PLAYING WITH FIRE

Chapter 82: Trouble

The moment the door closed behind Maya, the dam holding in her emotions broke. The fear, worry, and exhaustion of the night finally caught up to her.

Megan and the team saw her, the strong and composed Fire Captain, break down into tears. Megan, for the first time since this whole mess began, seemed genuinely remorseful. She watched as her sister collapsed against her, the tears streaming down Maya's face.

Megan hugged her back tightly, not saying a word, for there were none to say that would make this situation any better.
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While hugging Megan, Maya's attention was caught by the slight odor of weed clinging to her clothes. It dawned on her that Megan was still high, the realization adding another layer to the situation.

Maya pulled back slightly, looking at her sister, a mixture of frustration and worry in her eyes. "Megan... are you still stoned?"

Megan, caught off guard, tried to brush off the question. "What? No, I'm not... I'm-I'm totally sober."

Maya shook her head slightly, not buying her sister's denial. The smell of weed was too strong to ignore. "Megan, you reek of weed. Don't lie to me."

Megan sighed, rubbing her face tiredly. "Okay, maybe I had a little smoke... but I'm fine, I promise."

Maya's frustration grew. "Not helping, Megan! You're high, and the love of my life is in there, sick and struggling to breathe. I don't need this right now."

Megan's defensiveness flared. "Hey, I'm allowed to relax a bit, okay? It's not like it's hurting anyone."

Maya's voice rose slightly. "Oh, really? You getting high while my fiance is fighting for her life is not hurting anyone? Are you seriously this dense?"

Megan stormed out of the hospital, tears of frustration welling up in her eyes. She walked angrily to the front of the hospital, away from the entrance, finding a secluded alleyway nearby.

Her hand shaking with a mix of anger and desperation, she pulled out her phone and angrily punched in Mason's number. As she waited for him to pick up, her thoughts and emotions in turmoil.

Mason picked up the call, his voice slightly muffled by the background noise of a party in progress. "Megan, what's up?"

Megan, her voice tight with anger, said, "Mason, I need a favor. I need something strong, okay? Like, something that'll really knock me out."

There was a pause on the other end of the line, but Mason's response, when it came, was nonchalant. "Yeah, I can hook you up. What are you in the mood for? Xanax? Vicodin? Valium?"

Megan's grip on the phone tightened. "Whatever you've got that's the strongest. I just need to forget."

Mason, the ever-the-dealer, quickly responded, "I've got some good stuff. I can drop it off at the front of Grey-Sloan in like ten minutes. Just stay there, alright?"

Megan, still angry and now a mix of despair, agreed. "Yeah, fine. I'll be here. Just hurry up."

The call ended, and Megan put her phone back in her pocket, her heart racing. She leaned against the wall of the alleyway, the reality of her actions beginning to sink in. She knew Maya would be furious if she found out.

But in her current state, with her heart aching and her mind clouded with anger and worry about Carina, Megan didn't care. She just wanted to forget, even if it was just for a few hours.

It didn't take long for Mason to arrive. He pulled up in his old, beat-up car, the windows down and rap music blaring from the speakers. He leaned out the window and called out to Megan. "Hey, sis. Got what you need right here."