Soda Pop And Ritalin, chapter 8
Jackie sat in the white hospital waiting room with her head in her hands staring down at her sore cold feet. The air smelt mostly of anti-septic and all sorts of chemical smells that made her feel sick and the coughing and sneezing and faint screaming coming from other rooms howled in her numb ears. She had been waiting for almost 50 minutes to hear anymore news about Billie's health and now she was starting to get anxious. She got off her seat and paced up and down the room blaming herself for everything that had happened. After all she was the one who wanted to go for a walk, she was the one who he had to save, she was the one who wasn't lying on the hard tarmac almost bleeding to death. She shook her head trying to stop herself from beating herself up about it and walked up to the desk.
"Excuse me!"
The secretary was sitting behind the desk in a skimpy black skirt and a shirt. Her hair was long and volumized and she was sitting chewing gum whilst playing with her hair whilst reading cosmopolitan. When she heard Jackie she stopped chewing and looked at Jackie.
"Hi. Do you think I could speak to Billie Joe Armstrong's Doctor?"
She sighed hard then started typing in something on her keyboard.
"Sorry, what was the name."
"Billie Joe Armstrong. B-I-L-L-I-E J-O... '
The secretary sat upright then looked at Jackie with wide eyes. Interrupting her she said, "Billie Joe Armstrong?"
"Yes, why, what's wrong?"
"Oh nothing... you mean the guy who's in green day or something."
"Just get me his doctor will you?!"
"Jesus, calm down! I was only asking." She started to type again then stopped.
"What is it now?" Jackie snapped, she was starting to get tired of this.
"So are you like his girlfriend?"
"Yes I am. But can you please... '
"Is he good in bed?"
Jackie was disgusted at this question and absolutely blew up. She reached over the desk and grabbed her shirt collar and pulled it up towards her. Jackie was so close that the secretary could feel Jackie's breath on her face.
"You listen to me bitch. You have no right to ask me these questions in any circumstance and certainly not when my boyfriend could be dead right now but I don't know cause your not doing what I asked you to. So either lift up the phone with your perfect fingers or get off your ass and get the doctor immediately!"
The entire room went quiet and the girl Jackie was holding who was know scared shitless nodded and did what Jackie had told her.
Jackie sighed of relief then sat back down in the chair with the same posture that she had 7 minutes ago. It took a further 4 minutes for the Doctor to arrive.
"Excuse me, are you Jackie?"
"Yes I am. What do you want?" she said in a glum voice.
"Nice to meet you, my name is Dr. Keeting and I am your husband's Doctor." He said holding out is firm hand. Jackie looked up whilst shaking his hand.
"Oh no, we're not married, we're just going out. Is he ok?"
"I am sorry to tell you this but he is suffering from a memory loss and won't remember anything from the past 6 weeks."
Jackies heart sank.
"He has also broken his left leg and has some other minor head injuries which he will have to have checked out every week or so."
A tear ran across her face but she wiped it off before anyone could see.
"So will he not remember anything that's happened in the last 6 weeks?"
"No but it is possible to get him to remember some things if you talk him through everything in detail."
Jackie was silent for a long time making Dr. Keeting feel very uncomfortable.
"Do you have anymore questions?"
She looked up at him slowly then said, "No, thank you, I really appreciate it." The doctor gave her a weak smile. "You can come visit him when your ready, but hes unconscious at the moment and he will probably be unconscious for another day or so." Jackie nodded then watched him as he walked away with his clipboard. She sat wondering if he would ever remember her whilst looking at the charm bracelet. Thinking back at everything they've been through she smiled but realising that Billie might never remember all those things she started crying.
After about 10 minutes she got up and walked to the phone. She didn't want to tell Mike or Tre until she had found out everything she could. And now she had found out everything so she knew she had to tell them.
Everyone had gone by now and Tre was lying on the sofa with his feet up on the table watching TV whilst Mike was running around like a headless chicken clearing everything away. When he had dropped the last can in the bin bag he dropped himself down on the sofa next to Tre. They were quietly watching TV until Mike said to Tre, "Hey, you seen Bill and Jack lately? They said they went for a walk but its been like 1 and ½ hours."
Tre carried on watching then smiled and started singing.
"Jack and Bill went up the hill, to fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke her crown and Bill came tumbling after. Up got jack and trotted back as fast as she could caper, went to bed and plastered her head with vinegar and brown paper."
Tre took another sip out of his beer and flicked the channel while Mike shook his head at his childishness. They sat there silent again for about 30 seconds until the phone rang and Mike got up to answer it.
"Mike here."
"Mike it's me!" Came a stuttering voice from the other end of the line.
"Jackie! Are you ok?"
"Well, no and yes. Yes physically and no emotionally."
"What's the matter?"
"There's been an accident."
"An accident?"
"Yes, an accident. Billie... Billie... .got hit... by a car." Jackie couldn't hold it in any longer and burst out crying. She tried telling him everything but all Mike could hear was mumbling.
"Listen Jackie, stay there and we'll be there in like," he looked down at his watch whilst putting on his coat, "30 minutes. Are you at the city hospital?"
"Yeh." She managed to get out.
"Ok then, see ya there. Jackie don't worry." And with that he put the phone down, grabbed Tre's coat and chucked it at him.
"Who was that? Where are we going?" Tre asked while putting on his jacket.
"That was Jackie and Billie's been in an accident. We have... "
"What did you say?"
"It was Jackie... "
"I know what you said! I mean what hell happened?"
"I'm not sure I couldn't understand what she was saying over all the crying but we've got to get there now! Get in the car."
Tre and Mike got in Mike's car and didn't say anything for a long time.
"What do you think happened to him?" Tre asked.
"I dunno. Lets just hope it's not that serious."
"But you said she was crying."
"That's what I was thinking just now."
It was silent for another couple of minutes.
"You don't think he would have died, do you?"
"Tre, I have no idea. I seriously hope not but for all I know that could have happened, save the question 'til later ok?"
"Ok."
Mike pulled in towards the hospital parking and when parked he and Tre walked through the automatic doors and into the hospital. They both swallowed their fears as they saw Jackie sitting on one of the chairs leaning her head against the wall and looking up at the white ceiling. Her mascara had run and her hair was a mess from pulling it whenever she got frustrated. She was nervously picking at the skin of her fingers which were rested on her lap and her mouth was trembling as if she was gonna start crying again.
"Jackie!"
Jackie snapped her head to the side and saw Tre and Mike walking quickly towards her. One side of her was happy to see them while the other side was scared and nervous about telling them what had happened. What would their reactions be like. They could either flip out and start blaming it on her as she had done herself or they could be sympathetic towards her. Somehow she knew this was going to be one of the worst things she was ever going to tell someone
"Excuse me!"
The secretary was sitting behind the desk in a skimpy black skirt and a shirt. Her hair was long and volumized and she was sitting chewing gum whilst playing with her hair whilst reading cosmopolitan. When she heard Jackie she stopped chewing and looked at Jackie.
"Hi. Do you think I could speak to Billie Joe Armstrong's Doctor?"
She sighed hard then started typing in something on her keyboard.
"Sorry, what was the name."
"Billie Joe Armstrong. B-I-L-L-I-E J-O... '
The secretary sat upright then looked at Jackie with wide eyes. Interrupting her she said, "Billie Joe Armstrong?"
"Yes, why, what's wrong?"
"Oh nothing... you mean the guy who's in green day or something."
"Just get me his doctor will you?!"
"Jesus, calm down! I was only asking." She started to type again then stopped.
"What is it now?" Jackie snapped, she was starting to get tired of this.
"So are you like his girlfriend?"
"Yes I am. But can you please... '
"Is he good in bed?"
Jackie was disgusted at this question and absolutely blew up. She reached over the desk and grabbed her shirt collar and pulled it up towards her. Jackie was so close that the secretary could feel Jackie's breath on her face.
"You listen to me bitch. You have no right to ask me these questions in any circumstance and certainly not when my boyfriend could be dead right now but I don't know cause your not doing what I asked you to. So either lift up the phone with your perfect fingers or get off your ass and get the doctor immediately!"
The entire room went quiet and the girl Jackie was holding who was know scared shitless nodded and did what Jackie had told her.
Jackie sighed of relief then sat back down in the chair with the same posture that she had 7 minutes ago. It took a further 4 minutes for the Doctor to arrive.
"Excuse me, are you Jackie?"
"Yes I am. What do you want?" she said in a glum voice.
"Nice to meet you, my name is Dr. Keeting and I am your husband's Doctor." He said holding out is firm hand. Jackie looked up whilst shaking his hand.
"Oh no, we're not married, we're just going out. Is he ok?"
"I am sorry to tell you this but he is suffering from a memory loss and won't remember anything from the past 6 weeks."
Jackies heart sank.
"He has also broken his left leg and has some other minor head injuries which he will have to have checked out every week or so."
A tear ran across her face but she wiped it off before anyone could see.
"So will he not remember anything that's happened in the last 6 weeks?"
"No but it is possible to get him to remember some things if you talk him through everything in detail."
Jackie was silent for a long time making Dr. Keeting feel very uncomfortable.
"Do you have anymore questions?"
She looked up at him slowly then said, "No, thank you, I really appreciate it." The doctor gave her a weak smile. "You can come visit him when your ready, but hes unconscious at the moment and he will probably be unconscious for another day or so." Jackie nodded then watched him as he walked away with his clipboard. She sat wondering if he would ever remember her whilst looking at the charm bracelet. Thinking back at everything they've been through she smiled but realising that Billie might never remember all those things she started crying.
After about 10 minutes she got up and walked to the phone. She didn't want to tell Mike or Tre until she had found out everything she could. And now she had found out everything so she knew she had to tell them.
Everyone had gone by now and Tre was lying on the sofa with his feet up on the table watching TV whilst Mike was running around like a headless chicken clearing everything away. When he had dropped the last can in the bin bag he dropped himself down on the sofa next to Tre. They were quietly watching TV until Mike said to Tre, "Hey, you seen Bill and Jack lately? They said they went for a walk but its been like 1 and ½ hours."
Tre carried on watching then smiled and started singing.
"Jack and Bill went up the hill, to fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke her crown and Bill came tumbling after. Up got jack and trotted back as fast as she could caper, went to bed and plastered her head with vinegar and brown paper."
Tre took another sip out of his beer and flicked the channel while Mike shook his head at his childishness. They sat there silent again for about 30 seconds until the phone rang and Mike got up to answer it.
"Mike here."
"Mike it's me!" Came a stuttering voice from the other end of the line.
"Jackie! Are you ok?"
"Well, no and yes. Yes physically and no emotionally."
"What's the matter?"
"There's been an accident."
"An accident?"
"Yes, an accident. Billie... Billie... .got hit... by a car." Jackie couldn't hold it in any longer and burst out crying. She tried telling him everything but all Mike could hear was mumbling.
"Listen Jackie, stay there and we'll be there in like," he looked down at his watch whilst putting on his coat, "30 minutes. Are you at the city hospital?"
"Yeh." She managed to get out.
"Ok then, see ya there. Jackie don't worry." And with that he put the phone down, grabbed Tre's coat and chucked it at him.
"Who was that? Where are we going?" Tre asked while putting on his jacket.
"That was Jackie and Billie's been in an accident. We have... "
"What did you say?"
"It was Jackie... "
"I know what you said! I mean what hell happened?"
"I'm not sure I couldn't understand what she was saying over all the crying but we've got to get there now! Get in the car."
Tre and Mike got in Mike's car and didn't say anything for a long time.
"What do you think happened to him?" Tre asked.
"I dunno. Lets just hope it's not that serious."
"But you said she was crying."
"That's what I was thinking just now."
It was silent for another couple of minutes.
"You don't think he would have died, do you?"
"Tre, I have no idea. I seriously hope not but for all I know that could have happened, save the question 'til later ok?"
"Ok."
Mike pulled in towards the hospital parking and when parked he and Tre walked through the automatic doors and into the hospital. They both swallowed their fears as they saw Jackie sitting on one of the chairs leaning her head against the wall and looking up at the white ceiling. Her mascara had run and her hair was a mess from pulling it whenever she got frustrated. She was nervously picking at the skin of her fingers which were rested on her lap and her mouth was trembling as if she was gonna start crying again.
"Jackie!"
Jackie snapped her head to the side and saw Tre and Mike walking quickly towards her. One side of her was happy to see them while the other side was scared and nervous about telling them what had happened. What would their reactions be like. They could either flip out and start blaming it on her as she had done herself or they could be sympathetic towards her. Somehow she knew this was going to be one of the worst things she was ever going to tell someone
