Chapter 1 #2
My eyes widen, “What? What do you mean? What drug?”
He rubs the back of his neck. “Cocaine, honey.”
My face drops and I turn and start to sprint toward the door with him hot on my heels. I look around frantically for the Audi. “Where’s the car?” I scream.
He grabs my arm, “Natasha, calm down.”
I snatch my arm away from his grip. “Take me to him!” I yell, as I start to freak out. This is all my fault. Dear God, no, not this. The car pulls up and I dive in as I angrily swipe the tears from my face. I have had just about as much as I can take.
Adrian
“I can only speak to immediate family.”
Of course, his brother who is also a doctor is in with him now,” I reply.
He nods and enters the hospital room and I follow.
Cameron turns to face us as we walk in. Joshua is in the hospital bed, unconscious and still.
He is hooked up to machines in the intensive care ward and nurses are everywhere.
I have never been so frightened. Actually, that’s a lie.
I have, when I was in a hospital ward just like this watching my father lose his battle for life.
How did it get to this? I thought he was ok.
I knew he was down, but I never thought he would purposely take an overdose. This is my worst nightmare.
“I’m Mark Reynolds. I will be Joshua’s doctor.”
Cameron nods and holds out his hand to shake the doctor’s.
“Cameron Stanton,” he replies as he turns back to look at his brother. “What are the stats?” Cameron asks.
Dr Reynolds picks up the chart from the end of the bed. “We have put him in an induced coma to bring his heart rate and blood pressure down. He is suffering Tachyarrhythmia and at this point we are very concerned about him suffering a cerebral hemorrhage or heart failure.”
Cameron drops his head and picks up Joshua’s hand. “Christ,” he murmurs. “How long until he’s out of the woods?”
The doctor shrugs. “Usually about twelve hours, but it could be sooner. If we can just keep his body cool, I think he will make it, but I can’t be sure.
And then you know of course, depending on how long he went without oxygen, there is a chance he may have sustained brain damage.
” Cameron nods and drops his head again as I slump into the chair.
Why is this happening? “I would suggest you call your family. Is he married?”
Cameron looks at Joshua again. “Yes,” he replies softly. “His wife Natasha is on her way.”
The doctor rubs Cameron’s shoulder. “I suggest you start praying.” He gives me a nod before exiting the room.
“Natasha is on her way?” I ask.
Cameron nods, unable to speak past his tears, and slumps onto the floor next to Joshua’s bed, his head in his hands.
For five hours I sit silently in the corner as I watch Joshua’s nurse apply and reapply water cooling blankets directly to his skin and check his vitals and check his vitals.
He is hooked up to so many machines but the heartbeat sound echoing through the room is comforting, as long as I hear that beep all is ok.
Cameron is a mess. I have never seen him like this.
He had to ring his mother and break the news.
I feel like I am having an out-of-body experience. I am numb, this can’t be real.
“I’m going to get you a drink, Cam.” He gives me a weak smile and nods as I walk back into the hall. Ben is waiting patiently with Pete, Joshua’s driver, in the small lounge area opposite Joshua’s room. They both immediately stand as I walk toward them, their faces anxious.
“He’s still ok, no news.” I mutter.
“Thank God,” Ben blows out a breath.
I rub my head. “I’m going to get some coffee. Do you want some?”
Ben nods, “Yeah, I’ll come with you.”
“I’m just going to the bathroom. I won’t be a minute.” I head through the double doors that lead to the bathrooms.
Two minutes later Ben comes into the bathroom after me. “Do you want the bad news or the bad news?” he asks me.
“Dear God, what’s happened?” I stammer.
“No, nothing with Josh.… sorry that was put badly.
Vinegar tits just arrived.”
My face drops. “Who in the hell rang her?”
He shrugs, “I don’t know.”
I am not in the mood for this bitch today. I shake my head, wash my hands and head back out to the lounge area.
She storms over to me. “Why in the hell wasn’t I rung?” she snaps.
I narrow my eyes. “Hello Amelie, you weren’t rung because you are not immediate family or Joshua’s girlfriend, that’s why.”
She scowls at me. “Last time I looked you were neither of those things either.”
I roll my eyes. “Go home, Amelie. Natasha is on her way and I know for a fact that Joshua doesn’t want you here. I will call you if there is any news.”
“I am here because Margaret, Joshua’s mother, called me and I am not going anywhere. Why in the hell was Natasha called? She left him if you care to remember,” she snaps.
Cameron walks out of Joshua’s room and looks up to see Amelie. His face drops and he quickly turns to go back into the room, hoping to escape her.
“Cameron,” she storms over to him before he can make an unnoticed getaway. “Why didn’t you call me? I’m furious.”
Cameron frowns at her and shakes his head.
“I notice you haven’t asked me how he is, thanks, Amelie.
” Cameron’s eyes flick to me in disgust. We don’t like Amelie.
We did at first, but we have watched her manipulate Joshua like a fiddle too many times.
She’s a conniving two faced bitch but Joshua seems to think she is this gentle pure friend that he has to protect.
We decided collectively about two years ago that at least if Joshua spent his weekends with her, he wasn’t getting into trouble with Carson.
Better the devil you know sort of thing.
She is the ultimate player, and she is making a play right for Joshua.
Thank God, she’s not his type. I think I will kill him if he ever goes there.
Cameron puts his hands in his pockets and glares at her. “Natasha is on her way, so you need to go home. Adrian will call you if there is any change.”
“I want to see him,” she snaps.
Cameron shakes his head “It’s only family at this stage. I will call you when he wakes. Seriously, go home. I promise. Someone will call you.”
The doctor walks back up the hall. “Ah, Mrs. Stanton?” he questions.
Cameron’s eyes flick to me nervously. “No, this is not his wife. Natasha is on her way.” Amelie’s eyes widen in shock as the doctor re-enters Joshua’s room. Cameron smirks at me and follows him. Oh no.… Great. How am I supposed to explain this shit?
“Joshua and Natasha are married?” she gasps.
I shrug. “Um, yes, not that it is any of your business.” Holy shit, she’s going to go ape.
She shocks me and does the exact opposite, goes deathly pale and slumps silently into the seat.
Why in the hell has Cameron told everyone that Joshua is married?
It doesn’t make sense. I head back down to the cafeteria in the foyer of the hospital to grab our coffee.
I am waiting in line when I see her, Natasha sprinting through the hospital hysterical, with Max running to keep up with her.
I smile, this is how you act if the person you love is on death’s door. Thank God, she is here.
“Natasha,” I call out to her. She sees me and runs over and crumples into my arms in a fit of tears. This girl is beautiful, on the inside more than the outside.
“Adrian,” she cries. “Where is he? I need to see him.”
I wrap her in my arms, even I’ve missed this beautiful girl.
“I’ll take you to him, baby.” I nod to my bodyguard to take care of the coffee and I take her hand and lead her to the lifts to see him.
We approach his room. Amelie lifts her head and glares at Natasha.
My anger rises. I could just knock this bitch’s head off.
Natasha doesn’t say anything but frowns at me.
I lead her to his room and open the door. The doctor turns to us.
Cameron nervously looks at Natasha. “Dr., this is Joshua’s wife Natasha.”
She smiles and slightly frowns as she holds out her hand to shake his.
“Your husband has taken a cocaine overdose. We have stabilized him and put him into an induced coma but he is not out of the woods just yet.” She nods as she tries to hold in the tears.
She leans over Joshua and embraces him as she breaks into sobs on his chest. Both Cameron and I tear up at her obvious devastation. This is hard to watch.
Natasha
“Joshua. My God, what have you done?” I cry into his chest as sobs wrack my body. The doctor leaves and I turn to cuddle Cameron who is just as distraught as me. My eyes flick to Adrian. “What happened, how did this happen?” I sob.
Adrian hunches his shoulders. “We are not sure, but we think it was accidental.”
My eyes go back to my broken love. “Does he use cocaine regularly?” I ask as I gently run my hands over his forehead.
Cameron frowns. “No, not regularly. Tash, this was an accident. He has been down lately. He would have just been trying to get through the day.”
Realization hits me. “This is all my fault,” I sob.
I turn back to Joshua, my beautiful Josh.
He is nearly unrecognizable to me. He has tubes coming out of him every- where and is hooked up to machines.
He is a lot thinner than when I last saw him and pale, he has no color.
He has a beard, probably around two- or three-weeks growth.
He’s been neglecting himself, as I have.
We are as bad as each other, I have never looked like such a sack of shit in my life.
I put my head back down on his chest and sob. “I’m so sorry, Josh. I didn’t know what to do. My dad said it was wrong and then he died,” I sob out loud. “And then I lost you. I was so deep in grief I couldn’t see straight, and now you’ve done this, and it’s all my fault.”