[Billy tells his story in sobs and trembling bones. He weaves together a narrative about Starcourt, about how he’d stumbled home and begged his dad to drive him to the hospital, how Neil had instead driven him elsewhere and let his burns fester black. Says how it was a punishment from God - that has dad kept telling him he would get the Devil out of him.
He hadn’t even known Susan and Max where gone. Just that one day he was high on whatever Neil pumped him with, in their basement, that he’d been so out of it he slurred Eddie’s name because where else would he be a little drunk? How Neil had gone mad, called him queer along with no good, useless, bad.
They give him fluids. Treat the scar tissue. He tells him he couldn’t watch the torture any more. By now words spread far. It’s a small town, after all.
Billy, well, he spends a few precious moments in Eddie’s hospital room before the kids get word. He has to talk to Wayne, eventually. Warns him before he sees Eddie’s leg, sees him hooked up to IV’s, pumped full of o neg and morphine.
When Wayne gets coffee, Billy sits close and threads his fingers through Eddie’s. Squeezes, brings his wrist to his lips and lets himself release.]
no subject
He hadn’t even known Susan and Max where gone. Just that one day he was high on whatever Neil pumped him with, in their basement, that he’d been so out of it he slurred Eddie’s name because where else would he be a little drunk? How Neil had gone mad, called him queer along with no good, useless, bad.
They give him fluids. Treat the scar tissue. He tells him he couldn’t watch the torture any more. By now words spread far. It’s a small town, after all.
Billy, well, he spends a few precious moments in Eddie’s hospital room before the kids get word. He has to talk to Wayne, eventually. Warns him before he sees Eddie’s leg, sees him hooked up to IV’s, pumped full of o neg and morphine.
When Wayne gets coffee, Billy sits close and threads his fingers through Eddie’s. Squeezes, brings his wrist to his lips and lets himself release.]