I Can Help You
Chapter 4
"And we're done"? Dr Hill said, nodding to a nearby team member, "It wasn't so bad was it? Now, just lie nice and still for me just now Mrs Armstrong, and I'll be back to see how you're doing"?
Adrienne looked up at him, her face chalk white. The injections, which had been incredibly painful, had left her exhausted.
"Has it worked?" ? she whispered
The doctors glanced at each other.
"There's no guarantee"? one said, "There's a good chance though. You're young and have no major health problems, there's no reason why it shouldn't work." ?
Dr Hill turned to Billie Joe.
"Can we have a little word outside please?" ? he asked, "We have some things to discuss"?
Giving Adrienne's hand a final squeeze, he stepped out of the machine filled room. It had been so jam-packed with computers and screens it was claustrophobic. And the dozens of figures in white coats, rushing around hadn't helped matters.
"Mr Armstrong"? Dr Hill said, "We can say with some confidence that things have gone well. However, things can still go wrong, and our experiment could still fail. But, I have arranged an appropriate place for you to stay. You and your family will be found dead tonight; you'll be staying in a secret facility for the moment"?
For a minute, Billie Joe wondered what he was talking about. Then he remembered. They were moving to a remote part of the English countryside, and they were never coming back.
"We're calling him Jakob"? he told the doctor, "I now it's risky, but that's his name. That's what Adie wants"?
Seeing little point in arguing, Dr Hill rummaged in his pocket, producing a picture of a pretty little cottage.
"That's it"? he said, "It's very spacious inside, and a lovely community. There's a nice school nearby, a private one." ?
Staring at the photo, Billie Joe felt his throat tighten. It was nice and everything, but what would everybody think? How could he let his family and friends think they were all dead? Dr Hill had explained that bodies were found every day, and it sounded horrifying, but he could pose as a family friend and identify random bodies as them. It seemed reasonably simple, but Billie Joe had doubts. Not that they wouldn't be believed, as doctors are always trusted, but about the other family. The family of the people whose bodies they'd use. They'd never know where their loved ones had gone; they'd never have any answers. And that was the worst part of the whole situation. Because he'd only experienced that real feeling of hopelessness twice before. There was the train crash, but at least he'd had something to do, no one could say he hadn't tried. But by far the worst was the night Joey had gone missing. There had been an argument, he'd forgotten what about, and Joey, being just five years old, had ran out the door. It was four in the morning before they'd found him, after five long hours. But this other family's nightmare would go on forever.
"You have nothing to feel guilty about Mr Armstrong"? Dr Hill said, "Every parent on the planet would do everything in their power to save their child"?
Billie nodded, feeling more and more guilty.
"I wanna see Adie now"? he said, "Can I go in?" ?
Removing his glasses and rubbing them carefully with a duster, Dr Hill surveyed him.
"All right, just for five minutes, we should have the results by tomorrow morning. I'd like Adrienne to stay her for the moment; she should be fine to go with you after the results. And Mr Armstrong, please don't get your hopes up, or your wife's, this is still a very new procedure." ?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Joey flicked on the television, trying to find anything except the reminder of what had just happened. Their 'bodies' had just been found in a closed down bar near their old house. And that was all that was on.
"Green Day front man Billie Joe Armstrong has been found dead in The Eagle Bar"? on stupid looking news reader reported, "He was found alongside his wife Adrienne and son Joseph, who were all involved in the Helkinsbourge Train Disaster. The singer's youngest son Jakob was killing in the tragedy, and his wife severely injured. Although murder has not been ruled out, suicide seems the most likely cause of their deaths. Band mates Mike and Tre have yet to comment, but a spokesperson for them said- We were all shocked and distraught when we heard the news. Our hearts go out to Billie and Adrienne's families." ?
Joey stopped listening at this point. This was it, there was no going back. Even if Dr Hill didn't managed to bring Jakob back, they were still facing a life of hiding. A life where they'd have to be so careful about what they said and who they said it to, that it would probably be easier not to make friends.
"A close family friend identified the bodies"? the idiotic reporter droned on in the background, "Mr Gordon Reid, who had known Adrienne since school, was said to be 'hysterical'. He explained to one of our reporters that he had spoken on the phone with her just two days before she died, to send his sympathy at the loss of Jakob." ?
Billie Joe gasped. How could Dr Hill, aka Gordon Reid, take such a chance? It was common knowledge that is you want to keep something quiet, you talk about it as little as possible. You don't invent complicated stories.
"Is she making it up?" ? a confused Joey asked, "Mum said Jakob was coming back, forever this time. She said he'd be different, but he'd still be Jakob. She promised me"?
Billie Joe didn't know what to say. IF he reassured Joey that everything was going to be fine, that Jakob was definitely coming back, then he'd practically be lying. But he didn't have the energy to explain things properly.
"Your mum should be home tomorrow"? he said, changing the subject, "That'll be nice, won't it?" ?
He prayed that Adie really would be home the next day, he couldn't lose anything else. Luckily, the phone rang, interrupting their conversation.
"Hello"? came a familiar, mousy voice, "I'd like you to get some things together Mr Armstrong. We'll be sending a driver from the Rebirth facility. Just don't draw any attention to yourself, we'll be there shortly"?
"Wait"? Billie cried, "Does that mean it's worked, and Adie's okay?" ?
"It means we have some things to discuss"? the doctor said, no giving him a straight answer. Suddenly Billie Joe realised how much he must have annoyed Joey when he did the same thing.
"I think it would be a good idea to be prepared to get moving"? Dr Hill continued, "There's a lot of media interest in your death, and we need to get you somewhere safe. I can't tell you about Adrienne over the telephone though"?
And he clicked off, leaving the room unnaturally silent.
Adrienne looked up at him, her face chalk white. The injections, which had been incredibly painful, had left her exhausted.
"Has it worked?" ? she whispered
The doctors glanced at each other.
"There's no guarantee"? one said, "There's a good chance though. You're young and have no major health problems, there's no reason why it shouldn't work." ?
Dr Hill turned to Billie Joe.
"Can we have a little word outside please?" ? he asked, "We have some things to discuss"?
Giving Adrienne's hand a final squeeze, he stepped out of the machine filled room. It had been so jam-packed with computers and screens it was claustrophobic. And the dozens of figures in white coats, rushing around hadn't helped matters.
"Mr Armstrong"? Dr Hill said, "We can say with some confidence that things have gone well. However, things can still go wrong, and our experiment could still fail. But, I have arranged an appropriate place for you to stay. You and your family will be found dead tonight; you'll be staying in a secret facility for the moment"?
For a minute, Billie Joe wondered what he was talking about. Then he remembered. They were moving to a remote part of the English countryside, and they were never coming back.
"We're calling him Jakob"? he told the doctor, "I now it's risky, but that's his name. That's what Adie wants"?
Seeing little point in arguing, Dr Hill rummaged in his pocket, producing a picture of a pretty little cottage.
"That's it"? he said, "It's very spacious inside, and a lovely community. There's a nice school nearby, a private one." ?
Staring at the photo, Billie Joe felt his throat tighten. It was nice and everything, but what would everybody think? How could he let his family and friends think they were all dead? Dr Hill had explained that bodies were found every day, and it sounded horrifying, but he could pose as a family friend and identify random bodies as them. It seemed reasonably simple, but Billie Joe had doubts. Not that they wouldn't be believed, as doctors are always trusted, but about the other family. The family of the people whose bodies they'd use. They'd never know where their loved ones had gone; they'd never have any answers. And that was the worst part of the whole situation. Because he'd only experienced that real feeling of hopelessness twice before. There was the train crash, but at least he'd had something to do, no one could say he hadn't tried. But by far the worst was the night Joey had gone missing. There had been an argument, he'd forgotten what about, and Joey, being just five years old, had ran out the door. It was four in the morning before they'd found him, after five long hours. But this other family's nightmare would go on forever.
"You have nothing to feel guilty about Mr Armstrong"? Dr Hill said, "Every parent on the planet would do everything in their power to save their child"?
Billie nodded, feeling more and more guilty.
"I wanna see Adie now"? he said, "Can I go in?" ?
Removing his glasses and rubbing them carefully with a duster, Dr Hill surveyed him.
"All right, just for five minutes, we should have the results by tomorrow morning. I'd like Adrienne to stay her for the moment; she should be fine to go with you after the results. And Mr Armstrong, please don't get your hopes up, or your wife's, this is still a very new procedure." ?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Joey flicked on the television, trying to find anything except the reminder of what had just happened. Their 'bodies' had just been found in a closed down bar near their old house. And that was all that was on.
"Green Day front man Billie Joe Armstrong has been found dead in The Eagle Bar"? on stupid looking news reader reported, "He was found alongside his wife Adrienne and son Joseph, who were all involved in the Helkinsbourge Train Disaster. The singer's youngest son Jakob was killing in the tragedy, and his wife severely injured. Although murder has not been ruled out, suicide seems the most likely cause of their deaths. Band mates Mike and Tre have yet to comment, but a spokesperson for them said- We were all shocked and distraught when we heard the news. Our hearts go out to Billie and Adrienne's families." ?
Joey stopped listening at this point. This was it, there was no going back. Even if Dr Hill didn't managed to bring Jakob back, they were still facing a life of hiding. A life where they'd have to be so careful about what they said and who they said it to, that it would probably be easier not to make friends.
"A close family friend identified the bodies"? the idiotic reporter droned on in the background, "Mr Gordon Reid, who had known Adrienne since school, was said to be 'hysterical'. He explained to one of our reporters that he had spoken on the phone with her just two days before she died, to send his sympathy at the loss of Jakob." ?
Billie Joe gasped. How could Dr Hill, aka Gordon Reid, take such a chance? It was common knowledge that is you want to keep something quiet, you talk about it as little as possible. You don't invent complicated stories.
"Is she making it up?" ? a confused Joey asked, "Mum said Jakob was coming back, forever this time. She said he'd be different, but he'd still be Jakob. She promised me"?
Billie Joe didn't know what to say. IF he reassured Joey that everything was going to be fine, that Jakob was definitely coming back, then he'd practically be lying. But he didn't have the energy to explain things properly.
"Your mum should be home tomorrow"? he said, changing the subject, "That'll be nice, won't it?" ?
He prayed that Adie really would be home the next day, he couldn't lose anything else. Luckily, the phone rang, interrupting their conversation.
"Hello"? came a familiar, mousy voice, "I'd like you to get some things together Mr Armstrong. We'll be sending a driver from the Rebirth facility. Just don't draw any attention to yourself, we'll be there shortly"?
"Wait"? Billie cried, "Does that mean it's worked, and Adie's okay?" ?
"It means we have some things to discuss"? the doctor said, no giving him a straight answer. Suddenly Billie Joe realised how much he must have annoyed Joey when he did the same thing.
"I think it would be a good idea to be prepared to get moving"? Dr Hill continued, "There's a lot of media interest in your death, and we need to get you somewhere safe. I can't tell you about Adrienne over the telephone though"?
And he clicked off, leaving the room unnaturally silent.