The Next Best Thing: Part II

Thirty-Five

I'm the one who found her, slumped in a pool of hot water, her head tilted towards the door. The water level was almost at her chin, the tap still running at her feet. I saw the empty pill bottle, the half-full bottle of wine and the tall water glass wreaking of straight vodka.

I'm the one who called 9-1-1 in tears after feeling her pulse, weak, and dragging her onto the floor.

I was soaked when they arrived, my voice hoarse from screaming for help from anyone, screaming because I wasn't there for my friend when she needed me most.

I tried to wake her up, performing CPR and holding her hand, begging with her to stay with me.

I rode with her to the hospital when the paramedics came. I called her parents and her friends. I sat in the waiting room as they pumped her stomach, after being held back by the nurses refusing me to hold her hand through it all. She held my hand through it all. She held my hand.

Now, 18 hours later, we were huddled around her sleeping frame, Min and I sitting up, waiting for her to wake up.

Min had brought me a change of clothes and Lily had gone off to buy us a proper breakfast. I had refused the canteen sandwiches the nurses recommended, opting for a liquid dinner of coffee and more tears.

I was in shock - my friend could have died and I could have been too late. Rae's mom was asleep, clutching her daughter's hand, and Wade Campbell-Davies was speaking with their private physician.

"Han? Han honey, wake up. Wake up." He walked back into the room to rouse his wife. "She's fine. She's going to be fine."

Hannah Campbell-Davies hugged her husband, relieved and exhausted from staying up half the night in the same position. She refused to go home as per her husband's suggestion. "She's my daughter, Wade. I can't leave her. This happened because I left her."

Wade hugged Min and I, thanking me again for calling for help. "Thank you for taking care of my Rae," he said, in between sobs. "I don't know what we'd do without you girls."
Reluctantly, they left the hospital to check into their hotel, shower and rest a little. They would be coming back to see their daughter at lunchtime, when the doctors expected her to be waking up.

Lily came back with some Starbucks, Cuban sandwiches for her and Min, and a lone banana oat muffin for me. I got sick in hospitals, unable to stomach anything due to the pungent, sickly sweet medicinal smells.

Behind her was Eoin, bearing get well soon presents: large balloons and a fruit basket he placed among the other thousand balloons and stuffed animals. "I figured she'd appreciate the fruit because she's still on her cleanse," he greeted cheerfully to lighten up the sombre mood.

I ran to him, embracing him at the doorway and burying my face in his shoulders. Around him, I always seemed to shed a tear or a hundred, always because he had perfect timing.

"She's okay, Zo. She'll be fine." He ran his fingers through my hair, rubbing my back in reassurance with his soothing words.

"It's my fault, Eoin. I left her. I left her alone and this...this happened. Min isn't exactly capable of taking care of anyone right now so she was my...she was my responsibility," I stammered, struggling to find the words to express my emotions.

I was relieved and extremely grateful that she was alive. The doctor said it was a miracle that she was still alive and there was no brain damage. That amount of pills and all the alcohol she drank made for a fatal concoction with an extremely high risk of instant death.

"If I got there later than I did, if I didn't call the paramedics, she would be dead, Eoin. Rae would be dead."

Rae was my best friend and I couldn't afford to lose her. She was the reason Eoin was in my life and I owed her a lot.