A Second Chance

Detox

"Here.. Let's get off the ground.." Samuel helps his mother up.

"Sam, I'm sorry, I-"

"Don't apologize. We're gonna help you, mom."

Jessica swallows and looks down.

"Thank you." She whispers.

"Don't mention it." He helps her into the bedroom.

"Lay down and I'll get you some water. Just rest, okay?"

Sam goes downstairs and Michael and James ask him what was wrong in a panic.

Sam sighs and says, you guys better sit down.

"What happened?" James asks.

"She's been taking these pills."

Michael snatches them and reads, "Anti anxiety and depressants? Why? For how long?"

"Since grandpa got sick."

"What?!  Oh my gosh.." James looks away and towards the ground.

"I know.. *Sighs* We're gonna have to help her through this you guys.  I just don't know exactly how to help.  We can't just stop her cold turkey, can we?"

"No she could get sick!"

"What do we do?"

"We should talk to grandma." Michael says.

"Mike, we can't tell grandma about this."

"Why not Sam?  We don't know how to handle this!"

"She's overwhelmed with grandpa.. Besides, mom wouldn't want her knowing."

"Maybe we should take her to a doctor." James suggests.

"Yeah.. Ugh, but the offices are closed!  It's Christmas!"

"Oh yeah.  Well.. Shit, I don't know then."

"What about tonight?  We're supposed to go to aunt Ann's house."

"I don't know.. I mean if we don't go then people will suspect something's wrong.. But I don't know if mom is up to going anywhere right now."

"We can ask her.  I'm gonna bring her some water, I'll talk to her."

"Okay.  And can you take him with you, please?" James asks still struggling with Grayson.

"Yeah.  Come on Gray."

***

"Hey mom, here's your water."

"Thanks baby."

"Grayson was scared when you got upset and left." Sam says holding him and sitting on the side of her bed.

"Awe.. I'm sorry, Grayson." Jessica holds his palm and looks into his red puffy eyes.

"Mama.." Grayson places his hand on her face.

She smiles softly and takes him from Samuel, then sits him on her lap.

"Come here, baby.

I'm sorry I scared you.. Mommy's gonna get better, okay?" She plays with his hair as he lays forward on her stomach.

"Mom?"

"Hm?" Jessica looks at Sam.

"Do you still wanna go to Ann's?  We don't have to if you don't feel like it."

"No, I wanna go.. Just please don't say anything to anyone. Especially to your grandparents."

"We won't.

Mom, we have to get you to a doctor as soon as possible."

"No! I don't want to."

"We have to. We can't just stop giving you the medicine, you'll get sick. You have to gradually stop. The boys and I don't know what to do, so we have to take you to a doctor."

Jessica looks down at Grayson and stays silent.

"It's for your own good. You're gonna go through a detox, so it'll be rough.. But you have us, and we'll help you."

"Thank you.." She says softly.

***

A few days later.

Jessica has been having a rough few days.  Her mood has changed completely, she's very irritable and fatigued.

Everything she ate she would throw up.  Grayson sensed something was wrong with his mother so his behavior changed as well.  He was always cranky.  Usually Jessica could just hold him and make him feel better, but the past few days nothing has worked.  He hasn't even been sleeping with her.  Since Jessica gets sick at night mostly, the boys take turns watching him.

"I feel so bad.  I'm such a horrible mother!" Jessica cries as Grayson screams in her arms.

"No you're not, mom!  Here, let me take him." James takes Grayson and he slowly calms down.

Jessica's heart broke that she was hurting her baby.

"I am such an idiot!  Why did I do this to my family?"

"Mom stop it!  This is just a rough spot, we'll get past it!"

"I'm so sorry I did this." Jessica looks at him and cries.

"Don't say you're sorry.. It's okay, mom.  It's okay!" He hugs her tightly.

Jessica cries hard into his chest as she clings onto her son.

James kisses her head and says, "Go lay down and rest while we get dinner ready."

"Okay.. Thank you.."

James sighs and walks into the kitchen. 

"She had to have been taking more than we thought."

"Yeah I thought the same thing.. She's been getting so sick, she stays up all night.. Her mood has been totally different than normal.. I just don't see how we couldn't have seen that this was going on.  I feel terrible." Sam says as he cooks.

"At least she can finally see the doctor tomorrow."

When dinner was ready they called Jessica down, but didn't get a response.

"I'll go get her." Michael says.

He opens the door and Jessica was on the ground shaking.

"SAM!  JAMES!" He screams.

The boys drop what they're doing and run to their mother.

"Oh my God!" Sam asks in a panic.

"She's having a seizure!  Sam call 911!" James says in a demanding voice.

"Mikey, take Grayson." He hands him over and gets on the floor beside his mother and holds her hand.  "Mom.. It's gonna be okay." Tears fill his eyes.

"I love you.. I love you.." He kept repeating hoping she hears him.

***

What story do you want updated next?
I'm working on Two Fools in love right now, and I really really need to update Broken and Teenage Dream! 😬