Chapter 9 : Ted Orion
Author's Note: I got the impression in D3 that Ted and Gordon have known each other for years. Fun Fact - 3275 Glenwood is the actual location of Hans Sport Shop. Will beta next week.
" Beep."
Gordon Bombay stirred at the sounds of the machines beeping around him. He squinted at the bright lights. This was not his bedroom. Far from it.
"Nurse," a voice called. "I think he is waking up."
Bombay could not make out who that was. The voice sounded familiar but when he tried to look around the room, everything was blurry. A nurse rushed into the room. She immediately started to take his vitals. Blood pressure. Heart rate. Temperature.
"Mr. Bombay, I need to you open your eyes."
Gordon complied immediately. He had never felt so weak. But as soon as the nurse flashed a small light into his eyes to check his pupils, he moan in pain and shoved the flashlight away.
"Blood pressure still up but improving. Heart right slightly elevated. Temperature normal. How are you feeling Mr. Bombay?"
"Like my head is being crushed by a vice," Bombay said lying back down.
"Anything else?"
Bombay thought for a moment. He wiggled his toes and figures. Normal. But when he tried to move around, it didn't quite feel right. He couldn't explain it.
"Not really."
The nurse watched him for a few minutes before jotting some notes down onto a clip board. "Well you are a very lucky man Mr. Bombay."
"I am?" Bombay asked confused.
"You are. You got here just in time. You went into cardiac arrest twice last night." The nurse paused to see how her patient was taking it. Bombay said nothing. It was like he didn't even hear her. "The doctor will be in shortly."
Bombay nodded and suck back under the covers. His head hurt. A lot. He would do almost anything to make it stop. Before he could drift off to sleep, he could smell the aroma of food. He was starved.
"Hey Gordon. I managed to sneak in some food here for you. Much better then what the cafeteria is serving."
Gordon recognized the voice this time. Ted Orion.
"Thanks Ted." Gordon gratefully took the sandwich Ted offered him and devoured it. He was starving.
"So what happened? Really."
"You don't know?" Ted asked in astonishment.
Gordon hung his head. He tried to remember the night before but nothing. At all. "I don't. I remember Luis driving me home and that's it."
"Geeze," Orion said. "I knew that you were having problems but I never knew it was this bad."
"How did you know that I was here?" Bombay asked.
"I got a call around say...11 I think. From my parents. It appears you haven't updated your emergency contact list since we were at Eden Hall together."
"I bet they were real pleased about that," Gordon said.
"Actually, they were worried about you."
"Really?" Bombay asked. "I seem to remember the last time I saw them. The two us were having a graduation party in the backyard. They were supposed to be in Ohio on vacation but they decided to come home early."
Orion immediately laughed at the memory. "They were so mad. The entire senior class showed up. It took me almost a week to clean up the mess. They found me passed out next to Cindy McLauren. What ever happened to her?"
"Cindy McLauren? Wasn't she the head cheerleader during our senior year?" Ted nodded. "I dunno. I haven't seen her since high school. I do remember vaguely your Dad finding me hanging upside down from the old maple tree in the back yard trying to play beer pong with some freshman girl. Don't know who but I remember your dad threatening that if he ever saw me again that ..." Bombay trailed off. "Anyway, how are your parents?"
"They're good. Especially since the accident. They stay with Kelie while I'm on road trips. I don't know what I'd do if they were not there."
Bombay shook his head. None of this was making sense. "If the hospital call your parents and they called you, then how did I get to the hospital?"
"Oh, there was this guy who drove you in. I think this name was Luis. He said he found your passed out on the floor convulsing." Orion lowered his voice. "How much did you drink last night?"
"I don't know. I lost count. One moment I'm find and then the next I'm...not."
Orion reached into his pocket and pulled out a AA pamphlet and tossed it on Bombay's lap. "They said they found this in your jeans pocket."
"So they did," Bombay remarked. His headache was starting to go away.
"Listen," Orion said. "I don't know what's going on in your life right now but when things were not looking good for Kalie, all I wanted to is lose myself in the bottle. Prescription drugs. Whatever."
"So why didn't you?"
Orion was incredulous. "Because I need to be there for my daughter. If you even need anyone..."
"I'm fine Ted."
"I wouldn't call 'this' fine," Ted said motioning the fact that they were in the hospital.
"I said I'm fine."
Gordon didn't want to hear it. Especially from Ted. Him and Orion went way back. But ever since Orion had his daughter, he was a changed man. Gordon knew inside that Orion meant well but it always came off sanctimonious. The fact was that he was envious of Orion and his family.
The two of them stayed silent. Orion sighed. Bombay, once again, was pushing everyone away whenever someone tried to help him. Ted Orion/s pager going off broke the silence.
"I've gotta go. The offer still stands..."
Orion saw Gordon glaring at him and left as the doctor came into the room. Gordon sat up. He had enough of this place.
"Well, Mr. Bombay, you certainly are a lucky one."
"That's what everyone keeps telling me," Bombay muttered. The doctor ignored the remark and took his vitals again.
"One twenty over eighty. Ninety seven point two. It appears you are back to normal." The doctor watched for Bombay's reaction as he read him the results. "Amazing considering what they were when they bought you in. You probably don't even remember, do you?"
Bombay shook his head no.
"When they bought you in, your heart rate was off the chart, you were convulsing and we had to pump your stomach twice. Your blood alcohol level was over .2 when you arrived. " The doctor paused. "You could have died. You're lucky to be alive. We also found a large amount of Acetaminophen in your blood."
"I'll be more carefully next time," Bombay said. "When am I going to be released?"
"Now if you like. Your vitals are back to normal. I see no reason to keep you." The doctor scribbled on a release form for the hospital and handed it to Gordon. "I hope not to see you again like this."
Bombay nodded, gathered up his things and left the hospital as soon as possible. The thought had crossed his mind to call Luis but he didn't feel like playing twenty questions today so he called himself a cab and went home.
When Bombay opened the door to his apartment, he was shocked to see the mess that he had created. His place looked like a tornado went though it. Bombay stooped down to pick up the garbage that was littered throughout his apartment. There was broken glass bottles everywhere. Bombay signed. This was going to take awhile to clean up.
After about 20 minutes of cleaning non stop, Bombay felt like he was being watched. Every time he would either pick something up, he would spin around expecting to see a person behind him. It was not until the tenth time he did this that he finally saw who was watching him. Jade Hall.
Jade Hall stepped into the room and surveyed the room. Although most of the apartment was cleaned up, the foul stench of alcohol remained. Bombay could smell it as well. He made a mental note to have the drapes cleaned.
"Quite the party last night," Jade said as she surveyed the room. "So what was the big occasion? Birthday? Promotion?"
Bombay sighed. "Not exactly."
"I see," Jade said dryly. She paused to see if Bombay was going to say anything. Bombay just looked at her. She noticed that he looked paler then normal. With dark circles around his eyes.
"Anyway," she continued. "I came by to see how you are doing. You've been coming to meetings but didn't seem that enthusiastic. I can see why."
Gordon rolled his eyes. "Isn't it obvious?" Gordon said referencing the condition of his apartment.
Jade ignored Bombay's eye rolling and attitude. Jade had two pre-teen boys. If she could handle them, she could handle Bombay. Jade picked up a tipped over stool, sat down and motioned for Bombay to take as seat as well. Begrudgingly, he did.
"Why do you drink?" she asked pointedly.
"Why do I drink?" Bombay asked himself aloud. He considered this for a moment. "I dunno. Have a good time like everyone else?"
Jade was skeptical. "Are you having a good time?"
"Sometimes."
Jade laughed to herself. She had to. Bombay reminded her of how she used to be. Arrogant. Self-centered. But most of all, in denial.
Bombay felt the heat rising up his face. Jade was laughing at him. "What's so funny?"
Jade immediately stopped laughing. "Sorry. Its just that you reminded me of myself when I tried to stop drinking."
Bombay was not impressed. "I don't need your help."
Jade considered this. "Maybe not my help," she agreed. "But you do need help."
Bombay was about to say something but Jade cut him off. "Listen, I don't know you that well. But I do know, that it always starts off as having one or two. Having a good time. But before you know it, it becomes three, four, five maybe. Maybe more. Eventually, it won't be enough and you'll need something else. Coke, herion, whatever...and it will consume your life. Until it takes it."
Jade was almost in tears by the time she finished. She had seen it happen to many friends of hers.
"Maybe AA isn't your thing," she continued. "But you need help. Talk to someone. There's no shame in asking for help."
"I'll think about it," Bombay promised. He was visibly shaken. Maybe it the after affects of the alcohol. Or the pounding headache that returned.
Bombay felt very uncomfortable talking to Jade. He felt guilty. He had defended many drug dealers and drug addicts in the past. All guilty. He wondered how many of them were even alive. He could have recommended them to seek treatment. Or something. One of them even offered Bombay some to see if he'd like it.
Bombay had to admit he was tempted. Alcohol was losing its effect on him. Last night was evidence of that. Soon he would have to find something to replace it with. In fact, the only reason he didn't accept is because he knew the Ducksworth had a no drug policy and knew the consequences if he was ever found out.
Jade glanced at her watch. "Well, I'm going to AA now. You're welcome to come if you want."
Bombay considered her option. He still had a pounding headache."Not tonight."
"Your choice."
"But I will go talk to someone," Bombay promised. "Someone I haven't talked to in a long time."
Jade smiled. She wasn't sure if he was going to follow though it but he did sound sincere. "I'll see you next week then."
Bombay nodded as she left his apartment.
Closing the door behind her, Bombay quickly cleaned up the rest of the apartment and dialed called Luis.
"Hello Luis?"
"Gordon?" Luis sounded surprised.
"Could you pick up a 7 pm? I have a few places I need to go."
"Sure thing boss," Luis replied. "Where are you we going?"
"Visit an old friend. Hans Sport Shop. 3275 Glenwood."
R&R
