Winter Solstice in St. Nacho's (St. Nacho's #5) - Z.A. Maxfield Page 0,7
grass growing up through cracks in the asphalt.
“Hey, you.” Echo emerged from the car first, ready with a warm hug. “How are you doing?”
“I’m fine.”
She narrowed her brown eyes. “It’s not easy going through what you did today.”
“I expect it was harder on him than me.”
“Still, if you want to talk about it, I’m here.”
Next, Gayle stepped out of the car. She was lean and lovely, her brown skin glowing with health. She’d dressed in a white track suit and was carrying a large designer bag. Her smile was just as warm as Echo’s, just as compassionate.
“Thanks for coming, Gayle. This is totally above and beyond.”
“You owe me a favor, like in The Godfather. I’ll let you know when it’s time.” She opened the hatchback and took out a couple of reusable grocery bags and a duffel. “Help me carry this.”
Gayle handed me the duffel and dug through the trunk, looking through it for more stuff. When we had everything, we entered the motel room. Tug still faced the wall. To me, his shoulders looked tight.
“Hey, Tug,” I said. “This is my cousin Echo and her wife, Gayle.”
“Hi, Tug.” Echo glanced at Gayle, who nodded for her to proceed. “Did Luke tell you anything about us?”
He didn’t reply.
“Maybe we can help you. We’re not going to judge what you’ve done. All we care about is your safety and the safety of those around you, whether you continue to use or not.”
“Right.” The covers rustled, and Tug rolled over, eyes glazed but searching for the truth of her words on her face. “You’re not gonna drag me to a twelve-step meeting yet, you mean.”
“Not unless you want to attend one.”
He pursed his lips. “Not likely.”
“As I said, my name is Echo. I’m a harm reduction advocate. I have some questions for you. Gayle is a physician. She’s here to see to your immediate physical well-being.” She turned to me. “While we talk to Tug, maybe you can go to the store for us?”
“Sure. What do you need?”
“A lot of that will depend on what Tug wants to do next. Can I text you?”
I nodded. “I’ll stop by my house and then hit the store for whatever you think I should bring.”
“Great.” Echo walked me outside and closed the door so we could talk privately. “What is it about this guy that has you calling in the cavalry?”
“I know him. Or I had when he was a kid. He used to hang out at Comix and Games all the time. Mom and Dad took him under their wing because he didn’t have a great environment at home. He was a good kid. We all liked him.”
“Aw, man.” She rubbed my upper arm. “I see.”
“Mom especially clicked with him. She’d want me to help him out, but I’m not an idiot. I can’t take him home with me. I won’t bring his problems to them. I didn’t know what else to do but call you.”
“You did the right thing. From what he said over the phone, he wants to try recovery. We just need to stabilize him until we can get him a spot at this facility I think would be a really good fit. It’s local. A little experimental. They take a really interesting life skills-based approach, but the director is out of town this weekend, and he needs to approve Tug’s intake.”
“What kinds of things will he need?”
“Toiletries, cheap t-shirts, sweats, boxers, socks. He’s going to feel like a sick, sick puppy for a while. How much do you want to be involved? Because he’s going to need help. And fair warning, he could change his mind at any time. He could walk out the door, and you might never see him again.”
“I want to give him whatever chance I can. What he does with it is up to him.”
“Great.” She nodded. “I’ll text you if anything comes up.”
“Thank you, Echo. I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Behavioral health is my job, and harm reduction is my passion. Too many people are dying because we blame the addict for the problem, and we treat them like throwaways. Humans are not disposable.”
God, I loved the light in her eyes when she soapboxed. “You’re my favorite cousin. You know that, right?”
“Of course.” She hugged me hard, then pushed me away. “Go get a breath of fresh air. What happens next is not for the faint of heart.”
For the first time since finding Tug, I didn’t feel like I was in freefall.