Halley's Comet

Forty Five

February 10
Los Angeles, California

"Where is she!?" Billie burst into the hospital, frantically looking around for her brother or father. I follow in after her before her name was called causing us both to turn. Finneas stood at the end of the hallway and Billie didn't hesitate running to him.

"What happened?" I ask Finneas because I knew Billie is too shaken up to ask.

"We were having dinner and when we got outside to leave, these two guys were arguing like crazy. One of them pulled out a gun to shoot the other one but the man ducked and ran away. The bullets hit mom instead."

What the fuck type of shit is this

"Bullets? What do you mean bullets? I thought it was just one." His sister asks him. Finneas glances at me before looking down at Billie. "It was three." He tells her causing Billie to instantly begin shaking her head.

"Why didn't you do something" Billie begins to yell, pushing her brother away harshly. "You should've protected her" She tells him angrily and I instantly wrap my arms around her, stopping her from shoving him again.

"Billie it's not his fault. Don't blame your brother for something that happened at the hands of someone else." She turns around in my arms and buries her face in my chest, crying silently.

"Come on why don't we sit down and wait to hear from the doctors." I suggest and Finneas nods his head. Billie shakes her head and takes my car keys from me. "I need a minute" She mumbles before walking off.

I look at Finneas who watches his sister leave in defeat. "She doesn't really blame you Finneas. You—"

Finneas cuts me off as he nods his head. "I know she doesn't." He sighs and looks at me. "Doesn't mean it still doesn't hurt."

—

Four hours we been waiting. Billie was gone for the first two before she came back. I watched her as she walked into the waiting room with the same broken look in her eye as before.

Her eyes scanned the room before they found mine. I stood up from my seat and she quickly made her way over to me. "H-Halley" She started but sniffles as tears still run down her cheeks like a flood.

"Shh baby don't worry I got you" I hold her in my arms allowing her to cry as I rub her back. I kiss her head gently as she cries, wanting to make sure she knew I was here for her.

Finneas stood a few feet away watching his little sister cry with a saddened look on his face. "She going to be okay" I told him and he nods his head before clearing his throat. Patrick walked over to me and I could see Finneas say something to him but I couldn't hear what was said.

We sat down once Billie managed to calm down. She didn't want to be out of my arms so she sat on my lap sideways with her head buried in my neck. I only rubbed her back softly and held her hand with my other.

"I can't handle it if she's not okay Halley." Billie tells me after a few minutes of silence. I look at her to see her staring at my chest sadly. "She's my number one besides Finneas. I don't want to lose her."

"You won't."

"You don't know that" She scoffs and shakes her head lowly. 

"You won't lose her Billie." I tell her in a stern voice making her peer her eyes up at me. I peck her lips before sighing softly. "I know you won't lose her because I can't lose her too."

—

"..O'Connell?"

I groan in my sleep, burying my head further in Billie's neck before she randomly jumps out of my arms like I was on fire. I crash face forward on the ground at her sudden moments.

the fuck

"W-What" I wince as the pounding my head, shutting my eyes tight. Peeking an eye, I see a blurry verison of Billie, Patrick, and Finneas surrounding someone. "the f-fuck"

"..She's out of surgery and is—" I realize they were talking to Maggie's doctor making me instantly stand up before groaning as my head painfully pounds heavy.

"Are you alright?"

Do I fucking look—

I nod my head and walk over to Billie who turns to me with a happy smile. "She's okay. She's going to be okay" She murmurs making me smile and kiss her forehead as I wrap my arm around her shoulder.

Billie and Finneas ask to see her to which the doctor tell them where her room was. I told Billie I would wait here and she nodded her head before hurrying down the hallway with her brother beside her. Patrick decided to let his children see her first and waited in the waiting room with me.

Finneas came out of the room after about fifteen minutes while Billie remained inside. I didn't question it though, knowing how much her mom means to her. Patrick decided to head into the room with Billie while Finneas sat down beside me.

"I don't know what I would do if we lost her tonight" Finneas tells me and I nod my head. I don't know either.

"She's okay ginger." I tell him and nudge his shoulder with a small smile. "Let's not worry ourselves with the what ifs"

He nods his head and sighs, running a tired hand through his messy hair. "The doctor says she probably won't wake up until the morning so I'm going to head home and come back in the morning."

"Yeah, I think Billie is going to do the same." Just as the words left my lips, Billie made her way into the waiting room and met my eyes. She didn't say anything only nodded her head to the exit causing me to stand up.

"I'll see you later Finneas" I told him and patted his shoulder before following the dangerously silent Billie out of the hospital doors.

"How are you doing?" I asked her and she just shrugged her shoulders, getting into the car. I studied her for a moment before sighing lowly as I got in as well.

"Billie this bottling shit in shit is not a good thing" She cut her eyes at me but I ignored her obvious glare and continued talking. "Your mother was just shot and—"

"I know my mother was just fucking shot Halley! I was there too and don't you dare talk to me about bottling shit in!" Billie suddenly snaps, banging her hand on dashboard as she yells.

"Can I just have one fucking minute to process what the fuck just happened without you pressuring me to talk!?" I remain silent as she rolls her eyes in annoyance. She shakes her head and I only keep my eyes straight forward, looking at the steering wheel.

Oh