Breaking Free

Chapter 31

I wave to Asher as he walks back into the building. As soon as the door to the building closes I turn around and start walking down the sidewalk. "Em," Conner says as I almost crash into him.

"Hey, Conner," I say with a soft smile.

"Look, I know you and Isaac aren't on the best terms right now, but he really needs some help," Conner says in a shaky voice.

"Isaac can go fuck himself," I say sternly.

"Em, I don't think you get it," Conner says as I start to walk away.

"Look, Isaac can be a dick all he wants but I'm not going to put up with it," I rant.

"Em I think he's overdosing," Conner says frantically.

"What?" I question.

"Well, I went back to our apartment and he was high off his ass. I ignored him and went to my room because he gets high all the time, you know?" Conner explains. "When I came back out he was face down on the couch and I went over to wake him up. I rolled his body over and the fucking white foam shit was coming out of his mouth and I panicked. I drove here and now I'm talking to you."

"Wait, you just left him there?" I ask. "Did you call anyone? An ambulance?"

"Em, I didn't know what the fuck to do," Conner says as he pulls at his hair. "I didn't want to get him in trouble so I just thought I'd come here and find someone to help."

"Conner," I say. "He needs medical attention. He could be dead."

"Why the fuck would you even say that?" Conner says angrily.

"Because its true," I shout. "Come on, we have to go back to the apartment."

"Shit," Conner says as he leads the way to his car.

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Conner makes a sharp turn into the apartment complex parking lot and pulls into his parking space. We jump out of the car and start running up the stairs to the top level. "Em, I can't," Conner says. "I can't see him like that again, here." He tosses me his keys and I catch them. I run over to the apartment door and unlock it. I throw the keys on the table as I walk into the apartment and look around frantically. I spot Isaac on the floor in front of the couch on his back.

"Shit," I say and run over to him. I turn his body onto his side as vomit runs down his face. I feel for a pulse with one hand as I grab my phone with the other. I dial 911 and hold the phone to my ear with my shoulder. I roll Isaac back onto his back and start doing CPR.

"911, what's your emergency?" A woman questions.

"Uh, my friend is overdosing," I say.

"Do you know what your friend is overdosing on?" She asks.

"No," I say as I continue my CPR.

"Is your friend breathing normally?" She questions.

"No, I'm giving him CPR right now," I say shakily.

"Okay, good, keep at that until the first respondents get there," she says.

"Okay," I say as I focus on my own breathing.

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"Em," Conner says as we sit at the bottom of the stairs of his apartment complex.

"Conner," I say.

"I'm sorry," he says.

"For what?" I ask.