Dad, what’s masturba- JOEY NOOO!

At the hospital Joey was moved into a private room after being treated for his injuries. Though the eleven year old remained unconscious, doctors informed his parents that he would be waking up soon enough. The room echoed with the sound of the heart monitor beeping as the area filled up with silence. Adie sat closely near her son, holding his soft warm hand and squeezing on it gently, hoping that he would wake up, whilst Jakob sat on the lounge provided near the corner staring at his brother silently. Billie was outside the room being interviewed by two policemen, explaining what had happened to Joey and how the anonymous driver had escaped. He was soon accompanied by Mike, Britney, Tré and Claudia.

“Is he okay?” Mike and Tré both asked in unison, going over towards their band mate and interrupting the questions the police officers were asking.

“Yeah, the doctor said he should be awake soon…go inside, Adie and Jake are with him,” Billie muttered softly, slowly fixing his posture and standing straight against the wall. Mike and Tré walked in after their ladies and greeted Adie and Jakob quietly.

“How is he?” Claudia questioned, placing a hand down onto Adie’s shoulder and glancing at her bandaged son.

“He’ll be ok, I just want him to wake up soon…his left arm is fractured and he has a few minor cuts against his legs and head,” Adrienne answered, feeling her body tense up as she scanned her eyes at her sons figure.

“Jake, you okay sport?” Mike asked, patting the eight year olds back gently. He waited for a response but no reply was heard. “Come on…no need to be silent, Joey will be alright,” Mike spoke again, hoping he could get an answer from Jakob.

Jakob just shrugged his shoulders and laid back into the couch, now glancing at his mother, Tré, Claudia and Britney. Billie finally entered the room, his head aching with pain. He walked over towards the hospital bed where Joey laid and glanced at everyone silently.

“I should go home and get his clothes,” Billie spoke, slowly placing his hand on the side of the bed and glancing behind him towards his younger son. “Jake, you want to come with me?” Billie asked, stepping away from the bed and going over towards his younger son who agreeably stood up ready to leave.

“Mike, take Tré with you and get us some coffee from the cafeteria,” Britney instructed, pulling a chair for her and Claudia next to Adie.

“Yeah alright, Bill do you want some too or after you come back?” Mike asked, walking near to the door.

“Nah don’t worry about me,” Billie replied, guiding Jakob outside of the room, followed by Mike and Tré who walked towards the elevator.

“Do you know who was in the car?” Tré questioned, walking into the elevator and pressing on ‘ground level’.

“No and I didn’t even look at the stupid number plate either, God I’m such an idiot,” Billie sighed, leaning against the metal wall of the elevator as he glanced up at the fluorescent lights. Jakob’s stomach suddenly rumbled causing all three band mates to look down at him.

“I think somebody’s hungry,” Tré spoke out, a gentle smile appearing on his face. The eight year old just leaned his head against his father’s side, waiting for the elevator door to open as they reached the ground level.

“He’s had a long day,” Billie explained, ruffling Jakob’s wavy blonde hair as they walked out of the elevator.

“Will you be back soon?” Mike asked, pausing momentarily for a response.

“Yeah we shouldn’t be too long…maybe an hour or something,” Billie replied, walking out to the car park with his arm around his sons shoulder and going towards their car.

The car drive home remained silent although Billie tried to speak with Jakob. Unfortunately it seemed almost impossible to get a word out of him. The child had remained in a state of shock right after he witnessed his father rushing to his older brother, followed by his mother crying hysterically as she ran after him.

“Alright Jake, since you wont speak a word to me right now, I think it’ll be impossible to ask you what you want to eat…so why don’t you go to the kitchen and have or make whatever you want…I’m just going to go to Joey’s room to get a few things for him alright,” his father informed him, opening their front door and walking into the foyer of their house. He did what he was told and walked straight towards the kitchen while Billie went upstairs.

***

Back at the hospital Adrienne suddenly started to feel strong acute pains in her lower abdomen as she remained seated next to her son.

“Adie, are you alright? What are you feeling?” Claudia questioned in concern, placing her coffee cup quickly on the side table.

“I’m alright…I just need to go to the bathroom,” Adie lied, standing up, slowly walking towards the door of the bathroom and suddenly fainting.

“ADRIENNE!” Claudia and Britney both exclaimed, running to help her.

“Mike, Tré hurry get a nurse in here,” Claudia informed, causing both men to appear from the balcony and rush out to inform the doctors.

“She’s in here,” Tré directed, following the nurses that had been called.

“Hurry, lets get her onto a bed,” one nurse instructed, checking Adrienne’s pulse and eyes.

Adrienne was quickly rushed into another room, where she woke up with nurses taking her blood pressure and temperature. Claudia and Britney had remained by her side whilst Mike and Tré went back to keep an eye on Joey.

“Ms Armstrong, have you had anything to eat today?” the nurse questioned, holding a small clip board within her hands. Adrienne nodded a ‘yes’ as she tried to sharpen her vision.

“Billie…where’s Billie, I want my husband,” Adrienne protested, her vision remaining blurry as Claudia and Britney tried to settle her down and explain to her that he would be back soon.

***

“Jakob are you ready to lea-” Billie spoke out, cutting his sentence short when he saw his son’s face down on the counter top with faint sobs escaping from him. “Buddy,” he muttered softly, placing the bag full of Joey’s items on the table and walking over to his son. Jakob lifted his teary face off the counter and looked up at his father, his eyes red from crying.

“Daddy, I’m sorry for not talking to you…I’m just scared of what happened to Joey, I thought he was going to die,” Jakob pouted, moving his arms under his fathers shoulders and gripping onto his back gently.

“Hey its okay, everything is going to be alright Jake,” Billie assured, hugging his son firmly and kissing the top of his head. He grabbed the box of tissues next to them on the counter and pulled out a few to wipe and clean his sons face. “Did you get something to eat?” Billie questioned, changing the subject and glancing around the kitchen.

“Yeah I had a sandwich,” Jakob replied, glancing towards Billie’s ringing phone in his pocket.

“Hello,” Billie answered, slanting on the side of the counter top as Mike explained what had happened to Adrienne. “What! Is she alright…ok we’re leaving right now.” Billie closed, with a concerned look on his face.

“Daddy what happened?” Jakob asked, sliding off the bar stool he sat on.

“Mommy’s just feeling a bit sick and they had to put her in a bed,” Billie replied in baby terms, as to not get his son worried again, although Jakob could read between the lines.

***

“Ms Armstrong, are you on any medication?” the doctor asked, as she directed the nurse to take her blood pressure once more before assessing a blood test.

“No I’m not…Claudia, Britney please bring me Billie,” Adrienne pleaded, her head slowly pushed back into the pillow as the accumulated sweat across her hair line streamed down her cheek.

“He’s on his way sweetheart, Mike called him…don’t worry, everything is going to be alright,” Claudia soothed, looking back and forth at the doctor and nurse working around the bedside.

“Adrienne!” a familiar voice suddenly exclaimed, he ran up to the bed concernedly and pushed Claudia gently next to him to hold his wife’s hand.

“Billie,” Adrienne murmured, forcing a gentle smile as her husband kissed the side of her temple.

“Adie, what is it babe? What are you feeling?” the green eyed man questioned, his face growing worried as he looked up at the doctor who looked back at them about to ask a question.

“Ms. Armstrong, are you by any chance pregnant?” the female doctor asked, reading the results again off the paper and glancing back up at Billie then Adrienne.

“What? Of course she’s not pregnant…right Adie?” Claudia interrupted, glancing around at everyone as the room fell silent.

“I am pregnant…I found out three weeks ago and I told my husband this morning,” Adrienne replied, entwining her fingers with her husbands as she glanced quickly back at Claudia.

“Well this might explain the sharp pains you’re feeling, Anna let’s run some scans,” the doctor spoke, turning around and instructing the nurse with her.

“What do you think might be the problem doctor?” Billie questioned, his eyes demanding for an accurate response before she’d leave the room.

“I can’t tell you for sure yet, however from the symptoms your wife is experiencing…the pregnancy might be in danger,” the doctor replied, glancing at Adrienne momentarily and then walking out of the room.

“Claudia, Britney…can you please give us a minute,” Billie proclaimed, wanting for them to leave the room as to have a bit of privacy with his wife.

“Yeah sure, we’ll be in the other room with everyone else…Call us if you need us,” Claudia replied, walking out after Britney and closing the door.

“Adie, babe…how long have you been feeling pain like this for?” Billie asked his wife, gently leaning on the edge of the bed rail, continuing to hold her now clammy hand.

“A while after you left with Jakob…hun, what are we going to do if our baby is…isn’t alright?” Adrienne now questioned, her eyes squinting hard every time she felt the pain increasing.

“I…I don’t know babe, but first we make sure you’ll be fine before the baby, because you might be the one in danger,” Billie replied, thinking deeply of his older son and wife’s state.

Soon the doctor and the nurse arrived back into the room; this time accompanied with a sonogram machine to check where the fetus was located within Adrienne’s womb.

“Alright, Ms. Armstrong before we run the sonogram machine we need to perform a physical exam to check the shape and size of your uterus,” the doctor informed, going over to the sink to wash her hands and slip on the rubber gloves.

“Please call me Adrienne,” Adie murmured, glancing at the machine and back at the doctor, her grip tensing around her husband’s palm.

“Alright Adrienne, now please spread your legs apart and try to relax…it will feel uncomfortable but if you start to feel the sharp pains again tell me to stop,” the doctor said, smiling gently.

“Relax hun, don’t stress, I’m here now, you’ll be alright,” Billie whispered into his wife’s ear as he felt her grip tightening around his hand.

***

“How’s Adrienne?” Tré asked, glancing at his wife as she and Britney walked into the room. Claudia walked up to him and took time to respond as she was surprised by the news of Adrienne’s pregnancy.

“She…she’s alright, Billie’s with her now and the doctor’s want to run some scans,” Claudia replied, glancing aside to see Jakob asleep on his mother’s seat next to Joey. “Oh poor guy, he must be really tired…Tré pick him up and lay him down on the sofa so he can rest properly,” Claudia ordered, not giving her husband the chance to reply.

He slowly picked him up and gently placed him down as he was told, grabbing hold of the hospital blanket that his wife was holding and covering Jakob’s tired body with it. The child was half awake and aware of the conversations taking place while the other half was tired and craving sleep.

“What kind of scans are they going to run?” Tré questioned curiously, standing aside from the lounge and grabbing a seat for himself to sit on.

“I’m not sure yet…Tré, she’s pregnant,” Claudia replied, sitting down on her husbands lap.

“She’s …Adrienne’s having a baby…did I hear that correctly?” Tré said in disbelief.
Jakob’s eyes shot open at what he had suddenly heard; only he remained in his sleeping position as to find out anymore information.

“Yes she is… and now I’m worried that the baby might not be safe because of what her symptoms are showing,” Claudia answered, thinking deeply of her situation. Jakob’s face grew worried.

“What do you mean not safe, I mean you know it’s not her first pregnancy so shouldn’t she have another healthy child again?” Tré stated, turning his head to see Mike and Britney outside on the balcony.

“I don’t know but I hope so,” Claudia replied, anxious to find out what was happening in the other room.

***

“Anna, go more over the right side of her womb,” the doctor stated, all four faces focused on the sonogram screen, waiting to find the fetus. “Adrienne, did your doctor run an ultra sound once you confirmed your pregnancy?” the doctor questioned, walking closer to the machines screen to find the growing baby.

“He wanted me to, but I told him that I’d do it once my husband knew and would be with me,” Adrienne explained, breathing calmly.

“Is there something wrong?” Billie asked, arching an eyebrow as the doctor noticed something on the screen.

“The fetus doesn’t seem to appear anywhere within the womb…I believe this may be an ectopic pregnancy,” the doctor replied, turning around to face them with a serious expression.

“W..what do you mean the baby is not in my womb, where is it?” Adrienne proclaimed, growing worried as did her husband.

“Is this pregnancy dangerous to my wife’s health or the baby’s?” Billie questioned worriedly, biting on his bottom lip firmly.

“Now the fetus isn’t showing at all on the screen however, you see this whiter area here on the right…that’s where your baby is most likely growing and it’s growing in your fallopian tube,” the doctor explained, using her hands to signal the area.

“H..how could this have happened…it’s not my first child here,” Adie stated, her hand beginning to tremble within her husbands palm.

“Adrienne, all pregnancies are dealt with differently and unfortunately it doesn’t matter wether the mother has had previous successful pregnancies, age is always the most common reason when experiencing an ectopic pregnancy,” the female doctor replied, glancing at the couple.

“Ok, so what’s going to happen exactly? What’s going to happen to my wife and my baby!” Billie suddenly exclaimed, struggling to hold back his accumulated amount of stress.

“Mr and Mrs. Armstrong, I’m sorry to tell you this but your only option now is to terminate the fetus as soon as possible or else your wife’s health will be in danger,” the doctor replied, trying to calm down the tired rockstar. The room fell silent as both Billie and Adrienne did not know how to respond.

“Will she require an operation?” Billie finally responded, glancing at his wife.

“Actually, she will be given medication which will cause the tissue to stop growing and allow her body to expel it as the pregnancy is still very small,” the doctor informed, cleaning off the gel on Adrienne’s lower abdomen as her assistant packed up the machine.

“When will I take it?” Adrienne spoke up, covering the bed sheet back over her body.

“I think its best that we begin as soon as possible…maybe tonight if you’re ready for the procedure,” the doctor replied, placing her hands within the pockets of her big white coat.

“Can you give us a few minutes to talk over it, alone with my wife?” Billie asked, closing his eyes, taking a long time to open them again.

“Of course and it will require Adrienne’s consent…so tell us when you’re ready and have made up your mind,” the doctor responded, leaving with several medical instruments after the nurse.

Billie grabbed a chair and placed it next to his wife’s bed, leaning his arms over the bed rail and placing his head above them. He thought deeply as did Adrienne, both remaining silent and in shock.

“This can’t be happening,” Billie muttered, staring into the detailed tattoos across his left arm and shaking his head negatively.

“I…I…I don’t want this baby inside me to die,” Adrienne stuttered, beginning to cry and covering her face with her palms.

“Babe, Shhh don’t cry…I know it’s tough,” Billie comforted, standing up from his seat and hugging his wife gently across his chest. He lowered the bed rail down and slid on the edge of the mattress next to her.

“We’ve never lost a child before Billie and…and I don’t want to lose this one, but then again maybe this unplanned pregnancy was never meant to be,” Adrienne said, continuing to cry as she looked up at her husband to see tears running down the side of his face. He quickly wiped them away, looking aside sadly.

“If this baby continues on growing inside of you then…then you have to realise hun, that not only will your life be in danger but realistically our baby will be suffering as well…and that’s the last thing I want right now,” Billie spoke back, trying to think clearly and calm both his wife and himself down. “It’s best you take this medication sooner then later…it’s the only safest solution for the situation we’re in right now,” he said again, trying to sound persuasive.

“I don’t want to do this tonight, I…I need time to think about it,” Adrienne replied, glancing down at her stomach.

“Ok, I guess I’ll go and tell Dr…Crawford, yeah I’ll go tell her that you’ll have it tomorrow, alright?” Billie questioned, getting off the bed and standing up on his feet tiredly.

“What if I’m still not ready tomorrow?” Adrienne now questioned, eyeing her husband seriously.

“Adrienne, our son almost died today and that’s practically enough for me to have a migraine the size of a stadium let alone the very recent news of you’re pregnancy, all I want right now this very instant is to have my family healthy and safe…I don’t want anything more,” Billie replied with an aggressive yet scared tone. He turned around and left the room without giving his wife a chance to reply. He walked a few doors down until he reached the room where Joey remained in his temporary coma and entered the room.

“Billie, how’s Adie? What are they going to do?” Claudia questioned concernedly, as she ran up to the distressed man. Tré stood up from his chair as Mike and Britney walked in from the balcony.

“She…the pregnancy has to be stopped and…and she’ll just require taking some medication instead of an operation,” Billie answered quietly, quickly glancing at his son asleep on the couch.

“I’m so sorry Bill,” Mike spoke up, placing his hand across his best friend’s shoulder.

“Can we see her?” Britney questioned curiously, wanting to take Claudia with her.

He looked up at the two females and nodded his head momentarily, then diverted his attention towards the wall clock ticking.

“You guys should go…it’s 11:30,” Billie stated, going over to Joey’s bedside chair and slouching down.

“There’s no point in arguing because the nurse came in about ten minutes ago to tell us that we need go,” Tré mentioned, folding his arms across his chest.

“Do you want Jake to come with us?” Mike asked, going over towards the quietly snoring child.

“Thanks guys, but he’ll wake up and will nag you to bring him back to us,” Billie replied tiredly, yawning as he looked up at the heart monitor echoing with sound.

“Alright, then we’ll be back in the morning I suppose…what time are visiting hours during the day?” Mike questioned, arching his eyebrow with his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket.

“Umm I think from ten in the morning till twelve in the afternoon or something…ask them at the reception desk before you leave if you want to,” Billie answered, pushing his head into the backing of the chair.

“Ok…goodnight then.” Mike said, realising his older friend didn’t want to speak anymore.

“Night Bill…hope Joey and Adie will recover quickly.” Tré spoke back, waiving his hand as he walked out the door behind Mike.

“Bye,” Billie muttered under his breath, slanting forward and placing his elbows against his thighs. He looked back up at Joey and as soon as he did, an instant flashback of the car hitting him against the curb played back over and over again. “Who could’ve done this to him…who?” he thought silently, running his hand over his face as he continued to think deeply of the silver car.