I'm Lost For Words, chapter 2

The days turned into weeks, and then into months. Billie Joe wacthed the man that had been his hero wither away into little more than a breathing corpse. It was late one night in early August, he visited with his father everynight, telling him of his day at school, and the things his siblings had done to him, almost as if hoping that it was all just a nightmare. Andy was hospitaized a little more than a month before.
"Dad, I don't want to go back to school. I wanna stay here with you," Billie Joe said.
Andy took in a deep breath and spoke with much effort. "Billie boy, you have to go back to school. Stayin' here with me isn't gonna do you any good. Besides, I thought you had that new little friend, what was his name again?"
"Michael Pritchard, or Mike for short. But he's not as important as you dad. I don't want to lose any time with you."
"Son, you've got to go back to school. This Michael sounds like he could use a good friend to help him out, and if that friend is you, he may return the favor when you need somebody to lean on."
"That's what I have you for, Dad."
"Now Billie, you and I both know that I'm not gonna be here much longer," Andy said, pausing at every word for air. "I'm real sick, and it's gonna take me soon. Real soon."
"Dad, you are always gonna be with me. I promise. But I want you to know dad, you are like the coolest guy around."
"Billie honey, it's time to go on home now sweety. Your Daddy needs to get some rest," said a nurse coming into the room.
"Do I have to. I'm not finished telling him about my day," Billie whined.
"I'm sorry hon, but you can tell him tomorrow. Your mother called and told me to send you home."
Billie slid off the bed and walked away, turning once to look at the man in the bed. "I love you, Daddy," he said softly.
He walked home in the dark. His mother greeted him at the door.
"Billie Joe Armstrong, you are fithy. Go on up those stairs and wash up for dinner."
"I'm not hungry mom. I ate at the hospital with Dad," Billie said.
"You've been hanging around there too much. I want you to stay here tomorrow evening."
"Moooooooom! I can't do that, I have to spend time with dad."
"You are staying here, and not another word about it."
Billie walked to his room in anger. How could she take that away from him? It was bad enough that God was taking his dad, but now she was taking away his time with his dad.
He found himself sitting in his room a lot over the last few weeks. It was too hard for him to see his dad in the condition he was. Andy could barly speak, and when he did, it was broken up and shaky. Billie only went to the hospital once a week at most.
It was mid-September when he sat alone in the room with his dad for the first time in over a month. He tried to gibber on the way he usually did, but found the unsteady breathing of his father distracting.
"Dad, I can't stand this anymore. If you have to die, why can't it just happen."
Andy took in short breathes, and he closed his eyes for long periods of time. He loved his youngest son, and he hated to leave him with so much left to learn.
"Billie. I. h-have. s-some...thing. For. You," he said brokenly.
"Dad, what is it. I know better than to think it's good news."
"I-it'sss. In. The. Bathroom. I. h-hope. You. Like...it"
Billie got up and walked to the bathroom of the private hospital room. He opened the door and turned on the light.