The Day Billie's and Mike's Life Came Crashing Down, chapter 7
Billie rushed into the reception and up to the desk and screamed,
"WHERE IS MY BEST FRIEND?!"
"Excuse me sir but could you please calm down"
"NO I WILL NOT FUCKING CALM DOWN! TELL ME WHERE MY FRIEND IS RIGHT NOW"
"Sir if you calm down I will tell you but if you don't I will have to ask you to leave." The receptionist said.
Billie dropped to his knees with his head in his hands yelling,
"I DON'T WANT TO LOSE HIM, HE'S MY BEST FRIEND! I DON'T WANT TO BE LEFT ON MY OWN! IT'S JUST NOT FAIR!"
With that Billie was in bursts of tears and he couldn't say another word. The receptionist came round to the front of her desk and knelt down and put a arm around Billie.
"What's your friends name?" The receptionist asked in a comforting voice
"Mike Dirnt" Billie said before more tears came streaming down his face.
"I'll just check on the computer what room he is in and I'll take you up there to see him, Okay."
"Okay, thank you" Billie said getting up.
The receptionist looked on the computer and found Mike's name.
"He's in room 80. I'll take you up there, come on."
When they were outside Mike's room, Billie took a deep breath and then told the receptionist that he would be fine and he thanked her for all her help and kindness. He was just about to enter Mike's room when Dr Relva came up to him.
"Ah you're here. Good"
"Yeah, is he alright? What happened?" Billie asked with a scared look in his eyes.
"Yes he will be fine but I'm not entirely sure what happened you will have to ask him yourself when he wakes up, he's still unconcious but he should wake up soon don't worry he will be fine. We will want him to keep coming back so we can check how he's doing and to see if the slashes on his chest has healed up."
"What slashes?" Billie asked starting to shake.
"When he got brought in, he had servere slashes on his chest that was where most of the blood was lost."
Billie was feeling abit unsteady and was wobbling abit and he felt as though he was going to be sick, he was shaking uncontrollably now and his vision was all blurry.
"Are you alright?" Dr Relva asked grabbing hold of Billie as he was losing his balance.
Billie was turning pale and then he collapsed in Dr Relva's arms.
"GET ME SOME HELP HERE NOW PLEASE!" Dr Relva shouted lying Billie down on the floor and checking his pulse.
Five or six doctors came running over to Billie but as soon as they got over to him he was concious again but he was shaking and crying, he had his hands over his ears and was rocking from side to side.
"Mr Armstrong, are you alright? What's wrong?" Dr Relva asked.
When he didn't answer he helped Billie up and took him into the friends and relatives room where he sat in a chair shaking, crying and still with his hands over his ears.
"Mr Armstrong, can you tell me what is the matter so I can help you?"
"Tre. The memory of Tre in the hospital popped into my mind I'm scared that Mike will do the same thing as Tre did. I don't won't to be left on my own, it's just not fair. I can't go on like this. I can't keep having the memory of Tre in my head every time I try to get to sleep. In the end I cry myself to sleep. I go into the studio everyday to play my guitar or to write some music, I see Tre's drumkit in the middle and I can't help but think why he isn't here anymore. That letter that he left me and Mike, I have it under my pillow and read it every time I'm on my own while Mike's out at the grocery store and it brings the image of Tre in my head and I can't take it anymore." Billie said, he was breaking down in floods of tears ad he put his hands down from over his ears and into his lap.
"What makes you happy Mr Armstrong?"
"Listening to the fans sing the song back to us as we play it but I can't do that anymore as we don't have Tre to drum for us and I'll never get a drummer to replace him."
"Well, do you enjoy writing music?"
"Yeah"
"Well, instead of writing music why don't you keep you thoughts and emotions in a diary and you could still write songs but you won't feel as much stress or pressure that you are feeling now but all I'm trying to say is that you should give it a go. Will you try, for Mike's sake?"
"Alright. Can I go and see him now?"
"Yeah of course you can, you can stay here with him if you want to aswell."
"I want to but I have a puppy in the car and I can't leave him in there all night on his own it's not very fair."
"Well why don't you come back tomorrow and then you can figure out a plan about what to do with him while you're here tomorrow, okay?"
"Alright but I want to see him before I go."
"That's fine"
Billie got up and went over to the door. When he opened the door he turned to face Dr Relva and said,
"Thank you for everything"
"That's alright, that's what I'm here for."
Billie left and made his way up to Mike's room. When he got there he opened the door and walked in while he took in a deep calming breath.
Mike was lying in the hospital bed on a life support machine and he was bruised and covered in bandages. Billie walked over to him and gave him a kiss on the forehead while tears where streaming down his face. He looked at Mike and was wandering what happened to him it was upsetting to see him here in a hospital bed and what was even more upsetting is that he just didn't know why.
***
Billie gave Tre his dinner then went into the living room and picked up a plain covered book and started to write down the things that were on his mind and thought about the past few weeks it just wasn't fair, life wasn't fair and he hated it.
Tre came into the living room and snuggled up against Billie while he was writing in his book and half an hour later he put the book down, he didn't close it, and picked Tre up and then made his way up to his room to havea couple of hours slep before he went back to see Mike in the hospital. Billie had put a diary entry in the book and it read:
Dear Diary,
Tre's dead, Mike's in hospital and I'm here all on my own. It's not really clear to me why Tre wanted to die, he loved playing the drums and partying on a friday night. Mike's on a life support machine in hospital because some bastards attacked him in a old warehouse, he has slashes on his chest and he is covered in bruises. I don't know why they attacked him he didn't do anything wrong. He's been brilliant these last few weeks especially to me. I don't know if I can cope much longer but I'm not as stressed as I was when Tre died, I think that it's those anti-depressant pills, they might be working. If only I could turn back time to when we were all together and we were laughing about and drinking then it would all be alright. But to me now it feels as if we are falling apart. Bit by bit.
Billie Joe x
Billie was sitting on his bed stroking Tre, deciding in his mind whether or not to get another tattoo and put it as a symbol of Tre, like a drumkit or a bottle of beer or something like that, he didn't know which to choose. Billie laid down and put his arm around Tre while he slept soundly with his head in his paws. Soon Billie drifted off into an uneasy sleep.
***
Billie woke up at 5am the next morning and couldn't get to sleep again. He went over to his guitar and sat in a chair in the corner of his room and started to play a couple of songs while he waited and watched the sunrise over the calm, quiet California landscape. After a while Billie got abit bored of playing his guitar so he took Tre out for a walk and then headed to the hospital to see Mike.
***
Billie got out of the car and locked Tre in the car with his water bowl and pieces of chicken. He made his way into the hospital and up to Mike's room. When he entered, Mike was still asleep and his bruises were even more noticable now. The bandages had been changed and his hair was scruffy. Billie sat down next to Mike and held his hand.
"Please wake up soon Mike" Billie said softly.
Then the door opened and Dr Relva walked in.
"Oh, Mr Armstrong, I didn't see you come in, you're early aren't you?"
"Yeah sorry it's just that I couldn't sleep and I wanted to see him, I hope that that is alright by you."
"Yes, yes that's fine I only just came in to see if he was awake yet, but it seems like he's not so I'll check back in an hour okay."
"Yes, thank you Dr Relva."
Dr Relva left and Mike and Billie were on the own again. Billie had his head bowed and was crying silent tears when Mike opened his eyes. Billi only knew Mike was awake when he heard Mike wince in pain as he tried to move.
"Mike, thank god that you're awake I was so worried about you." Billie said relieved that his friend was now awake.
"I'm alright, sort of, well apart from aching all over I'm fine." Mike said with a pained sort of smile on his face.
"What happened to you?" Billie asked looking worried.
"Well when you went upstairs to get your guitar a note came through the front door for me to meet someone at a warehouse and I didn't want to tell you because I knew that you wouldn't want me to go as I might get hurt. But I went and there was a group of people inside and said that they heard about what happened to Tre and they thought that I wouldn't mind finishing his unfinished buisness and when I asked what that was he wouldn't tell me he just clicked his fingers and two of the guys grabbed my arms and the next thing I know I was being beaten the crap out of and then right before I fell unconcious this one guy came over to me with a knife and stabbed it, well sliced it into me and that's when I paced out. I tried to fight them off Billie I really did but there was too many and they were all hitting me." Mike replied a little bit weakly.
"You could have died if that stranger hadn't found you, you should've told me where you were going then I could have went with you and helped you out."
"No, the note only said for me to go and I didn't want you to get hurt as you've had alot of stuff to deal with these past few weks and I couldn't watch you get beaten up."
"Are you sure that you're alright now though?"
"Yeah I'm fine I just want to go home that's all."
Dr Relva came in again.
"Ah Mr Dirnt you're awake that good, well you cuts are healing up nicely so you should be back to normal in a couple of days but if you want to go home today you can but you will have to take it easy and we would like you to come back in a fortnight's time so we can see how you are."
"That's great. Billie help me get my stuff. I'm just going to put my clothes on."
"Yeah sure, but be careful, take your time you don't have to hurry." Billie said helping Mike get up.
Dr Relva went out again and came back with some medication for Mike to heal the cuts with, then he went to go and see another patient.
Mike came back 10 minutes later fully dressed and had a smile on his face.
"Right are we ready, let's go?" Mike said happily, he couldn't wait to get out of here as he wanted to go home to his room and bass guitar.
"Are you sure you're feeling alright?" Billie asked with a concerned voice.
"Billie I told you I'm fine, I just want to go home that's all." Mike replied getting his stuff out of the draw next to his bed.
"Alright then, come on."
Billie helped Mike out of the hospital and to the car where Tre was sitting in the back waiting for them and wagging his tail. Billie helped Mike into the car and put the bags into the boot and then got in himself and drove off home.
"WHERE IS MY BEST FRIEND?!"
"Excuse me sir but could you please calm down"
"NO I WILL NOT FUCKING CALM DOWN! TELL ME WHERE MY FRIEND IS RIGHT NOW"
"Sir if you calm down I will tell you but if you don't I will have to ask you to leave." The receptionist said.
Billie dropped to his knees with his head in his hands yelling,
"I DON'T WANT TO LOSE HIM, HE'S MY BEST FRIEND! I DON'T WANT TO BE LEFT ON MY OWN! IT'S JUST NOT FAIR!"
With that Billie was in bursts of tears and he couldn't say another word. The receptionist came round to the front of her desk and knelt down and put a arm around Billie.
"What's your friends name?" The receptionist asked in a comforting voice
"Mike Dirnt" Billie said before more tears came streaming down his face.
"I'll just check on the computer what room he is in and I'll take you up there to see him, Okay."
"Okay, thank you" Billie said getting up.
The receptionist looked on the computer and found Mike's name.
"He's in room 80. I'll take you up there, come on."
When they were outside Mike's room, Billie took a deep breath and then told the receptionist that he would be fine and he thanked her for all her help and kindness. He was just about to enter Mike's room when Dr Relva came up to him.
"Ah you're here. Good"
"Yeah, is he alright? What happened?" Billie asked with a scared look in his eyes.
"Yes he will be fine but I'm not entirely sure what happened you will have to ask him yourself when he wakes up, he's still unconcious but he should wake up soon don't worry he will be fine. We will want him to keep coming back so we can check how he's doing and to see if the slashes on his chest has healed up."
"What slashes?" Billie asked starting to shake.
"When he got brought in, he had servere slashes on his chest that was where most of the blood was lost."
Billie was feeling abit unsteady and was wobbling abit and he felt as though he was going to be sick, he was shaking uncontrollably now and his vision was all blurry.
"Are you alright?" Dr Relva asked grabbing hold of Billie as he was losing his balance.
Billie was turning pale and then he collapsed in Dr Relva's arms.
"GET ME SOME HELP HERE NOW PLEASE!" Dr Relva shouted lying Billie down on the floor and checking his pulse.
Five or six doctors came running over to Billie but as soon as they got over to him he was concious again but he was shaking and crying, he had his hands over his ears and was rocking from side to side.
"Mr Armstrong, are you alright? What's wrong?" Dr Relva asked.
When he didn't answer he helped Billie up and took him into the friends and relatives room where he sat in a chair shaking, crying and still with his hands over his ears.
"Mr Armstrong, can you tell me what is the matter so I can help you?"
"Tre. The memory of Tre in the hospital popped into my mind I'm scared that Mike will do the same thing as Tre did. I don't won't to be left on my own, it's just not fair. I can't go on like this. I can't keep having the memory of Tre in my head every time I try to get to sleep. In the end I cry myself to sleep. I go into the studio everyday to play my guitar or to write some music, I see Tre's drumkit in the middle and I can't help but think why he isn't here anymore. That letter that he left me and Mike, I have it under my pillow and read it every time I'm on my own while Mike's out at the grocery store and it brings the image of Tre in my head and I can't take it anymore." Billie said, he was breaking down in floods of tears ad he put his hands down from over his ears and into his lap.
"What makes you happy Mr Armstrong?"
"Listening to the fans sing the song back to us as we play it but I can't do that anymore as we don't have Tre to drum for us and I'll never get a drummer to replace him."
"Well, do you enjoy writing music?"
"Yeah"
"Well, instead of writing music why don't you keep you thoughts and emotions in a diary and you could still write songs but you won't feel as much stress or pressure that you are feeling now but all I'm trying to say is that you should give it a go. Will you try, for Mike's sake?"
"Alright. Can I go and see him now?"
"Yeah of course you can, you can stay here with him if you want to aswell."
"I want to but I have a puppy in the car and I can't leave him in there all night on his own it's not very fair."
"Well why don't you come back tomorrow and then you can figure out a plan about what to do with him while you're here tomorrow, okay?"
"Alright but I want to see him before I go."
"That's fine"
Billie got up and went over to the door. When he opened the door he turned to face Dr Relva and said,
"Thank you for everything"
"That's alright, that's what I'm here for."
Billie left and made his way up to Mike's room. When he got there he opened the door and walked in while he took in a deep calming breath.
Mike was lying in the hospital bed on a life support machine and he was bruised and covered in bandages. Billie walked over to him and gave him a kiss on the forehead while tears where streaming down his face. He looked at Mike and was wandering what happened to him it was upsetting to see him here in a hospital bed and what was even more upsetting is that he just didn't know why.
***
Billie gave Tre his dinner then went into the living room and picked up a plain covered book and started to write down the things that were on his mind and thought about the past few weeks it just wasn't fair, life wasn't fair and he hated it.
Tre came into the living room and snuggled up against Billie while he was writing in his book and half an hour later he put the book down, he didn't close it, and picked Tre up and then made his way up to his room to havea couple of hours slep before he went back to see Mike in the hospital. Billie had put a diary entry in the book and it read:
Dear Diary,
Tre's dead, Mike's in hospital and I'm here all on my own. It's not really clear to me why Tre wanted to die, he loved playing the drums and partying on a friday night. Mike's on a life support machine in hospital because some bastards attacked him in a old warehouse, he has slashes on his chest and he is covered in bruises. I don't know why they attacked him he didn't do anything wrong. He's been brilliant these last few weeks especially to me. I don't know if I can cope much longer but I'm not as stressed as I was when Tre died, I think that it's those anti-depressant pills, they might be working. If only I could turn back time to when we were all together and we were laughing about and drinking then it would all be alright. But to me now it feels as if we are falling apart. Bit by bit.
Billie Joe x
Billie was sitting on his bed stroking Tre, deciding in his mind whether or not to get another tattoo and put it as a symbol of Tre, like a drumkit or a bottle of beer or something like that, he didn't know which to choose. Billie laid down and put his arm around Tre while he slept soundly with his head in his paws. Soon Billie drifted off into an uneasy sleep.
***
Billie woke up at 5am the next morning and couldn't get to sleep again. He went over to his guitar and sat in a chair in the corner of his room and started to play a couple of songs while he waited and watched the sunrise over the calm, quiet California landscape. After a while Billie got abit bored of playing his guitar so he took Tre out for a walk and then headed to the hospital to see Mike.
***
Billie got out of the car and locked Tre in the car with his water bowl and pieces of chicken. He made his way into the hospital and up to Mike's room. When he entered, Mike was still asleep and his bruises were even more noticable now. The bandages had been changed and his hair was scruffy. Billie sat down next to Mike and held his hand.
"Please wake up soon Mike" Billie said softly.
Then the door opened and Dr Relva walked in.
"Oh, Mr Armstrong, I didn't see you come in, you're early aren't you?"
"Yeah sorry it's just that I couldn't sleep and I wanted to see him, I hope that that is alright by you."
"Yes, yes that's fine I only just came in to see if he was awake yet, but it seems like he's not so I'll check back in an hour okay."
"Yes, thank you Dr Relva."
Dr Relva left and Mike and Billie were on the own again. Billie had his head bowed and was crying silent tears when Mike opened his eyes. Billi only knew Mike was awake when he heard Mike wince in pain as he tried to move.
"Mike, thank god that you're awake I was so worried about you." Billie said relieved that his friend was now awake.
"I'm alright, sort of, well apart from aching all over I'm fine." Mike said with a pained sort of smile on his face.
"What happened to you?" Billie asked looking worried.
"Well when you went upstairs to get your guitar a note came through the front door for me to meet someone at a warehouse and I didn't want to tell you because I knew that you wouldn't want me to go as I might get hurt. But I went and there was a group of people inside and said that they heard about what happened to Tre and they thought that I wouldn't mind finishing his unfinished buisness and when I asked what that was he wouldn't tell me he just clicked his fingers and two of the guys grabbed my arms and the next thing I know I was being beaten the crap out of and then right before I fell unconcious this one guy came over to me with a knife and stabbed it, well sliced it into me and that's when I paced out. I tried to fight them off Billie I really did but there was too many and they were all hitting me." Mike replied a little bit weakly.
"You could have died if that stranger hadn't found you, you should've told me where you were going then I could have went with you and helped you out."
"No, the note only said for me to go and I didn't want you to get hurt as you've had alot of stuff to deal with these past few weks and I couldn't watch you get beaten up."
"Are you sure that you're alright now though?"
"Yeah I'm fine I just want to go home that's all."
Dr Relva came in again.
"Ah Mr Dirnt you're awake that good, well you cuts are healing up nicely so you should be back to normal in a couple of days but if you want to go home today you can but you will have to take it easy and we would like you to come back in a fortnight's time so we can see how you are."
"That's great. Billie help me get my stuff. I'm just going to put my clothes on."
"Yeah sure, but be careful, take your time you don't have to hurry." Billie said helping Mike get up.
Dr Relva went out again and came back with some medication for Mike to heal the cuts with, then he went to go and see another patient.
Mike came back 10 minutes later fully dressed and had a smile on his face.
"Right are we ready, let's go?" Mike said happily, he couldn't wait to get out of here as he wanted to go home to his room and bass guitar.
"Are you sure you're feeling alright?" Billie asked with a concerned voice.
"Billie I told you I'm fine, I just want to go home that's all." Mike replied getting his stuff out of the draw next to his bed.
"Alright then, come on."
Billie helped Mike out of the hospital and to the car where Tre was sitting in the back waiting for them and wagging his tail. Billie helped Mike into the car and put the bags into the boot and then got in himself and drove off home.
