Chapter 53: The ripple effect

Heath avoided Brax for several days, still too focused on taking his drugs in secret. Casey got more and more curious at wanting to follow Heath and be like him with all his friends. Brax sat in the lounge room watching TV as Casey snuck into Heath's bedroom and looked out cautiously, last time he went into Heath's bedroom Heath ended up punching him hard, for invading his space so he had to be careful.

He looked around Heath's bedroom then suddenly found the round yellow and white tablets that he saw Heath be given by his mates and take. Casey pulled out one tablet and slowly placed it in his mouth and swallowed. If Heath could take them so can I.

Casey sat in Heath room for about 15 minutes before heading out, within 30 minutes he started to feel unsteady and sick he had no idea what was happening and he began to get scared. He felt nauseous and began to panic and made his way to the lounge room where he saw Brax. Brax looked over at him as he walked into the room.

"What did you get up to?" He asked Casey with a smile. Casey looked at Brax scared. "Brax?"

Casey started to feel more wobbly and kept loosing focus. "What's wrong Case?"

"I…I feel really sick." Brax got off the lounge and walked towards Casey.

"What are you feeling?" Casey couldn't answer and suddenly vomited all over the floor.

"Casey!" Brax exclaimed and ran to him, trying to calm him down as his body felt shaky.

"I…I took…"

"What did you take Casey?" Brax grabbed Casey to stabilize him. "Heath's room."

"What did you take in Heath's room Casey?" Brax yelled as he began to panic.

"Brax." Casey moaned before he collapsed and started having a seizure.

"Casey!" Brax yelled and quickly placed him on the floor and watched until he finished seizing. Brax picked him up and rushed him to the hospital.

The nurse guided Brax into a room straight away. Brax placed Casey down on the bed. He kept going in and out of consciousness. The doctor came in. "What happened?"

"I don't know he just came to me complaining of feeling sick, then he vomited and had a seizure, please do something." Brax panicked.

"Alright just wait outside please and we will check your brother over and run some tests."

Brax felt like he waited hours before the doctor came out. Brax stood up.

"How is he? Can I see him?"

The doctor sighed. "His heart rate is very irregular, and his nervous system signals are also irregular."

"What does that mean?"

"Well we ran some tests and found traces of Amphetamines in your brother's system"

"What!" Brax shouted. He was shocked that Casey had illegal drugs in his system but it all made sense and he soon realized what Casey meant when he said that he took something from Heath's room, Heath would have had the drugs in there.

"Your brother had taken an overdose of speed. He is very lucky to still be alive."

Brax couldn't believe what he was hearing. He was angry at Heath for having the drugs in the first place and angry at Casey for taking them.

"Do you have any idea how he got the tablets?" Brax shook his head not wanting to tell the real reason.

"We had to shove charcoal down his throat to help eliminate the toxin from the stomach. It will still take about 24-48 hours for your brother to fully recover. He is asleep now, but you can come in and see him."

The doctor guided Brax into Casey's room "Thanks," Brax said quietly.

"For the record, we will need to follow up a further investigation on how Casey got hold of illegal drugs." Brax nodded but inside was worried. The doctor left and closed the door.

Brax walked over to Casey. He looked so innocent sleeping in the bed. Brax sat down and held Casey's hand. "What were you doing Casey?" He whispered.

Casey slept through till early the following morning. The doctor came in and checked Casey and woke him up.

"How is he?" Brax asked. "He's much better, he should be right to go home tomorrow morning."

Casey slowly fluttered his eyes and Brax squeezed his hand. "Casey," Casey looked up at Brax.

"Brax" He struggled to get out. "Ssh, just relax Case, you're in the hospital."

Casey moaned in discomfort and struggled to sit up so Brax helped him. Casey leaned over and vomited all over the floor, just missing Brax.

"Hey, ssh. Easy, it's okay." Brax rubbed his back and settled him back down on the blanket. Casey lay down and started to cry. "I feel awful."

"I know mate." Brax rubbed his hand over Casey's head. "Brax, I'm sorry."

"What were you doing in Heath's room Casey? Do you have any idea what it was that you took?" Brax questioned firmly.

Casey shook his head. "You took something illegal and very dangerous."

"I only wanted to be like Heath." Casey whispered.

Brax became angry again, how could Heath be so irresponsible?

"Listen to me Casey." Casey looked at Brax, as Brax sat tall in the chair next to him. "What you did was incredibly dangerous. You are never ever to touch things like that again." Brax told him firmly.

Casey nodded and Brax wiped away some of his tears. "Good. Now get some more rest. I will be back soon." Brax stood up to leave.

"Brax, where are you going? Please stay."

"I will be back soon Case, I have to find Heath." Brax exited the hospital and got his phone out, dialing Heath's number.

"Hello?"

"Heath! Get down here to the hospital now!"

"Why?" Heath replied gruffly. "Because Casey took one of your drugs and it overdosed on him, he's lucky to be alive."

Heath raced down to the hospital, in a fiery rage that Casey had taken his drugs from his room that cost him valuable money. Heath approached the front desk.

"My name is Heath Braxton, my brother is here, Casey Braxton. What room is he in?"

The receptionist looked at her chart. "Room 203, just down the hall and turn right."

Heath grunted and stormed down to the room, bursting through the door and surprising Brax and Casey.

"Heath!" Brax shouted. Heath charged towards Casey and pointed at him.

"You! You're stupid Casey! I told you that I'd beat your head in if I found you in my room again!"

"Heath calm down!" Brax shouted trying to push him away from Casey.

"Why, if it wasn't for that stupid kid, I wouldn't be low on money! He needs to learn to stay out of things and I'm gonna beat it into him! Ya hear that Casey!" Heath yelled.

"Heath!" Brax shoved Heath harder and pushed him into the wall. "What is wrong with you? Casey almost died because of your stupidity, leaving drugs around for an 8 year old to get! This is not his fault!"

Brax glanced over to Casey who had crouched in his bed frightened. Brax dragged Heath outside and out of the building, pushing him as he released him.

"Get a hold of yourself Heath! He's your little brother."

"He knows he shouldn't be going into my room! Or are you blind to that?" Heath protested in an irritated tone.

"Yeah fine, Casey shouldn't have gone into your room and taken something he shouldn't, but I've already dealt with it, I've told him off for doing it, he doesn't need you threatening to belt him!"

"Do you really think that's going to stop him? I'm sick of that kid getting away with everything!"

Brax shook his head. "He could have died Heath! Do you think that's getting away with it?"

"At least he won't have people on his back asking for money because of lost merchandise!"

"Is that all you care about, you're stupid drugs?"

"Well at least with drugs I have a better life than what I have now! All you care about is our stupid kid brother!" Heath yelled as his anger flared.

Brax couldn't take anymore of Heath's arguments and his temper got the better of him and he quickly punched Heath in the jaw, knocking him back. Heath held his jaw and scoffed.

"Just like Dad huh?" Heath glared at Brax and stormed off.

"Heath!" Brax yelled shocked at what had happened.

Brax walked back into the hospital and went back to Casey's room. Casey sat on the bed hugging his knees. Brax sat down next to him and placed his arm around him.

"Hey mate, you okay?"

"Brax, I'm scared." "Why Case?"

"I'm scared of Heath. He's really angry at me and he's going to hurt me. I'm sorry I took his stuff."

"Case don't you worry about that. I won't let Heath touch you."

"Why is Heath like that?"

Brax sighed. "He's under the influence of some really bad chemicals contained in the tablets that you took and it's doing unusual things to his behavior."

"Well I don't like this Heath and want the old Heath back." Casey whispered.

"Me too Case, me too." Brax hugged Casey and sat with him on the bed. Not realizing that things were about to drastically change.