TEN REASONS

Chapter 14 – Why you shouldn't mix drugs

Tyson's POV

"Oh my god, Lora!" Mariah exclaimed, after ending our heated kiss, at Max's cousin who'd passed out rather unceremoniously on the plush cornflower blue carpet of our bedroom.

"Quick roll her over on her side so she doesn't choke on her spew," I informed. Mariah grimaced but obeyed as I grabbed the towels out of the bathroom.

"What are the towels for?" Mariah asked curiously as she paused from tapping Lor's cheek in an attempt to wake her up.

"So she doesn't stain Kai's precious carpet when she begins to chuck." I answered.

"We should move her into the bathroom then." Mariah voiced reasonably. The seriousness of the situation bit back the scolding comment of my stupidity. Lifting her up, Lor resembled a puppet unsupported by strings. It was if her bones had evaporated leaving her limps to dangle kind of like a thin jelly. Propping her against the basin that was conveniently in close proximity to the toilet I checked her faint pulse.

"You stay with her and I'll go get the others," I announced, deeming her safe enough for me to leave momentarily, leaving Mariah to nurse the alcohol poisoned blonde while I informed Max.

Switching all the lights on as I went sprinting up to the lounge I saw Michael sleeping almost unconsciously, I cursed as I realised they'd all gone to bed. Just peachy… I made to turn to Max's room then my logic kicked in reasoning that the last thing a newly engaged couple would want is to have me come rattling on their door and disturbing their 'activities'. Swivelling a 180 I double marched over to Kai's and Hilary's door and gave it a good hammer.

No reply as I predicted.

"Oh for fuck's sake!" I mumbled to myself, as I proceeded to bash the door making a thunder like noise. "Open the god damn door!"

Finally I heard the click of the lock and came face to face with a pissed off, pyjama clad Kai. "What the hell do you want?" he growled lowly like a dog you've just kicked awake.

"Lor's absolutely wasted and passed out in my doorway." I enlightened bluntly.

"And you couldn't wake Max?" he replied blearily as he ran his fingers through his hair and shook his head as if trying to shake the sleep out of him.

"Think about it, it's the first night of their engagement." I voiced.

"Kai close the door for Pete's sake you're blinding my eyes," Hilary grumbled half asleep as she rolled over to face the opposite wall pulling the blanket over her head.

"Hils, Lora has sloshed herself." He replied with an edge of seriousness lacing his voice.

"Wha?" she asked, this time a tad more awake, as she rolled over and sat up to face us.

"Lora is sloshed." Kai repeated slowly with slight pauses between each word.

"Great first Michael, now Lora." She muttered as she got up. "When will people learn not to drink past their limit?" She sighed to herself as she followed us down the hall. "She seemed perfectly fine when we were babysitting Michael… How come she's so wasted?" she questioned confused.

"Maybe she's a Cadbury." I reasoned. "One drink and she's maggot."

"Probably," Hilary yawned as we entered the hall joining our bedroom.

"Guys get over here quick!" demanded Mariah, the urgency in her voice igniting us in a jog to our room. Hilary let out a high pitched 'oh my god' at the sight that laid in front of us. Lora was now barely conscious sitting like a half dead sloth against the wall on a vomit stained towel, her skin appeared to be pallid even with her bronzed summer skin and foundation canvassed on it. Her hair was tied loosely back, thanks to Mariah, to prevent it from getting shampooed with vomit.

However the sickened sight of her was nothing like the smell. I was forcefully reminded of the time Tac vomited her cat food that already resembled vomit inside of the tin, but this was ten times worse. The pungent stench stung my nose bringing water to my eyes, a perfume of rancid eggs, warm mushy watermelon and gazelle carcass. Hilary brought her hand over her nose and seemed to be silently gagging, Kai was indifferent to it and it had appeared Mariah had become accustomed to it.

Kai sidled in next to Mariah before checking her pulse. "Hilary, call an ambulance." He commanded calmly. Hilary's eyes widened slightly at this but she soon complied hastily exiting from the room. "Have you been keeping her hydrated?" Kai questioned Mariah, glancing up at her for a moment then focusing his attention back unto Lora.

"Yeah I've been trying to but she's only managed to get a few sips down which she keeps bringing back up." She answered quietly.

"Great. I'll take her down to meet with the ambulance officers. Someone better inform Max." he advised.

Though somebody (Hilary) had already informed Max of his cousin's condition. The two of them plus Emily bumped into us in the corridor heading to the elevator. The newly engaged couple looked rather dishevelled but never all less tremendously concerned for the blonde in Kai's arms.

"I rang them and they're on their way," voiced the always organised Hilary, who chucked him his keys as she spoke.

"How is she?" Max questioned, pushing in front of the brunette.

"Not good, I'm going to take her down so the paramedics don't have to get her from up here," Kai relayed to the others as he began his way to the elevator with a concerned convey of followers. The worry in Max's eyes didn't go unnoticed.

"Should I stay here to tell the others?" I offered to no one in particular. Everyone turned around to face me; Max with a distance look on his face, Emily a one of apprehension and Kai, a pensive expression etched on his features.

"Look, I won't trash the place I swear," I replied to Kai's stare.

"Yeah…That's a good idea. It would probably be best if we all didn't go at the present time." Kai replied solicitously. It was mutually common knowledge that both Max and Emily should go, as well as Kai since he knew the area. Thus leaving Hilary or Mariah to make their decisions on whether they would stay or go.

"I'll stay," Mariah offered softly.

"Yeah, I better too since I can't leave our guests without a host." Hilary stated as sirens echoed in the distance. "We'll meet up as soon as things calm down."

"That will be them," Max voiced. "I'll ring as soon as I can, okay?" he offered meekly as he, Emily and Kai vanished into the lift.

Emily's POV

The flashing red lights raced ahead has cars evacuated from the left hand lane leaving a hurdle free path. Max had joined Lora in the ambulance, who's screaming sirens like a lost child crying for its mother where now a faint murmur. I was silently glad that Kai was driving us to the hospital, his calm nature somewhat halted my shakes though it didn't stop me pessimistic thoughts. Its favourite being, what if she died? No, I can't think like that. I have to stay positive. She's strong besides she won't let anything stop her from missing me and Maxie's big day especially since she's matron of honour.

I remember about two years ago when I was having Christmas with Judy's side of the family and Lor and I were the last two up having a midnight caramel latte. She was telling me how the night before she had a dream that Max and I were getting married at Niagara Falls and how I was crying that my white dress was see through and how I wouldn't be able to have any wedding photos to show the grandchildren. And that's how we got onto the subject of me and Max and how we should get married. Of course I had fantasised about hundred's of times, we had been going out since I was fifteen, I think, but I had never considered it out loud. Well until Lor brought it up.

"… and because your dress went see through from all the water and mist and stuff you wouldn't be able to have your memories of your big day captured on film and that you'd never be able to show your grandchildren."

"That is a strange dream." I remarked.

"I told you I have the strangest dreams," she said in an I-told-you-so voice. "Though I don't think this one is that odd, I could really see you and Max tying the knot."

"You think?" I said softly, lost in thought.

"Yeah you are like the perfect couple. Come on, you like egg yolks and not egg whites and he like egg whites and not egg yolks. How much more perfect can you get? I rest my case." She concluded folding her arms across her chest.

"No one can be perfect." I stated.

"Sure they can! Look at Jennifer Anniston and Brad Pitt. Match made in heaven!" she retorted back.

"I'm not so sure about that theory, but you think?"

"Definitely!"

"Really?" I restated.

"You've lasted this long, why not go the distance?" she reasoned. "Would you like to marry him?" she asked rather quickly.

"I guess so,"

"What do you mean 'I guess'?" she demanded reminding me of a school teacher.

"Well yes… eventually, but I don't like to rush into things." I answered.

"…except bookstores." She trailed off.

"You know I can't help that!"

"Don't I know it…"

Though looking back Jen and Brad are no longer the perfect couple, which reminds me, I must tell her that but I guess she was right about Max and me. Lora and I have what you'd call a sisterly relationship, totally polar opposite personalities yet the same values regarding family, friends and life in general. Sure we've had our fights and arguments…

"You've got to be kidding me! I find movies are way better than the book,"

"As if the book is always better than the movie," I reasoned.

"No the movie is, as it captures more of your senses. You can see it and hear it and in some places you can even smell it or feel it. I went on one of those virtual movie things when I went to Sydney and when the man went through a spider web pieces of string feel down and swept over your face." She argued.

"Yeah but a book lets loose your imagination and you use your own understandings to fill in the gaps therefore you connect on a deeper level with the characters and the story than say you would watching a movie."

"You can connect in a movie!" she retorted.

But we've become closer because of it. Exactly like sisters. I'm lucky that Max has such a nice family. You always hear about the bitch of a mother in-law and how all the other in-laws despise you, but Max's family are so lovely. They remind me of a sitcom family, there is always drama and some kind of tension or dilemma but it always ends up with everyone in stitches rolling on the floor in laughter when we realise how stupid it was.

That's why Lor has to get better so we can laugh at more stupid things, have passionate arguments over things that in the big scheme of things don't really matter and most importantly so we can both plan my wedding and then one day hers.

Kai and I arrived at the hospital at about 2:30am to find Max sitting hunched limply over in the waiting room reading a pamphlet about 'The Dangers of Mixing Drugs'. His blue/green eyes were glassed over in worry looked so foreign on his face, which was curtained with his mop of blonde hair that looked thinner and limper than it's usual voluminous, fluffy self.

"Max?" I asked tentatively. His eyes rose up to greet us and it appeared time went in slow motion as he but his pamphlet on the seat next to him and stood as I went to hug him.

"She's having her stomach pumped. The doctor thinks she may have been taking drugs…" His voice sounded so… broken and lost, a complete contradiction to its usual canary like tune.

"But Lor's not like that," I voiced.

"I know, I told the doctor that and he said I was a possibility that someone may have spiked her drink."

"We know everyone there. They're our friends; they wouldn't spike someone's drink." I said in disbelief. "I personally invited them all and there were no gatecrashes."

"That Aneki girl kind of did but her and Lora are friends and besides Lor invited herself." He reasoned.

"Is she on any prescription drugs?" Kai asked deadly serious.

"No, I don't think so." Max replied his voice getting more brittle with each word. Kai then stood there with a pensive, slightly concerned look on his face trying to figure out this problem.

"Have you ringed Judy yet?" I asked delicately.

"No not yet. I should probably do that now." He stated, loosening himself from my embrace and started his way over to the pay phone on the other side of the room.

"Here use this," recommended Kai, handing him his cell with a sincere look in his eyes offering a message that everything will be alright.

"Thanks. I'll just be outside the main entrance so I don't disturb the medical equipment." He informed, taking the mobile gratefully and departing.

"Do you think she'll be alright?" I asked Kai in a timid voice.

"I don't know," Was his always honest answer and with that he departed to talk with the nurse at the counter.

I stared at nothing for a little while, allowing my body to absorbed today's events. It seemed like weeks instead of five hours that Max had proposed to me and we were celebrating his 22nd. Taking Max's previous seat I sat down and busied myself as well as my hands with the closest thing available, the pamphlet Max had left behind.

Ten Reasons Why You Should Never Mix Drugs

1. There is an extremely high risk of an overdose

2. When mixed with depressants it usually slows down your nervous system which controls your breathing and heart rate

4. When mixed with a stimulant it generally causes increased brain activity

5. It can cause the body to shut down

6. Some combinations are lethal

7. You can lose control of your body either physically, mentally or both

8. It causes nausea and vomiting

9. The long term effects can include changes to mood and memory, depression, aggression, sexual function and sleep patterns

10. It can cause hallucinations such as spiders crawling over your skin

I am so sorry for my extremely late update. How long as it been since I last updated? Put it this way I think I had spider webs laced over my keyboard… This chapter as does the next chapter has a message in it and that's don't mix drugs, even if it is prescription, make sure you read the warnings and check it doesn't make some potent killer when mixed with alcohol. My friend did and she almost didn't make it. She is the reason for the angst in this chapter though she's okay now thank goodness. Now for a much brighter note, hopefully I'll update more regularly and be more active in the fanfiction community. All I can promise is that I will try. Adios and review!