"Over 24 hours they start to take affect." Jules stated quietly as she and her brother tossed the empty vial back into a bag in the middle of the night while their father was sleeping. "Now we gotta go down to his bathroom and get his—so we can replace them with fakes."
Josh nodded, "I'll go. You stay here."
"But what if—?"
"He wont wake up. Just let me go get them—okay?"
Jules nodded as her brother crept out of Jules' room and headed down the hallway and into their father's bathroom.
"Got them." He whispered, cracking the door shut as they started to empty and refill vials, then Josh took them back to the bathroom.
"Get some sleep—He's been pretty pissed off so we need to be alert and know whats coming." Josh whispered as he hugged Jules gently and left the room.
Jules felt the need to talk to someone—Sam. She texted him a single text, Tell the guys I'm doing fine. I miss you all. –Jules
Within minutes she received a text back… We all miss you too. I love you —Sam.
A tear rolled down her cheek slowly, "I love you too." Her text read as she hit the send button and tossed the phone under one of her pillows before piling down into it in tears. She began to wish she had never left her family and gone off on her own—but then again—she would have never met the most amazing guy in her life or even seen how strong she can be on her own.
Jules sat up and looked in the mirror to see a large bruise forming on the side of her face from where her father hit her—what a great guy? She made her way back into bed and turned out the lights, fumbling with the covers until she set into a deep sleep—only to be awoken hours later.
"Jules! Jules wake up!" Josh yelled, shaking her frantically.
She jerked up, "What!?"
"Dad must've drugged himself once we started to head on to bed! Jules, he's not waking up. I usually check on him in the middle of the night whenever he's not acting like himself but this time he's lying on the bathroom floor unconscious."
Jules jumped out of bed and grabbed the closest jacket she could find as they ran down the hallway, "Have you called 911!?" She asked, twisting the door knob to the first room.
"They're on their way, Come on Jules—you know all of the same procedures an EMT knows. I know you can help him."
Jules dove to the floor once she saw her father lying there—his wrists covered in blood. "He cut himself. I need towels, rags, anything! And read whatever the hell that medicine container says over there." She pointed out an orange pill container with a prescription written on the front.
"Fentanyl—." Josh read as he lifted the orange pill container into his hand. "What is it?"
"Cancer medication? Why does he even have those? Does he—?"
Josh shrugged as he walked around collecting towels and other materials. "He said he was going to a therapist for depression?"
"Josh! I thought you were taking care of him!" Jules jerked, wrapping towels along the bloody wound. "Fentanyl is one of the easiest drugs to cause a fatal overdose…He needed help—with all the abuse and all of this…he was in pain."
"I cant help him if all he does is hit me, Jules!" He slammed the container to the floor and walked off as the ambulance arrived.
Jules looked down at her father, whose color was melting away before her eyes. "It's okay dad—Just stay with me." She knew he was gone—and frankly, after all the pain she had been put through by him, she could hardly care less—but she was his daughter and had to help him in any way she could.
"We've got it from here miss." A medic told her as her brother took her hand and led her out of the bathroom while paramedics loaded their father onto a stretcher.
Jules glanced up at Josh as he shook his head low.
"He doesn't have much of a pulse." She whispered to him as they followed the medics out of the house and towards the ambulance.
"Jules—." He mumbled back, wrapping his arms around her gently.
"We'll meet you at the hospital." He continued to speak to the medics as they closed the doors to the ambulance and drove off at max speed down the street.
"Let's get going." He whispered, placing a hand on her shoulder as they headed back inside to change into something warmer then get Josh's keys.
"I'm very sorry—There was nothing we could do. The drugs took over his body and were fatal. If there's anything we can do for you—we're here to help family members." An emergency room doctor spoke.
A tear ran down Jules' cheek as she leaned against Josh. "We'll be fine." Josh sighed, patting Jules' back slowly. He couldn't help but let a tear escape.
"I'm really sorry for your loss. He had pancreatic cancer—the files state he decided to ride it out and it was determined that with the diagnosis he had about 5-7 months of survival. He was about to head downhill. All you can think is that now he is out of pain."
They both nodded and gave a soft smile.
"You two on the other hand—." The doctor said sternly. "Ma'am—as an emergency physician I know a fresh bruise when I see one—and that looks like the shape of a hand to me."
Jules dropped her eyes slowly.
"A serious blow to the head could result in concussion—would you like a doctor to check on you?"
Jules looked over to Josh then up to the doctor, "I'll be fine—now."
The doctor looked down at their father's chart. "It says he suffered from depression—was on multiple pain medications—and the psychiatrist notes state he was abusive through the process of recovery."
Jules and Josh both nodded slowly, "Don't worry about it. Can we—Can we see him?" Jules asked softly.
"Jules—." Josh sighed, wanting to take her home so she could pack her things and both of them escape to the city where he knew she belonged.
"He's still in a trauma room. A nurse is prepping him to be taken to the morgue. Your family takes it from there."
Jules nodded and took charge, following the doctor through the automatic doors and to the trauma room. Seeing her father lying there, a nurse rolling back the white sheet, she felt guilty—for not being there all those years—for not just taking the pain he inflicted on her daily, etc. But then she thought of the pain he was in—compared to what she and her brothers went through daily once their mother died.
"Dad—." Jules sighed, placing her hand on his. Josh stepped up beside her, "Let's get you home—I'll call the others and tell them what's going on." Josh sighed, knowing the other brothers knew the pain their father put on all of them as children—but they had been lucky enough to get away from it all.
"I'm not a little girl any more, Josh—I can take care of myself." Jules jerked, he didn't take it personally—when their mother died she was standing next to her. A gun shot to the chest and she was taken to the floor, blood surrounding her body as a little girl fell to the ground beside her mother, shaking her and screaming for her to wake up…
…Her father never really let go of the fact that she was the only one in the room with her mother when a gun was fired, killing his wife in a single shot.
"Jules, don't do this." He told her, knowing how she got when relatives died.
"I'm fine—I just—."
"We need to get out of here. Say goodbye to him—there's nothing else we could do. You heard the doctor—at least he isn't in pain anymore."
She nodded slowly and patted her father's hand, then following her brother out of the room.
Nurses and doctors wondered why neither of them were in full-fledge tears…but they just couldn't. Years after years of abuse—they had cried enough tears because of that man.
"Jerry's gonna fly in tomorrow. Matt and Sean just said they would come for the funeral."
"Wow, our family sure is sensitive." Jules spoke sarcastically as she sat down at the kitchen table.
Josh sighed, "Well the man did do a lot of—."
"Forget about him. Look at what I've done now. I've put steroids back in my body. The chances of me every stopping them now is slim as hell."
"After the funeral dates are done and overwith—You're going home." Josh said sternly.
"No I'm not." She responded, keeping her glare from him.
He sat down next to her, "I'm going too—I'm going to go to the city and get the hell away from this place. Your team needs you—and whoever this guy you fighting to not be in love with, needs you."
Jules giggled, "You really could always read me like a book."
"Yeah—And if you want, I'll stay with you and help you get past this. You don't need steroids—you just need someone to help you keep them away."
She nodded slowly, "I—I'll go back."
She knew it was time to give up the drama and go back to where she belonged, no matter what she would have to face.
Wayyyyyyyyy confusing chapter….I know.
Anyways, soooorrryyy for the delay. Please review!