A Different Kind of Love, chapter 22
* three hours later *
Billie Joe walked slowly into Zach's room, wondering whether or not he wanted to see him. Tre and Mike walked behind Billie Joe. Billie looked at Zach's body, lying in the white hospital bed with scars and bruises all over it and burst into tears. Mike immediately pulled Billie into a hug, he had expected him to react like this. Billie sobbed quietly and looked at Zach.
"I love him...he doesn't deserve any of this..." Billie Joe whimpered, as Mike led him to sit down on one of the chairs. He sat down first, still holding Billie Joe. Tre sat down next to them. Billie kept looking at Zach, wishing there was something he could do for him right now, but the nurse had said he wouldn't wake up until the next morning. But Billie knew the damage. Multiple broken bones, fractures, sprains, servere bruising...the list was endless. And evidence of rape. Billie swallowed.
"Billie...when were you abused?" asked Mike, trying to remember back to when they went to high school.
"Since my mum married Brad." said Billie, hopping off Mike's lap to sit in the chair closest to Zach's bed. Billie now sat on one side of Zach's bed, facing Mike and Tre who were sitting on the other.
"How come I didn't notice anything? Was it really bad?" Mike questioned, trying to look at Billie properly. Billie tried to look into Zachs eyes..but they were closed. He immediately felt alone and held his arm.
"Yeah..ever wonder why I was hardly ever at school...yeah well I didn't want people to ask questions.." Billie Joe said quietly. This was all news to Tre, who was interested to sit there and listen.
"Is that why you love Zach so much?" asked Mike knowingly, looking more softly at Billie Joe.
"Yeah. I understand what he's going through and I don't think any kid should have to suffer it." Billie said firmly, now looking at Mike.
"You can't understand everything Billie you...wait...wait a minute..." Mike looked back at Billie, who blushed and looked away.
"Ninth grade...when you and I were drunk...you said you weren't a virgin but then when I asked who to you wouldn't tell me...and then later I found you passed out in the bathroom cause you skulled a whole bottle of JD..." Mike remembered Billie being furious somedays, kicking everything in sight and swearing at everything Mike said. Mike remembered Billie never wanting to go swimming, never wanting to shower in gym class. Mike generally remembered how pissed off Billie was when any guy tried to get close to him. It was all so obvious now. He remembered Billie Joe's hands always shaking when he waved good bye to Mike after school, he even remembered Brad waiting for Billie after school one day and remembering Billie yelling. He also remembered Billie having a cigarette burn on his hand the next day. It was all so fucking obvious.
"Yeah...I lost my virginity to him...he drugged me. Don't you remember how I used to wear scarves in summer...I said it was because everyone else wasn't and you thought I was trying too hard...yeah well I was covering up what he did to me..hickeys and other shit..." Billie finished. He felt better, getting it off his chest. Mike looked sadly at Billie Joe, as did Tre.
"So...I understand Zach's problems and I'm going to become his father." Billie Joe said determindly.
"The police have already arrested his dad, they called my cell about half hour ago. Zach's dad was pissed and practically admitted everything. He said he was gunna kill Zach. But Zach has to testify against him." Tre said, looking at Zach's calm breathing.
"Yeah...I'm going to be his father. I don't care what it takes." Billie said. Mike nodded.
"Do you want some coffee Billie, I'm gunna set some coffee.." Tre jumped at the thought of coffee. Billie shook his head.
"I'm gunna stay here, in case Zach wakes up." Billie said, rubbing Zach's hand.
"Mmmk I'll bring you back some coffee. To help you stay awake." Billie nodded, and watched Mike and Tre leave. He looked longingly at Zach and felt it burning inside him to be his father more than anything he ever wanted.
"I'm your daddy..and when you wake up, your gunna know why i wanna be..."
Billie Joe walked slowly into Zach's room, wondering whether or not he wanted to see him. Tre and Mike walked behind Billie Joe. Billie looked at Zach's body, lying in the white hospital bed with scars and bruises all over it and burst into tears. Mike immediately pulled Billie into a hug, he had expected him to react like this. Billie sobbed quietly and looked at Zach.
"I love him...he doesn't deserve any of this..." Billie Joe whimpered, as Mike led him to sit down on one of the chairs. He sat down first, still holding Billie Joe. Tre sat down next to them. Billie kept looking at Zach, wishing there was something he could do for him right now, but the nurse had said he wouldn't wake up until the next morning. But Billie knew the damage. Multiple broken bones, fractures, sprains, servere bruising...the list was endless. And evidence of rape. Billie swallowed.
"Billie...when were you abused?" asked Mike, trying to remember back to when they went to high school.
"Since my mum married Brad." said Billie, hopping off Mike's lap to sit in the chair closest to Zach's bed. Billie now sat on one side of Zach's bed, facing Mike and Tre who were sitting on the other.
"How come I didn't notice anything? Was it really bad?" Mike questioned, trying to look at Billie properly. Billie tried to look into Zachs eyes..but they were closed. He immediately felt alone and held his arm.
"Yeah..ever wonder why I was hardly ever at school...yeah well I didn't want people to ask questions.." Billie Joe said quietly. This was all news to Tre, who was interested to sit there and listen.
"Is that why you love Zach so much?" asked Mike knowingly, looking more softly at Billie Joe.
"Yeah. I understand what he's going through and I don't think any kid should have to suffer it." Billie said firmly, now looking at Mike.
"You can't understand everything Billie you...wait...wait a minute..." Mike looked back at Billie, who blushed and looked away.
"Ninth grade...when you and I were drunk...you said you weren't a virgin but then when I asked who to you wouldn't tell me...and then later I found you passed out in the bathroom cause you skulled a whole bottle of JD..." Mike remembered Billie being furious somedays, kicking everything in sight and swearing at everything Mike said. Mike remembered Billie never wanting to go swimming, never wanting to shower in gym class. Mike generally remembered how pissed off Billie was when any guy tried to get close to him. It was all so obvious now. He remembered Billie Joe's hands always shaking when he waved good bye to Mike after school, he even remembered Brad waiting for Billie after school one day and remembering Billie yelling. He also remembered Billie having a cigarette burn on his hand the next day. It was all so fucking obvious.
"Yeah...I lost my virginity to him...he drugged me. Don't you remember how I used to wear scarves in summer...I said it was because everyone else wasn't and you thought I was trying too hard...yeah well I was covering up what he did to me..hickeys and other shit..." Billie finished. He felt better, getting it off his chest. Mike looked sadly at Billie Joe, as did Tre.
"So...I understand Zach's problems and I'm going to become his father." Billie Joe said determindly.
"The police have already arrested his dad, they called my cell about half hour ago. Zach's dad was pissed and practically admitted everything. He said he was gunna kill Zach. But Zach has to testify against him." Tre said, looking at Zach's calm breathing.
"Yeah...I'm going to be his father. I don't care what it takes." Billie said. Mike nodded.
"Do you want some coffee Billie, I'm gunna set some coffee.." Tre jumped at the thought of coffee. Billie shook his head.
"I'm gunna stay here, in case Zach wakes up." Billie said, rubbing Zach's hand.
"Mmmk I'll bring you back some coffee. To help you stay awake." Billie nodded, and watched Mike and Tre leave. He looked longingly at Zach and felt it burning inside him to be his father more than anything he ever wanted.
"I'm your daddy..and when you wake up, your gunna know why i wanna be..."
