Chapter 36

Evergreen Enterprises hit the ground running after the press conference. The music side netted some great local stars, and Bert was in his element at the studio. Cedric handled the telephone end of the company, as he was planning on putting up an additional tower for better service coverage in the Forest. Ralph and Melissa were getting used to the additional subscriptions that the Standard was generating. As for Bentley, well, he liked computers, but was loving the party life a little too much.

"Hi Bentley," said Justin as he strolled into Bentley's office.

Bentley lifted his head from his desk, and tried to shield the light from the sun coming directly into his eyes. "Morning already?"

"Wow Bentley, what did you do last night?" asked Justin. "Did you stay here overnight?"

Bentley got up gingerly and stretched. "I decided to come back here after I left the Roseroom last night. It's a shorter distance than home, and I came across a little surprise." Bentley smirked as he opened his desk drawer, revealing an empty bottle of vodka.

"I wouldn't let Cedric catch you with that," warned Justin. "I know that you want to go out and have a good time, but stuff like this can trash your career. You have to get focused. Go home and take a shower. I'll get the group started this morning."

Bentley huffed as he picked himself off his swivel chair. Without saying a word, he left the room, with Justin assuming that he was going home. Instead, after leaving the room, he put in a call to the young alligator to replenish his stash.

"I need some 'srooms bro," said Bentley. "I need to get in my groove. Let's meet up by the Blue Spruce. There's a large Elm tree about three hundred yards away."

"I'll be there in fifteen," said the alligator.

Bentley and his 'friend' met up at the tree. Bentley had no problems paying for it; his job was pretty cushy.

"Here's the 'srooms," said the alligator, "and a little bonus. It's a new drug, they call it Crystal Meth. It is supposed to give you a better buzz than uppers, and you don't need as much. Give them a try and see what you think."

"Okay, Bonneville," said Bentley, taking off for home.

Nicole heard the door open and knew it was Bentley, since he wasn't very graceful in making quiet entries. She passed Bentley on the way downstairs, and didn't even have to ask how he was feeling. "Thez coffee will bez on when you're donez, zon," she said, as Bentley just nodded his head.

Curiosity was getting to the best of Bentley as he came out of the shower, and thought he would give the meth a try. He grabbed his coffee off the counter, and took his pipe outside to smoke it. In just a few minutes, his heart was racing faster. He was also starting to sweat; he could feel his back getting wet and could see sweat marks on his shirt around the armpits. "I better change this shirt," he said before he headed back to Sneer Mansion.

As he was walking back to work on this sunny and unusually warm November morning, the light was really bothering his eyes. The trees around him started to move. As he continued, he realized he was heading to the Standard instead of Sneer Mansion, which is in the opposite direction. He knelt down beside a bush just off the road, with his head spinning.

Unfortunately, Zoey was making her morning rounds in the Forest. She was just coming from the Blue Spruce with her cup of joe driving towards the Standard. She noticed a raccoon in a sport jacket hovered around the bushes. Since the Forest was pretty quiet, Zoey knew something was up. "Can I help you?" she asked as she rolled down the window of her police SUV. No response. Bentley's mind was elsewhere. After she asked again, she got out of her vehicle and put a hand on his shoulder. Bentley turned around, and gave Zoey quite a shock.

"Bentley? You look terrible!" said Zoey. "What happened?"

"I'm, I'm supposed to be going to work, I think," said Bentley, with his eyes starting to glaze.

"Bentley, did you have too much to drink again last night?" asked Zoey, knowing that Bentley has been auditioning for the town drunk title lately.

"I guess." But as Bentley replied, Zoey noticed that he was going to blackout.

"Come with me, Bentley, we better get you to the hospital." She helped Bentley up and started for the SUV. Then Bentley realized what was going on and started resisting Zoey's help.

"I'm finnee..." started Bentley. "I, I just need to rest for a while..." But Bentley did blackout, and Zoey got him into the vehicle and were off to the hospital.

About two hours passed, and Justin noticed that Bentley still wasn't back yet. He called his home, and Nicole picked up.

"Good Morning, Mrs. Raccoon," started Justin, "have you seen Bentley this morning?"

"He waz here thiz morning, but he lefts over an hourz ago," said Nicole. "What's wrong?"

"He hasn't been here since I sent him back home this morning, I was just wondering where he was," said Justin. "Thanks, Nicole."

Justin then phoned Bert at the studio. Bert was in the middle of listening to a great guitar rift from a young gopher and took about three rings before he answered.

"This better be important," started Bert. "I might have the next Woodchuck Berry on my hands here."

"Sorry Bert. But have you seen Bentley this morning?"

"No. Why do you ask?"

"He slept here overnight after going out drinking. He looked like garbage, so I sent him home to clean up. But that was over two hours ago."

"Oh, he's probably just sleeping," Bert joked. "I caught him a few weeks ago after the press conference zonked out. Partying catches up to you after a while. I'll keep an eye out for him."

"Thanks Bert. Have a good one."

Just as Justin hung up, Cedric rushed into the office. "I just got a call from George, Justin. Bentley's in the hospital."

"What? He didn't look like sunshine, but he was good enough to work today," replied a shocked Justin. "I wonder what happened? Let's go."

Bentley awoke a few hours later hooked up to an IV machine. The effects of the meth were wearing off, but he was now feeling the effects of getting beaten down from the night before. Dr. Canard came into the room a few minutes after he woke up.

"Ah...I was a young guy once," started Dr. Canard. "But you need a reality check, Bentley. I got the test results back from the blood clinic, and it concluded that you had an overdose."

Bentley shrugged it off. "I just partied a little too much last night."

"Thankfully Zoey brought you in," said Dr. Canard. "You possibly could have died. If you get caught, you could get a criminal record. Would you want that?"

"Don't tell anyone!" said Bentley, growing nervous and looking around.

"This file does have to go to the police; but it is confidential, so if you talk nice enough to Constable Bella, your parents don't have to know. It's your choice." Dr. Canard started to leave. "You will be able to go home in a few hours."

Bentley had to come up with a story that his friends and family would believe. A few minutes later, Nicole and George came into the room.

"What appened?" asked Nicole.

"Too much to drink, I got dehydrated," lied Bentley. "I'll be fine."

"You know, your friends aren't going to be too happy with you," said George.

"They were young once, they'll understand," came back Bentley, confidently.

"And youz sister doesn't need thiz ind of stress," said Nicole.

Just then, Lisa came in. Now six months pregnant, she no longer had a slender figure. She was glowing and more rounded now. "I see someone had a good time last night," said Lisa. "You and the booze should go on a date."

"Ha, ha, very funny," said Bentley sarcastically. "You had your bad nights too."

"Bentley!" said Nicole.

"It's okay, Mom," said Lisa. "I'll stay with Bentley for a while."

"Okay, darling," said George as the parents left the room.

Lisa waited for a minute after they left the room to start her investigation. "I know what you're doing."

"What?" asked Bentley, trying to play tough guy.

"I saw you with the joint a few weeks ago. The heavy drinking and partying. Annie is across the country. You're looking for something to take your mind off of her."

Bentley sighed. "I do miss her, but the partying has nothing to do with it, honest!"

"But that's no excuse for your behaviour!" shot back Lisa. "Wrecking yourself isn't going to bring Annie back sooner. It's going to push you two further apart! You have a great job, great friends, and a great girl. Why would you want to throw it all away?"

Bentley was mixed with sadness and anger at this point. "I can do whatever I want! Drinking relaxes me. I enjoy my friends. Just because you're pregnant..."

"It's not about me, you idiot!" said Lisa, now upset. "You better clean up your act mister." Lisa left the room without turning back.

Bentley sat up dejected with himself. "It's not a big deal. They don't know what they're talking about!"

A minute after Lisa left, Bert and Cedric came in.

"What's up little buddy?" asked Bert. "Are you okay? I think you better lay off the quarter bounce for a little while."

"Just a little dehydrated," said Bentley. "I'll be okay."

"I expect you to be back at work tomorrow," said Cedric. "If you pull anymore stunts like this, we are going to have a little chat."

"Aye, aye, captain!" saluted Bentley. "I'll be back!"

All three shared a laugh, but this was a scenario that Bentley wasn't going to have the last laugh.