Covet - Eve Vaughn Page 0,59

full on screams. She started to clutch her chest, and her breathing became so erratic she dropped to the floor.

I tried to help her up, but she seemed inconsolable. I wasn’t sure what to make of this. She didn’t even act this way after Kenny died. I finally joined her on the floor and held her. “Mom, if you don’t calm down, I’m going to have to take you to the hospital. This isn’t healthy for you.”

She seemed to heed my words and clung to me. “I’m s-sorry b-but…so d-devastated. Didn’t know. Scammed.”

Though her words were difficult to make out, I assumed she was talking about Dr. Laski. Obviously I couldn’t question her in her current, so I lifted her off the floor and carried her to her room so she could rest. I sat with her for the rest of the night because she was clearly a wreck.

I was scrolling through my phone looking through articles while I stayed with her until she asked for a glass of water. I went to the kitchen and got it for her. When I returned, she was sitting up and taking a few pills.”

“Mom, what are you doing?” I rushed to her side and snatched the bottle out of her hand.

“They’re just some sleeping pills. I need them so I can get to sleep. I wasn’t trying to harm myself if that’s what you were concerned about, although I’m very surprised you cared enough to stick around to see that I’m all right. You always did your own thing. Broke my heart when you went off after college leaving me alone with your brother and sister when I really needed you.”

The last thing I expected was for her hysteria to lead to another guilt trip, but I remained silent. If there was something she needed to get off her chest, I’d let her have her say. “I’m sorry you feel that way, Mom, but the life I made for myself that you like to complain about provided you the life of comfort you now seem to enjoy. Maybe I wasn’t always here, but I did the best that I could.”

“Sure you did.” Her tone was heavy with sarcasm.

“Mom, I didn’t come here to argue with you. But I need some answers, the first being why didn’t you know this about Dr. Laski? Is that why you looked so frazzled when I came here today?”

“He had me fooled too, son. I trusted him, and I’d been taking Kenny there for a long time. As far as I knew, he was giving Kenny the best care possible. You have to believe me.”

She was my mother, and I’d personally witnessed how attentive she had always been to Kenny so why wouldn’t I believe her? In this state, however, I realized I wouldn't get any answers from her, so it was up to me to find them myself.

She placed the bottle of pills she’d been holding on her nightstand and released a lengthy yawn. “I’m getting sleepy. Could you stay with me for a bit? I really need you, son.”

“Okay.”

She took a drink from the water glass before lying down. She was sleep within minutes. I stayed by her side for several more minutes to make sure that she wouldn’t wake back up. The sleeping pills had finally kicked in.

As I stood up, I glanced at the bottle on the nightstand. I’m not sure what compelled me to pick it up. I read the label and who prescribed it: Dr. Laski.

I released a long heavy sigh as my mother entered my office, handkerchief in hand. Her eyes were already glistening with the watery sheen of tears, and immediately my guard went up. The show was about to begin, and I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to react to this.

After seeing her pill bottle prescribed by the same doctor that had treated Kenny, the one who had been accused of running a prescription drug mill, I started to question everything. All my life I thought she was giving my brother the best of care. For as long as I could remember, my mother had always taken it upon herself to see that my brother was always cared for, ate a proper diet, and took his medication. She generally fussed over him.

Honestly, there had been times when I thought she fussed over him a little too much. Considering how sick he had always been, I figured she knew best, after all Kenny never really complained. Besides his