Chapter 13 - Addiction
I'm racing down the highway as fast as my truck could. Everything went by me in a blur as my hands clutched the steering wheel out of complete nervousness. The sobs of Iris ringed through my ear over and over again. I wanted to cry myself, I couldn't lose Iris but I need to be strong for her. I was expecting for the worst and thinking the terrible things that could be happening as I drove over the speed limit on the highway that is vacant - the perks of it being three in the morning.
When I arrive, I bolted out of my car. Forgetting to even take the keys of the ignition and not giving a damn if I get a parking ticket.
I take the stairs so I don't waste time in the elevator, I end up tripping on my foot. "Fuck, fuck, fuck." I repeat as I attempt to get up. There was so much pain in my knee but all I could think about was Iris.
I make it to my door and barge in, only to hear faint sobs. "Iris!" I call out. I look into the kitchen - empty. The living room has the Tv on but she's not on the couch.
I run into my room to find the light of my bathroom to be on.
When I opened the door, I find her body on the floor. Her cheeks were stained with tears and her chin dripping with them.
I stand there speechless as she lets out another cry. "Please help me, Vic."
I buck my knees and land on the floor. My arms cradle around her and rock her slowly.
"It was the voices doing! I swear!" She cries again into the arm. "I've been trying to stay clean I swear."
Normally, in the past when she would say 'clean' I would think about her cutting habits. But this time, it wasn't that.
There was a white powder spread on the sink. It was scattered on the floor around her. It was on her hands and you could see bits of it around her nose.
My heart sinks as I let out a small cry. "Oh my God, Iris."
This was something beyond out of my control. It was her addiction and I was hopeless to help. It broke my heart as we cried together on my bathroom floor on this night. Iris Knight had become an addict to cocaine and had a battle ahead of her for recovery.
As she sniffles, she lets out a sentence that is barely audible. "I didn't mean to."
She repeats the sentence over and over again for the next fifteen minutes. Tearing my heart as she does.
When you love someone so much this is the consequences, all I ever wanted was Iris to be happy and live a life she wanted to live. I've failed on so many levels and now she's where she's at.
In this moment, I realized that mentally ill people need professional help, not just love. You can't fix someone just by love. Maybe support and caring, but certainly not just love and lust.
"These are the faults that come with me, Vic" She looks up at me for the first time. Her make-up was smeared and her eyes filled with more tears yet to come. "This is reality."
"Iris lets run you a bath." I suggest, but anyone could tell she needed one. She didn't stink, she just looked tensed and broken down.
"I can't feel my legs. Something with the drug doesn't mix well with my doctor's prescription." She informs me.
"Doctor's prescription?" I didn't recall her ever being on prescription, only three years ago.
"I went to the doctors to make you proud. The medicine I guess can't be mixed with the cocaine. I didn't mean to come like this."
It was news that I had no idea about. I stayed silent as I got up from the floor. I turned on the faucet to the tub and got out towels. Checking the water's temperature with my finger as it filled, I slowly undressed her.
Lifting her arms weakly, I take off her shirt. Then everything came off slowly but surely. I pick her up and gradually putting her down into the little over a luke-warm temperature.
I begin to wet her hair and massage her scalp with shampoo carefully. She closes her eyes as I apply a washcloth onto her back, moving it up and down.
I wrap her in a soft white towel and have her sit on the toilet as I went to get fresh clothes when we finished.
I dress her into sweatpants and one of my sweaters. I hand her a water bottle, she's going to need to detox.
Brushing her hair, I try to think of something I could do. That's when the idea came into my head. I now know what to do.
"Are you able to feel your legs?" I ask her.
"Just a little now." She looks down at her legs.
"Great, I want to visit a place." I grab her hand to help her up.
"Where?" She questioned.
"You'll see." I smile at her.
I hadn't realized what time it was when we get into the truck but I wanted to visit badly. It's been years since I've been to the one place I had in mind.
It's only shortly when we're driving down a very familiar road.
Iris looks outside the window and holds a frown on her face. "Do I think I know where we are heading to or am I still high?"
I don't say a word but simply take a turn off the road onto the hard desert San Diego sand. It leads onto an empty field.
The cliff that is.
"Oh my word, Vic." Iris waits no time hoping out of the truck when I park.
"I thought it would be good to visit our secret hangout after all these years." I say as I walk up to her.
It's pitch dark here at the cliff. Leaving only the noise of the waves crashing against the rock to us.
"The memories hit me like a stack of bricks." She rubs her face and groans.
I lay down on the ground and she follows my lead.
"Remember what I said about the Big Dipper and the Small Dipper on the night of our graduation?" She smiled up at the stars as I watched her.
"Yeah I remember."
Flashback //
"You know, I feel like the Big Dipper and Small Dipper are us in some way." Iris said. She looked over at me as I frowned.
"Why is that?" I asked.
"You're the big Dipper since you're always there for me, always looking out for me. Like the big Dipper does for the small Dipper."
"You have one of a kind imagination, Iris." I laughed.
"I still believe what I said that night." She says, it didn't really surprise me too much.
The time passed as we lay on the ground, staring at the stars. We didn't talk. We didn't want to think of anything else to ruin the relaxation. But there was that small voice in my head that was dying to know one thing.
"What are we going to do?" I asked.
"Funny how you asked the same question on the same night of graduation." She lets out a small laugh. "But no really, I'll find a way."
"It's not I'll find away. It's we will find a way, Iris."
__________
A.N
One chapter left then Epilogue. Holy smokes. The time has come.
Be prepared for the unexpected.
-Kc Jun.12.2014
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Faults & Faith (Sequel - Vic Fuentes Fanfiction)
Fanfiction*Sequel to Wasteland For The Teenaged* Three and half years have pass since the last time Vic has seen his one true love. Iris that is. Vic is still on his journey with his band. He's touring the road and playing for hundreds of kids every night...
