‹ Prequel: Family Reunion
Sequel: Communion

Union

The Verdict I Predict

"Step through!" a prison guard said to Tre sternly, at the security check in North Kern State Prison.

Tre said nothing as he looked down at the cement floor, and stepped through a metal detector. His heart was skipping every second beat, and he feared greatly for his wife, wishing he could be by her side.

Tre was found free of any harmful metal objects, given a uniform, and an inmate sponsor to show him the ropes of the prison.

Placing on his light blue uniform under watchful eyes of his inmate sponsor, Tre felt now more than ever the effects of learning he would likely spend nine years in prison. And it made him wonder...

Was stabbing Sarah, even after all she had done to him, worth it? Would he still have had everything with Rose, he had up until today, if he had just let Sarah keep, basically sexually abusing him?

Who could know? All there was to be known, was that these years would be the slowest years of Tre's life.

Just then a loud awful sounding buzzer went off, and the inmate sponsor told Tre it was time for them to go eat dinner in the prison's cafeteria. Following this strange criminal, Tre wondered what he was in for, and how long.

He didn't feel like asking him at the moment though.

"So, what are you in for?" the other inmate asked Tre.

Tre didn't say anything, tears just rolled down his cheek as he walked with a coward head.

"I wouldn't do that. Some guy sees you crying in here, you'll be someone's bitch so fast it's not even funny," the inmate warned him.

"Okay..." Tre mumbled, and wiped his tears with the sleeve of his uniform.

"I'm Clive..." he introduced himself, as they walked the gated halls of the prison.

"Tre Cool..."

"Do I know you from somewhere?" the inmate asked.

Tre just sighed, "Who knows?"

"So again, what are you in for?"

"Attempted murder," Tre pouted.

"Nice one," Clive remarked.

"No, not really. I'm not that psychotic," Tre said, rolling his eyes.

"Well if you're not already, this place will make you psychotic. How long you doing, in here?"

"Nine years. I can apply for my parol in three," Tre answered the man.

"That's not too bad. I know some people who got life for attempted murder. They say it's the same, because your intent is to kill. I think it's bullshit," Clive said.

"Me too. I wasn't trying to kill anyone," Tre replied sheepishly as he walked into the cafeteria, and many prying eyes turned to look at him.

"Welcome to North Kern!" Clive said, holding his arms up at the cement ceiling, like he was a holyman seeing the clouded blue heavens above him.

***

A mortified Rose was screaming in the back of an ambulance on the way to the hospital. She was in physical and emotional pain right now; nothing could change how much she wished Tre to be by her side at this moment.

"Uhh! Oh God!"

"Okay, just breathe darling," a kind paramedic said as he placed an oxygen mask over her face, but pulled it back up when she started screaming again.

"AHHH! FUCK! CALL MY COUSIN!"

The oxygen mask was placed over her face once again. "Who's your cousin darling?" another paramedic asked her.

Pulling the mask off her face, Rose gasped for more air," "Ahh! Billie! Billie Joe! Uhh! Armstrong!"

"Did you say Billie or Joe?" the paramedic holding the oxygen masked asked her.

"I think she said, Billie Joe Armstrong," the other paramedic said.

"Ahh! Yes!" Rose nodded, the mask placed over her face again.

"Tre Cool is her husband..." the knowledgable paramedic said.

"Oh..." the other said.

"Uhh! FUCK YOUR LITTLE FAN CLUB RIGHT NOW! FUCKING CALL HIM!" Rose shouted at them, pushing the oxygen mask off her face.

"I'm sorry!" the paramedic said, as the other placed the mask back over Rose's face once again.

***

Arriving at the hospital, Rose was wheeled on a stretcher through the E.R. and into the delivery room.

"Uhh!" Rose cried in pain. "I need Frank!"

"Ma'am just relax," a doctor said that laid her back on the bed, and put feet up in a half comfortable position.

"FUCK! AHHH! FRANK!" Rose screamed, her entire body tense and weak.

"Ma'am your family are on the way, don't you worry," the doctor said.

"Please get Frank! Please... Uhh! Please!" Rose begged.

"Who's Frank?" the doctor asked her as he took her hand in his.

"Uhh! My husband!" Rose shrieked.

"Oh...where is he?" the doctor questioned.

"He! Uhhhh! He just went to prison!"

"Oh, okay..." the doctor said with confusion.

"GET HIM PLEASE! I NEED HIM! Please....I need him..." she began to sob quietly. "Uhh!"

***

"Billie would you tell me what the hell is going on?!" Adrienne shouted as she watched her husband dart about the house.

"I already told you! Rose is having the baby!"

"Is Tre with her?!" Adrienne asked as she began to put her own shoes on.

"I don't know!" Billie shouted as he began to put his own shoes on. "Joe! Stay here and watch your brother! We have to go to the hospital!" Billie shouted and he grabbed Adrienne's hand and darted out the door.

"I think you should have told him why we were going to the hospital!" Adrienne said, jumping in the passenger side of Billie Joe's '67 Ford Fairlane.

"I'll call him later!" Billie Joe shouted.

***

"AHHH! Oh God! Make it stop!" Rose cried.

"You're not dialated enough yet ma'am," the doctor said. "Are you wanting to acquire a caesarean section, or go the old fashioned route?"

"Uhh Natur...Uhh...naturally! Ahh!...how long?!" Rose asked, as she clamped the doctors hand.

"It's going at a normal pace. I'd probably say, give another ten hours," the doctor answered her.

"Ten hours!?" Rose cried.

"Yes ma'am...." the doctor said, not wanting to tell her it would more than likely be double that time.

"Uhh! Get Frank! It hurts!" Rose begged.

"WHERE IS SHE?!" Rose heard a familiar voice shout.

"BILLIE!" Rose shouted at the top of her lungs.

Running in the room, Billie Joe and Adrienne caught site of a twenty-three year old Rose laying in a bed crying hysterically.

"Rose, how are you?!" Billie shrieked as he took her hand.

"Uhh...it hurts Billie...I need Frank," Rose said.

Adrienne came around the other side of the bed and took Rose's other hand from the doctor, "Where is Tre, Rose?"

"He's in prison..."

"Oh shit...fuck...." Billie Joe said, right before Rose crushed his hand with her own. "Ouch!"

"I need him! They can't take him from me!" Rose said, shaking her head irratically.

"It's okay," Adrienne said, and she started stroking Rose's sweaty forehead gently.

"No...this is supposed to be...Uhh! Supposed to be special. They're stealing it from us!" Rose shouted.

"Fuck...well how long did he get?" Billie Joe said, feeling very upset now.

Rose mumbled something inaudible, and Billie asked her to repeat. "Nine years!"

"Oh God," Billie Joe said with shock, as he stepped back from Rose's bed and turned around and sighed.

"Honey, are you okay?" Adrienne asked.

"Yeah...I'll be fine," Billie sighed, as he thought about poor Tre being stuck in prison for nine agonizingly long years.

Was it even possible for Green Day to exist in nine years?