Listen To Your Heart ~ Book One.

Get Well

======== Five hours later ========

(Billie's parents are talking to the police, who according to Billie's blood sample found strong traces of the date rape drug Ecstasy in her system. The cops were searching for any security cameras, or witnesses that might have seen who took Billie into the back alley, but so far, they were hitting dead ends. After talking with the police, Billie's friends confirm that Little Dump was the last person seen with Billie. Cops are sent to his apartment to bring him in for questioning, but he and his friends are long gone. The F.B.I. is soon called onto the scene, along with a C.S.I. team. Claudia keeps looking for David.)

"No sign of him yet?" (Billie's mother asks Claudia.)

"No... not yet. How's Billie?"

"I'd like an answer to that question myself." (I reply. Walking down the hallway towards them. Claudia gives me a quick hug, as Finneas glares at me.)

"How'd you get here so fast?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Come with me." (Billie's mother says. She explains to me what happened to Billie and what the doctors had said.)

(We walk down the hallway to the Intensive Care unit. Her mother speaks with a nurse outside the main door, who adds my name to the permitted visitor list.)

"David...you're not going to like what you see." (Billie's mother tells me as we walk thru the door into the room where Billie is. We walk into the room, and I stop dead in my tracks.)

"JE-SUS!" (I exclaim.)

(Billie was lying in bed with wires going to various monitors and a breathing tube in her mouth. Her one eye was swollen shut, and her face had cuts and bruises. Her lips were tattered and swollen, and her head was bandaged. I just stand stiff, not moving. I had no idea what to do or say.)

"Go see her, David."

"I... don't know what to say."

"You'll think of something. I'll leave the two of you alone for awhile."

(Her mother leaves. I stand there staring at Billie. I take a few deep breaths, then I grab a chair from the corner, and sit down next to her bed. I run my fingers gently along her right arm.)

"Hi...umm...you're probably wondering why I'm here. Claudia called me; said you were in a bad way...but umm...damn it Billie...I didn't expect this. I don't know exactly what happened to you, but I am sorry that I wasn't here to stop it. I'm going to get the bastards who did this too you Billie, I promise you that...but umm...I need a favor from you in return. See...the doctors aren't giving you much of a chance to survive...and I don't want that...your family doesn't want that. So, you need to prove them wrong. You need to beat this. Because...if you don't..."

(I sit in the chair and watch her for awhile, then I feel a hand on my shoulder.)

"Sir...your time is up." (A nurse says.)

"I want to stay with her."

"I'm sorry, sir. Those are the rules."

(I kiss Billie gently on her forehead.)

"Get better munchkin."

(I turn to leave to find Billie's mom standing in the doorway watching me.)

"Thank you."

"I'm not sure what good I did."

"Time will tell."

(I leave to give the others a chance to spend time with Billie. I stop at the main desk and speak to a nurse.)

"Yes sir. It's at the other end of this hallway here, make a right."

"Thanks."