*Mattie POV*
I sat in the back of a yellow taxi and put my shaking hands in my lap. I was nervous. Beside me was a small plastic bag with my new prescriptions inside. The psychiatrist had warned me as to what was to come during the next few days. Opiate withdrawl. The words sent shivers down my spine and my heart thundered in my chest. The on call doctor had prescribed an array of medications to help ease my symptoms. Ativan for the anxiety, Zofran for the nausea and vomiting, and Ambien for the insomnia. I knew what was coming and I was terrified. I had watched friends go through withdrawl many times and they always went back to using because the experience was unbearable. Addison had called and spoke to the psychiatrist before I was discharged and explained that I would have constant supervision until this hell on Earth was finished, either by her or Corey. And as he scratched his signature on my discharge papers he wished me luck. And I really thought I needed all the luck I could get at this moment.
My phone rang. Addison's picture flashed on the screen and I answered, "Hey Addison."
"Are you close? Corey is starting to get worried."
I rolled my eyes, "Traffic is horrible here. It's the worst I've ever seen in my life, but I'm pretty sure I'm almost there." The car had turned down a residential street with gated driveways on both sides of the street. The cab pulled in front of one of the gates and honked twice.
"Oh, I think that's you," Addison said, "Corey! It's Mattie. Can you open the gate?"
The gate creaked and opened. The cab started up the long drive. "I'll see you in a minute." I told Addison and hung up the phone. I was already started to get really anxious, my stomach hurt, and I kept yawning. I have never felt this tired in my life. The car stopped in front of a four story house. There were large windows in the front, and a luscious green lawn draped around the parameter. A swing set was on the side of the house and my heart panged with guilt. I was disrupting Corey's whole life. His son had gone to stay with his ex-wife while I was here with Addison. Corey said it wasn't a big deal, but I knew it was. I was one big disruption in people's lives. You would think I would have gotten used to the guilt by now, but I haven't. The car stopped in front of a small set of stairs with rose bushes on either side and the front door opened. Addison stepped out first, walking down the stairs and to the car with brisk steps. Corey was right behind her. He wore camo shorts and a black T-shirt. He had a black beanie on his head. I could see his smile from here.
Addison opened up the cab door and helped me out. I shook and my body was weak. She gave me a tight hug. "Hey, I'm so glad you're here." She smoothed my blonde hair down my back. She smelled like vanilla cookies and brown sugar, she smelled like home. I hugged her back and tears escaped my eyes and slid down my cheeks. I closed my eyes. Corey paid the cab fare and tipped the driver. I heard tires squeak on the pavement and a few seconds later the gate clanged shut. Addison let me go and I opened my eyes and looked at Corey. He opened his arms wide for me and I fell into his embrace. His strong arms wrapped around my body and I felt the pieces that had broken off during the last two days fuse together again. I flung my arms around his neck and buried my face into his chest, "I missed you so much." I whispered. "I missed you too Mattie. So much that it hurt, but you're here now," he stepped back out of our hug and looked at me, "We should get you to your room so you can rest. I can make some lasagna for dinner, if you're hungry." I nodded gently and took his hand. Addison stepped on my other side and took my elbow. I took a shaky breath and walked side by side with Corey on one side, and Addison on the other. They held me together. And I'll need them now more than ever during the next few days. I needed all the help I could get.
***
This was hell. I had no other way to describe it. Pain raked through every single muscle fiber in my body. I shook uncontrollably and I was cold to my bones. My teeth chattered but I was sweating so much that my cotton T shirt stuck to my chest and back. I had thrown up every single ounce of my dinner and once my stomach was empty, I threw up stomach bile. It made my throat burn and my chest hurt. I laid on the bathroom floor and prayed for all of this to go away. I prayed for this to stop. There was a soft knock on the door and I moved out of the way and sat up with my back against the tub. The door opened and Corey came in the bathroom, he then shut the door behind him. I tried to make myself as small as possible, truly ashamed of what I looked like and ashamed of what I had done to myself. He sat down beside me. There was a mug of warm chicken broth in his hands and my nausea medication in the other. "Here, you need to drink this." He held the mug out to me and the smell hit my nose, my stomach rolled and I leaned towards the toilet. My body retched and I gagged, but there was nothing left to come up. It was so painful. My body was rebelling and a single thought it my head said, "This can end. You need the pills. It will end if you take the pills."
