Falling Behind (Falling Series) Read online

  Titus

  The warm sun streamed in through the ivory curtains in Reese’s living room. My mom had tried to get me to go home with her. She failed. I wasn’t leaving Reese. She needed me. We needed each other. Our best friend was in the hospital and in serious condition. Reese didn’t even know how serious it was. After the panic attack and going into shock or whatever it was that was her shield to protect her from the news, she had fallen asleep and still had no idea how serious Candice’s condition really was.

  I felt her twitch, then settle right back down. I kept my eyes closed. I waited to see if she was going to wake up and say something or go back to sleep. Out of the corner of my half closed eye, I saw that she was awake staring at me. “I’m not asleep.” I opened my eyes and flashed her a half a smile.

  Reese sat up, stretching. “You okay?”

  I rolled my head and cracked my neck. Reaching down I rubbed her legs, she had to be uncomfortable. “Stiff. How about you?”

  I hated seeing Reese cry. The tears were already building in her eyes ready to crest over as she asked, “Is she still alive?”

  Patting the space next to my hip I said, “Yeah, come here.”

  Reese scooted closer. “Tell me what happened.”

  I dropped my arm around her shoulders. “When they found Candice she was badly beaten, bruised and bloody. Her body was shaking and she was unconscious. There was no one with her.” I was disgusted with myself for being weak as the tears rolled down my cheeks. “They got her in the ambulance and her muscles were already rigid even though her whole body was shaking and she was running an extremely high fever. All those signs told them she had overdosed on cocaine. The EMT’s immediately started a cooling process, which the hospital finished.

  “Right now, they basically have her in a coma. She’s on a ventilator and she’s sedated. That’s why we couldn’t see her and I suspect we won’t be able to see her for awhile. They’ll need to keep monitoring her until they are ready to wake her up.”

  “Oh, my goodness.” She closed her eyes placed her hands together and looked toward the sky, “Lord, please let C pull through this.” I squeezed her knee with one hand and swatted away the tears that were clinging to my chin. Reese opened her eyes, laying her head back on my chest. “Do you really think she’ll be okay?”

  “I hope so.” Wrapping my arms around her, I kissed her head. I wanted nothing more than run my hands up and down her side just underneath her t-shirt. I knew I shouldn’t want to right now, not with everything going on. “She’ll pull through this, she has two best friends to support her.” I kissed her head a couple more times. I could feel her heart beat pick up and I wondered exactly what it meant.

  Diane once again chose the perfect time to come into the living room. It’s not like we’ve never sat curled up together before, but I’m pretty sure she could tell this was different. I needed to hold Reese. She felt like home. She made me believe everything was going to be okay.

  “Good morning, you two. Titus, if you need me to, I can drive you home. I’m on my way to check on Cecilia and George.” She put her hand up. “Before you ask, you may not go see Candice. Not until she is out of ICU and off the ventilator.”

  I’d been a part of this family for so many years that I felt comfortable calling Diane by her first name. I also felt comfortable enough to stay here all day, and shower here, if I wanted. “I’m good. I’ll just stay here if that’s okay with you, Diane?”

  “That’s fine.” She smiled at me before locking eyes with Reese. “Your sisters will be back in an hour or so. Dad already left for work. I’ll call you on my way home; hopefully you’ll feel like eating. You’ve lost too much weight with all this stress. How does pasta, from Fratelli’s, sound?”

  “That sounds good; thanks, Mom. Where are the twins, anyway?” Reese sat up, pulling away from me. I instantly missed her pressed up against me.

  “They stayed down at Aunt Janice’s, last night. I asked her to keep them until I called. They don’t need to know about the drugs, okay?”

  We both nodded in agreement. “Tell Candice’s parents that we’re here and that if we can do anything, we are ready.” Reese stopped talking and jumped up, giving her mom a hug, “Tell them I love them. Tell her, too, if you see her.”

  “I will. Be good and I‘ll see you kids, soon.” Diane walked out the front door, closing it behind her.

  Reese fell back on to my chest. I rubbed soothing circles into her back as I held her. Reese’s breaths grew deeper and I wondered if she was falling asleep. Moving my hand from her back, I ran my fingers from her shoulder down to her wrist and back up again. I felt the goosebumps rise on her arms and her once deep breaths become more quick and shallow.

  Now was not the best time to have this discussion, but it was the first time we’d been alone and I needed to know. “Can we talk about something?”

  I felt her stiffen and I pondered what it was she thought I want to talk about. “Sure.” She started to sit up, but I pulled her back to my chest. I couldn’t look at her when I asked her the next question.

  Once she settled into my chest, I ran a shaky hand through my hair and brought my thumb to my mouth. Thankfully, it was my left hand this time. My right was already sore and bleeding. “What happened between you and Josh isn’t my business; but I can’t stand for you to act like what he did was no big deal. I heard everything. It was a HUGE DEAL. It’s not my place, but I need to know: did he ever do that to you before or again?” My voice was layered in anger. I was biting the side of my thumb as if it had no feeling. I wish it didn’t.

  “That wasn’t the first time.”

  “Talk to me Reese, please.”

  She pulled a blanket up around her placing it between us. “I can’t. It’s over now.”

  I lifted her head, cradling it in my hands, rubbing her jaw once again. I stared into her denim blue eyes and found all the dark and light specks mesmerizing. “I want to punch him in the nuts for hurting you. He did something serious, Reese, and you need to talk to someone about it. If you can’t talk to me, that’s understandable; but you need to talk to someone. Please, Reese.”

  I wanted nothing more than to kiss her soft pink lips. I knew that she needed a friend and not someone to push her, again. So I bit my bottom lip and waited, holding my breath for her to answer.

  “Ty, I will. I promise you I had already scheduled time to talk to Sarah and Mr. Wait.” She brought her hands up to cup my hands on her jaw. Soothing her delicate fingers over my knuckles she stared into my eyes. “If you really want to know what happened, how everything transpired, I will tell you. Just not today, okay? We need to think of Candice. Once she’s better, I will tell you both.” She pulled my hands off her face and into my lap, holding on to them. Reese laid her head on my chest, snuggling in closer to me.

  I kissed her head and flipped a strand of hair between my fingers. “Okay.” It wasn’t long before I felt her body grow heavy and the rise and fall of her chest evened out. Laying my head back I fell back asleep with Reese.

  Reese

  I thought he was going to kiss me; I wanted him to kiss me. I did. But not yet, not like this. I wanted our first kiss to be special. Not stressed related. After telling him I was planning on talking to Sarah and Mr. Wait, I fell back asleep, on his chest. The boy’s muscles have grown since the last time I laid there, and his chest felt amazing.

  Candice would be allowed visitors the next afternoon. Mom and Nicole had planned on taking us. We knew we would have to go back to school soon, but right now, for today and tomorrow, we were excused.

  That evening, Mom decided we needed to go early and talk with Candice’s parents. I couldn’t understand the change in her thoughts. She was still in ICU. Her vitals were strong but they were still concerned about the effects of the overdose on her body. And the injuries… Mom finally told us what all happened to her.

  They found several broken ribs, her right wrist and pelvis was fractured. They had reason to believe, from t
he extent of the injuries, that she was kicked multiple times with severe force. My heart ached for her. I wasn’t prepared to see the anguish on the faces of the Warner’s. When we walked into the ICU waiting room, her parents were seating together in the corner with tears streaming down their faces. Cecilia’s shoulders shook with silent sobs.

  George was the first to notice us. His eyes darted at each of us, settling on my face. Tears spilled over onto his cheeks and he swiped them away, repeatedly. I was afraid Candice had taken a turn for the worse I reached up and ran my fingers through my hair, capturing a few strands to play with.

  Walking toward them, George stood up to greet me, hugging me tight and whispering, “She was doing so well. They were talking about taking her out of the ICU.”

  I looked at Mom, who had gone to hold Cecilia. Worry and fear etched in the lines around her eyes. Tightening my hug on George─ he was like a second father to me and it tore at me to see him hurting—I asked, “What’s going on, George?” My voice shook with nerves.

  He let go of me and hugged Titus. We were all family. He sat back down and pointed for the two of us to sit. Mom continued to hold Cecilia as the pain of whatever had happened raked through her body. “Well, Reese, she was starting to make some progress. They still had her sedated, but her vitals were increasing. Her blood pressure was back to normal, as was her temperature. Which the doctor said was a good sign. A sign she was overcoming the first consequences of the overdose.

  “Just a little while ago, we heard them calling for her doctor. There were alarms going off and they were obviously coming from her room. We watched through the little window and waited for someone to us something. Anything.

  “Her doctor came out forty-five minutes later. He said that her heart had stopped, but they were able to get it started, again. He explained that all of her injuries, plus the drugs, had done a number on her heart and he was worried that she may code again, before the night is over.”

  I looked at him, waiting for him to continue; to say that it was all going to be okay, now. Instead, he looked at me and then to Titus with fresh tears in his eyes and I felt my body go numb. The blackness was easing its way into to my mind. I was so familiar with it now that I knew what was coming next.

  George took my hand. “They said if she makes it through the night, we will need to pray for her to make through the next night.”

  He continued to talk, but I could feel myself falling behind as his words got further and further away. I knew the blackness was taking over. I was shutting down. There was nothing I could do to stop it. I surrendered to it.

  Titus

  George was still talking, but I could see Reese going numb; shutting down, again. I needed to help her, but I needed to listen, too. I laced my fingers with hers and waited for George to finish.

  “Her heart is damaged and they don’t know if they can repair it or if it can it can’t recover again, if she were to code. So, Cecilia and I have a very tough decision on our hands.”

  “Oh, George.” Diane let go of Cecilia for a minute, to grab George and hug him, as well.

  I knew that I needed to stay strong for everyone. I felt Reese’s hand go limp in mine.

  “Diane, Reese…”

  She looked over her shoulder and saw her daughter sliding down. It was obvious Reese was unconscious. I figured it was another panic attack. Diane ran off toward the nurse’s station.

  She came back with a nurse who introduced herself as Millie. “Can you explain what happened?”

  “Yeah, she passed out. I think it’s her way of coping when she feels a panic attack coming on. She’s been doing it a lot lately, almost every time something bad happens or we get troubling news about Candice.”

  Nurse Millie grabbed her hand and felt for a pulse. “She’s in distress. Let me get a gurney and someone to help and we’ll get her into a room.”

  I looked at Diane before picking Reese up and asking the nurse, “Where? She needs to be checked out, right now.”

  “This way. Although this is highly unethical.”

  “I’m her mom and I give him permission to carry her to a room for you.” Diane followed us out of the waiting room. “I’ll be back shortly. I’m sorry.”

  George waved us off and Cecilia offered a small smile. “Let us know how she is.”

  We got her into a room and the nurse came back fairly quickly, with a doctor. They started to check her vitals and took blood. Within thirty minutes, they were back.

  “Mrs. Milson, your daughter’s blood sugar is extremely low. I am concerned that she hasn’t been eating. Do you know if your daughter has been battling an eating disorder?”

  “No.” Diane and I answered the doctor, together. Diane stood up gripping Reese’s right hand. “My daughter has never had an eating disordered. She has always been a great eater and exercised, daily. She has never been overly concerned about her weight. If she isn’t eating, then it most definitely has to do with her breaking up with her boyfriend and almost losing her friend. It has been a rough couple weeks.”

  “I understand. I didn’t mean to assume that you didn’t know what was going on with your child, ma’am, I apologize. I am going to have Millie hook her up to an IV with fluids and we’ll administer the drug Glucagon. This will raise her glucose levels. We will need to do another blood test and, once she’s awake, we’ll get her to eat something.”

  Diane nodded her head. I understood what they were going to do, but I didn’t understand how long she would be out. “How long after you give her that stuff will she wake up?”

  “We can’t know for sure. It can take a few minutes or it can take quite a bit longer. If there are no other questions, we’ll get started.” The doctor waited, and when neither of us said anything, he headed out the door with Millie on his heels.

  Within two minutes, Millie came back in with all the stuff she needed to hook up to Reese. While she worked, I laid my head back and closed my eyes. When I woke up, Diane was just falling asleep. She sat up quickly, “Oh good you’re awake. I need to sleep a little. Can you wait up for Reese?”

  “Of course, sorry I fell asleep.”

  “Oh, no, Honey, don’t worry. I needed to check on Candice and sit with Reese a little while. Candice hasn’t changed any. George said he would keep us updated.”

  Diane fell asleep and slid closer to Reese, holding her hand. My girl hadn’t been taking care of herself. I knew she hadn’t been eating enough, but I didn’t realize how many problems it could cause.

  Reese

  Waking up, I looked around at the dingy yellow walls. There was a sink at the foot of my bed, a window to the left and a chair, where mom sat, sleeping. Titus was beside the bed, with his face down, holding my hand. I wondered, briefly, where I was. But then the smell of antiseptic and death hit my nostrils, bringing everything flying back. I was at the hospital, Candice was here, and not doing well “Candice?”

  Mom was sleeping and it looked as if Titus might have been, too. I looked at him as he jumped. His eyes flew open and he put his hand to his lip, “Shhh, she just fell asleep,” he said, pointing back at my mom. “Last I checked, Candice was still hanging on.”

  “How long was I out?” I searched his blue eyes and all I found was concern.

  “A few hours. They said your blood sugar was low. When was the last time you ate?” I looked down. Why do I have an IV?

  “I’m not sure. I haven’t really felt hungry in a while.” I closed my eyes trying to actually pinpoint my last meal. Two nights ago, mom brought home Fratelli’s, but I just pushed the food around. I felt sick just thinking about eating. “Can you go check on Candice for me?”

  “Only if you promise to eat whatever I bring back.” He looked at me with his huge blue eyes and head inclined, raising his brows. “Well?”

  Only because I needed to know how my best friend was doing. I agreed. “Deal."

  Not long after Ty left, Mom woke up and flitted to my side. “Honey, you scared me. How are you feeling? Do
you need anything?”

  “Mom, I’m sorry. I feel fine. Ty went to check on Candice and get me something to eat. When can I get out of this bed?”

  “They said you need two, if not three, bags of fluid. You’ve had two. Maybe they will let you go. I can go check. Your dad was here earlier, he had to go get the girls.”

  “Okay. Tell him sorry too, please? And see if I can get outta here?” I leaned my head back on the pillow and waited for her leave.

  She patted my leg. “Sure honey, I will be right back.”

  I heard her shuffle out the door and I started drifting off to sleep. I remember thinking that Titus would be right back and I’d just rest my eyes. Then, my thoughts went haywire. Candice had coded again, or something had happened to her. There were broken bones and pierced lungs, blood and unwanted advances plagued my mind. I wasn’t sure when her nightmares became my own, but when the door shut, I bolted upright in bed, wiping the sweat from my brow and panting from the beating we had just received.

  Titus and my mom stood at the foot of the bed, blank faces staring at me. “What’s wrong?” I choked out, feeling all my emotions gathering in my chest and throat, aching for release. Then I felt the tears spring from behind my eyes.

  They both hurried to either side of my bed, each grabbing a hand. I watched Titus swallowing back his tears, his Adam’s apple leaping with each attempt to stop the flow.

  “Candice’s heart stopped, again,” Mom whispered slowly; as she brushed my hair back away from my face with her other hand. “Her parents decided not to keep putting her body through the torture of bringing her back.” Her voice caught on the sob that made her sink into the chair beside me.

  Titus looked at me with anger in his eyes. I knew he wasn’t angry at me. I knew who he was angry with. Alex had killed our best friend. Through his actions, she died. I didn’t even realize that I was crying until Titus’ hand started brushing my cheeks. It took a minute to realize he was wiping the tears I couldn’t feel, away. He reached over for a tissue and handed it to me letting go of my hand.