The Desired Effect ~ Cameron Liddell

Chapter 24. "Not Today"

I was out of the hospital a week later - earliest they would allow. As I had asked, none of our friends were there when I left the hospital room. Straight from my room, to the car, to the apartment, without any trouble. I was thankful. Cameron carried me, as I was only hardly strong enough to stand. I had to have a wheelchair. He left it in the car as he carried me inside. He set me down on the couch, and made sure I had a blanket and breakfast before going back to the car to get my pain medication and chair. I was on strong medication, but it was nothing close to what I was craving. It was not my drug of choice. "I've made a plan, love." Cameron sat down beside me as I ate. My appetite had returned with such force, I felt like I hadn't eaten in years. I just wanted to eat, and eat, and eat, all day. Food tasted better, I had put on three pounds, and I knew it would all be gone with one bad day. Part of me hoped Cameron would slip up. He would buy for himself, and because when he was high he could never say no to me, he would give me some to. Part of me hoped that he would leave me alone just for one day when I was able to drive by myself and pick up what I really wanted.

"What's that?" I said, with a mouth full of toast.

"Okay. It's more of a suggestion. Firstly, I'm redoing the bedroom. Eventually the house, when all my friends like me again and I can enlist their help." I laughed slightly.

"Alright." I nodded. "What's second?"

"The second is that you have to eat three meals a day, no excuses. I'll cook for you, I'll make whatever you want. Three good meals a day. You need to heal this, and gain weight. Third is that we're going on a walk every day."

"I can't walk, Cameron."

"I'll take you in your wheelchair until you can, Naomi. You need the sun."

"What else are you gonna make me quit smoking?" I raised an eyebrow and he sighed. "No."

"Fine. You can smoke. Weed occasionally."

"But not what I want." I said as quietly as possible.

"I will do anything for you, take you anywhere, buy you anything, cook your meals, wipe your ass if I have to. Anything but that." He seemed serious. It was so nice to see him speaking so much, and having slept all night for a week, and having normal thoughts. He could hold his train of thought, and he was less emotional and nervous. I knew that getting clean was best for us, even after a week, but part of me didn't care. If I could get high and get Cameron as he was, healthy and sleeping and smiling, life would be perfect.

"You really won't have to wipe my ass." I laughed.

"Thank god. But I would if I had to. Like if you broke your arms or something. I got you."

"I know." My hands shook when I put my empty plate on the table and I leaned into him. He was warm again. He hadn't felt warm in forever. "I love you so much, Cameron."

"Forgot to mention. No more drinking." I clenched my jaw.

"I love you less now."

"I love you even more."

Ben

"Good morning lovely." I smiled at Naomi after shutting the front door behind myself. We all had copies of keys to their house, so we could get in quickly in case of emergency.

"Hello Benjamin." I walked over and handed her the small bouquet of flowers I had picked up for her. I brought some new ones every other day, but I came over every day to make sure things were still going well. They were going better than I could imagine. She was smiling, she had tanned slightly from going outside every day, she had gained almost ten pounds since she left the hospital, and she was smiling again. Not her distant, dazed smile. A real smile. They were both eating three meals a day, and Cameron was actually sleeping again. Every day he took her on a walk, pushing her in her wheelchair if she didn't feel up to walking. I didn't know what was different this time, but they seemed to be on the right track. I still didn't trust it. They let me wander around the house and snoop a little every time, just to make sure. "They're beautiful, thank you." She smiled. She pushed her blanket off and brought them into the kitchen.

"I'm gonna-" When I turned to see Cameron he put his hands over his crotch and jumped back behind the wall. "What the fuck when did you get here?" He muttered. I burst out laughing.

"Ten seconds ago. Put on some clothes, bastard." I heard him walk quickly into their room as Naomi giggled from the kitchen. When she returned she had the flowers in a vase, and set it on the dining room table with the other three bouquets.

"How've you been feeling?" She leaned against a chair and shrugged.

"Better and better every day, good sir. Getting fatter and fatter." I looked at her curiously. "Oh I know, I can still see the bones in my chest." She smirked. "Come." She nodded to the balcony as Cameron came out, fully dressed this time.

"Hey man." He patted my back as we all filed outside on the tiny balcony. Naomi closed the door and we all lit our cigarettes. Cameron was at his best when he was taking care of someone, and when Naomi was at hers. From what he told me neither of them had any drugs or alcohol since they got home.

"How are you and Sam doing?" Naomi asked, blowing smoke away. I sighed loudly.

"She's alright. We're good."

"Good." She grinned.

"Yeah. That reminds me, all the girls want to know when they can come see you. I've told them you're doing well but they want to see you. It's still fucking weird that Myca is around again." I sighed. I didn't like her. I never really liked her at all, she was just one of us, and she was around. Naomi looked down.

"Tell them I'll call them. Soon." I nodded. I wouldn't tell them that. Soon sounds like never when you're waiting for something. When we all finished our cigarettes we went inside and Naomi and I sat at the dining table while Cameron made lunch. Salad with chicken.

"You're like a housewife." I had never seen Cameron cook a meal until then. I was pretty sure he couldn't even make a box of macaroni in the microwave if you gave him an instruction manual, but it smelled amazing.

"It's about time he does some of the cooking and cleaning around this place. I'm still not even allowed in the bedroom until he's redone it."

"Redone?"

"New furniture, paint, everything. The old stuff is just gross and we need everything to be new and not gross. After this we're going on a walk."

"And then after that I'm making an Instagram account." Naomi said loudly, and then turned away to conceal that she had even opened her mouth.

"What?"

"So she gets used to being in the public eye again."

"Yeah. You all have to give me giant shout outs so I get my followers back." She giggled, taking a sip from her Nike water bottle. I noticed she had painted her nails.

"Are you gonna tell people? I mean, what happened?" She shrugged as she picked at the skin on her arm. Her scars were something nasty, but she got cream for them to make them fade faster.

"Maybe, maybe not. Maybe in a few years. I haven't decided." I put my hand over hers, where she was picking.

"Deep breaths."

"Today isn't really a good-" she choked up. "Not an easy day."

"It'll be okay, Naomi." I looked up at her. She shook her head and pulled away. Just as she started crying Cameron was there. He picked her up and whisked her away to another room. I got up a few seconds later and walked to the bathroom door where I heard her crying loudly. I knocked twice and Cameron opened, poking his head out.

"Not today, mate. Hard day. Come tomorrow, she'll be better." Cameron forced a smile and shut the door again. I nodded and left the apartment.