Remember Me

“Life is just a dream. A place we go for God to make his judgments on where we belong in the afterlife. He watches us, protects us and even helps us when we are in need. The only reason he doesn't sometimes is because he knows you are strong enough to discover a truth. He knows you can do it and you'll be ok.”

I pulled the thin blankets over my head as if to block out all the images. The flood of memories I'd rather avoid. Hey wait... I'm Alive?

I think back to how this could be...

I lay there I pain while the blur of gunshots file around me. Cussing and the sound of ambulances showing up. Cops dragging a beaten up Brad in handcuffs out the door. They had all the evidence they need. I couldn't open my eyes and I was certain this was a more peaceful version of death. I'll go slowly, quietly and be forgotten. That will have been that and it will be over.

“Adeline!”

It rings in my ears and echoes like the gun shot. The memory makes my stomach weighs in nausea. I don't want to think about it. I don't want to remember. I want to forget...

“Adeline honey, wake up.”

The voice was panicked. The voice of an angel. Billie?

“Billie...?” I gasp. Summoning my conscious state to answer him somehow.

“I'm right here, it's ok. Your ok.” he assures me gently pulling me into his lap. I begin to cry harder and grip his grey shirt as I stain it with tears. Fuck no, this can't be real. I don't want to open my eyes. I want to forget. Billie rubs my back as I dry out I sniffle. Squeezing my eyes shut to ignore the pain. The searing broken shift in my left ribs which I am certain are broken. I sigh and take a deep breath as Billie whispers that we need to leave and get me to the hospital... Oh God weren't we there yesterday?...

I nod once and try to gather a little strength to stand up. Mike and Tré had untied and freed Ollie. Who was now going on a piss rant about how she thought he was the perfect guy then ended up breaking down in Larry Livermore's chest while he assured her everything was fine. I looked over long enough to see the blood stains and winced. Billie whispered in my ear that we would have a proper burial for Checkers. I nodded once and a few more tears slipped. He gripped my waist carefully. Trying not to disturb what I believed to be broken ribs. We limped outside and he insisted I sit in the truck cab instead this time. I gave him a questioning look and I knew he was concerned about my condition but..

“Go.” he assured me softly before hiking into the back. I winced and realized why he wanted me up front. Why else? Because where else would you put the... Dog.

I sat dead on the drive to the hospital and the radio was off. Everyone had yet to tell me the cause of any of this though Brad gave me more then an earful. Mike assured me while I sat next to him and he drives that this would be the last trip to the hospital for me. I nodded once and hoped so. We arrived and everyone got checked out because apparently everyone had gone and had a hand in beating up Brad and he fought back. I was alone in the hospital room waiting while sitting on the table while the others were either together in groups or being checked out themselves. I closed my eyes and instead of letting those terrible memories  roll, I let the best ones. The highlights of my new life. I was in that room for quite a while until they put me under for surgery to my ribs and X-rays since everyone in this hospital know first hand what I do during X-rays... After I was all patched up. I woke up alone. In my room. The purple curtains drawn, a glass of water on the nightstand. the door shut but I could hear the low murmur of voices down the hall and was happy to have not woken up to an empty house again. I laid around in bed though. My ribs hurt and I had a series of bandages around my torso. 

I glance up at the wall above my head and see the calendar. Ollie had circled the date of the 11th. And if my mind is straight with this information, today is the 5th. Five days of bullshit, that's how we are going to remember the first five days of September from now on. Ugh what is on the eleventh again? I think long and hard before the memory of the dance this weekend came to mind. I had completely forgotten about that given all this nonsense. I hope I'll be ok to go; or I can at least fit into the damn dress with this pound of bandages.

I decide if I cannot avoid whatever in the hell had happened yesterday, I should at least embrace it and find out what triggered it all. I slowly get out of bed. Heave a sigh before pushing myself off the creaking mattress and walking out the door and down the hall. The buzz of voices come from the kitchen. I walk in, surprisingly seeing Larry Livermore again: here I the kitchen calmly talking music business with Billie, Mike and Tré. I sat down next to Tré and close my eyes hoping I hadn't been noticed. 

“Mornin Darlin.” Tré grins at me as he pretends to tip his hat. Which wasn't there might I add. Ollie faced the stove and hadn't acknowledged my presence. Either that or she was ashamed to. I look down at my lap and I just want this to be a normal breakfast and I quietly pray that everyone forgot about the whole incident already. That'd be a dream wouldn't it?

“Hey Adie.” Billie smiled softly at me. I smile back with a quiet good morning. Then glance over, out of habit, and see Checker's food dish is gone. Any remembrance of the pet had been removed for my sake. I silently thanked them all for that. Though from some aspect, I'd wished they left it be. That one dish could be my only reminder that all this pain was real and that I am still sane and not waiting at the end of the hall calling for Checkers who doesn't come.

“Hey Adeline... Do you want to go to the beach today?” Billie asks me softly. I hadn't told him that that was one of the last places Checkers had been alive. I don't want to spoil his semi happy mood with my bitter one. So I nod and say sure.

I close my eyes. The perfect wind rolling off the water and tossing my hair in different directions. The smell of salt and brine heavy off the ocean waves. The feeling of sand granules between my toes as I dug them deeper in. Ollie had wanted to stat behind to sort some things out. Mike told Billie he needed his alone time with me so him and Tré stayed back and jammed in the garage to proof their worth to Larry.

So we sat alone. In utter silence until I decided there was enough if that to last a lifetime.

“Let's to to our meadow.” Billie suggests.

I watch the water a moment longer then nod and follow him quietly up the trail. I feel really lost. I know he was just a dog. But he was my dog— I loved him. I loved him before I even knew I loved Billie. He was quiet and didn't tell me how I was doing everything wrong. He sat and silently accepted my tears but that made me stronger: maybe that's all I needed to find my voice.

Billie's POV:

I am worried about her. She has changed a lot in the last twenty four hours. I mean sure she has changed a lot in the two short weeks I'd known her but still... There is something dead about her. I didn't realize how close she was to that dog until last night when I realized she wasn't crying over the pain in her ribs. Doctor said to take it easy. But she is feuding through the masses of ferns on the trail like a heavy artillery woman. I follow her quietly but still stand to be amazed by her grace. she is very quiet and reserved. I know she wants answers. And she has a few answers I want as well. I just got to get them out of her. She knows so much about Brad. But she is being so quiet. She is so broken..

“Hey Adie...” I ask and she slowed down to a pause to wait down me.

“Yeah?” 

“Are you okay?” I ask bluntly. 

She blinks a few times then tries to dodge the question. “Uh...”

“Adeline, You don't ever have to hide anything from me. I am here and forever yours.”

“Really?” she asked like she couldn't believe it but she wanted to.

I nod. 

“Oh jeez, finally something works out for me.” she sighs in relief before bounding back down and smacking into my chest. Planting a kiss on my lips, she never fails to leave me stunned. I never know what to expect from her. She is really something more then I thought she'd be. I blink a couple times to get my bearings. 

“Oh, er... Right. Let's get going.” I say. Stuttering. Which is fucked up for me because I don't stutter. I am the perfectly normal guy who makes the girls stutter when they speak to me. Though Adeline has never stuttered when she spoke to me, it's odd that I do it. She giggles and twined her hand with mine and we proceeded to walk up the trail together to our secret place.

Adeline's POV:

I feel noticeably happy. A little hyper even. Which fucks with my head but I don't care because I enjoy the feeling. We almost skipped to our meadow but Billie had to encourage me to slow down because of my ribs. Oh he is so protective. We sat under the shade of the willow now and I stared into the shadows of the surrounding forest. He has his head laid back against the trunk of the tree with his eyes closed and his arms behind his head.

“Y'know you've gotta give me some answers right?” I say. Glancing over at him for a second as he aroused from his slight slumber.

“Yeah. I know.” he says, leaning forward so he can see my face.

“What happened? How did you know where to go?” I ask.

He sighed and dropped his arms into his lap limply and played with a few strands or grass. “We were over at Larry Livermore's house yesterday afternoon. I get a call from this guy with a deep voice saying go to the house, it's an emergency. So I did and I find a note... Taped to the front door. A ransom note saying that he wants you in exchange for Mom. I couldn't figure out why... I found the house was empty. But you had left a note of your own saying you'd gone to the beach. So here I am, looking for you when I see one of the guys from Operation Ivy hanging around outside of Gilman saying I should come and hang out with you. So I come and get you so you were safe with me. I hadn't counted on you comic after me at the refinery though... And I am sorry for that. I tried to keep you safe and ended up putting you right back into the arms of your murderer.” he sighed and ruffled his hair. All I can do is stare at him while what he has said keeps replaying in my mind.

I told him my half of the story and he apologized for my loss and hugged me again while a few more tears swept away. We each whispered our own promises into each others ears.

“Don't ever leave me...” I whisper.

“I won't.” he assures me while rubbing my back. I close my eyes and let the sun warm my eyelids while we sat together in it's rays in the middle of our meadow.