Chapter 26
CHAPTER
TWENTY-SIX
Ker
Ker had been moving in and out of consciousness for a while. He wasn’t quite sure where he was, but he knew he wasn’t home. He opened his eyes and looked around. The sheets were clean and white, and he was wearing a johnny. Huh. Must be a hospital.
Then he remembered Ash. Oh God! He found me! He must hate me. Not gonna want anything to do with me anymore. Drop the druggie while you can.
He slept a bit longer. The next time he opened his eyes, the light from the window looked different. Hmmm. How long have I been here?
Just then, the door opened and in walked Ash, smiling and carrying a vase with flowers.
“Hey, you’re awake. How are you feeling?”
“Pretty crappy.” Ker felt his face flush, and he lowered his eyes. “I, um, I’m sorry you found me like you did. But, um, thanks for getting me here. I’m in a hospital, right?”
“Yeah, you’re at Beth Israel Deaconess here in Plymouth,” Ash replied. “And don’t worry about how I found you. I’m just relieved that I did.” He placed the vase on the side table and took Ker’s hand. “Now we just have to work on getting you better.”
“Whaddya mean?” Ker was confused. “I figured you were here to tell me to hit the road, break up with me, put me out like the trash I am.”
“Hey.” Ash was gentle but firm. “There’ll be none of that shit talk, okay? I don’t know what head games your dad inflicted on you, but you’re not bad, you’re not trash.” Ash’s smile was like a thousand-watt light bulb. “Remember what I told you yesterday? I love you. And I’m not going anywhere. We’re gonna do this together. Whatever it takes.”
“You said you love me? Huh, I thought I dreamed that. And you still want me?”
“Of course, I do, silly. In fact, you said you love me too,” Ash reminded him. “Hey, you screwed up, but I got to you in time. The doctor told me once they saw the pills I brought in, they gave you some naloxone to help reverse the effect of the drug, and they’re gonna keep an eye on you for the time being. If you start to show signs of withdrawal, they may decide to prescribe some Suboxone, which is less addictive. But at this point, they don’t think you’ll need it since your relapse was quite short.”
“Ah, that makes sense. I’ve had those before. Um, the last time I went through this. So what happens now?”
“Well, they want to keep you for a day or two, to make sure everything is outta your system, but then you’ll need to be transferred to a residential program somewhere so that you can get the help you need. Well, if you agree, that is,” Ash explained. “But I’ll be with you every step of the way. I promise.”
“Of course, I want to go into a program. I want to get better,” Ash said quietly. “Oh shit, where’s my phone?” His head swiveled frantically. “Can I borrow yours? I need to call my mom.”
“Relax, I already called her. She knows where you are and that I’m taking care of you.”
“Really? You called her?”
Ash relayed everything that had happened and once again assured him everything was going to be okay.
“I was gonna call your work but wasn’t sure who the best person was to talk to. Unless you think it would be better if you called them,” Ash said.
“Yeah, I’ll call my boss. Shit, I hope they don’t fire me.”
“Just explain what happened and see if they’ll give you another chance. After rehab, of course. And if they do fire you, you can come and live with me.”
“What would I do without you?” Ker asked.
“Let’s hope you never have to find out.”
Ker was discharged from the hospital four days later. Because his relapse had happened over a period of less than twenty-four hours, the hospital staff was confident that the five days he spent there were sufficient to detox his system.
Now he’d moved to a resident rehabilitation program in Falmouth, about a half hour away.
Ash had visited often during his hospital stay. They had talked about the incident that caused all of this along with Ker’s actions. Ash never accused or demeaned Ker for what he had done. He always reminded Ker that no one was perfect, and that mistakes sometimes happened. But more importantly, that together, they could work through anything if Ker was willing.
Ker also spoke to his mom on a couple of occasions. She agreed that Ker’s father had gone too far with everything but admitted that she didn’t see him changing his mind anytime soon. He was just too set in his ways at that point. The last time they spoke, Irene said to him, “Ker, I’m so thankful you have Ash in your life. Do whatever you have to do to keep him. You deserve someone who cares about you so much.” It was the first time his mom had willingly recognized that he was gay and in a relationship with a man. The feeling it gave him was indescribable.
“Ready to get out of here?” Ash asked when he walked through the door. “I stopped by the nurses’ station, and they said your discharge and transfer papers should be ready shortly. And I’ve got the all clear to drive you to Emerson House.”
Emerson House was part of the Gosnold Behavioral Health treatment center. Ker would spend somewhere between fifteen and sixty days in their inpatient rehab program. The length of his stay was based on the hospital’s recommendation after Ker had spent time meeting with a rehab counselor.
Ker actually had a lot going in his favor. He’d been through rehab before. Well, twice before, and he had managed to stay clean for over ten years since the last time. And thanks to Ash and his ability to find Ker quickly, his relapse was extremely short. The doctors at the hospital and the staff at the rehab center were confident that some individual and group counseling, more education, and development of a long-term follow-up plan would lead to success on Ker’s part. The fact that he would have the support of Ash through all of it just added to his potential success.
They didn’t speak much on the ride; it felt like they’d said everything they needed to in the past few days. They just held hands and listened to soft music on the radio. When they arrived at the facility, Ker was happy to see that it looked like it had originally been a large old home. Better that than an institutional-looking place. Ash carried in a small bag he’d packed for Ker with clothes and a few books.
Ker signed the necessary paperwork, ensuring that Ash was listed as his significant other so that he’d be allowed to visit.
When it was time for Ash to leave, they hugged, and Ash gently kissed his temple. “I’ll see you soon.”
Ker felt a mixture of fear and excitement. He knew this wouldn’t be easy, but he knew he would get through it. Especially this time, as he now had something to look forward to. A life with his man.
Moving forward, the only thing he wanted to be addicted to was Ashton.