Rudy Can't Fail

Nat and Adrienne were out together for the day, so Billie and I were at a loose end. We called Mike and had decided on an impromptu jam session at 880.
I sat at the mixing desk, playing with the buttons while Billie sat at his laptop and Mike was making some coffee.

"Tre…"

"Billie Joe?"

"Is Nat…uh…is everything ok, man?"

"Yeah, why do you ask?" I sit upright, turning to face him. I was taken back his question.

"Oh…cool…no. No reason" He says going back to the screen infront of him.
Before I could reply, Mike walks in with coffee is hand.

"So what are we gonna do? Stay here or go elsewhere and do shit?" He takes a sip and walks over to the empty seat across from Billie.

"Well Bill here, was gonna tell me why he thinks something's up with me and Nat."
Mike looks at Billie then back at me in confusion.

"Aha. Well Bill, tell the man what he wants to know, then we can do something."

"It's nothing…Adie said mentioned before she left this morning…it's not important." He shrugs looking at Mike quickly, before going back to tapping on the keyboard.

"What did she say? Is it Nat? Her birthday? What?" I ask, getting impatient. It was really bugging me now. Since Thanksgiving, there had been loads of times where Nat had been making these private calls or her and Adie were whispering about something and it was getting on my nerves.

“Just going to see a Doctor. Probrably Gyno, dude…nasty!” He says. I nod as we all cringe at the thought.

"Oh yes, Baby's 26th birthday…what are we doing for that?" Mike asks, innocently changing the subject.
I figure Billie's not gonna tell me anything but I would ask Nat tomorrow after I give her the birthday present from me and from the kids.
"Well she said something about spending the day with Max, then I was gonna take her to dinner, then to Black Jack's; where all you guys would be in costumes…I thought you knew." I say with a sigh and a shake of my head.

"Oh fuck…" Mike says quickly. "Yeah, I knew… I was um…just testing you guys…like… to see if you knew."

"Shut the fuck up, Mike. You forgot, didn’t you?" Billie laughs at him, turning to me, "I should call Gerard and the guys…are you sure you wanna lose Nat to him? You know she crushes on him, dude!"

"No she doesn’t. I am the only one Nat crushes on, thank you."

"Well that's not what she told me last night, my man." Mike adds, getting up and coming over to pat me on the back. I swat him away and give him a death stare.

"Fuck you!"

"Oh, I wish she would” he sing-songs in my ear. Standing upright to stretch he says “Well a
man can dream right?…like I said before; if I wasn’t with Britt…"

"She wouldn’t let you tap her ass if your life depended on it, Michael. And yes, Bill. Call Gerard; he's part of my special birthday gift. They’re in L.A, right?"

"Got here yesterday. Dude, the last special gift you got ended up with you being hospitalised. Am I right in assuming we should have medical staff on stand-by?" Billie takes out his cell, dialling what I assume to be Gerard's number.

"Nope, but Nat may need one." I chuckle to myself; Nat had no idea what was coming.

***

"Adrienne, I'm fucking crapping my kecks!" I say, reaching for her hand. She gently squeezes and looks me dead on.
"Baby, you have nothing to worry about. I'm here and Max will be here soon, okay?" Her words are soft, but they don’t make me feel much better about my current predicament.

We were sat in a hospital suite; waiting for Dr Grey to call me in, so I could have my MRI scan. As much I was scared, I was also a little pissed cos I was wearing that dreaded gown. Luckily, I had worn a sports bra and had Tre's Spongebob underpants on, so nothing that didn't need to be seen was. I don’t know what fetish he had with cartoon characters, but at this point it was comforting.

"So your birthday's tomorrow…do you know what Tre's getting you?" Adie's obvious attempt at distraction.
"Uh…no, actually. The fucker won't tell me. He just said that it's gonna be big."
"Knowing Tre, it's big alright. Billie knows but he won't tell me either." She smiles and I know she knows more than she's letting on, but I don’t question it.
"Yeah, well I wish someone would tell me…unless it's Gerard Way jumping out of a cake, I don’t like surprises." I laugh. I catch a twinkle in Adie's eye and I know I'm close at whatever it is.

The curtain whips open and Dr Grey is standing there with a clipboard in hand. I look her over briefly and see that she's tiny, with long strawberry blonde hair and grey eyes- how apt.
"Miss Carrigan, we're ready for you now. If you'd like to come this way." She says, holding back the curtain, so I could slide past. I look over my shoulder to Adie, who's visibly worried, though she smiles anyway, and wink at her.
"Nat!! Nat!!" I look down the hall and see Max hurtling towards me, "I got here just in time! Here… take this!" She hurriedly thrusts a pink and black checked wristband in my hands. "It's my good luck charm and I thought you may need it." Hugging me quickly, she joins Adie in the suite and watches me walk away; giggling as I try, in vain, to hold my gown closed from behind.
"See you in an hour, bitches." I call to them.

The machine is like I spaceship; big and well…not very nice. I'm stretched out on my back and being slowly eased into this thing while Dr Grey and some other dude are sat behind a glass partition, in an adjoining room.
"Okay, Miss Carrigan, we are going to begin scanning, once you feel comfortable. When your ready," Her voice cackles over the P.A system. "Give me a thumbs up."

I really wanted to give her the finger and get out of this fucking thing. I took a few deep breaths and shoved my arm over my head, slowly sticking my thumb in the air.
"Just try not move much, and we'll have this over as quickly as possible." I fucking hope so, you doesy mare! I supress the urge to shout.

It wasn’t her fault, but I was nervous and scared and confused…what with all the lights and sounds going on about my head and the pounding in my ears. I closed my eyes and tried to think happy thoughts.