- 7 -
Chapter Seven – Aftershock
The ambulance arrived at the hospital around fifteen minutes later. "Why don't you go wait in the reception area, kid?" the emergency room doctor said, when he saw Zack. The doctor was young-looking and blonde and looked very tired.
"Okay," Zack replied. "I should call my family, anyhow."
"Alright kid," the doctor said, and Zack left the emergency room. He walked down to the reception room and asked the receptionist where the payphone was. He went where she said to go, put two quarters in the phone and dialed his home phone number.
"Hello?" said Carey, answering the phone.
"Hi mom," Zack replied. Even over the phone, Carey could hear that he was slurring his words. "May I talk to Cody, please?"
"Uh yeah, sure," Carey replied. She then yelled, "Cody! Zack's on the phone! He wants to talk to you!"
"Coming mom!" Cody said. He ran into the living room and took the cordless phone from his mother. "Hi Zack! What's up?"
"Nothing good," Zack replied. "You were right!"
Cody was walking back to his room. "About what?" he asked, confused. Then he realized how Zack didn't sound normal. "Have you taken something?"
"Yes," Zack replied. "Tapeworm and I have still been going to those parties!"
"You idiot!" Cody said. "So that 'friend' from gym class -"
"Was just a lie to keep you from figuring out," Zack replied, guiltily. "I'm sorry!"
"And hanging out with Seth?"
"Mostly because I thought he and his friends were cool! But they did tell me when a party was happening."
"Of course! They probably hosted them!"
"Yeah. They did."
"I'm telling mom! I should have told her a long time ago. If I had -"
"I probably wouldn't have still been going to these parties! I know. And go ahead and tell mom. I was already planning on telling her."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah. You were right. These parties are dangerous."
"Wait a minute. Where are you calling from?"
"The hospital. The party -"
"The hospital? How'd you get there? Zack, you idiot!"
"Cody! Calm down! It's not me that's in the hospital! Tapeworm is!"
"What?"
"Like I was trying to say, things got a bit out of hand. The party was going great at first. But then Tapeworm passed out and I knew something was up. After some squabbles with partiers – they didn't think anything was wrong – I called 9-1-1 from Eli's home phone."
"Eli? Who's Eli?"
"He's Seth's friend. He hosted the party. Anyways, so I called 9-1-1. Seth got word I had called and had everyone leave. Did you know these parties aren't exactly legal?"
"No, really? Ya think? Most things that are dangerous and pointless are illegal!"
"I guess I should have realized that."
"Have Tapeworm's parents been told?"
"Not yet. I'm not sure if I should be the one to tell them."
"You should. You can tell them best what happened."
"It'll be so hard to face them. I mean, it's partly my fault. I encouraged Tapeworm to go! He had the feeling that something bad was going to happen, but I ignored him, and told him that nothing was going to happen. How do I face his parents? How?"
"I'm not saying that it'll be easy, but you have to do it. How is Tapeworm anyways?"
"I don't know. We just got here! The doctor kicked me out and told me to wait in the waiting room."
"Oh. Well, I'm coming then."
"What are you going to tell mom?"
"The truth. I'm even going to tell her about myself going."
"I'll tell her. I should be the one to do so, anyways. Just like I'm going to be the one to tell Tapeworm's mom and dad."
"Well, you should do it soon."
"I don't have the McAdams' number, but I'll talk to mom."
"Alright. I'm gunna give her the phone right now, then."
"Go ahead," Zack said, resignedly.
"Mom! Zack wants to talk to you! It's important!" Cody yelled, walking out of his room. He handed the phone to Carey.
"Hi mom," Zack said, sighing.
"Hey son," Carey replied. "What's up? What did you want to talk to me about?"
"I kinda did something sort of stupid," Zack said, hesitantly.
"What did you break now?"
"It's not that, mom."
"Oh?"
"You know how I've come home on Fridays slurring my words?"
"Yeah. You've said it was because you were tired."
"Well, I lied. It wasn't because I was tired."
"Zack! What trouble are you getting yourself into?"
"Let me start at the beginning. Just listen, mom. Please?"
"Go on."
Zack told Carey the whole story, pausing only when she had something to say. He didn't leave anything out and was honest about his own stupidity and Cody's intelligent actions following the party. "...So now I'm standing here at this payphone," Zack said, nearing the end of the story. "Tapeworm's in the emergency room. I'm not even sure if he'll survive. One of my good friends could die, because of my own stupid actions. Because I'm too easily influenced by peer pressure. Because I don't listen. Because I'm stupid enough to listen to Seth, a kid who's not much older than I am, who I barely know, instead of my very intelligent brother. Because I'm not smart enough to ask an adult if what I was doing really was safe. The answer obviously would have been no. I wish Cody had told you after that first party."
"Do you think that would've stopped you?" Carey asked, simply. She knew how stubborn her son was.
"Yes," Zack said, with fake confidence. "Maybe... No, probably not. I'm probably too stubborn. Bad experiences are probably the only thing I learn from." There was silence for a minute. "Mom," Zack said quietly, breaking the silence. "Do you have Tapeworm's parents number?"
"Uh yeah," Carey said. "Why?"
"I need to call them about Tapeworm. I figure it'd be better if I was the one to tell them," Zack said, shrugging his shoulders.
"Alright. Lemmie look it up," Carey said, looking up the McAdams' number in her address book. "Here. Tom and Melissa McAdams, 555-9547."
"Thanks mom," Zack said, sighing.
"Welcome. Cody and I will be coming soon."
"Alright. See you mom," Zack said, hanging up.
Better not waste time, thought Zack. Better face the music...
Zack inserted 50¢ into the payphone and dialed the number that Carey had given him. "Hello. McAdams' residence. Who may I ask is calling?" Melissa asked, answering the phone.
"Uh hi. It's Zack Martin," Zack said.
"Oh," Melissa said. "Is Tapeworm still with you?"
"Uh... uh," Zack replied, unsure what to say. "That is why I called."
"Did something happen to Tapeworm?" Melissa asked, worriedly.
"Uh yeah..." Zack said, cautiously. Zack told her the whole story. "I'm sorry Mrs. McAdams. This whole thing is my fault. If I hadn't asked him to come, he wouldn't have gotten involved and into this trouble!"
"It's not entirely your fault. Tapeworm also chose to come. He could have chosen not to."
"He didn't want to go tonight. I pressured him into it."
"It's still not your fault, Zack. And, when you noticed that Tapeworm was in trouble, you reacted immediately. That may have saved his life."
"Maybe, but I still feel guilty. If I had known -"
"You wouldn't have gone. Hindsight is 20/20, I know. Tom and I should come to the hospital soon, so I should hang up. I'll see you later, Zack."
"Bye," Zack said, quietly. He hung up the phone. He walked back to the waiting area and sat down. My head hurts! Zack thought, as he sat there.
"Hey kid!" said the doctor Zack had met earlier. "I'm Dr. Jesse Travis and I -"
"How is my friend?" Zack asked, interrupting the doctor. "Is he going to be okay?"
"I'm sorry, but I'm not allowed to tell you," Dr. Travis said. He looked truly sorry. Poor kid! He thought. His friend is in the hospital and he can't even find out how he is.
"Why?" Zack asked, insistently.
"I'm sorry, but it's policy of the hospital to only disclose information about minors to their parents. Are his parents here?"
"No, but they're coming soon. My mother and my brother are coming too."
"Oh, well tell his parents to see me when they arrive," Dr. Travis said, leaving the room.
Meanwhile at home... After Carey and Zack hung up, Carey knocked on Cody's door. "Mom, did Zack tell you the whole story?" Cody asked, nervously.
"Yes. I'm very disappointed... in both of you," Carey replied, sternly. "But we'll talk about it in the car."
Cody reluctantly followed his mom downstairs.
"Hey!" Mr. Moseby said as Carey and Cody walked into the lobby. "Where are you two going at such a late hour?"
"Uh... "Cody said, unsure of what to say.
"Where's Zack? I never saw him come home tonight," Mr. Moseby said.
"Uh..." Cody said.
"It's a long story," Carey said, quickly. "We'll tell you later. We've gotta go."
"Bye!" Mr. Moseby said.
"See ya Carey! Bye Cody!" Esteban said as they walked out the door. They headed to the car.
"I want to hear your side of the story," Carey said as she buckled her seatbelt.
"Oh," Cody said. "Well, when I found out that there wasn't adult supervision, I tried to get Zack and Tapeworm to leave, but they didn't want to."
"Why?" Carey asked.
"It would make us look 'uncool', apparently. According to Zack, Blaine seemed responsible enough."
"Ah. And was he?"
"Not really. He did host the party, which had a pharming party in the basement."
"A what?"
"Pharming party. It's a technical term for the party that Zack and I went to."
"Oh. So why did you decide to stay? You could have left."
"I didn't want to leave Zack and Tapeworm there by themselves and I wanted us to stay together as a group. And maybe I didn't want to feel uncool."
"Cody! What have I told you about being cool and popularity?"
"That it's not important. That I should trust my instincts and do what's right, even if it's uncool. I guess I just forgot."
"I guess so. So, according to Zack, you were more hesitant about the prescription drugs. Why?"
"I guess that I was hesitant because I had doubts that what was going on was safe."
"Because it wasn't."
"Well yeah. But Seth said that it was. He said that it wasn't dangerous because doctors prescribe the stuff to people. I started to believe him, but wasn't fully convinced."
"Prescription drugs are prescribed by doctors, but they aren't completely safe. They're only safe when a doctor prescribes them and they're used correctly. If they're not, they are dangerous and very possibly deadly."
"I know that now, mom. Tapeworm, Zack and everyone at the party started pressuring me to take some, so I finally gave into peer pressure. I know that's not like me, but I just got tired of people thinking of me as uncool. My own brother thinks I am an absolute dork and calls me it at least twice a week!"
"He does do that, but it shouldn't get to you. "As for popularity -"
" I know what you think, mom. I just forgot. I made a mistake that easily could have cost me my life! I know that, mom!"
"So, did you have fun at the party?"
"No. I was out of it most of the night. I just sat on the couch for several hours! And, I also had a humongous headache in the morning."
"That's called a hangover."
"Yeah, mom. I knew that. After I woke up with the headache, I told Zack that I didn't have any fun at the party and that I wasn't going to one again. He just said, 'Fine, suit yourself', that he was going again. After Zack got both us an aspirin, I told him I was thinking about telling you. I told him that what we had done was dangerous, but he said that telling you would be pointless, since I wasn't planning on ever going again. I agreed with his reasoning and didn't tell you. That ended up being a mistake, because Zack kept going."
"Knowing Zack, he would have snuck around behind my back. Sometimes one has to learn lessons the hard way."
"And I didn't even know until tonight that he was still going! He lied to me, his twin brother, and told me he was going to a different friend's house! He lied to me! I can't believe that!"
"I know. It's hard for me to believe, too, Cody."
"I did get slightly suspicious when he was hanging out with Seth and friends at lunch, but I brushed it off, thinking I was overreacting and that Zack wouldn't lie to me. I confronted him about it, before he, unbeknownst to me, went to the party tonight."
"What'd he say?"
"That he didn't have to agree with what someone did to be friends with them. I sort of agreed. I told him about this article that our friend Coraline had me read."
"Coraline?"
"She's this new girl from school that Zack seems to have a crush on. "She's really smart and nice."
"Hmm... That's different. Zack usually likes -"
"Dumb blondes, I know. The article was about pharming parties and how dangerous they are. Zack just nodded along, said goodbye and left. I again doubted whether he was telling the truth, but decided to give him the benefit of the doubt."
"And how'd that work out?"
"Not well, obviously. We should be thankful for one thing, though."
"What?"
"Zack's not in the hospital."
"Yeah."
"So, mom?"
"Yeah?"
"Zack and I are probably grounded, right?"
"What do you think?"
"Yes. How long am I grounded?"
"I'm thinking two weeks."
"Sounds fair. Zack should get more time, though."
"Already on it. He's grounded for a month."
"Good."
They were both silent for a while. Cody thought about how thankful he was that Zack wasn't the one in the hospital. Zack was his twin brother and his other half. Even if they were exact opposites, Cody couldn't imagine losing Zack.
