AN: I'm sorry this chapter is so short, but it's kind of a transitional chapter so that's the way I wanted it to be!! Hope you enjoy!
**And again I warn you that I'm not condoning drug use and these substances are dangerous!!**
Ian was discharged from the hospital two weeks ago. Mari had given him the Oromorph that day and since then he'd been taking 40 mg dosages daily after he got home from school. Once school started up that was his day to day schedule. Go to school, eat lunch with Joshua and Mari, go home and work on homework, then spend time with Anthony and Matt via morphine before his mom got home. On the weekends he'd sometimes hang out with Joshua and Mari to play video games or go to a movie, but more often he lied and said he was busy so he could take an extra oversized dose or the Oromorph and visit his hallucinated friends even longer.
"Mari," Ian had said yesterday after lunch had ended and Joshua had already left for class, "Mari, I'm almost out..."
She stared at him in shock and confusion for several seconds, "Ian, that stuff was a three month supply! What do you mean it's gone already? It's been two freaking weeks, how much are you taking?" She asked with a slight annoyance and anger, but mostly concern, in her voice.
Ian ignored her questions entirely, not bothering to mention that his hallucinations were growing shorter, "Look, I did some research of my own and apparently there is this other morphine pill that is stronger, like it's a high grade or something. Can you get me some of that? Like a six month supply of Oxycodone?" He could tell she didn't think it was a god idea, "Please Mari; I love you and Josh like family, but Anthony and Matt were like brothers. I can't just live without them. I'd rather be dead!" Ian begged.
Mari hated herself more than ever in that moment. She knew she shouldn't give Ian more morphine when he was so clearly addicted and needed to get help, but the thought of him dead when she could have prevented it bothered her even more, "Fine," Mari yelled as she scurried off to class in tears.
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The next day Ian went to the hospital with Mari after school to get his pills; by the time he got home his mother was in the kitchen cooking a very large dinner. He didn't ask why and he didn't stay downstairs long enough for her to ask about his day. He ran up the stairs to hide the Oxycodone and then sat down on his bed when the doorbell rang.
Ian heard his mother call something from the kitchen, which he assumed was her asking him to get the door. He went down the stairs, taking them two by two, and opened the door to see a man, a woman, and two boys. "Hi," the woman said, "We're your new neighbors down the street. We just moved in and our power isn't on yet. Your mother invited us over for dinner."
Ian stepped out of the way to let the family in; now realizing why she was making such a large dinner. The older boy looked to be about sixteen, Ian's age, while the other was probably eleven or twelve. His mother emerged from the kitchen to offer the guests a seat. "Hi," said the older boy, "I'm David."
Ian shook David's hand before they went into the kitchen, but the handshake was different; it seemed like there was a spark in it that sent a warm feeling throughout Ian's cold limbs, the best way to describe it was soothing.
David and his family seemed nice enough to Ian, though other than the short introduction, David said nothing during the entire meal. "Ian, honey," his mom said, pulling his eyes away from David's silent figure, "Why don't you take David up to your room to play on your Xbox?"
