The Beginning Of A Long and Lonely Road, chapter 3
"Mr. Armstrong, it's time for lunch," said the nurse, obviously in shock over who she was talking to, Billie Joe Armstrong.
"Thank you, what did you tell me your name was?" Billie Joe asked
"I didn't tell you my name yet," the nurse answered, "its Maggie."
"Nice to meet you Maggie," Billie Joe said. "I wish we could have met under better circumstances, but...," Billie Joe started to say.
"It's okay," Maggie said, "I understand. By the way, you have my deepest condolences. Green Day was like my most favorite band of like all time."
"Thank you, Maggie," Billie Joe thanked her sincerely, "your a very sweet girl."
"Thanks," she said blushing and giggling just a little bit. "Oh yeah, here's your lunch Mr.Armstr...,"
"You can call me Billie Joe," Billie Joe interrupted her.
"Well, see you later, I hope," Maggie said as she smiled and giggled her way out of Billie Joe's hospital room.
Billie Joe had always hated hospitals. He used to feel that they seemed cold, sterile, and depressing. Now when he thought of hospitals, he thought of his two friends, one on the pavement, lying in a pool of his own blood, and the other lifeless on a hospital bed. Every night Billie Joe would have nightmares the deaths of his friends, which would replay every night in his dreams as he slept. But that soon subsided after about a week or so. Now Billie Joe could focus on the positives. Life in the mental ward wasn't as bad as Billie Joe thought it would be. Not all of the people there are crazy. Some are detoxifying, some are just depressed, and yes, others are just crazy. There was a nice TV in his room, with a satellite hookup and everything. The food they served him wasn't bad, but most times he would just as one of the nurses to fetch him something to eat from the outside, than sneak it in. Billie Joe had spent his time in the hospital talking to therapists, and discussing his feelings in groups. Billie Joe was starting to feel better, and started to look ahead toward the future instead of focusing on the ugly present. Finally after being in a mental hospital for two weeks or so, the treatment was starting to work.
"How are you feeling today, Billie Joe?," His therapist, Dr. Stien asked him.
"I'm feeling better doc, or at least feeling better than I was," Billie Joe answered.
"Good, good. Do you feel you can go back home and be okay?," Dr. Stien asked.
"I think I should give it another day or two before I'm really ready to go back home," Billie Joe answered.
"Are you certain, Mr. Armstrong that you are ready to go back home so soon?,"
Dr.Stien asked.
"I'm sure, Dr. Stien. I need to see my family. I need them right now," Billie Joe answered.
"Okay. Times up for today, Mr. Armstrong," Dr. Stien told Billie Joe.
"Thanks doctor. I feel better," Billie Joe told him with a hopeful tone.
Two days later:
"Billie," Adie yelled with excitement.
"Adie, baby, come here," Billie Joe said to his wife as he came up to her and gave her the most sincere hug and kisses he had given her in a long, long time.
"Did you miss me baby, miss the kids?," Adie asked him.
"You bet I did. Oh, man I missed you.," Billie Joe said to her.
Billie Joe put his bags in the car and drove off back home.
"So did I miss anything while I was gone," Billie Joe asked.
"No, not really," Adie told him. "Oh wait, I forgot to tell you, Jakob lost a tooth."
"Really? Wow. How'd he take it?," Billie Joe asked.
"Like a big man. No crying at all," She said to her husband with pride. "He was the bravest boy I've ev.....," she started before the ringing of her cell phone interrupted their conversation.
"I'll get it," Billie Joe offered.
"No, I'll do it," Adie said, rejecting his offer.
"No I insist," Billie Joe said as he picked up the phone and started to talk into it. "Hello," Billie Joe said.
"Hello, is this Mrs. Adrienne Armstrong?" the person on the other end asked.
"No this is her husband," Billie answered.
"Okay, I am calling you from the law offices of Mocciaro and Stevens," the voice said.
"What's this all about," Billie Joe asked the voice.
"I afraid to tell you that the family of Frank Wright is suing your family for the wrongful death of their son," the voice answered.
"Oh my god, what?," Billie Joe said in disbelief.
"Your family has been asked to appear in court on September the 4th," the voice said, "at 10:30am. Thank you good bye," the voice said as the person hung up the phone.
"What? Wait I...." Billie Joe tried to ask the person before they hung up.
Adie looked at her husbands expression. It was one of shock and sadness.
"What happened, baby?" Adie asked him.
"Adie, were being sued by Tre's family for his death," he told her.
"What the fuck?" Adie said. "Oh my god, baby, it will be okay. Well get through this," Adie said in hopes of calming her husband down.
"Just take me home Adie, just take me home please," Billie Joe said to her as he tried to fight back tears.
"Thank you, what did you tell me your name was?" Billie Joe asked
"I didn't tell you my name yet," the nurse answered, "its Maggie."
"Nice to meet you Maggie," Billie Joe said. "I wish we could have met under better circumstances, but...," Billie Joe started to say.
"It's okay," Maggie said, "I understand. By the way, you have my deepest condolences. Green Day was like my most favorite band of like all time."
"Thank you, Maggie," Billie Joe thanked her sincerely, "your a very sweet girl."
"Thanks," she said blushing and giggling just a little bit. "Oh yeah, here's your lunch Mr.Armstr...,"
"You can call me Billie Joe," Billie Joe interrupted her.
"Well, see you later, I hope," Maggie said as she smiled and giggled her way out of Billie Joe's hospital room.
Billie Joe had always hated hospitals. He used to feel that they seemed cold, sterile, and depressing. Now when he thought of hospitals, he thought of his two friends, one on the pavement, lying in a pool of his own blood, and the other lifeless on a hospital bed. Every night Billie Joe would have nightmares the deaths of his friends, which would replay every night in his dreams as he slept. But that soon subsided after about a week or so. Now Billie Joe could focus on the positives. Life in the mental ward wasn't as bad as Billie Joe thought it would be. Not all of the people there are crazy. Some are detoxifying, some are just depressed, and yes, others are just crazy. There was a nice TV in his room, with a satellite hookup and everything. The food they served him wasn't bad, but most times he would just as one of the nurses to fetch him something to eat from the outside, than sneak it in. Billie Joe had spent his time in the hospital talking to therapists, and discussing his feelings in groups. Billie Joe was starting to feel better, and started to look ahead toward the future instead of focusing on the ugly present. Finally after being in a mental hospital for two weeks or so, the treatment was starting to work.
"How are you feeling today, Billie Joe?," His therapist, Dr. Stien asked him.
"I'm feeling better doc, or at least feeling better than I was," Billie Joe answered.
"Good, good. Do you feel you can go back home and be okay?," Dr. Stien asked.
"I think I should give it another day or two before I'm really ready to go back home," Billie Joe answered.
"Are you certain, Mr. Armstrong that you are ready to go back home so soon?,"
Dr.Stien asked.
"I'm sure, Dr. Stien. I need to see my family. I need them right now," Billie Joe answered.
"Okay. Times up for today, Mr. Armstrong," Dr. Stien told Billie Joe.
"Thanks doctor. I feel better," Billie Joe told him with a hopeful tone.
Two days later:
"Billie," Adie yelled with excitement.
"Adie, baby, come here," Billie Joe said to his wife as he came up to her and gave her the most sincere hug and kisses he had given her in a long, long time.
"Did you miss me baby, miss the kids?," Adie asked him.
"You bet I did. Oh, man I missed you.," Billie Joe said to her.
Billie Joe put his bags in the car and drove off back home.
"So did I miss anything while I was gone," Billie Joe asked.
"No, not really," Adie told him. "Oh wait, I forgot to tell you, Jakob lost a tooth."
"Really? Wow. How'd he take it?," Billie Joe asked.
"Like a big man. No crying at all," She said to her husband with pride. "He was the bravest boy I've ev.....," she started before the ringing of her cell phone interrupted their conversation.
"I'll get it," Billie Joe offered.
"No, I'll do it," Adie said, rejecting his offer.
"No I insist," Billie Joe said as he picked up the phone and started to talk into it. "Hello," Billie Joe said.
"Hello, is this Mrs. Adrienne Armstrong?" the person on the other end asked.
"No this is her husband," Billie answered.
"Okay, I am calling you from the law offices of Mocciaro and Stevens," the voice said.
"What's this all about," Billie Joe asked the voice.
"I afraid to tell you that the family of Frank Wright is suing your family for the wrongful death of their son," the voice answered.
"Oh my god, what?," Billie Joe said in disbelief.
"Your family has been asked to appear in court on September the 4th," the voice said, "at 10:30am. Thank you good bye," the voice said as the person hung up the phone.
"What? Wait I...." Billie Joe tried to ask the person before they hung up.
Adie looked at her husbands expression. It was one of shock and sadness.
"What happened, baby?" Adie asked him.
"Adie, were being sued by Tre's family for his death," he told her.
"What the fuck?" Adie said. "Oh my god, baby, it will be okay. Well get through this," Adie said in hopes of calming her husband down.
"Just take me home Adie, just take me home please," Billie Joe said to her as he tried to fight back tears.
