𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐘𝐒 𝐁𝐎𝐃𝐘𝐆𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐃 [𝐌.𝐌]

-XXXIV-

The following morning was spent worrying. In case you were unaware, the twins had there first vaccinations today. Marshall was more nervous over the situation then, Amber. Amber, had decided to stay calm, it was a simple prick to the leg, they'd survive.

"It's going to be fine Marshall." Amber smiled, walking into the living room, to see Marshall watching the twins with an alarming intensity. If he was this stressed out now, imagine him when they get into a future relationship. Amber shuddered at the thought.

Today Marshall and Amber were supposed to be going to the studio, to work on their songs. Dre had told her to start working on an LP, and Marshall was busy working on his next album, relapse. He'd been really secretive about the name, she didn't even know what it was going to be about.

"This is so damn stressful, I'm gonna head to the bathroom." Marshall ran upstairs, and closed the bathroom door behind him. It had been difficult lately, all the stress of having to look after four kids. He wasn't addicted, but he'd been taking Valium before he slept recently.

Amber didn't know this, but while she was in Texas those few years ago, he got heavily addicted. He tried to keep it out of the public's eyes, because if she found out, would she ever look at him the same? He rummaged through the bathroom cabinets, there was a pill bottle of Valium, but he intended on having a few sips of the bottle of NyQuil hidden in there, not the entirety of the bottle.

He leaned back on the sink, looking at his pale face in the mirror. His eyes looked dark and were barely open. What a mistake he had made here, he was going to have a sip, just a sip or two. But now, he was barely awake and his head was spinning. He clenched his stomach, was he going to throw up?

The nausea, and confusion was overwhelming. He dropped the glass bottle to the floor, and dropped onto the bed. He was unconscious, not dead, but he could of been. NyQuil was a strong medicine to begin with, so strong that not even a spoonful was recommended for a child under the age of sixteen. "What was that?" Amber said out loud, she was the only one here besides Marshall and the twins. What the fuck had Marshall knocked over now?

The kids were fast asleep, in the pram, so Amber slowly headed to the bathroom where she assumed the noise had came from. She gasped in horror, the middle of the bathroom, had shards of glass all across the floor, she picked up the label which had survived the fall of the bottle. NyQuil? Did they even keep NyQuil in the bathroom, why would the need it. She slowly opened the closed cabinet, and looked through it.

From what she could tell, there was nothing out of the ordinary in there, a few band aids, some cough medicine, and two bottles of painkillers. She picked up the two translucent bottles, she thought they were painkillers but they weren't.

Valium and Vicodin. Never in all of her life, had she bought any sleeping pills or any pills that would ease pain. She put the pills, onto the window ledge, and walked around trying to find Marshall. She presumed he was in their room, and he was.

His skin was a tainted yellow colour now, and his eyes looked dark. She rushed over to him shaking him, trying to wake him up. "MARSHALL!" She screamed from the top of her lungs, was he even breathing?

She remembered when she had taken first aid classes when she was in college. She placed two fingers on the side of his neck, searching for a pulse. It was there, but it was slow and weak. What could she do? She could call the hospital, but he wasn't dead, he was just passed out.

With all her might, she punched his jaw. This woke him up, alright. He looked tired, and annoyed. "WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK!" She exclaimed, punching him again, but this time in the stomach. He looked at her in confusion and rage, "FUCKING BITCH WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT FOR?" He stood up from the bed, his skin returning to its normal tone, and his eyes darker with anger.

"Valium Marshall really? NyQuil, Vicodin? You need to stop now." She firmly told him, grabbing the pill bottles, in her hands. He glared at her, his eyes sending daggers her way, "Put them back, I was prescribed them, I need them to sleep." He lied, reaching out for them.

"Stop it, just promise you'll stay away from them." He didn't respond, "For me?" He slowly nodded, he could easily get more anyway, if she threw them out. "Now come downstairs, we can talk more later, but the kids need their vaccines." She sternly said, walking downstairs with the pill bottles in hand.

After sweeping up the broken glass, he came downstairs. The twins were bundled up in the prams, prepared for the wintery air they were about to experience. Marshall took a drink of water, he needed it to wash out the NyQuil he just drank. He was insane, he was a father, he almost killed himself. He was very lucky to be alive.

Brushing past him, Amber pushed the prams past him, and began walking to the local doctors. "We aren't going to drive?" He asked, his breath smelt off, and he sounded detached. She shook her head, Marshall needed this fresh air now. She'd made a sworn promise to herself, she'd never ever let Marshall near any of those drugs again.

The whole situation, made her think back to the battles. A few of the contestants she'd battled, talked about Marshall having an addiction to sleeping pills. She wasn't sure what she had missed while she was out in Texas, but she was going to find out sooner or later.

"I know this isn't the first time you've taken these sorts of drugs, what were you doing when I was in Texas?" He looked at her, then looked away in obvious shame. "Nothing."

"Don't fucking lie to me, you're going to tell me everything that happened over those couple of years." He took a deep breath, and explained what had happened.