His Little Drummer Girl

Adrienne was chatting on the phone when they got back from the store and looked quite serious.

Billie Joe and Tre opened some beers they put the rest away in the fridge and then the other provisions away in the cupboard.

"Who the hell's Adrienne talking to?" said Billie Joe to Tre "she looks real serious looking"

"How the hell would I know?" said Tre taking a long drink from the can.

"Come on buddy. Lets jump right on in that pool out there, it's so hot today. We deserve this break. A couple a days off then back on tour again."

They left the kitchen just as Adrienne finished on the phone.

"Tre" Adrienne shouted out to him. "Tre. Come here quick."

"What is it Adi?" said Tre. Suddenly he noticed Adrienne's expression. "Everything alright?"

"No its not. That was Sammi's sister Jen on the phone. Something awful has happened... ."

At the Hospital... .
Jen came back into the room with two coffees. She'd lost count of how many coffees she'd drunk. There was still no change in Francesca's condition. Sammi wouldn't leave her side. 'I don't even think she's taken her eyes of her' thought Jen.
"Sammi why don't you just go and freshen up and take a small walk" she said to her sister
"I'm not leaving her" said Sammi
"Come on. You have to be strong for her. Go and have a walk. Go to the ladies and freshen up. Look its 11am you've been sitting in that chair for eleven hours. Nothing will happen when you're gone. Promise."
"It might. You don't know that."

Sammi looked dreadful, she had black bags under her puffy red eyes, hair all over the place. Crumpled. But then not really surprising as she was a mother and she was watching her daughter just in case she died.

"What did Adrienne say again?" asked Sammi, still not looking up.
"That she would pass on the message to Tre. Sammi that's the fifth time you've asked me that question. I couldn't get hold of Tre at home, or on his mobile so you said to try Adrienne's house as you remembered he might be there. He and Billie had popped out for some food so I left a message with Adrienne."

"OK"
"Look Sammi I gave her all the details. She must have passed them on by now"
"How long until the first 24 hours are up?" said Sammi
"God Sammi. Not this again, about 12 or 13. Stop it"
"I cant".
"Here, drink your coffee"
"I don't want any coffee. It tastes like shit"
"Have a biscuit then. You must keep up your strength"
"No I'm not hungry, you have mine." Sammi wasn't even looking at her as she spoke her eyes only on Francesca.

Sammi lay her head down on Francesca's hand. God she felt tired. Her eyes were stinging so much from crying and tiredness but she couldn't take her eyes from her daughter. What if she dies there and then and she wasn't even watching her. I'd never forgive myself. I think I'll just rest my eyes here for a while...

... Jen was standing just outside the hospital room when she saw them coming down the corridor. They sure had presence. Handsome guys. You could tell they were rock stars they couldn't hide the fact. She knew Tre would come. Her stomach had lurched when she saw Mike. She didn't realise that he would come too.

"Jen?" said Tre. He looked so cool even in the state he was in. He looked worn out after his rushed trip.

"They are in there." Jen nodded to the hospital room door but then grabbed onto his arm. "Tre, it's not looking good at the moment. Please don't look too shocked by how Francesca is. Sammi's in a bad way but she'll be so glad that you've come."

"How could I not come?" said Tre gently patting her hand. He opened the door to the room and there they were. He was visibly shocked and couldn't help it. He had to compose himself.

Thank god Sammi hadn't seen him as she'd fallen asleep on the side of the bed. Tre looked down at Franky just laying there not moving. You poor angel he thought. 'What bastard did this to you?' He wiped a tear from his eye and tried to compose himself before letting Sammi know that he was there.

Gently touching her hair he whispered "Sammi, are you awake sweetheart?" She immediately sat bolt upright. She looked dreadful. "Tre!" she cried out "I can't believe you're here. Thank you for coming" she clung desperately on to him, covering his old sweatshirt in tears and snot. He held her close to him for what seemed like ages. She needed comfort.

After a while she sat up and looked at him. He looked so different. Different clothes, not like he would normally wear. He had on old jeans and a hooded top. His hair wasn't the same, it wasn't sticking up, he had no eyeliner on and he had stubble. He still looked gorgeous and smelt as good as ever. This man has travelled at short notice halfway round the world to be here with us she thought. She was going to tell him everything now. She owed it to him...

"Tre" I said quietly "I have something to tell you. I should have told you last weekend but there wasn't the opportunity. I'm sorry for not telling you sooner."
"What is it babe?" he said gently stroking my hair
I hesitated then it came out.
"Tre. Francesca is your daughter," I whispered.
Tre didn't say anything. He didn't even look at me. He got up from the chair and went over to the window, not really looking at anything in particular.
I didn't know what to do. I looked at his back and his tufty hair that I wanted to touch so much. 'I love you' I thought. 'Please believe that I have my reasons for not telling you. You're breaking my heart not speaking to me'. I went over to the window and stood next to him.
"Tre please say something," I said desperately
He turned and he had tears in his eyes.
"We sure made a beautiful baby between us" was all he said, and then he just grabbed me and held on to me as if never wanting to let me go.

The door opened and Doctor Gordon came in.

"Ah Mrs Ellis" I didn't bother to correct him. It was too much bother to say that I wasn't married. "Is this Francesca's father?" he said coming over and holding out his hand for Tre to shake.
"Yes," said Tre quite definitely "I am Francesca's father". Tre took my hand and we looked at each other, united.
"We shall be conducting a scan on Francesca in a couple of hours just to see if the swelling has subsided. I think you should take the opportunity to go home and take a rest for a couple of hours. There is nothing you can do here. Any change and we will contact you immediately."

"I can't leave her" I said and started to cry. "What if... "
"Sammi, you need to rest" said Tre. "You heard what Doctor Gordon said. It's probably highly unlikely for there to be any change over the next few hours. Lets get you home to freshen up and have something to eat."

"I don't want to eat but I could do with a bath" I said.
"Lets get you home then" said Tre.

We both walked over to Francesca and gave her some loving kisses and strokes then reluctantly turned and left the room. Tre guided me out, his arm protectively around me.

Outside Mike and Jen were talking and Mike said he would head off to a hotel and then meet us at the hospital in a while. Jen and he got in a taxi and then Tre and I got in another. I was finally bringing Tre home to my little house.

I let us both into the house. It wasn't a big house at all with only two bedrooms but it was clean, modern and cosy with loads of pictures on the walls.

"Its just how imagined it" said Tre gently. "Let me fix you something to eat while you clean up" he said in his wonderfully sexy American accent that I couldn't get enough of.

"I'm not hungry" I said going on up the stairs.

"You need to eat something" he said and went into the kitchen.

I could hear him opening and closing cupboard doors as I got into the shower.

Tre found a tin of chicken soup in the cupboard, emptied it into a saucepan and put it on the stove to heat. He then popped a few slices of bread in the toaster. Looking around he noticed the pictures on the pin board. There were every day general stuff pinned up like a shopping list and little pictures of Francesca pulling faces. Magnets and pictures were stuck to the fridge and he went over to have a look. There was Francesca's pretty face smiling out to him on what looked like a theme park ride with Charlie. A tear came into his eye for all that he had missed over the years with this precious girl. 'Please get better' he thought to himself touching the photo.

He went to the stove to stir the soup and butter the toast and noticed the picture of himself and Sammi that he'd given her taken from the Milton Keynes gig. He picked it up gently and touched Sammi's face, remembering the moment. As he put it down Sammi entered the room.

"Very domesticated" I said noticing the soup and toast. I went over and put my arms round him standing behind him, hugging close. "Thank you"

He poured the soup into a bowl and took a slice of toast. Sammi reluctantly ate the soup.

"She's gonna pull though babe. Think positive" he said to her noticing her anguish.

Sammi didn't answer him just carried on trying to eat her soup. After eating about half she put it aside.

"I really cant believe this is happening" Sammi said. "How can a beautiful girl full of life with everything ahead of her end up in hospital? It's such a mistake. That kid Josh gave her the tablets but she took the alcohol from here apparently."

Tre looked stunned and had to confess. "Sammi its not the first time she's taken drugs" he hated himself for having to tell her.

Sammi looked gobsmacked by this confession.

"I found out she'd mistakenly been given some in the mosh pit on the last night of Milton Keynes. She and Charlie were given some alcohol mixed with water. They were so thirsty they drank it down and the bastard told them the sweets were glucose tablets."

"How come you know this?" said Sammi grimly

"I sensed there was something wrong the night you were ill. She told me what had happened. We decided not to tell you as you were ill that night and we didn't want to bother you."

Sammi was quiet. This was the secret they shared.

"But it has no bearing on this. This is a separate incident. I'm really surprised she took the tablets after what had happened before, she must have known what they were this time. I'm reckoning he got her quite drunk before she took them and didn't know what she was doing, poor love."

Sammi started crying and Tre got up from the table and went to her. "Tre what if he.. what if he did something to her, you know, sexually. She's only 13 for fucks sake. What has he done to her?"

"I think you need some sleep. Lets try and take a nap" said Tre concerned.

They quietly got up front the table. Sammi took Tre's hand and led him to her bedroom. Tre closed the curtains while Sammi turned back the bed covers. They undressed to their underwear, both looking at the other but not saying a word then got into bed and lay looking at each other.

"Hey I've not seen this before," said Sammi suddenly looking at the tattoo on Tre's upper arm of a broken window with a TV going through it. "You know I thought you'd have had more tattoos like Mike and Billie Joe." She said

"To be quite honest I've not had the urge to have many done. I've not felt the need to have anything else but I'm sure when the time comes and something is appropriate I'll get more done."

"It suits you" said Sammi and bent and kissed it. Then she looked at him.

"I do love you Mr T.C." said Sammi
"I know you do and I love you" said Tre cuddling her close

They immediately fell asleep...