and a red face.
But of course, Mike was extremely unpredictable and instead of walking away silently, he grabbed Anna by the collar of her shirt and slammed her up against the wall.
She stared into his angry eyes and wasn’t prepared for what happened next. Mike slapped her clear across the face, hearing the smack echo throughout the room. She opened her eyes slowly and stared at Mike with a red and very throbbing face. She couldn’t believe he had just slapped her.
All of this was his fault and he had the nerve to hurt her for it. Anger bubbled throughout her system and caused her face to burn horribly. Without even thinking, she clamped her hand into a tight fist and punched him as hard as she could, causing him to fall against the other wall.
He brought a hand to his eye and cursed under his breath, shaking from the sudden acute pain zapping it’s way around his eye. When he opened it, he flinched as another pain pulsated onto his cheek. She had punched him again…and was now punching him continuously in the face.
“ YOU FUCKING BASTARD, I HOPE YOU ROT IN HELL!” she screamed at the top of her lungs. She hadn’t even noticed that Laura was sobbing into the couch violently. Her parents had never fought but now…now it was all coming out and at a frightening pace. Mike could barely keep himself standing as she continued to pound on his face, and he could feel the blood trailing down from his nose.
“ DON’T YOU EVER FUCKING TOUCH ME EVER AGAIN YOU PRICK! WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM!”
Mike squinted his eyes as she knocked him right in the mouth, cutting open his lip with her wedding ring. “ I HATE YOU, YOU STUPID FUCKING BASTARD!” Her screams ripped through his ears like a piercing howl.
It took him a while to realize all the tears that were escaping her eyes. Then suddenly, he felt an intense and leg buckling pain in the lower half of his body…between the legs to be exact.
He fell to the floor and yelped with pain as she kicked him in the ribs. Anna opened the front door quickly and bent down, grabbing him by his spiked hair and pulled him towards the open door.
He tried desperately to push her hands out of his hair but that only caused him more pain. “ GET THE FUCK OUT!”
“ A-Anna-.”
“ –OUT!” she screamed, ignoring his coughs of pain.
She watched with a deep glare as he painfully crawled onto the front steps and spat blood onto the concrete. She gave him a hard kick on the back and watched as he stumbled onto the grass below, coughing out all his air. Mike flinched as he felt something skim his cheek and fall to the damp grass around his head.
“ DON’T EVER COME BACK!”
And with that, the door slammed shut and he was left alone in the silent darkness of night. In the distance, he could hear a single dog barking and the ruffling of leaves as a gentle breeze swayed through the trees. He opened his eyes slowly and licked the blood from his lips, then quickly sniffed away the blood from his nose.
Painful tears skimmed down his cheeks as he attempted to regain his breath. After a short while, he managed to bring himself to a sitting position and breathed in deeply to avoid suffocation. The cool night air entered his lungs and he shivered under the small breeze, watching the grass ruffle beneath him. His tears felt cold against his skin and he sniffed again, choking back a small cry of pain as his ribs throbbed.
He had been kicked out of his own house and was crying silently on the front lawn.
I can picture the headlines now : LINKIN PARK EMCEE CRYING LIKE A LITTLE GIRL IN THE GRASS. Has a nice ring to it.
Pitifully, he looked down into the grass and noticed something shiny within the green blades. He picked it up carefully and his eyes lowered sadly in pain. His felt his heart drop within his chest and a lump grew in his throat. Anna’s wedding ring.
Yeah, you really fucked up this time didn’t you Mike? You tried to kill your daughter twice and your wife threw you out on your ass…this whole situation just screams divorce.
Mike stood up carefully and held his stomach…then noticed the fiery pain between his legs and he winced terribly. While still gripping the wedding ring, he entered his Escalade and started the ignition then leaned back into the cold leather seat.
He swallowed his tears heavily and pulled out of the driveway and quickly sped down the street. He knew exactly where he was going because he always went there when he was upset…or just when he wanted to get away from his stressful life.
He pulled up to a red light and stopped, eyeing the light rain that had started only minutes ago. The windshield quickly became blurry with rain drops, sliding down the glass.
Mike looked into the rear view mirror and stared at his reflection, noticing how much he looked like that windshield right now. His tears flowed down his crimson cheeks and he blinked heavily, trying to rid his eyes of the stinging water. He then looked down at the wedding ring, still in his hands and bit his lip.
When am I going to stop putting myself before others?
The light suddenly turned green and he stared up at it with disinterest, pressing on the gas. He then decided to clear his head from all these terrible thoughts and turned on the radio, hoping to find something to cheer him up.
Of course…the radio always had to make things sad and dramatic, just as you needed something to lift you up. Mike slouched further into his seat and lowered his eyes as the song echoed throughout the truck.

Caught up against the wall again,
Tied my chain to the ball again,
It never seems to amaze my mind
So I just sleep, sleep, sleep,
Sleep, sleep, sleep!
Please don't...

Wake me 'til the morning after
Wake me 'til the morning after

Cut and bruised by the fall again
Lick my wounds like a dog again
Is that a light at the end of the tunnel that I see, I see
Please let it be but don't wake me 'til the morning after

Wake me 'til the morning after
Wake me 'til the morning after
I'm so tired, there has got to be an end
To the pain I feel when I'm awake and alive, alive, alive
Alive and I'm dreaming

Caught up against the wall again,
Tied my chain to the ball again,
It never seems to amaze my mind
So I just sleep, sleep, sleep,
Sleep, sleep, sleep!
Please don't...

Wake me 'til the morning after
Wake me 'til the morning after

Wake me 'til the morning after
I'm so tired, there has got to be an end
To the pain I feel when I'm awake and alive, alive, alive
Alive and I'm dreaming...

{Song: The Morning After}
{Artist: Chester Bennington} THAT'S RIGHT!!

~~Hope you enjoyed this chappie and more to come...do they get divorced??? GASP!!...and where is Mike going now that he's upset?? Will Laura die while Mike is gone?? SO MANY QUESTIONS...anywhoo...THANK YOU SOOO MUCH FOR READING AND PLEASE LEAVE
Never Given Up
~~ Yay, more updates...enjoy!!:)~~
“ Now I know I put that fucking laptop somewhere…”
Chester walked through the long corridors of the studio and searched various unused rooms. It seemed he had forgotten his laptop here this afternoon but for the life of him he couldn’t remember where he had put it.
Slowly, he opened the recording studio door and walked in but didn’t notice the looming shadow sitting in the chair in front of the controls. Chester stumbled over cords and wires, making his way through the dark studio before stopping suddenly as a voice echoed through his ears.
“ If you’re looking for your laptop, it’s locked up in those cabinets.”
Chester turned around slowly and flipped on a lamp, squinting through the sudden brightness at the familiar man.
“ What the hell are you doing here? I thought you were home resolving your little problem.” He muttered with surprise.
Mike sniffed a little and lowered his head, staring at the sparkling object between his fingers. “ My problem just got a whole lot worse.”
Chester shuffled towards him and sat down at the controls. He noticed Mike’s bruised eye and cut lip…and of course knowing Chester, he decided to dive into Mike’s mind.
“ Got into a bar fight?”
“ No but I can assure you it was worse than a bar fight.” Mike muttered sadly before giving a heavy sigh.
Chester raised a brow of confusion and slowly turned his vision to the small ring between his fingers. “ Uh Mike…who’s ring is that?” he asked quietly.
Mike glanced at him and placed the ring gently onto the control board, watching it glisten under the dim lights. “ I’ll give you one guess and it’s not mine.”
“ Anna’s?” he asked with shock.
Mike nodded and ran a hand through his hair, then rested his forehead against his palm.
“ What the hell happened when I left?” Chester demanded with a deep frown. He assumed that everything had been okay…but now he wasn’t so sure.
“ To make a long story short, I almost killed Laura again, Anna slapped me, I slapped her, she beat the shit out of me, then kicked me out onto the front lawn and threw the wedding ring at me.” He muttered into his chest.
“ She beat the shit out of you? Jesus Mike, gain some weight.” Chester replied lightly.
“ Chester my wife just left me and you’re telling me I’m weak? Thanks, that helps a lot…you are such a great friend.” Mike explained sarcastically while giving him a hurt look.
“ Mike I didn’t mean it that way…besides I was just joking…and you deserved it anyway. And if you think I’m going to be here to consolidate you then you’re wrong. You are being selfish and you are hurting people.”
Mike lowered his eyes and swallowed hard. Chester was absolutely right…he had to stop. “ Chester how do I…how do I undo what’s already been done?”
He could hear the shakiness within Mike’s voice and already knew how deeply sorry he was. Now all he was thinking about was righting the wrongs and undoing the damage he had caused among his family.
Chester stared down at the floor in thought while playing with the bracelets on his wrists. How do you help a mourning father who has lost all hope? Would Mike even listen to what he had to say or would he try to escape all hurtful emotions and hide away for the rest of his life?
“ Mike…I’d be lying to you if I said I knew exactly what it was like to lose a child. I can’t even begin to imagine what you are going through but just seeing what’s happened to you during all of this is making me realize how much you actually love Laura. Underneath all the violence and anger, there is a small, broken man desperately trying to keep his daughter with him for as long as possible. Again, I don’t know what it’s like to lose a child but I know YOU. I know why you are reacting this way…and I know how you will cope with this.” He explained calmly.
“ And how exactly am I going to cope with all of this? How am I supposed to get through this pain?” Mike demanded, feeling the tears warming his lashes.
Chester leaned forward a little and eyed his best friend carefully for a long moment before replying.
“ You’ve never given up.”
The answer was so was so simple yet it sent shivers up Mike’s spine and caused his eyes to swell with tears. Chester lowered his eyes as Mike leaned his head down, covering the back of his neck with his hands. Suddenly, he choked out a heavy sob and his entire body began shaking.
“ God why are you doing this?”
Chester remained silent as Mike continued to weep his heart felt words.
“ Don’t take her away from me…don’t take away my little girl…”
It nearly broke Chester’s heart to hear his best friend crying so hard…so emotionally. There was only so much pain a man could take and Mike was at that limit…actually he was beyond that limit.
Chester put one arm around Mike and rubbed his back gently, attempting to calm his sobs. “ Mike, you can get through this. Don’t give up on her…you have a few more weeks to spend with her. Don’t take that for granted…let her know how much you love her.” Chester whispered softly.
Mike slowly stopped crying and choked back his sobs as he listened to Chester’s soothing voice.
“ Don’t give up…” He whispered once more, letting his voice linger inside Mike’s mind.
Mike blinked slowly and took in his words, staring at the control board beneath him. He suddenly realized that maternal instinct had its ups and downs…it can protect, love…and destroy.
He sat up slowly and stared Chester in the eyes with a defiant glint on his face.
“ I have to go.”
Chester frowned a little and watched Mike quickly exit the room, after swiftly grabbing the wedding ring off of the control board. He stared around the empty room and let out a heavy sigh.
“ I was hoping for something a little more dramatic Mike…”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The rain had slowly let up as Anna had just finished injecting Laura with her medication. It had taken some time to get the needle in but fortunately Laura was more afraid of the thunder than the medicine and so Anna injected her easily, while receiving a small complaint from the pin prick. As she prepared to put the empty syringe away, she heard a small knock on the front door.
Thinking it was some salesman or possibly Chester, she reluctantly opened the large door…feeling her heart drop. Mike eyed her intently with a guilty look upon his face.
He looked like he had been crying on account of the large streaks running down his red cheeks…but they were old and long since wiped away. His black eye made him look slightly dangerous and angry…but the other eye was soft and uneasy. It was hard to figure out exactly what was going through his mind but in Anna’s case she didn’t care.
She hated him for what he had almost done to Laura…and for what he had done to his wife. “ Careful Mike, I have a needle and I know how to use it.” She muttered quietly.
He gave a small smirk despite the uncomfortable tension between them and leaned against the door frame. “ Was she cooperative?”
Anna frowned, noticing how calm he was and wondered why he wasn’t more agitated and nervous. She was even surprise that he wasn’t crying or falling to his knees, begging for mercy.
“ No…but she took it bravely.” She replied suspiciously.
Mike nodded a little and stared into Anna’s eyes with confidence. He no longer looked frightened during this situation and it took her by shock. It was as if he came across some kind of epiphany while he was gone.
While he was gone…why is he back?
“ I thought I told you to never come back.” She breathed sharply.
“ You did…but I never listen to you.”
“ Michael, I want you to leave immediately.” She ordered quietly.
Laura glanced over the top of the couch and watched her mother intently…hearing the familiar voice behind the door. “ Anna-.”
“ –This is not open for discussion.”
Mike’s jaw clenched nervously as he tried to remain as calm as possible. He sighed out softly and kept his eyes on her. “ I didn’t come here to discuss it.”
“ Then why are you here?”
“ I’m here because you need me to be here…and so does Laura.” He replied softly.
“ You almost killed her…and you slapped me. You don’t deserve to be here now leave.” She hissed and attempted to close the door but unfortunately, Mike stuck his foot inside.
“ Would you just listen to me?” he asked with almost a whisper.
Anna stared into his soft brown eyes and hesitantly decided to leave the door open a little. “ Fine, I’m listening…”
Mike swallowed hard before he began, gathering his strength. “ I’m not going to bother attempting to beg my way into forgiveness because I know it’s not going to work and I know you won’t forgive me for what I have done.”
She watched him move a little closer to the door and he lowered his head, staring up at her through his thick dark lashes.
“ But…I have a responsibility to this family and I am finished screwing around with all of this shit. I am finished hiding from my fears…and…I just want to be here for you and Laura…”
Anna crossed her arms and licked her lips. “ You finished?”
She didn’t exactly sound very impressed with his little speech and he could sense that right away. Obviously this wasn’t working. Mike sighed out sharply in disbelief and nodded.
“ Yeah…I’m finished.”
“ Good…now put some ice on that eye, you look like shit.” She muttered and opened the door wider.
Mike raised a brow of confusion and surprise, still not sure weather or not she was still mad at him. “ You’re letting me in?”
“ Well I was thinking about letting you live in your truck but then I thought about the smell…and then the neighbor complaints…and I realized that I would rather have you smell good and be pissed at you rather than having you smell terrible and be pissed at you.” She explained casually.
Mike stared at her for a long moment and blinked slowly. “ So…you’re still pissed at me?”
“ Oh hell yeah, you’re sleeping on the couch tonight.” She muttered and took a few steps back.
Mike breathed out sharply with a small smile and slowly stepped into the warm house, closing the door behind him.
“ Daddy…”
Mike turned his head towards the couch and eyed his daughter with curiosity. She had her arms extended into the air, expecting a hug from her father. He knew she didn’t quite understand what had happened earlier and must have blocked out all of that violence, forgetting that it even happened.
Anna watched Mike intently as he gave a small smile and walked over to the couch, sitting down beside his daughter. She wrapped her arms around him tightly and dug her face into his neck, accepting his warm comfort. He instinctively draped his arms around her and kissed her on the forehead while stroking her hair.
“ Hey baby…”
“ Are you back?” she asked lightly.
Mike couldn’t help but smile at her innocence as he held her in his arms. “ Yeah…I’m back…”
“ Uh Mike…why don’t you um…take her upstairs.” Anna whispered suggestively.
He glanced at her briefly, then nodded, picking Laura up into his arms. She gripped his neck tightly as he walked her upstairs to her temporary room and laid her down on the bed, wrapping her up in her covers.
He could already tell that by how fast she had already fallen asleep how weak she was. Everyday she was getting weaker…and it wasn’t long until that dreadful day when she would fall asleep and never awaken.
Mike gave her a small kiss on the cheek and smiled, stroking her hair. “ I love you sweetie…sweet dreams…” he whispered.
He watched Laura peacefully sleep for several minutes, just taking in her innocent beauty…knowing that perhaps he’d never see it again. Reluctantly, he stood up and walked into the hall, closing her door softly, careful not to wake her.
He was surprised to find Anna standing in front of him with a neutral face…no glare, no smile. “ Are you going to start being a man?” she asked.
He sighed lightly and walked towards her cautiously, not sure how close she even wanted him near her right now after what had happened earlier.
“ I’m going to start being her father.” He replied.
And to his surprise, Anna gave a small smile and grabbed his hands staring into his soft eyes.
“ I believe you have something of mine…”
Mike gave a large smile and reached into his pocket then held out Anna’s ring.
“ I think you must have dropped this…you know because I found it outside on the grass…”
“ Yeah I think I have to get that thing resized…it keeps falling off.” She chuckled as he slipped it onto her finger.
He peered fondly into her eyes and swallowed hard, wondering if he was out of the doghouse yet. “ I love you Anna…”
“ I love you too…”
And so they left it at that…not wanting to talk about what had happened earlier. They had silently agreed to put it behind them and look towards the future. Anna walked into their room and grabbed something from the bed, then quickly walked towards the door, hiding it from Mike’s view.
“ What is that?” he asked with a smile.
Her smile faded quickly and she pressed his pillow into his chest.
“ Good night Michael.”
And with that, she closed the bedroom door. Mike stared at the wood for a long moment then his smile faded and he frowned. He gave a long sigh and proceeded downstairs to the couch. He ruffled the pillow for optimal comfort then lay down against it, frowning with insult and guilt.
Somehow he knew his neck was going to hurt tomorrow morning…

~~ HAHA..okay so the whole Laura situation thingy is coming in the next chapter so watch out for that as soon as i update...awwww tis gonna be sad...anywhoosies, thankees for all ur reviews, you guys always make me smile...and thankees for reading so far!! PEACE OUT!! :)~~