Messy Blessings

Chapter 9

A month later Sarah has gone to Oakland to move in to the Green Day house with baby Frankie.

Billie is on the bus sitting on the floor in front of the couch with his back up against it. Billie looks in pain from the contractions. "Billie what are you doing down there we have a show?" Mike asks. "Just trying to get comfortable" Billie says. "We have 15 minutes" Tre adds. Mike looks at Billie. "No we don't, Tre cancel the show" Mike sits down next to Billie on the floor. "I'm having contractions, been having them since about 2:00 a.m. I thought maybe it was false labor" Billie says. "Why didn't you say anything earlier?" Mike adds. Billie has another contraction and just quietly breathes though it as he holds on to Mike. "Like I said I thought it was false labor and I could just work through it but the contractions got closer together and more intense" Billie states. Meanwhile Tre runs into the venue to announce the cancellation of tonight's show. Tre runs on the stage to the mic and looks out to the crowd full of fans cheering as they wait for a great show. "HELLOOOOO!" Tre yells into the mic out of breath. The crowd goes nuts again as Tre catches his breath but seems a bit confused only seeing Tre onstage. "Tonight's show is canceled Billie is in labor and unable to play. Tre says and then runs off stage back to the bus. Tre comes back and Billie looks very pale and is sweating. "How are we gonna get Billie to the hospital it's a mess out there" Tre states. "Just keep Billie warm I'll be right back" Tre adds. Billie fidgets a little and they see a puddle of blood under Billie. "Tre hurry" Mike says looking worried. Tre gets more towels and puts them under and around Billie. "I found out the hospital is 10 minutes from here. Mike you're gonna have to put some pressure on the bleeding spot" Tre says as he starts the bus to drive to the hospital. "I feel her feet hurry Tre" Mike says. "I'm trying" Tre says. Billie is slumped over Mike in pain and out Billie is out of it. "How much longer?" Billie asks in his weaken state still mostly out of it. "Shouldn't be too much longer buddy" Mike reassurances his best friend as he strokes his hair with his free hand. Billie looks even paler then before. 30 minutes later we get to the hospital and Tre stops the bus by the door and runs in and comes back with a doctor. The doctor stops the bleeding and they get Billie up to delivery and he ends up needing a c section because the baby lost some oxygen. Mike scrubs up to go in with Billie and the nurse puts an oxygen mask on Billie as the doctor starts the procedure. 45 minutes later the baby is out and Billie is resting in a recovery room. The nurse come in telling Mike that Billie needs a blood transfusion. "Take mine nurse" Mike says as he's holding Joey.

Later Billie is standing in the hospital nursery looking at his baby girl Joey who's in an incubator hooked up to all kinds of stuff. The nurse tells Billie that Joey has Down Syndrome and Spinal Bifida that is unable to be closed because of where it is at on the spine but they were able to get rid of the bump on her back. The nurse walks away from Billie leaving him standing there by himself and he studies his daughter and just starts crying. Mike and Tre walk into the nursery seeing their best friend and niece. "Despite everything that is wrong with my little Joey she's perfect" Billie says looking at his two best friends. "Joey is a cutie dude" Tre says smiling at the baby. "She's beautiful, tiny and she's so light I got to hold her" Mike says. "Your lucky Mike I'm just sorry I wasn't the one awake to hold her before she got put in there but I'm glad it was you" Billie says. Her name is Joey Michelle Armstrong. Joey after me obviously and I picked Michelle as her middle name because it's close to Michael" Billie says smiling to Mike who has tears in his eyes.