Karen was lying on the bed when Grace entered, she lay down with her friend and pulled her into a hug, "I love him Grace, he's selfish, and stupid but he's my Jackie and I love him." Karen cried as she clung to her friend. Grace didn't know what to say, knowing that her advise wasn't needed she just had to be there for her, and so she was, she stayed with her, comforting her until they both fell asleep.
The following morning Grace awoke first and quietly slipped out of bed and headed for the kitchen, allowing Karen to sleep a little longer.
"Hey, how is she?" Will asked when Grace appeared.
"She's in love with him Will, I don't know what to say to her." Will put down his paper and turned his full attention to his friend.
"Why don't you tell her its ok if she wants to forgive him and try again."
Grace's eyes went wide not quite believing what she was hearing, "You have got to be kidding me, you who went out of your way to ruin their relationship, you who knows exactly what Jack is like, you really think she should take him back, Will you said it yourself, Jack is gay, he will just hurt her again, god I can't believe you sometimes."
"Grace, calm down, you're voice is giving me mono, I spoke to Jack the day the shit hit the fan, I followed him back, he meant what he said to her, Grace I really think he's in love with her, I've never seen him get like this over anyone before, he loves her Grace."
"You are unbelievable you know that?" Grace shouted heading back to her room.
"Just talk to him Grace, see for yourself." Will shouted back just before she shut the door on him.
'Women' he thought as he picked his paper back up and continued with his breakfast.
A few hours later Grace was dressed and ready to leave for work, Will had left ages ago and although Grace didn't want to leave Karen she had neglected her work over the past week and she had a lot to catch up on, she also planned on visiting Jack at some point, she wanted to prove Will wrong, she was still so angry about the fact that Will had changed his opinion on the whole subject so easily. 'Men' she thought to herself as she shouted bye to Karen, who was in the shower and headed out the door.
The office seemed quite without Karen, and although she didn't ever do anything Grace missed her. The day dragged and it was only just past noon when Grace headed out for her lunch, she wanted to check on Karen but she also wanted to visit Jack, first however, the deli around the corner was calling her so she headed out the door ignoring the phone that started ringing "ah let the machine get it" she said aloud as she locked up.
A while later tucking into her bagel, she headed into her apartment block only to be greeted by Will rushing up behind her, "Grace what are you doing here, why didn't you answer your office phone, and why bother having a Mobil if its going to be switch off?"
"Hey, bitchy, what's wrong with you?"
"I've been ringing our apartment all morning and Karen hasn't answered once, I know she wasn't going out so I started to worry. She was very quite this morning."
"Oh come on Will, she's probably just asleep or ignoring it, she never answers the phone at work." Grace said laughing off Will worries, they both entered the elevator and headed up.
"Grace, I've been ringing her every morning since she's been staying with us to check she's ok, she promised me she would answer and she has been doing, so I panicked when she didn't answer today, and like I said she was very quite this morning."
Grace thought for a few seconds about what Will was saying, Karen hadn't really said anything this morning but she wouldn't do anything stupid, would she? Grace had a flash back to the other night when Karen said 'Honey I always do stupid things' and she began to worry too.
"Great now you've got me worrying, can this elevator be any slower." She grumbled getting anxious. When the elevator eventually reached their floor they both rushed out, fighting to get to the door, they unlocked it and push only to be stopped by the chain.
"Will the chains on." Grace shouted
"No, really Grace?" Will replied sarcastically. "Karen, Karen, you ok? Can you come and let us in." Will shouted through the gap. He listened but couldn't hear any movement.
"Karen, it's me sweetie, come and open the door." Grace attempted, but still neither could hear any movement.
"Will what if she's done something stupid, she said just the other day she always does stupid things, oh my god Will, I shouldn't have left her."
Grace was becoming frantic so Will grabbed her and pushed her out of the way as he kicked the door open. They both ran in shouting her name, searching each room.
Will froze in fear when he heard Grace scream his name, he rushed in that direction not knowing what he might find. On entering he found Grace backed up against the wall crying looking down at the lifeless body of Karen.
"Will is she, is she dead?" Grace cried.
Ignoring Grace he rushed to Karen's side, checking her breathing. "Grace call 911." He shouted as Grace silently obeyed running out of the room.
Karen was still breathing so he pulled her over into the recovery position, and surveyed the situation. An empty bottle of vodka was on the floor and a packet of pills, which were also empty, were in her hand. "God Karen why?" He cried into her hair as he kept a close check on her breathing, Grace re-entered saying the ambulance was on it's way, she was in such a state, shaking and crying and very much in shock. Will told her to wait in the living room for the paramedics, she wasn't helping the situation, especially because Will was shaking himself, but knew he had to be strong for Karen.
Within minuets the ambulance had arrived and rushed in starting work on Karen, Will told them what he had found, and they took over. He headed into the living and Grace flung her arms around him.
"Oh my god Will what if she dies, thank god you were here I'm useless, just useless she could die because I'm stupid and useless, I should have stayed with her, and then when I find her I just scream like a child, what if you weren't here, Will." she cried into his shoulder, he didn't reply just hugged her silently.
The paramedics wheeled Karen out, they had her on a drip, she looked so small and weak, and tears rolled down Will face at the site. "Grace you go with her, keep me posted on her condition."
"What? You're not coming?" Grace asked in panic.
"No, I'm going to ring Rosario and tell Jack. I'll be there as soon as possible."
"What? You're going to get Jack? He's the one that drove her to this,
how can you think…"
"Grace", Will shouted interrupting her. "This is not the time, he loves her, he deserves to know, you go with Karen I'll be there soon, sweetie I'm not going to argue with you on this." With that he pushed Grace out the door, and she followed Karen. Will waited for them to disappear then wiping his face he picked up the phone and called Rosario.
"Oh no, not my baby." Rosario cried into the phone.
"Grace has gone to the hospital, I'm sure Karen would want you there, I'm going to be there as soon as I've sorted things here, ok bye."
Will hug up and headed across the hall to Jacks, tears still poured down his face and he tried to get them under control in order to face Jack. He knocked on the door but got no answer. "Jack, please open the door, it's important." Still he got know answer.
"Jack open this door," he shouted still getting nowhere.
"Jack, this is serious it's, it's Karen." Finally he heard movement, when Jack opened the door he was shocked by his appearance, he looked ill, really thin, and unshaven. He couldn't believe what had happened in the space of a few weeks, two of his closest friends were practically killing themselves, and in Karen's case she was all to close to the end. He was afraid this would send Jack over the edge but he needed to know, Karen would want him there no matter what Grace thought.
"Will, what is it?" Jack questioned sounding annoyed at being disturbed.
"Jack I'm sorry" Will said bursting into tears. Jack looked worried, knowing something was very wrong.
"What is it? What happen? You said it was Karen."
Will nodded a reply "Jack she took an overdose, we had know idea, I swear we wouldn't have left her if we had known, We came back and found her, she was unconscious, Jack I did everything I could, Grace has gone to the hospital, I told her I'd get you and Rosario and go meet her, Jack I'm so sorry."
Jack didn't say anything, he didn't move, he just stood there looking blank.
"Jack, say something." Will asked feeling the need for support from his long time friend.
"Will, I can't go, she did this because of me, I can't go." Jack was visibly shaking, once again Will had to be the strong one he grabbed hold of Jack and shouted in his face.
"Jack, Karen loves you, she does, and you love her, you need to pull yourself together and be the man that she needs, she needs you to be strong for her, she has me, Grace and Rosario but she wants you However much Grace and Rosario hate you right now deep down they know that Karen wants you, so get yourself in there put some clean clothes on, for god sake brush your teeth and go and look after you girl." Jack didn't reply just turned and did exactly what Will said, within in 20 minuets the two were in a taxi on the way to the hospital.