A Different Kind of Love, chapter 19
Billie Joe was not thinking straight. He checked all over for Zach's pulse, then realised he was breathing. A wave of relief flooded over him. He was alive. Billie scanned over Zach's pained face. He was asleep and looked freezing cold. How in the hell any father could treat their son like this Billie Joe could not understand. Billie leaned to his left and grabbed a dry towel. He put his hands underneath it and as gently as he possibly could curled it behind Zach's shoulder blades, slowly pulling him forward. Zach stirred.
Billie Joe held Zach in a sitting position. Zach opened his eyes and tried to focus. Everything was blurry. Billie Joe waited for Zach to recognise him, thinking if he spoke he might frighten him. Zach's eyes were now a dark shade of blue as he focused on Billie's green ones. Zach didn't believe it.
"Billie?" he whispered hoarsely, his eyebrows squinted in confusion. His jaw was shivering and Billie heard Mike and Tre calling him from other corners of the house. Zach wanted to smile, he wanted to dance, but he still didn't believe it was Billie. And his body was weighing him down from doing anything. Everything hurt more than Zach could have imagined.
"Yeah...yeah I'm here...it's OK Zach...I'm going to pick you up...it's going to hurt you...but I'll try to do it as gently as possible. I love you and it's okay now...I'll protect you." Billie Joe wrapped his hand softly around Zach's waist, then recoiled. His ribs were clearly broken. Zach rested his pale head on Billie's tattoed forearm. Zach loved looking at Billie's tattoos but tonight he could only feel everything stinging him. Except Billie Joe's touch. It was warm and his arm was almost like a warm pillow. Zach immediately closed his eyes and relaxed into Billie. Billie slid his free arm underneath Zach's knees, holding beneath his shoulders with the other. He lifted Zach as slowly as he could, and tried to wrap the towel around him, but it fell to the ground. Zach kept looking at Billie Joe's eyes, trying to read him. He couldn't. But he didn't feel scared with him. At all. Tre and Mike entered the bathroom.
"Billie? Bil-" Mike and Tre stood still and tried to take in what they saw. Billie suddenly didn't feel fear anymore. He was holding everything he both loved and feared in his arms, and he felt he could get Zach through it.
"T-Tre...could you pick up that towel and wrap it around him please?" asked Billie. Tre mindlessly picked up the towel and did as he was told, still shocked by Zach's scarrings. Mike started to cry as Billie stopped. Billie felt Zach grow warmer underneath the towel and silently carried him downstairs.
Billie Joe held Zach in a sitting position. Zach opened his eyes and tried to focus. Everything was blurry. Billie Joe waited for Zach to recognise him, thinking if he spoke he might frighten him. Zach's eyes were now a dark shade of blue as he focused on Billie's green ones. Zach didn't believe it.
"Billie?" he whispered hoarsely, his eyebrows squinted in confusion. His jaw was shivering and Billie heard Mike and Tre calling him from other corners of the house. Zach wanted to smile, he wanted to dance, but he still didn't believe it was Billie. And his body was weighing him down from doing anything. Everything hurt more than Zach could have imagined.
"Yeah...yeah I'm here...it's OK Zach...I'm going to pick you up...it's going to hurt you...but I'll try to do it as gently as possible. I love you and it's okay now...I'll protect you." Billie Joe wrapped his hand softly around Zach's waist, then recoiled. His ribs were clearly broken. Zach rested his pale head on Billie's tattoed forearm. Zach loved looking at Billie's tattoos but tonight he could only feel everything stinging him. Except Billie Joe's touch. It was warm and his arm was almost like a warm pillow. Zach immediately closed his eyes and relaxed into Billie. Billie slid his free arm underneath Zach's knees, holding beneath his shoulders with the other. He lifted Zach as slowly as he could, and tried to wrap the towel around him, but it fell to the ground. Zach kept looking at Billie Joe's eyes, trying to read him. He couldn't. But he didn't feel scared with him. At all. Tre and Mike entered the bathroom.
"Billie? Bil-" Mike and Tre stood still and tried to take in what they saw. Billie suddenly didn't feel fear anymore. He was holding everything he both loved and feared in his arms, and he felt he could get Zach through it.
"T-Tre...could you pick up that towel and wrap it around him please?" asked Billie. Tre mindlessly picked up the towel and did as he was told, still shocked by Zach's scarrings. Mike started to cry as Billie stopped. Billie felt Zach grow warmer underneath the towel and silently carried him downstairs.
