Overdose (BXB) Completed/Editing

Chapter 36 - Garden

Overdose - Chapter 36

-Nico-

Three weeks have passed since that dreadful night when a boy in pain sought to permanently rid himself of his agony. A hemorrhage and three seizures later, the doctors don't have a clue when we can expect to see his eyes again. Our hope lies in the fact that he hasn't been declared brain-dead. His brain activity seems to be normal according to what the doctors say but I can't shake the feeling that they aren't exactly sure if "normal" means he'll be just as he was before.

I'm usually good at convincing myself that I no longer need substance to get me through the days but these days I've had a hard time not thinking about how easy it would be to ease the pressure. One pill. One sip of an alcoholic beverage. It wouldn't hurt, I think to myself. It would just be one big waste, three years of consecutive sobriety. All of that could be gone in a matter of seconds. I stare at the Morphine drip each time a nurse comes to change or lower the dosage. I'm not sure why but lately, the clear liquid has fascinated me.

The med carts in the hallway, under the supervision of distracted nurses, have also been taunting me. How easy it would be to swipe a couple of pills to make my days go by a lot easier. Trying to keep my sanity has been difficult but I figure, it's not as difficult as what Alex's parents are going through.

His mom, though she wants to be with her son, must fight a battle with Jackson's parents to get them to drop the charges. I'm not sure if she's had any luck given that when she needs to update Paul, she asks him to speak privately. The thought that Alex will be sent to jail has been unsettling, but Paul trusts that Rebecca can keep that from happening. If he trusts her then I can't argue.

"Morning, how are we doing?" A nurse walks in with a brand-new drip bag. I offer her a tired smile and step away from the bed. "Tired, how are you?" I ask looking over at Paul who is still asleep. "I can't complain, have you slept?" She asks, looking into my eyes. Not a wink. Though I felt tired, I could not bring myself to sleep. I guess it was because I was afraid that something terrible would happen in the middle of the night. Not logical because if something terrible did happen, the heart monitor would become an alarm clock without a snooze button.

"I couldn't."

She nods and begins to change the IV bag. It's ten in the morning but with the heavy gray clouds, it looks dark outside. It will probably storm at some point today, but I don't mind that. The rain brings peace. "Alexander?" The nurse says softly, and I turn to her. I look at Alex and for the first time in weeks, relief washes over me, spreading joy in my worried heart. He's staring back. He has blood in his right eye which makes sense given everything.

"Alex?" I ask moving closer to the bed. "Wake his dad, I'll get Dr. Diaz," The nurse says quickly rushing out of the room. "Paul? Alex is awake...I think," I shake his arm lightly. He shoots up to a sitting position and looks toward Alex. "Oh! My boy," He walks over to him and takes his hand.

Alex remains unblinking and unmoving. He's not staring at anything in particular; his eyes are vacant. "Hey bud, can you hear me?" The silence that follows his question worries me. "Alex?" Paul asks looking into his eyes but there's no answer. He's the same as before but now his eyes are open. Is that a good sign? Does that mean he's going to be okay?

Dr. Diaz rushes into the room and offers me a nod before walking around the bed. "Good morning, Alex, nice to finally meet you. Can you do me a favor and follow the light? It's bright so I'm sorry in advance," he says, turning on a tiny flashlight. He moves the light from left to right, but Alex doesn't follow it. "Blink if you can hear me," he says, turning off the flashlight.

We fall silent as we wait for him to blink. For him to show us any sign that he's with us. "I don't think-"

"It's normal for a patient to be disoriented after waking up from a coma. Alex, can you blink if you understand me? My name is Dr. Diaz, I'm a neurosurgeon. You're in the hospital, your dad and Nicholas are here. Your mom was here too but she had to step out for a bit," Dr. Diaz says as he examines the bandages on his head.