DRASTIC (Book 4 of the Soundcrush Series)

Chapter 60: Smart Girls Are Still Counselors

Marley Two Weeks Later

There are two basic paradigms that drive all theories on human development, personality, and motivation.

Nature versus nurture.

I used to come down on the side of nurture. People turn out like they do because of the things that happen to them.

For example? Trace's aggression and occasionally difficult personality?I have always assumed those traits come from his traumatic childhood experiences.

After two and half weeks of dealing with Matt del Marco? Now I'm not so sure.

Because just like Trace, Matt del Marco has a Savior Complex. He absolutely can not stand to see someone he claims as his own in trouble. He'll do anything—even act like an absolute asshole—to save someone he loves.

And he's determined to save Leed before he drinks himself to death. Even if he has to bust a few heads in the process.

Today? My head, specifically.

I'm standing in the way of his well-meaning but misguided "treatment plan" for Leed's situational alcoholism.

For two weeks, Matt and I have been building to a confrontation over Leed's problems. Matt's been bringing his boutique doctor in case Leed needs medical intervention. In fact, about a week ago, the doctor started giving Leed an IV drip hangover cure every morning. Even after Bodie takes him surfing, he's still too hungover to muster enough energy to learn his choreography for the giant December Dawn dance number or memorize his lines for the skit they are supposed to perform with Skid Marcs. He's just not performing up to par.

He knows it and he doesn't care. It's that bad.

But Matt's way of solving the problem isn't working for me. Or Leed.

I have no problem with the saline, the B vitamins, the anti-nausea meds, the Ibuprofen in the drip. The problem is, I caught the doctor trying to slip Leed some Antabuse into the bag, per Matt's suggestion.

Antabuse is a drug that blocks the effects of alcohol, and apparently Matt used it quite effectively during his last and successful attempt to reign in his heavy drinking over fifteen years ago. But Leed doesn't want it and Matt can't understand why I refuse to let the doc give it to him without consent.

"Sometimes kids don't like the love you give 'em, but you give it anyway. He needs help! You are letting him drink himself to death, you know that, right? I've been where he is and I was damn near close to dyin' a couple of times. He ain't that far away from not waking up one morning. I don't get you! You'll save Jamison with methadone but you won't save the Lion with a similar drug?!?!"

"That is completely different. Bodie is fully engaged in his recovery. Leed is not ready to do this for himself. You can't force someone into sobriety. Leed is not your teenage child. He's an adult and he does not want to take that drug, and he's right not to. You know damn well from your own treatment that Disulfiram is not recommended when someone is still actively binging. It could be dangerous and it will definitely make him sick."

"That's the fucking point!" Matt yells. "Behavioral training, since he's acting like a lovesick puppy! Every time he drinks he will wish he was dead! He'll decide real fucking quick he doesn't really want to die and he'll sober the fuck up! Because if he doesn't, either he's going to kill himself or Jamison is gonna let him drown out there in the goddamn ocean. That's the stupidest fucking thing I've ever heard, by the way—taking a half-drunk dude surfing...or surfing in general. What kind of fools offer themselves up for sharkbait and call it soothing?"