The Day Billie's and Mike's Life Came Crashing Down, chapter 19
*The middle of the night*
Billie had woken up from the nightmare he had just had and was looking around for Mike. He saw him in the bed next to him and went to lie next to him.
"What's up?" Mike said tiredly, putting his arm around Billie when he got in.
"Nothing, I just had the nightmare of when you were unconcious and surrounded by flames. I thought that you really were still there."
"Don't worry. It will fade away in time, then you can go back to having happy dreams."
"Yeah, I know. Don't ever leave me on my own, Mike."
"I won't. Now try and get some sleep."
"Ok."
After a few more minutes, Billie fell back asleep, but Mike stayed up, thinking, thinking about what life would be like if Billie was no longer here to help him or to comfort him. After half an hour, Mike finally managed to fall back asleep but was holding onto Billie a bit more tightly.
*7 A.M.*
Mike woke up to find that Billie was gone! He looked in Billie's cabinet, but all of his stuff was still there, but his statement was gone as well. Mike checked the canteen first, and sure enough, there was Billie sitting at the back with Dan Matthews.
"Mike, you're up early," Billie said, taking a sip of his coffee.
"I was just going to say the same to you. What are you doing?"
"Well, Dan came in and wanted to know if I wrote my statement yet, which I have, and asked if he could read through it, and now he's telling me all about the trial as I'm going to stay outside. Dan said he'd tell the judge that I'm too scared to come in and that my statement and pictures of my injuries should win us the trial."
"That's good to know, look, Billie. When you were found by Dan and his officers, um, he came and had a word with me, and when I told him that you would find it hard to get things back to normal, he suggested that you go to a psychiatrist, and I disagreed, but if you are having the nightmare as well, then I think that it might be worth giving it a try."
"What!? I can't believe that you think that I'm a nutcase!"
"No Billie, we don't think that you're a nutcase, we just think that you should talk to an experienced person who would be able to help you get over the nightmare and help you move on with the rest of your life."
"In other words, I'm a nutcase! Thank you soo much, Mike! I thought that you were my friend!"
"I am, Billie. I'm just trying to help you."
"What! By saying that I'm a nutcase!? What a good friend you are!" Billie got up, and by that point everyone in the canteen was watching Billie, Mike, and Dan. Billie started to make his way up to his room, but Mike was quickly on his heels.
"Billie, wait, please, let me explain. I just think that you should speak to someone about the nightmare. You've had it everyday this week, and you've woken up shaking, crying, and in a cold sweat. I'm worried about you, Billie."
"Look Mike! I don't need to speak to anyone about it. I'll deal with it in my own time, ok?"
"No Billie. It's not ok, you have to see someone about it now, before it gets worse and you won't be able to control it!"
"I can control it, just leave me alone, alright!"
Billie ran up to his and Mike's room and locked the door. Billie went over to his bed and turned the lamps off so he was sitting in the darkness only with the light from the hall shining through the blinds. When Billie thought of the moment in the canteen, he burst out crying; he was sitting on his bed with his head in his hands, crying, when Mike came up to the door and was trying to get in.
"Billie, let me in, please! Look, I'm sorry! I know that you can deal with it on your own, please, let me in."
When he got a muted reply; he thought that it would be best to leave Billie on his own for a few hours, so he went out to the mall to see what they had in the new guitar shop that had just opened up.
*12 hours later*
It was 7 P.M., and Mike was sitting at a table in the canteen when Dr. Relva came in to get his dinner; he spotted Mike and came over.
"Why aren't you with Billie?" he asked Mike, sitting down opposite him.
"I, kind of, made him made at me," he replied, playing around with his food.
"What did you do?"
"I suggested that he should see a psychiatrist about this nightmare he keeps having, and he keeps thinking that I think that he's a nutcase, and I don't, but he won't listen, so, he's locked himself in our room and won't let me in, so I'm giving him time to calm down a bit."
"You should have told me, I've got a spare key to that room."
"No, it's alright, if I do it this way then Billie will know that I'm sorry, by giving him time on his own."
"Well, if you're sure, but aren't you worried that he might do something?"
"No, no. He'll be alright. I'll give it another hour before I go and see if he's alright."
*In Billie's and Mike's room*
Billie was still sitting on his bed crying in the dark, playing his guitar, when a familiar person who Billie hadn't seen in 24 years turned up. But Billie didn't notice him until he said:
"You've gotten brilliant at playing that guitar and your voice is exceptional."
"Dad? Is that you?"
"Of course it is, and is that my little boy with a guitar?"
"Yeah, I've really missed you."
"I've missed you too, Billie," Andy said, walking over to Billie and sitting down next to him, putting his arm around him.
"What are you doing here anyway?" Billie asked, snuggling up to his dad.
"Well, your friend Mike told Tre to come and get me to see you. He said that you were kidnapped and beaten. My poor little boy. I heard your arguement with Mike this morning as well. Look, Billie, no one thinks that you're a nutcase. Not even Mike; all he wants is to help you. We just want you to get over all of this. If you won't do this for him, then please, go to a psychiatrist for me."
"But I'm scared, Dad. If I go to a psychiatrist and talk about you, then, I'm scared that you will leave me. Just like you're going to do when I fall asleep. I know you are. The first time you left, I couldn't bear it. I felt like all my life was tearing apart, and it took me ages to get over that. And if you disappear again after 24 years, then it will happen all over again, but it will be worse. Now that I'm older and I understand more than I did when I was 10, I can now finish it if I want to, I love you too much to see you go again," Billie said in floods of tears.
"Billie, listen to me. I can't stay with you forever, but, I'm watching over you all the time, I always have been and always will be. You are my darling little boy, and I will always love and try to protect you as best as I can," Andy said, rocking Billie backwards and forwards until he fell asleep.
"Goodnight, my darling little boy."
*An hour later*
Mike had come back up to see if Billie had unlocked the door, but unfortunately he had no luck. It was a good job that Dr. Relva gave him the spare key just in case. He unlocked the door and opened it, and there on the bed was Billie, fast asleep with an envelope next to him.
"He's going to be crushed when he wakes up," Mike said to himself as he went over to his bed and got his bass out.
After 15 minutes, Billie woke up in sweat and tears.
"Mike!" he screamed.
"Billie! It's okay, I'm here," he said, putting his bass away and going over to him and held him close to his chest.
Billie held onto Mike but was looking around the room.
"Where's Dad gone?" he asked Mike.
"He left Billie, but whenever you want to see him, just call his name and he'll come to you," Mike said, holding onto him more tightly and stroking his hair.
"Mike, look, my dad said that you were only looking out for me, so if it will help and you're sure that it will help, then I'll go to a psychiatrist, but I'm only doing it for you and Dad, but if I get too scared, then I'm not going anymore," Billie said, snuggling closer to Mike.
"That's all I ask for Billie, is that you give it a try, and I'll understand if you're too scared."
"I want you to know that I love you and I'd make you happy in any way that I can. You've been like a brother to me for 24 years, and I'm really grateful. But I'm scared off letting people close to me go."
"I know, and you don't have to thank me, it's my responsibility to look out for you and to care for you, but I guess I haven't done any of that for you these past few weeks, have I?"
"Don't say that Mike! You've done everything for me."
"No I haven't! When you got kidnapped I didn't go and try to find you!"
"Yeah, but that was only because the police told you to stay at the hospital as they didn't want you to get hurt anymore."
"Yeah, but still, I didn't believe you when you tried to warn me about it, and I didn't fight back against them when they tried to get you."
"You couldn't Mike, there was too many of them and you couldn't have stopped them, they had a gun, they would have shot at you, and I wouldn't have wanted that to happen to you."
"I know you wouldn't Billie, and I think that you're right, Tre is the one who brought them into our lives so he should be the one to blame, and we should just ask Tre what he was doing meeting with them for the past few months, and if he doesn't tell us then we'll have to look through his diary which he keeps in a fireproof box in his cupboard."
"I don't want to look through his diary, I'm scared at what he was thinking and a diary is meant to be private."
"Then we'll have to ask him and not stop until he tells us."
"Ok, fine. But not tonight; I want to try and get a decent night's sleep if I can."
"Don't worry Billie, you will get over this nightmare."
"I know, but it's hard. I don't want to be left on my own, I'd go crazy if I was, and since Dad died, you've been the one stopping me from going insane."
"It's okay; look, try and get some sleep."
"Okay. I love you, Mike."
"I love you too, Billie."
Things were going to be alright now, Mike could feel it, but what he wasn't expecting was Dr. Relva coming in the room with Dan Matthews a little while after Billie fell asleep.
"Mike, we need to get you and Billie out of here tonight!" Dan said, going over to their cabinets and grabbing their stuff.
"What! Why?"
There was an awkward silence that was broken by Dan after several minutes.
"Stuart has escaped out of one of our cells, and we can't find him."
Billie had woken up from the nightmare he had just had and was looking around for Mike. He saw him in the bed next to him and went to lie next to him.
"What's up?" Mike said tiredly, putting his arm around Billie when he got in.
"Nothing, I just had the nightmare of when you were unconcious and surrounded by flames. I thought that you really were still there."
"Don't worry. It will fade away in time, then you can go back to having happy dreams."
"Yeah, I know. Don't ever leave me on my own, Mike."
"I won't. Now try and get some sleep."
"Ok."
After a few more minutes, Billie fell back asleep, but Mike stayed up, thinking, thinking about what life would be like if Billie was no longer here to help him or to comfort him. After half an hour, Mike finally managed to fall back asleep but was holding onto Billie a bit more tightly.
*7 A.M.*
Mike woke up to find that Billie was gone! He looked in Billie's cabinet, but all of his stuff was still there, but his statement was gone as well. Mike checked the canteen first, and sure enough, there was Billie sitting at the back with Dan Matthews.
"Mike, you're up early," Billie said, taking a sip of his coffee.
"I was just going to say the same to you. What are you doing?"
"Well, Dan came in and wanted to know if I wrote my statement yet, which I have, and asked if he could read through it, and now he's telling me all about the trial as I'm going to stay outside. Dan said he'd tell the judge that I'm too scared to come in and that my statement and pictures of my injuries should win us the trial."
"That's good to know, look, Billie. When you were found by Dan and his officers, um, he came and had a word with me, and when I told him that you would find it hard to get things back to normal, he suggested that you go to a psychiatrist, and I disagreed, but if you are having the nightmare as well, then I think that it might be worth giving it a try."
"What!? I can't believe that you think that I'm a nutcase!"
"No Billie, we don't think that you're a nutcase, we just think that you should talk to an experienced person who would be able to help you get over the nightmare and help you move on with the rest of your life."
"In other words, I'm a nutcase! Thank you soo much, Mike! I thought that you were my friend!"
"I am, Billie. I'm just trying to help you."
"What! By saying that I'm a nutcase!? What a good friend you are!" Billie got up, and by that point everyone in the canteen was watching Billie, Mike, and Dan. Billie started to make his way up to his room, but Mike was quickly on his heels.
"Billie, wait, please, let me explain. I just think that you should speak to someone about the nightmare. You've had it everyday this week, and you've woken up shaking, crying, and in a cold sweat. I'm worried about you, Billie."
"Look Mike! I don't need to speak to anyone about it. I'll deal with it in my own time, ok?"
"No Billie. It's not ok, you have to see someone about it now, before it gets worse and you won't be able to control it!"
"I can control it, just leave me alone, alright!"
Billie ran up to his and Mike's room and locked the door. Billie went over to his bed and turned the lamps off so he was sitting in the darkness only with the light from the hall shining through the blinds. When Billie thought of the moment in the canteen, he burst out crying; he was sitting on his bed with his head in his hands, crying, when Mike came up to the door and was trying to get in.
"Billie, let me in, please! Look, I'm sorry! I know that you can deal with it on your own, please, let me in."
When he got a muted reply; he thought that it would be best to leave Billie on his own for a few hours, so he went out to the mall to see what they had in the new guitar shop that had just opened up.
*12 hours later*
It was 7 P.M., and Mike was sitting at a table in the canteen when Dr. Relva came in to get his dinner; he spotted Mike and came over.
"Why aren't you with Billie?" he asked Mike, sitting down opposite him.
"I, kind of, made him made at me," he replied, playing around with his food.
"What did you do?"
"I suggested that he should see a psychiatrist about this nightmare he keeps having, and he keeps thinking that I think that he's a nutcase, and I don't, but he won't listen, so, he's locked himself in our room and won't let me in, so I'm giving him time to calm down a bit."
"You should have told me, I've got a spare key to that room."
"No, it's alright, if I do it this way then Billie will know that I'm sorry, by giving him time on his own."
"Well, if you're sure, but aren't you worried that he might do something?"
"No, no. He'll be alright. I'll give it another hour before I go and see if he's alright."
*In Billie's and Mike's room*
Billie was still sitting on his bed crying in the dark, playing his guitar, when a familiar person who Billie hadn't seen in 24 years turned up. But Billie didn't notice him until he said:
"You've gotten brilliant at playing that guitar and your voice is exceptional."
"Dad? Is that you?"
"Of course it is, and is that my little boy with a guitar?"
"Yeah, I've really missed you."
"I've missed you too, Billie," Andy said, walking over to Billie and sitting down next to him, putting his arm around him.
"What are you doing here anyway?" Billie asked, snuggling up to his dad.
"Well, your friend Mike told Tre to come and get me to see you. He said that you were kidnapped and beaten. My poor little boy. I heard your arguement with Mike this morning as well. Look, Billie, no one thinks that you're a nutcase. Not even Mike; all he wants is to help you. We just want you to get over all of this. If you won't do this for him, then please, go to a psychiatrist for me."
"But I'm scared, Dad. If I go to a psychiatrist and talk about you, then, I'm scared that you will leave me. Just like you're going to do when I fall asleep. I know you are. The first time you left, I couldn't bear it. I felt like all my life was tearing apart, and it took me ages to get over that. And if you disappear again after 24 years, then it will happen all over again, but it will be worse. Now that I'm older and I understand more than I did when I was 10, I can now finish it if I want to, I love you too much to see you go again," Billie said in floods of tears.
"Billie, listen to me. I can't stay with you forever, but, I'm watching over you all the time, I always have been and always will be. You are my darling little boy, and I will always love and try to protect you as best as I can," Andy said, rocking Billie backwards and forwards until he fell asleep.
"Goodnight, my darling little boy."
*An hour later*
Mike had come back up to see if Billie had unlocked the door, but unfortunately he had no luck. It was a good job that Dr. Relva gave him the spare key just in case. He unlocked the door and opened it, and there on the bed was Billie, fast asleep with an envelope next to him.
"He's going to be crushed when he wakes up," Mike said to himself as he went over to his bed and got his bass out.
After 15 minutes, Billie woke up in sweat and tears.
"Mike!" he screamed.
"Billie! It's okay, I'm here," he said, putting his bass away and going over to him and held him close to his chest.
Billie held onto Mike but was looking around the room.
"Where's Dad gone?" he asked Mike.
"He left Billie, but whenever you want to see him, just call his name and he'll come to you," Mike said, holding onto him more tightly and stroking his hair.
"Mike, look, my dad said that you were only looking out for me, so if it will help and you're sure that it will help, then I'll go to a psychiatrist, but I'm only doing it for you and Dad, but if I get too scared, then I'm not going anymore," Billie said, snuggling closer to Mike.
"That's all I ask for Billie, is that you give it a try, and I'll understand if you're too scared."
"I want you to know that I love you and I'd make you happy in any way that I can. You've been like a brother to me for 24 years, and I'm really grateful. But I'm scared off letting people close to me go."
"I know, and you don't have to thank me, it's my responsibility to look out for you and to care for you, but I guess I haven't done any of that for you these past few weeks, have I?"
"Don't say that Mike! You've done everything for me."
"No I haven't! When you got kidnapped I didn't go and try to find you!"
"Yeah, but that was only because the police told you to stay at the hospital as they didn't want you to get hurt anymore."
"Yeah, but still, I didn't believe you when you tried to warn me about it, and I didn't fight back against them when they tried to get you."
"You couldn't Mike, there was too many of them and you couldn't have stopped them, they had a gun, they would have shot at you, and I wouldn't have wanted that to happen to you."
"I know you wouldn't Billie, and I think that you're right, Tre is the one who brought them into our lives so he should be the one to blame, and we should just ask Tre what he was doing meeting with them for the past few months, and if he doesn't tell us then we'll have to look through his diary which he keeps in a fireproof box in his cupboard."
"I don't want to look through his diary, I'm scared at what he was thinking and a diary is meant to be private."
"Then we'll have to ask him and not stop until he tells us."
"Ok, fine. But not tonight; I want to try and get a decent night's sleep if I can."
"Don't worry Billie, you will get over this nightmare."
"I know, but it's hard. I don't want to be left on my own, I'd go crazy if I was, and since Dad died, you've been the one stopping me from going insane."
"It's okay; look, try and get some sleep."
"Okay. I love you, Mike."
"I love you too, Billie."
Things were going to be alright now, Mike could feel it, but what he wasn't expecting was Dr. Relva coming in the room with Dan Matthews a little while after Billie fell asleep.
"Mike, we need to get you and Billie out of here tonight!" Dan said, going over to their cabinets and grabbing their stuff.
"What! Why?"
There was an awkward silence that was broken by Dan after several minutes.
"Stuart has escaped out of one of our cells, and we can't find him."
