Page 94 of Breathing Without You

“Emerald, dude, somethings wrong.” I barely hear him say because it's so loud and my stomach drops, my heart starts racing and I break out in a sweat.

“Dude, what the fuck I can't hear you. I told you I'm not ready to apolo...” I start saying.

“Dude, you need to get here NOW, something is wrong with Emerald, we keep trying to wake her up, but she's passed the fuck out. I don't know if she drank too much or if someone drugged her. Get here now!” he shouts. “Fuck, I think we need to take her to the hospital dude, her pulse is barely fucking there. What the fuck,” he shouts, and I sit up all the way feeling instantly sick to my stomach at what he just said. Her pulse is barely there.

“What the fuck, dude, what do you mean, what do you mean,” I shout not giving him a chance to respond but rushing to get an answer from him because I’m pissed he didn’t start with that shit.

I jump up off my couch rushing to my keys and shoes. I don't even care that I'm only in a wife beater and basketball shorts. I put my slides on and rush out the door running to my truck.

“I don't know, she said she was gonna get drunk tonight, she's really heartbroken man. I don’t even know what she fucking drank. She left us when we got here, and we’ve been searching for her for a half an hour now. I don’t even know how long she’s been like this.” My turn to cut him off.

“Fuck, she was left alone, Carsten, what the fuck man, you guys know these parties aren’t exactly safe.”

“Someone said they saw her, one of the guys at the drink table. He said she was being reckless and doing shot after shot and taking drinks left and right, she even took one from Brynn and Daisy,” he shouts.

“Are you fucking kidding me? I swear to God if those two have anything to do with this I'm gonna let the girls beat their asses. Actually no, I'm gonna get the police involved fuck those psycho bitches.”

“Then someone found her passed out on the bathroom floor and started panicking. Then that’s how I found the guy who told me about her, he was the guy serving drinks. He recognized her and remembered her coming in with us and got us,” he rushes out in a panic trying to tell me all the details.

“We just got her in the car, meet us at Fernfield Hospital.”

“Fuck man, I swear I hope she’s okay. I'll be there in ten,” I say speeding out of my driveway. “Actually, fuck it, make it five. I don't care about the speed limit tonight, the cops can suck my dick,” I say, hanging up the phone and pushing down on the gas pedal. Feeling extremely sick to my stomach trying to ignore these terrible thoughts that keep trying to surface.

I pull into the parking lot parking my truck in the first spot I see; I don’t even know if it was an actual parking spot, and I really don’t even care. Fuck it if it gets towed. Right now, Emerald is where I need to be, she’s who is important. I run in through the emergency room doors, practically knocking someone over.

“Fuck, fuck. Are you okay?” I grab the older gentleman’s shoulder, stopping him from losing his balance even more.

“Shit son, you almost knocked me out there,” he chuckles. C’mon speed it the fuck along.

“Sorry, I can’t wait.” And he gives me a confused look as I run off further into the emergency room waiting area. Running straight for the desk I don’t want them to stop me and delay this any longer.

“Emerald… Emerald Hart,” I accidentally shout. “My girlfriend, she was just brought in, please she… she was unconscious, and her pulse was barely there. Please, I need to see her,” I rush out hoping they’ll allow me to go back there and at least wait for her.

“Sir please, please, I’m going to need you to calm down for a second, please you can’t go back there this worked up,” the lady behind the counter says in a sweet calm voice, not even affected by how loud, or angry I sound or the fact that I’m breathing like I just ran a marathon and can’t catch my breath.

“Sorry please I just…” I pause feeling defeated for a minute. I can’t let anything happen to her without her knowing how I feel about her and that I’m sorry. “Please, she’s all I have left. I just need to know she’s going to be okay.”

The lady looks around to see if anyone is looking and leans forward. “If you could please lower your voice I could help you, sir.” She smiles.

“Sorry, miss.” I’m fucking furious, does she not realize how fucking important this situation is. Right as I’m about to go off on the lady I hear someone from down the hall yelling my name.

“Creed, Creed.” I look over and see Winter running down the hall towards me. “She’s down here, follow me.”

The lady gives me a look and I smile at her as I turn towards Winter and run down the hall towards her. “Thank fuck, I don’t think that lady was going to let me go back she was being a bitch.”

“She was a bitch when I came in yelling that we needed help. She was going to make us wait out here and not let us go back with her,” she says out of breath as I catch up to her. Damn that was a long fucking hallway.

“How is she?” That’s all I care about. I’ll ask what exactly happened after finding out if Emerald’s okay.

“Here umm, let’s talk to Carsten.” She gives a quick smile before turning into the room I’m assuming is Emerald’s. I walk into the room and there’s a curtain drawn around her bed to where you can’t see anything in the room.

“What’s going on guys, where’s Emerald?” I’m pissed. “Tell me what the fuck is going on.”

“Man please, Creed. I need you to promise me you won’t do anything–” I cut him off. I’m not promising shit.

“I’m not making any promises man, tell me what the fuck–” It’s his turn to cut me off.

“She fucking overdosed man,” he shouts at me. “She fucking overdosed,” he chokes out and I look over to a sobbing Winter.

---