He stands his ground. “We didn’t know about that. Rex said he had plans, but none of us knew how far he’d gone to get back at Slater. He didn’t tell us for a reason, because he knew we’d try to talk him out of it. You might think we’re your enemies, Mack. But truthfully we’re the real reason he’s stuck to some semblance of rules and honor throughout the years. Honestly, Rex hasn’t had a sane thought on his own in five years.”
I lower my chin and stare at the ground ashamed, because I know Corey’s right. My brother has been teetering on the edge of that cliff for longer than the past two months.
“Anyway, we decided to give him a week to get his head around what we’d learned. Except, he never called us after a week or even after two. Reed and I stopped in to see him and we found him passed out on the sofa with a needle in his arm and a bag of ice on the coffee table. We’ve spent the last six weeks trying to get him clean. Even trying to get him on something less damaging like Ecstasy. But it’s been fucking hard, he’s unreasonable and paranoid all the fucking time and when he’s coming down he’s downright dangerous. He’d kill one of us to get his next hit. I have no doubt. When he tried to kill Kodi with a knife yesterday, he was calling him the devil, because he refused to drive him to get on. He’s been asleep ever since. That’s been his typical comedown symptoms which we’ve been experiencing on repeat for the past few weeks.”
“He’s hallucinating,” Mack states calmly as if it’s a normal part of the process.
Corey nods. “He thinks he has bugs under his skin, hence why he has so many sores from scratching his skin and he mutters to himself a lot about moving on to another life. Ending this one and getting a clean slate for the next.”
“I don’t understand,” I grate out in frustration.
Mack walks over and embraces me. I don’t hug him back. I only want answers. I push away from him and focus on Corey.
“If you’ve known about this for six weeks, why didn’t you call me? Why is he still so bad if you’ve kept him here to get him clean?”
“Look around, Lana. The window behind you is boarded up with cardboard because he smashed through the glass with his bare hands to get out. All the locks and glass on the entry doors have been smashed or broken with your steel meat hammer. We’ve managed to keep him clean for a few days here and there, but it never lasts, he manages to find a way out and then he’s gone. By the time we find him, usually near the train tracks we used to drink at, it’s too late, he’s already taken the shit. And there was no way we were calling you. Rex would never want you to see him this way.”
“That’s not my brother,” I state angrily, pointing at the thing lying in my brother’s body.
Unexpectedly an agonizing moan sounds through the room. We all freeze and look at Rex, who begins to groan louder and roll around on the bed as he wraps his arms around his waist as if in pain.
“Shit,” Corey curses.
“Why does he seem like he’s in pain?” My voice shakes as I stare at my brother.
“He hasn’t eaten for two days,” Corey replies while walking over to the other side of the bed next to Rex.
Mack kisses my hair and mutters, “It’s a side effect of the drug. Rex doesn’t feel the hunger pains.”
“It’s why he’s lost weight,” I whisper to myself, but Mack answers me anyway, “Yeah, Dove, that’s why.”
Suddenly, Corey pulls a syringe from his jean’s pocket and removes the plastic cover from the tip.
“What the hell are you doing?” Mack moves toward Corey.
Corey doesn’t even glance at Mack, who’s approaching him, he looks straight at me. “I told you earlier we’re taking Rex to the hospital.” Corey lifts the needle in the air. “This is how we get him there.”
Mack stops and asks, “What’s in the needle?”
Still looking at me, Corey replies, “It’s morphine. It’s going to take away Rex’s body aches and make him feel sleepy, but not pass out. It’s how we get him to the hospital without anyone getting hurt. Doctor Evan Angelos from Clarke Memorial Hospital gave this to me. He’s waiting