The Shattered Man, chapter 2
The angry beep. The one that occurred about five billion times per minute. It pierced my aching skull. I groaned, and kicked the bed. I tried opening my eyes, but the light...oh...it was so bright. They shut themselves automatically. I growled, and flicked my eyes open again. Oww...I thought. Why must the light be so light? I looked around me, my head pounding. Mike sat at the edge of my bed, his face in his hands. I tried to open my mouth, say something, anything. But nothing came to me. I struggled, and Mike must have sensed my stress. He looked up at me.
"Billie!" he gasped, and picked up my hand. "How're you? You...you just scared me so much, Bill," Mike murmured, gazing into my eyes.
"Stop being gushy!" I exclaimed suddenly, startling myself more than him. "I'm just kidding, you big galoot!" Mike chuckled nervously, unsure of what a 'big galoot' was. I chuckled, my voice hoarse and sore. "How long was I asleep?" I asked quietly, dropping my gaze. I heard him inhale slowly.
"This might be hard for you. But you've been asleep for six weeks. About two months," he replied, rubbing my knuckle. My heart dropped. Six WEEKS?! Oh, no. It couldn't have been six weeks. Could it? "You...you died. Twice, actually. The doctors had to shock you awake. What...what happened, Billie? What happened?" he continued, obviously concerned. I opened my mouth to reply as Adie walked in. She stood at the door, staring at me.
"You're awake," she whispered, and I nodded, a tight scowl forming on my lips. She came to my side. I crossed my arms, my eyes burning into hers. "I...we...no one knew if you were going to wake up ever again. I'm sorry, Billie. I'm so sorry," she murmured, touching my arm.
"I'm sorry, too," I replied. A tight look of confusion formed on her face.
"Why?"
"For this." I shot up out of my bed, and grasped her neck in between my fingers. I squeezed tighter and tighter, her face turning red. She finally gagged aloud, slightly satisfying my bloodlust.
"Bill—stop! Get... I can't...breathe!" she gasped, trying to remove my strong hands. Mike darted around the bed, and tried to pry my fingers off.
"Billie! You're gonna kill her! Let her go!" he screamed. I stared directly into her eyes, which were slowly softening from her frightened look. I began to release her, and finally shoved her away. I slowly slumped in my bed, and my face crumpled, my head spinning. "Adie... I—can I talk to Billie? Eh...alone?" he asked quietly. Adrianne, rubbing her neck, departed from the room. I sighed deeply, wringing my hands.
"I'd say you're gonna want to know about why I just did that, eh?" I looked up at Mike, the muscles in his face twitching and quivering as he bit his lower lip.
"What...what happened before you got here, Billie?" he murmured, obviously fighting back tears. I scoffed slightly, my voice shaking. A huge lump appeared in my throat. "Did...did you try to kill yourself?" I couldn't hold back any more. Tears began streaming down my face as I nodded, sobbing. "B-Billie? No, no. You... you couldn't have! Why?!" he gasped, squeezing my hand.
"Because. Because that slut left me for Gerard. They-she-oh, never mind!" I struggled to explain it to Mike. The words were hanging in my mouth. They just weren't coming.
"Billie. Come on, tell me, please!" he urged, his icy eyes piercing into mine. I squeezed my eyes shut, and put my wrists to my forehead. Goddamn! I screamed at myself. Why does my head hurt like this?! My temples pounded, blood rushing everywhere in my skull. I felt myself losing control of myself. I started quivering. No...no, stop that! I thought angrily. I heard people talking to me, telling me that I was a loser, that life would never be the same. That I was unworthy of Adrianne, asking me if I would ever cheat on her.
"No! no, no! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" I screamed, covering my ears.
"Billie!" Mike yelled, holding onto my shoulders. I shook, harder and harder, until everything went black.
"Billie!" he gasped, and picked up my hand. "How're you? You...you just scared me so much, Bill," Mike murmured, gazing into my eyes.
"Stop being gushy!" I exclaimed suddenly, startling myself more than him. "I'm just kidding, you big galoot!" Mike chuckled nervously, unsure of what a 'big galoot' was. I chuckled, my voice hoarse and sore. "How long was I asleep?" I asked quietly, dropping my gaze. I heard him inhale slowly.
"This might be hard for you. But you've been asleep for six weeks. About two months," he replied, rubbing my knuckle. My heart dropped. Six WEEKS?! Oh, no. It couldn't have been six weeks. Could it? "You...you died. Twice, actually. The doctors had to shock you awake. What...what happened, Billie? What happened?" he continued, obviously concerned. I opened my mouth to reply as Adie walked in. She stood at the door, staring at me.
"You're awake," she whispered, and I nodded, a tight scowl forming on my lips. She came to my side. I crossed my arms, my eyes burning into hers. "I...we...no one knew if you were going to wake up ever again. I'm sorry, Billie. I'm so sorry," she murmured, touching my arm.
"I'm sorry, too," I replied. A tight look of confusion formed on her face.
"Why?"
"For this." I shot up out of my bed, and grasped her neck in between my fingers. I squeezed tighter and tighter, her face turning red. She finally gagged aloud, slightly satisfying my bloodlust.
"Bill—stop! Get... I can't...breathe!" she gasped, trying to remove my strong hands. Mike darted around the bed, and tried to pry my fingers off.
"Billie! You're gonna kill her! Let her go!" he screamed. I stared directly into her eyes, which were slowly softening from her frightened look. I began to release her, and finally shoved her away. I slowly slumped in my bed, and my face crumpled, my head spinning. "Adie... I—can I talk to Billie? Eh...alone?" he asked quietly. Adrianne, rubbing her neck, departed from the room. I sighed deeply, wringing my hands.
"I'd say you're gonna want to know about why I just did that, eh?" I looked up at Mike, the muscles in his face twitching and quivering as he bit his lower lip.
"What...what happened before you got here, Billie?" he murmured, obviously fighting back tears. I scoffed slightly, my voice shaking. A huge lump appeared in my throat. "Did...did you try to kill yourself?" I couldn't hold back any more. Tears began streaming down my face as I nodded, sobbing. "B-Billie? No, no. You... you couldn't have! Why?!" he gasped, squeezing my hand.
"Because. Because that slut left me for Gerard. They-she-oh, never mind!" I struggled to explain it to Mike. The words were hanging in my mouth. They just weren't coming.
"Billie. Come on, tell me, please!" he urged, his icy eyes piercing into mine. I squeezed my eyes shut, and put my wrists to my forehead. Goddamn! I screamed at myself. Why does my head hurt like this?! My temples pounded, blood rushing everywhere in my skull. I felt myself losing control of myself. I started quivering. No...no, stop that! I thought angrily. I heard people talking to me, telling me that I was a loser, that life would never be the same. That I was unworthy of Adrianne, asking me if I would ever cheat on her.
"No! no, no! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" I screamed, covering my ears.
"Billie!" Mike yelled, holding onto my shoulders. I shook, harder and harder, until everything went black.
