Tainted (9 page)

“He’s stable. We’ve got his fever down, and we’ve cleared out his lungs. It’s a good thing you found him when you did, or he would have suffocated.”

“Is he going to be okay?”

“I think so, but we won’t know for sure until he wakes up. How long has he been using cocaine?”

“I’m not sure. A couple of months, I think.”

“I definitely suggest getting him into some kind of rehabilitation program. The amount of cocaine in his system was astronomical, and if he mixed it with the amount of alcohol you said he drank last night…well, let’s just say that he’s lucky to be alive.”

“We’ve told him he needs to get help, but he refuses to listen to us. I don’t know what to do.”

“This isn’t going to be easy, but you need to try and convince him when he wakes up. I can keep him here for a few days while his body detoxes, but that’s it. Maybe once he detoxes, he will see reason.”

“Thank you for everything. I’ll try again, but I don’t know if he will listen.”

I tried to open my eyes to see who was speaking, but I couldn’t. On top of that, my entire body felt like a ton of bricks was weighing it down. I finally gave up as unconsciousness took over.

“Any change?”

“He still isn’t awake. It’s been almost twenty-four hours, Eric. Why isn’t he waking up?”

“Don’t cry, Jade. Just give him some time.”

“I don’t know what to do. I’m so scared, and I don’t think I can take any more.”

“I know. I talked to Brad. He’s willing to work with us, but either Drake gets clean, or we’re done. Brad said the label would even pay for Drake’s treatment if we can get him to go.”

“What if he won’t? He’s refused every time we’ve tried.”

“If he won’t, then it’s time to walk away. I love him, but I can’t keep watching him go through this.”

“Jade,” I whispered.

“Oh my God! He just said my name.”

I heard footsteps approach, but I was out before I had the chance to speak again.

“His eyelids fluttered! Did you see that?”

“I saw it. Hopefully, he’ll fully wake up this time.”

My body felt like it was on fire. I had no idea where I was. I could hear Adam and Jade’s voices. I peeled open my eyes to see them standing above me.

Jade’s face broke into a grin as she watched me. “Adam, get Eric and the nurse! He’s awake. Drake, can you hear me?”

“Jade?” My throat was burning, and saying her name made me feel like I’d swallowed a sword.

“Yes, it’s me. Don’t try to talk, okay? Just rest. I’m so glad you’re awake. I was so scared.”

“Where—” I broke out into a coughing fit that made me want to scream in pain.

“Shh…you’re in the hospital. The nurse will explain everything. Just relax.”

She took my hand as Adam entered the room with Eric and a young woman following behind him.

“Hey, buddy. It’s good to see you awake,” Eric said as he approached my bed.

“Good evening, Mr. Allen. I’m Clarissa, your night nurse.”

“Water,” I managed to croak out.

“Yes, of course.” She walked to a nearby table and poured water into a small cup.

When she returned to my bedside, she placed a straw into my mouth, and I started drinking.

“Go slow, or you’ll choke,” she reprimanded me.

I tried to take smaller sips. When my throat didn’t feel like it was on fire, I released the straw, and she set the cup on the table beside me.

“Do you know where you are?” she asked.

I nodded. “Hospital.”

“That’s right. Do you know why you’re here?”

I shook my head. The last thing I remembered was Eric and Adam hauling my drunk ass back to my hotel room.

“You overdosed on cocaine, Mr. Allen. If it wasn’t for your friend Jade, you’d be dead right now.”

My eyes widened, but I said nothing. How could I have overdosed? I was always careful about how much I used each time. Unless…unless I used while I was drinking. I wanted to smack myself right about now. How could I have been so stupid?

“I’m going to page your doctor. He should be here in just a few minutes.”

My eyes moved to Jade as the nurse left. Even though Jade was trying her hardest to hold back her tears, they were slowly sliding down her cheeks.

“Don’t…cry,” I croaked out. I cursed mentally at my inability to talk. How the hell was I supposed to make things better for her when I couldn’t even speak?

“I can’t help it. You’ve been unconscious for over twenty-four hours, and I thought we’d lost you. This has to stop, Drake. I can’t take any more.”

“So sorry,” I whispered.

“I know you are, but that doesn’t change anything. You need help. I just hope you can see that now.”

I tried to respond, but the doctor decided to walk into the room at that moment.

“Good evening, Mr. Allen. I’m Dr. Brooks, and I’ve been overseeing your treatment since you were admitted the other morning.”

I nodded, not wanting to cause myself any more pain than I had to.

“By now, I’m sure you know you’re here because you overdosed on cocaine. I can’t stress enough how serious your overdose was. Between the amount of cocaine found in your system and the alcohol you ingested, you are lucky to be alive. If your friends hadn’t found you and acted as quickly as they did, you wouldn’t be here. You owe them a debt of gratitude.”

“How long?” I managed to get out.

“How long have you been here?” he asked.

I nodded. My sense of time was completely screwed-up, and I couldn’t even begin to figure out what day it was.

“You were checked in almost two days ago. Your symptoms were vomiting, rapid heart rate, fever, and convulsions. After your friends told me that you were an addict, we were able to treat you quickly enough to prevent any long-term effects.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome, Mr. Allen. I sincerely hope that this will serve as a much needed wake-up call. You should not mess around with cocaine, and you obviously need help. I want to keep you here for a few more days just to make sure you have no other issues. I suggest you take this time to consider your treatment options. Now that you’re conscious, you will feel the withdrawal side effects from not using cocaine for a couple of days. Our staff can help you deal with them as you detox. After that, I suggest you check yourself into a rehabilitation center.”

Before waking up in the hospital like this, I would have refused. I wasn’t so sure now. I always felt like I had everything under control, but that was obviously a huge misconception on my part.

“I’ll leave you alone with your friends now. I’m sure they have a lot they’d like to say to you.”

He exchanged a look with my band mates before he left. They had obviously had discussions about me while I was unconscious.

Eric approached my bed and sat down in the chair beside me. “How are you feeling?”

“Like shit.”

He smiled at me, but there was no humor in his eyes. “I would assume so. You scared the shit out of us, Drake. We thought you were dead.”

“Sorry.”

“We know you are, but like Jade said, it doesn’t change anything. We’ve been talking about your situation, and Brad has also put in his two cents. Here’s the deal—either you get help, or our contract with the label is gone. As much as I hate to do it, you will no longer be a part of the band. We’re not doing this because we’re assholes. We’re doing it because we care.”

This was it. I was going to lose everything. I’d already lost Chloe, and now, I was losing my friends and my career, too.

Jade grabbed my hand and held it in hers. “Don’t try to talk right now. Just think about it. We can’t force you to get help, but we’re asking as your friends and your band members. I love you, but I can’t stand to watch you self-destruct any longer.”

“I’m with them. You’re not our Drake anymore,” Adam added as he sat down in the chair across the room from us. “I’m not going to get all mushy and tell you how much I love you, but you know you’re like a brother to me. You need help, bro.”

“I know,” I whispered.

“Good. We’ll leave you alone to think about things while we go grab some dinner. We’ll be back soon, okay?” Jade said.

I nodded, and they walked out of the room. When I was finally alone, everything hit me at once. In the last few months, I’d destroyed every relationship that I cared about. I’d pushed Chloe away first and then the band. Besides my uncle, they were the only family I had. I wasn’t ready to give them up, but I wasn’t sure I could stop using either. If I couldn’t, I’d lose everything. Surely, that would be enough motivation to keep me going, wouldn’t it? I wasn’t ready to face my demons, but I had to try.

As I lay there, fighting with myself, the nurse walked into the room with a tray.

“I brought you some soup. I’m sure your throat is raw from the breathing tube we had to put in during the first few hours you were here, but this should help.” She set the tray on a cart and pulled it over to me.

I felt like an invalid as she helped me sit up. My hands were shaking as I picked up my spoon and dipped it into the soup in front of me. I cursed to myself when I dropped the spoon and had to start over. My muscles felt weak, and I wasn’t sure I could even bring the spoon up to my mouth. After a few tries, I finally managed it. The soup hurt like hell as it went down, but I kept eating anyway. The nurse had to help me after a while, and I wanted to scream. I couldn’t even lift a damn spoon. I’d really fucked myself up this time.

“Don’t get discouraged. Your body is starting the withdrawal process, so shaking and muscle weakness is normal. It’s going to be rough for the next few days, but if you can make it through, you will be just fine.”

I nodded as she continued to spoon-feed me.

“I know it seems impossible right now, but you can beat this, Mr. Allen. Your friends have told me all about you, and it sounds like you are a strong-willed individual. You can do this.” She picked up the tray with the now empty bowl on it.

I wasn’t sure why she was giving me a pep talk, but I appreciated it.

Jade and the guys came back a couple of hours later. I gave them a weak smile as they sat down around me.

“Hey,” I said in a clear voice. The soup had really helped my throat. At least it didn’t feel like I’d eaten a sword when I talked now.