Bubblegum Bitch

Help Me

     POV Phil

    Dan: Help me please I'm at wo
    It doesn't take me any time before I'm running out the door, and to the bar. As I get carded, mentally cursing the bouncer, as I show him my ID.

"Go on in." The bouncer says.

I take that as an invitation to make a sprint for the doors, running around frantically to find Dan. The bathrooms.

My search goes towards the bathrooms, as I sprint in that direction, shoving past the people grinding on each other, or the ones smoking. Walking into the bathroom I see a pool of blood, the thick crimson red substance, coming from one of the open stalls. Running into the stall I see Dan, except it's not the Dan I've seen. This one is slumped on the floor, arms out, with his once cute, black overalls  ripped in multiple places, the straps ripped and that's when I see his arms.

Carved onto one arm is the word 'slut', barely visible from the crimson red blood pouring out of the wound. The other word being 'whore', right at his wrist, essentially slitting it. As I call 911, tears form in my eyes as I realize he may not be okay. In the while that I've known him, this is the one time where I'm truly scared for him.

"Phillllllll." He whines softly, opening his eyes weakly, and hand reaching for anything. His shallow breaths, almost panting or hyperventilating.

"Hey you're going to be okay." I crouch beside him, my knees directly in the blood, as it soaks through my jeans, but I don't care. Until it sinks down that I'm kneeling in Dan's blood. I see a needle laying towards the corner.

    "Dan did they inject you  with something?"

    "Heroin."
His eyes close, as I start to panic, I realize tears fall down my face, realizing he could die. I'd never see him, hear his laugh, nothing. I'd never see his smile again. Never. Nothing.

       "Don't you die on me." I cry out, holding him to my chest.

     "Dan I love you, and I'm so sorry." He doesn't hear me, as he fades out of consciousness.

     As the EMTs come in, I watch them wrap his arms, with gauze, trying to stop the bleeding.

     "They injected heroin into him." I explain, watching as one starts an IV injection.

    They let me ride in the ambulance, with Dan half conscious, eyes fluttering open and closed.

     "He's going into shock." I hear an EMT say.

     His heart rate raises, breathing rapid, hand twitching. As they race around him, putting pressure on the wounds, another EMT shouting for the ETA. Tears roll down the younger mans face, his words unintelligible from the breathing mask.

     As we reach the hospital, they rush him out to get stitches as I'm lead towards his future room.

    I wait for at least a nerve racking hour, before he is wheeled into the room. Arms bandaged, with multiple bags of fluids. They leave him with me, in his half awake state, but a nurse stays back.

   "He gave us permission to tell you his
Medical information." She explains.

    "How much heroin was in his system?" I rush.

   "Enough to kill him, you were lucky you found him, it was an attack obviously, but my question is, does he do heroin?"

     "No he doesn't do heroin, to my knowledge."

   "How long have you know him for?"

   "About a month and a half.." I respond quietly. Which is true, it took me a while to contact him again, and show up at his bar.

    "Good luck, and please do try to calm him down a bit, poor boy is beyond worried." She frowns, before walking away, leaving me to go back to Dan. Alone.

    Walking in, I stop in horror, as I see the tear marks on his face, eyes puffy, cheeks red, as he sobs silently. Watching him as he fiddles nervously with the nose cannula giving him oxygen.

    "Oh my god Dan, hey hey." I walk over quickly, sitting on the edge of his bed.

     "I'm a whore." He sobs, fiddling with his fingers.

      "No Dan, no you aren't." I reassure him, what the hell happened?

     "No..no.. he paid me to have sex with him, and I was going to do it, and then he did that."

    "Dan.." I trail off, not knowing what to say.

    "He was right." He continues to sob.

   "Dan was it the guy from the other night?"

   He nods, and that's when I know I have to go back to that club. I will beat the shit outta that guy, I don't care the consequences.

    "Dan answer my question honestly, are you a sex worker?"

His face goes blank, as he looks down. I think he doesn't even know he is.

"Dan do people pay you to have sex with them?"

He nods, "I willingly did it, the club doesn't mind, I got into it, never had any problems until now."

"It's how you make money, it's whatever, but I'm starting to think you should quit." I sigh.

"I'm thinking I should too, now I'm really tired but I have a question."

"Ask away?" I say, my answer coming out more like a question.

"I heard what you said... do you really love me?"

   Biting my lip, as I contemplate if I really want to tell him the truth.

   "You know what, I'm sorry for ask-"

   I cut him off quickly, before he really starts rambling, "I do love you, Dan, I have since I first met you."

    He takes my hand in his, smiling contently, heart monitor registering his heart beat low, but not that shocking. With a lethal amount of heroin in his system, he's lucky to be here.

"Stay with me? Please." He cries softly.

     "I'm not gonna leave you."

   He smiles contently for the first time since this whole ordeal. See you may think bad of me for not trying to ask Dan what actually happened, but I'm waiting for him to tell me on his own terms. I don't want specifics yet, I want him to have time to relax, because I know it's not gonna be easy for him.

"When can you get out?" I ask.

"In about 3 days if my heart rate stays normal."

    "You want me to bring you some clothes, stuff to do?"

"I have my phone, but I want a book and also I'm really fucking cold right now." He sighs, paging a nurse.

"So do you want me to grab your stuff now?"

    "Right now I truly just don't want to be alone."