Ring the Alarm

Billie pounded on Mike's front door with such a conviction that he might have sounded like he was using a battering ram rather than his fist. And with the look on Mike's face when he answered the door, Billie could tell he was surprised that all the noise was coming from one man.

Mike was even more surprised when Billie broke down in floods of tears and collapsed into his chest.

"Billie---what the---how come---?" Mike couldn't gather a coherent sentence together over the racket that Billie made. "Why don't we go inside, people will start to talk if they see you like this."

With an enormous effort, Mike ushered Billie's dead weight through the door and into the house; not getting further than the bottom of the stairs before he collapsed under the weight of his friend.

"Seriously man---what the fuck is up?" hysteria coloured Mike's tone.

"She---Adie---she knows---"

"Knows what? You're going to have to pull yourself together dude, you're not making any sense at all!" Mike gripped Billie's shoulders tightly and looked deeply into his eyes. "I'm here for you Beej, you just need to calm down---"

Billie drew a ragged breath and wiped his face with the back of his hand. "Abigail---Adrienne knows about Abigail---"

Mike raised his eyebrows sceptically. "I thought she already knew Abigail was working with us? Or is there something else she's found out?"

Billie hoped his sobs would hide the lie. "No, there's nothing else to know---"

"Then what---why are you so upset?"

"We were fighting. She found some emails that me and Abigail had sent to one another---and she freaked out. Like proper freaked out---she packed my case and everything---" his voice broke again.

"What did the emails say?"

"Nothing. They meant nothing! But she couldn't get her head around it. She just went---crazy."

"So has she thrown you out? Is that why you're here?"

"Oh Mike I've been such a dick---" Billie angrily tugged at his hair and beat his chest in a fit of passion. "I'm such a dick that I couldn't see what it was that I already had---"

"She has thrown you out then?" Billie's riddles were making Mike's head spin. "Come on Bill, you've gotta be clearer than this so I can help." When Billie shook his head, not being able to find the words, Mike encased his friend in a hug. "There is nothing you can do Bill, that would stop me being your friend---just tell me---"

The sincerity in Mike's eyes made guilt smash through Billie's entire chest, as though he had just been hit by a train. His web of lies was becoming more intricate by the minute; but he knew he couldn't tell his friend the truth, not when he had just lied to his wife. Billie picked his words carefully so as not to unravel the mesh that, at that minute, was the only thing holding him up and away from total destruction.

"Abigail and I---well, we like each other. Or should I say LIKED each other. Adrienne found some emails that we had sent and went nuts. She got it into her head that Abigail and I had slept together---but we haven't. I SWEAR that we haven't. I've just been so messed up lately with worrying about juggling the band and having a kid, that when Abigail came along she was like a breath of fresh air. I craved her company because it was different. And then somewhere down the line my feelings for Abigail clouded the love that I feel for Adie---"

"But the emails---Adrienne can't just go nuts over nothing---they must have implied something?!"

"I'll admit that they talk about sex---but not as if Abigail and I have had sex together---just that we like sex in general---but Adrienne couldn't get her head around it. So she packed my things and told me to get out---"

"And is that when you came round here?"

Mike sensed that he had asked that question too soon when tears clouded the emerald of Billie's eyes.

"She went into labour Mike," Billie fought against the clamp that was tightening his vocal chords. "We fought so bad that she went into labour---"

Mike's jaw opened in an 'o' of surprise. He swiftly grabbed Billie's arm and dragged him to his feet. "Then what the hell are you doing here? Get to the hospital!"

"She's had the baby---"

If the situation wasn't so dire, Billie would have laughed at the perplexed look on Mike's face.

"I'm---confused," Mike whispered at length. "Please get to the point of why you're here and not there before my head implodes in on itself."

"She collapsed while we were fighting, so I rushed her to the hospital because she had started bleeding. Her blood pressure was too high so they had to operate to get the baby out. But she wouldn't let me near her---or him."

"A boy?" Mike grinned emphatically but then realised it was not the time for elation, so nodded at Billie to continue.

"Yeah---she's had a boy---I got a son---but she won't let me see him. She was out cold for a pretty long time, and when she came round, she told me that I wasn't to go anywhere near her or him."

Mike was floored. He couldn't believe that all of this had happened in such a short period of time. He soon had to compose himself though, when Billie became racked with sobs again. Gently pulling on his shoulder, Mike brought him in for another hug.

"I've completely fucked things up Mike---Adrienne is the best thing to have ever happened to me. And now it's all gone. Her and the baby---all just gone."

"Look--Billie Joe---I'm trying to be as sympathetic as possible here, but you gotta shape up your game dude! The Billie Joe Armstrong I know wouldn't give up this easily. I'll admit that you've been a sneaky and sly bastard, and Adrienne did right in going nuts---that's what any normal person would do! But you can't just walk away! Not when there's a baby to think about now."

"But she doesn't want me Mike---she can't stand the sight of me! I've told her that it's over between Abigail and I, but she just won't listen to me!"

"You swear it's over Billie Joe? You don't feel anything for her?"

"I don't even want to be friends with Abigail, Mike! I have too much to lose in Adrienne, and she's the only woman that I'm ever going to love. Like--truly love. I married her because I can't imagine forever without her---"

Mike held up his hand to stop him. "Bill---I'm not the one you should be telling all this to. By hook or by crook you want to get your ass to that hospital and SHOW Adrienne that you're not going to give up on her. Or on the baby."

Mike gave Billie an almighty shove and pushed him off the stairs onto the floor.

"Get upstairs and have a wash---clean yourself up---pass me your cell and I'll call you a cab back to the hospital, it's easier to let you stay if you don't drive---"

Feeling empowered, Billie got to his feet and felt about in his pockets for his cell phone. Then, once again, the train suddenly crashed into his chest. He felt the blood drain away from his face as realisation of where his phone was, dawned on him.

"The hospital," he murmured. "My phone is with Adie at the hospital---"

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