It Began With A Gunshot
Recovery
*Billie Joe's POV*
One of the people looked at me and did a double take.
"M-Mr Armstrong!" he stuttered. "You're awake!" They all turned to look at me. The room was filled with people, flowers, balloons, cards, little teddy bears and fruit.
"What's going on?" I tried to sit up, but a blinding pain in my head stopped me. I quickly lay back down, as two people rushed to elevate my bed.
"Mr. Armstrong, you're in hospital. Do you remember anything?" the dude, the doctor asked.
"Um, I was outside... " I tried to sift through the fog in my brain. "... .there was a man... .with a-a gun, he tried to shoot the President and I jumped at the President."
"Good. No damage to your memory," he made a note on the clip board. "Ah, yes. Steve, please fetch Dr. Pritchard and tell him that Mr. Armstrong is awake."
A guy rushed out of the room. I picked up a card on the table beside me.
Mr. Armstrong,
Thank you, my child. The Good Lord blesses you for what you have done. You have saved America.
Pope Paul Bono
O..K.
I have a 'Get Well' card from the Pope. I have a 'Get Well' card from Bono. I picked up another.
Mr. Armstrong,
You have done the World a great service today in saving the leader of America. We shall all be forever in your debt.
Queen Elizabeth II and the Royal Family
O... K..
I picked up another.
To my dear Billie Joe,
You did an admirable thing today, son. Your father would be terribly proud of you, as I am. I am glad that you are safe and practically unscathed. I am flying out to Washington to see you on the next flight. Anna and David are coming with me.
Again, well done my son, and get well soon.
All my love,
Mom
Wow. I have a card from someone I know!
The door opened and I put the card down. A tall guy with brownish hair and blue eyes walked in.
"Mr. Armstrong, I'm Dr. Pritchard. I was operating on you and will explain your injuries to you," he smiled. "You were shot in your left shoulder and we have removed the bullet and stitched up the wound. The stitches should dissolve within three weeks. You broke your wrist, which we have set in plaster and cracked three of your ribs. Your wrist will take two to three months to heal and your ribs should be healed within one to two months. You will have to be extremely careful as now your ribs are cracked, while they are healing, they could break completely. Any questions?"
"Um, how's the President?"
"He's good. He's got a broken ankle and three cracked ribs. In fact, I believe he wants to see you."
"O... K."
Dr. Pritchard smiled. "I know this must be rather overwhelming, but just try to relax. I've met the President, he's a nice guy."
He walked out and I was left alone. I picked up another card. I began to read it, but my head began to hurt, so I put it down and closed my eyes.
"God! I'm fucking insane! Why the fuck did I save the President?"
"Because he's a wonderful person that everybody loves!"
I opened my eyes, and there, sitting next to me, was President Wright. I could feel myself blushing as he laughed.
"Don't worry about it, I think you're insane too," he smiled. "But, your insanity saved my life, so I'm forever grateful."
I smiled back.
"Anyway, I would like to take you and Dr. Pritchard out to dinner, when are you free?"
"Um, whenever."
"OK. How about Tuesday?"
"Yeah, Tuesday's good."
He smiled again. "OK. Here's my number and address. May I have your number and address so Adam and I can come and collect you?"
"Yeah sure." I gave him my number and address and we chatted about stuff. He told me he'd just had a little girl named Lily, she was two days old. I showed him some of the cards, we both laughed at them. There sure are some kiss-asses out there. After half an hour he left and the doctor came back in.
"Hello Mr. Armstrong, how are you feeling?"
"I'll tell you if you call me Billie Joe."
"OK, Billie Joe, but you must call me Michael."
I smiled and nodded. "OK. I'm alright, my head hurts a bit, but meh."
He smiled. "I think you're ready to be moved onto the ward. I'll get Steve and Luke to take you."
"Thanks, Michael."
"No problem, Billie. Your Mom is at a hotel nearby. She says she's coming with David and Anna tomorrow."
"Thanks."
Two guys, who I guessed must be Steve and Luke came in. They wheeled me down several corridoors and through lots of doors until we came to a large room with lots of beds, curtains separating them.
They put me in a spare bed and closed the curtains on my left hand side. There was an empty bed on my left, an occupied bed on my right.
"Now, Miss," said a cheerful looking old lady. "This is Mr..."
"Armstrong," I said, smiling.
"This is Mr. Armstrong. Mr. Armstrong, this Mrs. Johnston. For the last two days, she's been very quiet, haven't you Miss?" Still the woman in the bed was silent.
The old lady turned to me. "I'm the Sister for this ward. I'm Jane. Hopefully you two will get along." She smiled at the lady in the bed to my right and walked off.
"Hi, I'm Billie Joe Armstrong."
She moved slightly. I saw bruises all over her. I was disgusted. Who would do such a thing?
She turned to face me. I gasped.
"Billie Joe?"
"Adrienne?"
One of the people looked at me and did a double take.
"M-Mr Armstrong!" he stuttered. "You're awake!" They all turned to look at me. The room was filled with people, flowers, balloons, cards, little teddy bears and fruit.
"What's going on?" I tried to sit up, but a blinding pain in my head stopped me. I quickly lay back down, as two people rushed to elevate my bed.
"Mr. Armstrong, you're in hospital. Do you remember anything?" the dude, the doctor asked.
"Um, I was outside... " I tried to sift through the fog in my brain. "... .there was a man... .with a-a gun, he tried to shoot the President and I jumped at the President."
"Good. No damage to your memory," he made a note on the clip board. "Ah, yes. Steve, please fetch Dr. Pritchard and tell him that Mr. Armstrong is awake."
A guy rushed out of the room. I picked up a card on the table beside me.
Mr. Armstrong,
Thank you, my child. The Good Lord blesses you for what you have done. You have saved America.
Pope Paul Bono
O..K.
I have a 'Get Well' card from the Pope. I have a 'Get Well' card from Bono. I picked up another.
Mr. Armstrong,
You have done the World a great service today in saving the leader of America. We shall all be forever in your debt.
Queen Elizabeth II and the Royal Family
O... K..
I picked up another.
To my dear Billie Joe,
You did an admirable thing today, son. Your father would be terribly proud of you, as I am. I am glad that you are safe and practically unscathed. I am flying out to Washington to see you on the next flight. Anna and David are coming with me.
Again, well done my son, and get well soon.
All my love,
Mom
Wow. I have a card from someone I know!
The door opened and I put the card down. A tall guy with brownish hair and blue eyes walked in.
"Mr. Armstrong, I'm Dr. Pritchard. I was operating on you and will explain your injuries to you," he smiled. "You were shot in your left shoulder and we have removed the bullet and stitched up the wound. The stitches should dissolve within three weeks. You broke your wrist, which we have set in plaster and cracked three of your ribs. Your wrist will take two to three months to heal and your ribs should be healed within one to two months. You will have to be extremely careful as now your ribs are cracked, while they are healing, they could break completely. Any questions?"
"Um, how's the President?"
"He's good. He's got a broken ankle and three cracked ribs. In fact, I believe he wants to see you."
"O... K."
Dr. Pritchard smiled. "I know this must be rather overwhelming, but just try to relax. I've met the President, he's a nice guy."
He walked out and I was left alone. I picked up another card. I began to read it, but my head began to hurt, so I put it down and closed my eyes.
"God! I'm fucking insane! Why the fuck did I save the President?"
"Because he's a wonderful person that everybody loves!"
I opened my eyes, and there, sitting next to me, was President Wright. I could feel myself blushing as he laughed.
"Don't worry about it, I think you're insane too," he smiled. "But, your insanity saved my life, so I'm forever grateful."
I smiled back.
"Anyway, I would like to take you and Dr. Pritchard out to dinner, when are you free?"
"Um, whenever."
"OK. How about Tuesday?"
"Yeah, Tuesday's good."
He smiled again. "OK. Here's my number and address. May I have your number and address so Adam and I can come and collect you?"
"Yeah sure." I gave him my number and address and we chatted about stuff. He told me he'd just had a little girl named Lily, she was two days old. I showed him some of the cards, we both laughed at them. There sure are some kiss-asses out there. After half an hour he left and the doctor came back in.
"Hello Mr. Armstrong, how are you feeling?"
"I'll tell you if you call me Billie Joe."
"OK, Billie Joe, but you must call me Michael."
I smiled and nodded. "OK. I'm alright, my head hurts a bit, but meh."
He smiled. "I think you're ready to be moved onto the ward. I'll get Steve and Luke to take you."
"Thanks, Michael."
"No problem, Billie. Your Mom is at a hotel nearby. She says she's coming with David and Anna tomorrow."
"Thanks."
Two guys, who I guessed must be Steve and Luke came in. They wheeled me down several corridoors and through lots of doors until we came to a large room with lots of beds, curtains separating them.
They put me in a spare bed and closed the curtains on my left hand side. There was an empty bed on my left, an occupied bed on my right.
"Now, Miss," said a cheerful looking old lady. "This is Mr..."
"Armstrong," I said, smiling.
"This is Mr. Armstrong. Mr. Armstrong, this Mrs. Johnston. For the last two days, she's been very quiet, haven't you Miss?" Still the woman in the bed was silent.
The old lady turned to me. "I'm the Sister for this ward. I'm Jane. Hopefully you two will get along." She smiled at the lady in the bed to my right and walked off.
"Hi, I'm Billie Joe Armstrong."
She moved slightly. I saw bruises all over her. I was disgusted. Who would do such a thing?
She turned to face me. I gasped.
"Billie Joe?"
"Adrienne?"