Free Tainted by K.A. Robinson

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