Upstairs
Upstairs
Adrienne laughed and threw her arms around Billie. "I'm pregnant."
The man's grin seemed as if it would break his jaw. He wrapped his arms around his wife, kissing her fiercely. "You're sure?"
She nodded excitedly. "Visited the doctor today. Two months along." She pulled away from Billie and grabbed his hand, placing it on her stomach. "Another one. Just seven more months." Her eyes brightened even more. "Where's Joey? I want to tell him."
"Upstairs in his room."
* * *
"Upstairs in his room." Tre told Mike. "Joey's with Claudia."
Nodding, Mike slowly made his way up the stairs. The door to Billie's room was open and he was sitting on the bed, legs crossed and tears running down his face. He didn't look up as Mike approached, but gasped aloud when he sat down behind him, enveloping Billie in his arms.
"Mike..."
"Shhh." The other said, rocking Billie slightly. "You don't have to talk."
Billie let out a dry sob. "Adie." He turned around so quickly he was a blur. He buried his face in Mike's chest, grasping his shirt. Mike's hands held him. "Adie. And my baby." He was crying. "Who . . . who could do something like that, Mike? R-Rape her and then . . . th-they say he tortured her."
"Billie, you shouldn't—"
But the sobbing man pressed on. "H-He burnt her with c-cigarettes. And . . . and he cut off her hair. And—"
Mike's hand covered Billie's mouth and shook his head. "No, Billie. You don't need to think about this now. You need sleep."
"I can't sleep." Billie whispered. "Every time I close my eyes I see him raping her and slitting her throat."
Mike's eyes flooded with tears. "We'll get you some sleeping pills. And I'll stay with you, all right?"
Billie sniffled and nodded, wiping at his eyes. "Okay."
Mike fell onto his back, pulling Billie with him. Within five minutes, sleeping pills were deemed unnecessary.
* * *
"He's upstairs, third floor. Room 217." Mike walked to the elevator. They moved him constantly. He didn't know why.
He knocked on the door softly and then walked in. This was clearly one of Billie's bad days. His eyes were bloodshot and he was sweating. But he smiled. "Mike."
Billie stood and hugged him. "You have to stay, all right? Adie called. She said she'd be here at five to take me home."
Mike's eyes filled with tears as he, once again, heard the reason Billie Joe had been in the psychiatric ward of St. Mary's hospital for the last five months. Every time he saw Billie, the green eyes were dancing and the man was waiting for Adrienne to come get him.
Joey was staying with Tre, neither of whom had visited Billie. Joey shouldn't see Billie like this and Tre didn't have the strength to hear Adrienne's name in the present tense.
Mike came every day with a few exceptions. After he comforted Billie when Adrienne didn't show up and watched with tearful eyes as a nurse sedated his best friend, he'd go home and drink himself to sleep.
* * *
A hand pointed and Adrienne laughed, throwing her arms around her husband. "You're so early, baby."
"I missed you." he said before pulling her into a kiss.
"A boy, Billie." Adrienne said, smiling. She pulled her husband by the hand, leading him through the sunlit corridor. "We had a boy. He's upstairs."
"Adie . . ."
She shook her head, still smiling. "There'll be time for questions later. Right now I want you to meet your son. And then I want you . . . it's been too long."
Billie held his son in his arms, kissing Adrienne as she cooed at the boy. "It's going to be fine now." she told her son. "Daddy's home."
The man's grin seemed as if it would break his jaw. He wrapped his arms around his wife, kissing her fiercely. "You're sure?"
She nodded excitedly. "Visited the doctor today. Two months along." She pulled away from Billie and grabbed his hand, placing it on her stomach. "Another one. Just seven more months." Her eyes brightened even more. "Where's Joey? I want to tell him."
"Upstairs in his room."
* * *
"Upstairs in his room." Tre told Mike. "Joey's with Claudia."
Nodding, Mike slowly made his way up the stairs. The door to Billie's room was open and he was sitting on the bed, legs crossed and tears running down his face. He didn't look up as Mike approached, but gasped aloud when he sat down behind him, enveloping Billie in his arms.
"Mike..."
"Shhh." The other said, rocking Billie slightly. "You don't have to talk."
Billie let out a dry sob. "Adie." He turned around so quickly he was a blur. He buried his face in Mike's chest, grasping his shirt. Mike's hands held him. "Adie. And my baby." He was crying. "Who . . . who could do something like that, Mike? R-Rape her and then . . . th-they say he tortured her."
"Billie, you shouldn't—"
But the sobbing man pressed on. "H-He burnt her with c-cigarettes. And . . . and he cut off her hair. And—"
Mike's hand covered Billie's mouth and shook his head. "No, Billie. You don't need to think about this now. You need sleep."
"I can't sleep." Billie whispered. "Every time I close my eyes I see him raping her and slitting her throat."
Mike's eyes flooded with tears. "We'll get you some sleeping pills. And I'll stay with you, all right?"
Billie sniffled and nodded, wiping at his eyes. "Okay."
Mike fell onto his back, pulling Billie with him. Within five minutes, sleeping pills were deemed unnecessary.
* * *
"He's upstairs, third floor. Room 217." Mike walked to the elevator. They moved him constantly. He didn't know why.
He knocked on the door softly and then walked in. This was clearly one of Billie's bad days. His eyes were bloodshot and he was sweating. But he smiled. "Mike."
Billie stood and hugged him. "You have to stay, all right? Adie called. She said she'd be here at five to take me home."
Mike's eyes filled with tears as he, once again, heard the reason Billie Joe had been in the psychiatric ward of St. Mary's hospital for the last five months. Every time he saw Billie, the green eyes were dancing and the man was waiting for Adrienne to come get him.
Joey was staying with Tre, neither of whom had visited Billie. Joey shouldn't see Billie like this and Tre didn't have the strength to hear Adrienne's name in the present tense.
Mike came every day with a few exceptions. After he comforted Billie when Adrienne didn't show up and watched with tearful eyes as a nurse sedated his best friend, he'd go home and drink himself to sleep.
* * *
A hand pointed and Adrienne laughed, throwing her arms around her husband. "You're so early, baby."
"I missed you." he said before pulling her into a kiss.
"A boy, Billie." Adrienne said, smiling. She pulled her husband by the hand, leading him through the sunlit corridor. "We had a boy. He's upstairs."
"Adie . . ."
She shook her head, still smiling. "There'll be time for questions later. Right now I want you to meet your son. And then I want you . . . it's been too long."
Billie held his son in his arms, kissing Adrienne as she cooed at the boy. "It's going to be fine now." she told her son. "Daddy's home."