Chapter Seven
Heidi strolled into work and quietly sat at her desk. Lucky for her, Lara was the first one to walk in the door. "Lara! Can we talk?"
"Sure, Heidi. What's up?"
"So about Jordan…" Heidi hedged. "He's kind of staying with me."
Lara's eyes just about popped out of her head. "Staying with you? Oh Heidi, are you sure about this?"
Heidi shrugged her shoulders. "Not really. It's just that he is in trouble, and despite everything that happened, I can't turn him away when he doesn't have anybody else. He's on the couch, and trust me when I say that I am locking my bedroom door just in case he tries something."
"You're a good person, Heidi." Lara said. "I don't know if I could do that if my ex walked through the door asking for help."
Dean walked through the door while Lara was finishing her sentence. "Lara, has Hamish come back?"
Lara looked at Heidi and then back at Dean. "Uh… No. Hamish isn't back."
Dean looked almost like he was smiling. "Good. Good." He put his keys down on his desk and sat.
"It's Jordan. Jordan is back, Dean." Heidi said in a rush. She was almost nervous about what he was going to say.
To his credit, the look on his face said it all, but the words that came out of his mouth did not reflect the look on his face. "Oh, well… If that is what you want, Heidi, that's good."
Heidi opened her mouth and shut it again. "Well, actually, it's not like that. You see he was stuck and had nowhere to go."
Lachie and Chase filed up the stairs. "Who had nowhere to go?" Lachie asked, interrupting their conversation.
"Jordan." Dean said, turning around to face his computer screen. He knew that Lachie was going to blow a fuse, and decided that it would be pretty entertaining.
A myriad of emotions crossed Lachie's face, and it looked like he was struggling to find the right words to say. "What do you mean, he's back?" Was the best response that he could come up with.
"He's staying at mine for now, until he gets back on his feet, that is." Heidi said. "It's not like we are back together or anything."
Chase spoke up before Lachie could say anything else. "Didn't see that coming. Is he more like he used to be?"
"Yeah, a little. The poor guy practically begged me." Heidi said sadly. "But he knows that he is on the couch and will not, I repeat not, find his way back into the bedroom."
Chase walked up to Heidi. "If you are sure of what you are doing, then that is fine with us, right Lach?" Chase turned and smiled at his brother.
"Uh… yeah. Right." Lachie said, distractedly. He tossed his stuff next to his desk and flopped into his chair. Inside he was fuming. How could she take him back? He is just going to use her again.
"See Heidi, we're all behind you." Chase said grinning. He enjoyed throwing his brother under the bus and making him squirm.
Heidi smiled and hugged Chase. "Thanks Chase. You're such a good mate."
Chase could have sworn he saw smoke coming out of Lachie's ears as Chase hugged Heidi.
End of the Day
Heidi pulled into her parking spot at home and got out. She was exhausted. She had gone on multiple call outs, and now all she wanted was a good meal and a hot shower.
She walked up the stairs and to her door. Opening the door, she sighed. Jordan was asleep on the couch, beer bottles all around him. Anger coursed through her and she slammed the door shut. She marched up to the couch and tapped him on the shoulder. "Jordan!"
Jordan's eyes flew open and looked at Heidi. "H… Heidi." Jordan said slowly. "What time is it?"
"It's seven at night, Jordan. Why are you passed out on my couch?" Heidi asked, her arms crossed.
"Well.. I… It was a bad day."
Heidi rolled her eyes. "I am letting you stay here because you had nowhere to go. Don't make me think I made a mistake. No more drinking binges. You can do that in someone else's house."
Jordan sat up and rubbed his face. "Sorry. I won't do it again, Heidi. I promise."
Heidi looked at him and sighed. "Have you eaten?"
"No." Jordan shrugged his shoulders.
"Okay. I'm going to throw something together." Heidi stood and walked to her kitchen. Fifteen minutes later she had her spaghetti sauce warming on the stove and the water boiling for pasta. She poked her head around the corner. "I'm going for a shower – watch the stove."
Jordan stood and walked over to the stove. The last thing he wanted was to make her angry again. The smell of the sauce warming on the stove had his mouth watering.
Ten minutes later Heidi came back into the kitchen, her wet hair tied back and she was in jeans and a tee. "I'll take over here – you set the table."
They sat down to eat supper together and Heidi watched Jordan eat. He ate as though he hadn't eaten since the day before. Heidi felt sad for him, almost to the point of wanting to hold him. But she knew better than that.
"Thanks for supper Heidi. I don't expect you to feed me every day." Jordan said.
"No problem Jordan. What do you plan to do for a job?" Heidi asked, not holding anything back.
"Not sure Heidi. The only thing I really know how to do is Rescue."
"What about talking to Michelle and Vince, asking for your job back?" Heidi suggested.
"Naw, I wouldn't feel right about it." Jordan said. "Not yet. I need to prove myself first."
Heidi shrugged. "If you're sure Jordan."
"Yeah, I'm sure." Jordan said. He took a sip of his water and then turned to face her. "Heidi… I know that I really let you down. I never want to do that again."
Heidi looked at him. "Jordan, you did more than let me down. It is going to take a little longer than this for me to get over what happened. I don't know if I will ever be able to get past it. I can forgive you – that much I think I have already done. I'm just not sure about forgetting."
Lachie & Chase
Lachie stood at the stove absent mindedly stirring the spaghetti sauce. He couldn't help but think about Heidi. He had a feeling that Heidi was going to get hurt by Jordan. He would be there to pick up the pieces, providing that Chase didn't get there first.
"Lachie." Chase said, walking into the kitchen. "Lachie!" He said a little louder when Lachie didn't reply. "The water is boiling over." He stood back and watched his brother scramble to take the water off the heat. Chase started laughing, but stopped when Lachie shot him a glare.
"Thanks Chase. Thanks a lot." Lachie said, continuing to glare at his brother.
"What is your problem Lachie? You've been growling all day."
Lachie stared at his brother. "Have I? Guess I got up on the wrong side of the bed."
Chase shook his head. "Why are you lying?"
"I'm not – just drop it, okay?"
Chase held up both hands. "Okay, sure. Whatever you want Lachie."
Lachie rubbed his hand on his face. "Sorry Chasie. I… I guess I am just tired." He mixed the past after draining the water.
"No problem Lach. Don't worry about it." Chase said, sitting down. He knew that something was bothering Lachie, and he had a fair idea what it was about. He just knew that it wasn't the time to talk to him about it.
Heidi & Jordan
Heidi sat up in bed, unable to sleep. Her neighbors were having a party again, and by the sound of the door closing, Jordan had gone over to join them. She sat there fuming, her hands twined behind her head.
She picked up her mobile and texted Lara. Jordan has joined the party next door. So frustrated.
Heidi was desperately trying to get to sleep. She had a feeling that the next day at work was going to be a long one.
Sure enough, Heidi shuffled into the work the next morning, exhausted. She still hadn't seen Jordan since she had gone to bed and she figured that he was sleeping off a hangover at the neighbor's place.
Lara greeted her, cheerful as always. "Hey Babe, got your text message. What happened?"
The Gallagher trio came up the stairs, laughing and joking.
Heidi looked at them and then continued her conversation with Lara. "When I got home, he was passed out on the couch, and then when he heard the party next door, he went there. He wasn't home when I left."
Lara shook her head. "You know, you aren't his girlfriend. He can go where he likes."
Heidi smiled. "I know, it's just that I set up rules and regulations and he broke them. He sits there on my couch, drinking and eating my food and drinks."
"True."
Chase walked over. "Heidi, do you want me to try and talk to him?"
Heidi smiled, "that's not a bad idea Chase. Maybe you can get him to listen to reason."
"Great, I'll come by after shift." Chase walked back to his desk.
Vince marched into the room, "call out. Dean, Lachie and Chase, we have a reported injured person out on an outcropping of rocks. Heidi, you get to the chopper."
Heidi was up and out the door before anyone could say anything. She sped towards Lifeblood when her mobile rang. "Hello?"
"Heidi, I need you." Jordan said, his voice slurring. "Please."
"Jordan, I am on a rescue right now. Gotta go."
"Heidi. Please. I don't feel well."
Heidi groaned inwardly as she raced towards the chopper. "Jordan, if you are that ill, call for an ambulance." Heidi hung up the phone and shoved it in her pocket. She ran past Hayden and shot him a look before she ran for the chopper.
Three Hours Later
Heidi opened the door to the chopper and slid out. She had made the rescue after Lachie, Chase and Dean had secured the patient. Chase slid out the other side of the chopper and came around to meet her. "So, how are things with Jordan?"
"He called me when I was on my way to the chopper, said he wasn't feeling well." Heidi said. She followed through with her checklist and walked into the building, Chase on her heels.
"Why don't we go and check on him before we go back?" Chase said. "I'll call Vince while you file your paperwork."
"Okay, sounds good." Heidi walked over to Hayden's secretary and handed over her paperwork.
Chase was waiting for her by her car. "Vince has given us the all clear to check on Jordan." The climbed into the vehicle and took off for Heidi's apartment. She tried to reach Jordan on his mobile.
"Hello?" Jordan croaked. "Heidi?"
"Jordan, where are you?"
"Home."
"Chase and I are on our way, okay?"
"Yeah." Jordan croaked.
Heidi raced over to her apartment, her worry for Jordan's health increasing. She sped into the parking lot, and parked in front of the entrance. Chase and Heidi ran up the stairs and reached Heidi's apartment in record time.
"Jordan!" Chase called as Heidi unlocked the door. Inside they stumbled across Jordan's prone figure on the couch.
Heidi crouched next to him, "Jordan? What happened?" She looked him over and began checking his vitals. "BP is low." She looked at his pupils and looked for other signs, figuring out almost immediately that he had ingested a drug that he probably shouldn't have. "Jordan! What did you take? Jordan?" He was unresponsive. She picked up her phone and dialled an ambulance. "Chase, he's unconscious. I think that he has taken something." Heidi looked over at the table next to the couch and saw a medicine bottle.
Chase saw Heidi's face change. "What is it?"
"It's a prescription for antidepressants. I think he's tried to overdose." Heidi said, a tear leaking from her eye. She wiped at it in frustration.
"It's going to be okay Heidi." They continued to monitor his vitals until the ambulance arrived.
Heidi gave the ambos the bottle to take with them. "We will follow you to the hospital." Heidi said hurriedly. Slamming her apartment door behind them, Heidi and Chase raced out to follow the ambos.
The Hospital
Heidi sat by Jordan's bed, holding his hand. Chase sat on the arm of the chair, his arm around her shoulders. "This is my fault, Chase. He called me when I was on my way to the chopper. I told him to call an ambulance."
Chase squeezed her arm. "This isn't your fault, Heidi. He made the decision to try and overdose. This was a cry for help."
Heidi sniffed, trying hard not to cry. "I should have listened. He wanted to get back together and I didn't let him even try."
"Listen Heidi, he broke your heart." Chase reasoned.
"He did more than that," Heidi said. "He took all the money I had saved when he left too."
Chase nodded. "I know."
"But when he came back, he really seemed to need help. He has a gambling problem, and I think, even though he denied it, a drug problem."
Just as Heidi finished the sentence, Jordan began to stir. He gripped her hand and she squeezed it back. "Jordan. You're in hospital."
"What happened?" he mumbled.
"You overdosed on medication, Jordan." Chase said, standing. "I'm going to go and get the doctor." He stood, leaving Heidi and Jordan alone.
"I didn't over…dose. I think I mixed too much alcohol with the meds." Jordan said, his eyes still closed.
"Don't do that again, Jordan. You scared me!" Heidi said, rising. She sat on the side of the bed. "I still care about you Jordan." Heidi said, her emotions taking over.
Jordan ran his thumb over her hand. "I care about you too."
Heidi leaned forward and kissed his forehead. "Just get better, okay? Do whatever the doctor says."
Jordan nodded. "I will. I have something to look forward to."
Heidi left the room as the doctor came in. She gave Jordan the privacy that she figured he would want when dealing with the doctor. She leaned against the wall, wondering what she was doing. Part of her wanted to get back with Jordan, simply because she wanted to have something familiar and comfortable. Then she thought about Lachie, and began to feel utterly confused. She knew how Jordan felt, but wasn't sure what was in Lachie's heart. For now one thing was for sure, she was going to be there for Jordan.
