Waking Up To Screams., chapter 3
For the next few weeks, Billie Joe and Adrienne hardly said anything to each other. Billie felt too much anger towards 80 for keeping something as important as this away from him and that she would have kept it from him. It was the most strain their relationship had ever seen before. Jake had a doctor's appointment in a few days, and Billie would be there. He had already told Mike and Tre. They said they would come for moral support. They were the best friends a man could have. Even though Tre is the most perverted thing on the face of the earth and Mike likes to do his own thing and has such smartass jokes, they were there for Billie Joe through anything. The day finally came, and it was Billie driving, 80 in the passenger seat, with Joey and Jake in the backseat. Mike and Tre followed them in Tre's SUV. When they got there, BJ and 80 went to the desk and signed a bunch of papers and sat back down beside the only people that really mattered in their lives. About 30 minutes later, after Tre was finished playing with the younger children in the toy room, a doctor with such a blank expression on his face came out of the door and said, "Jakob Armstrong?"
Mike, Joey and Tre stayed behind. An hour and a half had passed, Mike had read every Good Housekeeping and Cosmopolitan out-of-date magazine in the building, Tre had successfully scared about 15 toddlers with his oddly resembling 'Micheal Jackson antics', and Joseph was asleep. BJ, 80, and Jake walked out of the door and were heading toward the others. They said, "C'mon, let's go get something to eat and then go to our house and we'll talk."
When they got back home, Joseph and Jakob went upstairs and Jake was watching Joey play guitar. Tre layed in the middle of the living room floor, Mike sat in the recliner, and BJ and 80 sat together on the couch, holding each other's hands and 80's head on Billie's shoulder.
"They want to operate." said Billie, almost breaking into tears.
"How bad is it?' asked Tre.
"How bad do you think a brain tumor is, dimwit?" exclaimed Mike.
"I meant, how big is it, and will it, like, do any real bad damage. I am not that ignorant." Tre said, redeeming himself.
"Well, it's not big, but they will have to remove it immediately before it turns worse. They're thinking sometime next week," 80 explained.
"We will surely be there for you guys. Anything you need, you know we'll be there. You know, poprocks and coke." Tre said.
"Poprocks and Coke? What are you talking about?" asked Billie.
Then, Billie realized he should have never said that. Tre bursted out into song, and went through the whole song, and by the end, Jake and Joey had came down the stairs, heard Tre singing, and ran over to him and started hitting him on the head. Everyone started laughing, despite the issue that they were dealing with.
They were all sitting in the waiting room. It had been a couple of hours in there, as they were all getting restless. Tre had managed to find his way to the cafeteria a total of 7 times, each time with a different story about how this girl kept staring at him, or raging fans chasing after him, even a man on a gourney who was about to go into surgery screamed for his autograph. Billie Joe and Mike were talking about ideas for the new album, and Adrienne had called her family and Billie's family and told them Jake was in surgery. Some of their closest friends came and some of their family members. Billie Joe was in the middle of his sentence, and saw his stepdad walk around the corner. Was it true? The stepdad who Billie and his siblings had hated for trying to replace their father, the whole reason for the first song Billie ever wrote, was actually walking around the corner to see them. Billie had no clue how to feel. He got up and walked over to him, said nothing, and hugged him. Ollie was beside him, and Billie hugged his mom, and then they cried together. They didn't want to go through it again. They all sat around and talked for the longest time. Jason Freese and Jason White managed their way with them. So basically the whole waiting room was filled with the Armstrong family and friends. Even some fans were there. They knew nothing about why Green Day was at the hospital, but they noticed everyone looking sad and decided not to ask and not to ask for autographs or photos.
The doctor came out along with a nurse. Everyone had stopped talking and were on the edge of their seat since the doctor had this melancholy and depressed look on his face. He said, "Okay well, the surgery couldn't have been better, it's just he probably has lost some memory, which it's not as bad as it sounds. The only things that he could possibly not remember would be like why he had surgery, what happened, and being as you, Mr. Armstrong, are a rockstar, and if he knows Green Day songs, there is a possibility he may have forgotten some of them. Now, I am saying this as an IF. It could be better, and there is a slight possibility it could be worse. We will not find out until he is out of recovery. You all can go see him. He should be waking up any minute now."
"Thanks so much doc," Billie said.
When Billie, 80, Joseph, Tre, Mike, Ollie, and BJ's stepfather all went in the room, Jakob was asleep. His head was bandaged and there were IV's and wires coming from him. Tre, being the clown he is, fell on his knees and screamed, "OH GOD WHY? WHY POOR LITTLE JAKIE? NOT LITTLE DANGER!!" Mike slapped him on the back of the head thinking it would upset them, but Billie looked at Tre sprawled out on the floor and cracked up. Everyone's laughter woke up Jakob. He mumbled something, and 80 sat down on the side of his bed. She said, "How do you feel baby? Are you okay?"
"What? Yeah, I am. My head hurts. What happened?" Jake asked.
"You fell off of the monkey bars and hit your head on the concrete. It hurt real bad from what I hear." said Joey. Everyone laughed.
"Who is that standing next to Nana? Is that my grandfather? Am I dead?"
"Hi, Jakob. I am not your grandfather, he was a great man. I am your Nana's husband. Your step-grandfather."
Billie was in tears. He was remembering all the times with his father. He pictured it if something would have happened to Jakob. He told everyone he would be right back. He was headed to the sanctuary. Imagine that, frontman of the punk-rock legendary band Green Day going to a sanctuary. But this is different.
"Dad, I really miss you. I don't know what I would have done if anything would have happened to Jakob. I know you were watching over us the whole time. When Jake asked if that was you standing beside mom, and then asked if he was dead, I knew I had to come talk to you." he cried.
Just then, Ollie walked in and saw her baby boy on the front pew with his head in his hands. She walked silently and sat down beside him. He knew who it was. He said, "Mom, I just don't know what I would have done. I have been talking to dad."
"I know, I heard it all. I have been missing him a lot lately. Your stepdad understands. He said he is really sorry for all the bad things that went on in your youger life. Billie Joe, I am so proud of you. You have made something of yourself. I know your father is proud of you right now. I mean, the other day, I turned the TV on MTV and it was TRL, and your video 'Wake Me Up When September Ends' and I saw that it was like number 4. I cried for the longest time. I mean, there's my son, on MTV, singing about his father, and the song comes off of their platinum album. I must have been the proudest mother on the face of the earth. Hollie, Anna, Marci, Allen, and David are proud of you just the same. Who gets to say 'My brother is a rockstar.'? They all remember the times when you were so young and when you started singing. Look at you now." She said.
"Mom, I love you so much." Billie said.
"C'mon, let's go back up to the room. When I left, Jake was calling for you."
Mike, Joey and Tre stayed behind. An hour and a half had passed, Mike had read every Good Housekeeping and Cosmopolitan out-of-date magazine in the building, Tre had successfully scared about 15 toddlers with his oddly resembling 'Micheal Jackson antics', and Joseph was asleep. BJ, 80, and Jake walked out of the door and were heading toward the others. They said, "C'mon, let's go get something to eat and then go to our house and we'll talk."
When they got back home, Joseph and Jakob went upstairs and Jake was watching Joey play guitar. Tre layed in the middle of the living room floor, Mike sat in the recliner, and BJ and 80 sat together on the couch, holding each other's hands and 80's head on Billie's shoulder.
"They want to operate." said Billie, almost breaking into tears.
"How bad is it?' asked Tre.
"How bad do you think a brain tumor is, dimwit?" exclaimed Mike.
"I meant, how big is it, and will it, like, do any real bad damage. I am not that ignorant." Tre said, redeeming himself.
"Well, it's not big, but they will have to remove it immediately before it turns worse. They're thinking sometime next week," 80 explained.
"We will surely be there for you guys. Anything you need, you know we'll be there. You know, poprocks and coke." Tre said.
"Poprocks and Coke? What are you talking about?" asked Billie.
Then, Billie realized he should have never said that. Tre bursted out into song, and went through the whole song, and by the end, Jake and Joey had came down the stairs, heard Tre singing, and ran over to him and started hitting him on the head. Everyone started laughing, despite the issue that they were dealing with.
They were all sitting in the waiting room. It had been a couple of hours in there, as they were all getting restless. Tre had managed to find his way to the cafeteria a total of 7 times, each time with a different story about how this girl kept staring at him, or raging fans chasing after him, even a man on a gourney who was about to go into surgery screamed for his autograph. Billie Joe and Mike were talking about ideas for the new album, and Adrienne had called her family and Billie's family and told them Jake was in surgery. Some of their closest friends came and some of their family members. Billie Joe was in the middle of his sentence, and saw his stepdad walk around the corner. Was it true? The stepdad who Billie and his siblings had hated for trying to replace their father, the whole reason for the first song Billie ever wrote, was actually walking around the corner to see them. Billie had no clue how to feel. He got up and walked over to him, said nothing, and hugged him. Ollie was beside him, and Billie hugged his mom, and then they cried together. They didn't want to go through it again. They all sat around and talked for the longest time. Jason Freese and Jason White managed their way with them. So basically the whole waiting room was filled with the Armstrong family and friends. Even some fans were there. They knew nothing about why Green Day was at the hospital, but they noticed everyone looking sad and decided not to ask and not to ask for autographs or photos.
The doctor came out along with a nurse. Everyone had stopped talking and were on the edge of their seat since the doctor had this melancholy and depressed look on his face. He said, "Okay well, the surgery couldn't have been better, it's just he probably has lost some memory, which it's not as bad as it sounds. The only things that he could possibly not remember would be like why he had surgery, what happened, and being as you, Mr. Armstrong, are a rockstar, and if he knows Green Day songs, there is a possibility he may have forgotten some of them. Now, I am saying this as an IF. It could be better, and there is a slight possibility it could be worse. We will not find out until he is out of recovery. You all can go see him. He should be waking up any minute now."
"Thanks so much doc," Billie said.
When Billie, 80, Joseph, Tre, Mike, Ollie, and BJ's stepfather all went in the room, Jakob was asleep. His head was bandaged and there were IV's and wires coming from him. Tre, being the clown he is, fell on his knees and screamed, "OH GOD WHY? WHY POOR LITTLE JAKIE? NOT LITTLE DANGER!!" Mike slapped him on the back of the head thinking it would upset them, but Billie looked at Tre sprawled out on the floor and cracked up. Everyone's laughter woke up Jakob. He mumbled something, and 80 sat down on the side of his bed. She said, "How do you feel baby? Are you okay?"
"What? Yeah, I am. My head hurts. What happened?" Jake asked.
"You fell off of the monkey bars and hit your head on the concrete. It hurt real bad from what I hear." said Joey. Everyone laughed.
"Who is that standing next to Nana? Is that my grandfather? Am I dead?"
"Hi, Jakob. I am not your grandfather, he was a great man. I am your Nana's husband. Your step-grandfather."
Billie was in tears. He was remembering all the times with his father. He pictured it if something would have happened to Jakob. He told everyone he would be right back. He was headed to the sanctuary. Imagine that, frontman of the punk-rock legendary band Green Day going to a sanctuary. But this is different.
"Dad, I really miss you. I don't know what I would have done if anything would have happened to Jakob. I know you were watching over us the whole time. When Jake asked if that was you standing beside mom, and then asked if he was dead, I knew I had to come talk to you." he cried.
Just then, Ollie walked in and saw her baby boy on the front pew with his head in his hands. She walked silently and sat down beside him. He knew who it was. He said, "Mom, I just don't know what I would have done. I have been talking to dad."
"I know, I heard it all. I have been missing him a lot lately. Your stepdad understands. He said he is really sorry for all the bad things that went on in your youger life. Billie Joe, I am so proud of you. You have made something of yourself. I know your father is proud of you right now. I mean, the other day, I turned the TV on MTV and it was TRL, and your video 'Wake Me Up When September Ends' and I saw that it was like number 4. I cried for the longest time. I mean, there's my son, on MTV, singing about his father, and the song comes off of their platinum album. I must have been the proudest mother on the face of the earth. Hollie, Anna, Marci, Allen, and David are proud of you just the same. Who gets to say 'My brother is a rockstar.'? They all remember the times when you were so young and when you started singing. Look at you now." She said.
"Mom, I love you so much." Billie said.
"C'mon, let's go back up to the room. When I left, Jake was calling for you."
