Bad Habits (A Rafe Cameron/OBX story)

Chapter 34

TW: mentions drug overdose and hospitals

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As soon as the words leave Sarah's mouth, I jump out of the car and run as fast as I can into the house.

"CALL 911 NOW, SARAH!" I scream frantically at my best friend while running up the stairs. The door to his room is wide open, revealing Rafe's body face down on the floor. "Oh my God! Oh my God! Sarah!" I yell.

"I'm calling!" She says from the hallway.

I sit down on the floor next to his body. Adrenaline is coursing through my veins, helping me flip him onto his back and lay his head in my lap. I smack his face, trying everything I can to get him to wake up... but nothing.

"Baby! Please wake up! Please, God please!" My tears land on his cheeks as I scream for him to wake.

Sarah rushes into the room, "Is he breathing?!"

"Yes! Barely! Tell them to fucking hurry!"

I glance around the room to try and find the reason behind this. But on his nightstand behind me is where I find the culprit. He used the cocaine to cope with his pain. This time, he used way too much.

My sweet, broken boy. All I can do while I wait on an ambulance is cradle his head in my hands. I brush the hair off of his forehead, kissing it gently while whispering to him. "I can't lose you. Please don't leave me, baby. I love you."

After about five minutes of agony, I hear the sirens in the driveway. Sarah directs the medics to Rafe's room where I'm still begging him to be okay.

"Miss, I'm gonna need you to let him go. Please." The kind EMT says.

I make sure they have his head secured before I let go. The adrenaline rush is almost gone, making my own body nearly fall back down when I try to stand up.

They lift him onto a stretcher and carry him out to the ambulance. I'm quick to follow right behind them, making sure they don't hurt him. Sarah grabs my arm before I try to hop into the ambulance with them. "Please ride with me. I need company."

"Okay." I nod my head and turn to the medical technicians, "Be careful with him, please."

"Yes ma'am. We are doing everything we can." The man says, then closes the doors. He climbs into the drivers seat, turns on the sirens and leaves for the hospital.

Sarah and I jump into her car, speeding down the road behind them. I'm a sobbing mess worrying about Rafe. Sarah hasn't broken just yet. I don't think it's hit her. But she didn't feel the way his body was so limp and frail. If she did, she would be a mess too. And when we get to the hospital, we watch them transport him to the back. Monitors are hooked up to both arms and his chest. Since we can't go back with him, we sit in the emergency room waiting area.

"I'm gonna call dad." Sarah stands up and walks away.

I'm sitting in a chair with my elbows on my knees and my face in my hands. All of the blood drains from my face when I think about what just happened. Rafe overdosed on drugs. I don't think Sarah realizes it yet. Unfortunately I'm gonna have to tell her in just a moment.

Shit. I need to tell the Pogues. But let me talk to Sarah first.

I stare at my feet as I wait for her to return to my side. A couple of minutes later, I feel her hand on my back, rubbing circles. She says, "My dad is on his way back. It will probably be a couple of hours but he's trying to get back quicker."

"Good." I say.

Her voice is no louder than a whisper when she asks, "So... did you see anything? In his room, I mean?"