Step 12 - 2. Dope Sick

Free me, leave me
Watch me as I'm going down
Free me, see me
Look at me I'm falling
And I'm falling.........

Not an Addict by K's Choice

I sat down on the sofa by the dope sick kid.

He was shaking a little and asked, "How long does it last?"

"It depends on a lot of things. How long you've been using, how much, exactly what you've been using and then your body mass and a few other things. If you're lucky, it could be over in a day or two."

The doorbell rang announcing that Travis and Cheryl had arrived as promised. Grateful for the arrival of reinforcements, I let them in.

When they walked into the living room, the boy was lying on his side on the couch. My black cat Clowie had decide that she liked him and was sitting next to him.

I said, "I would like you to meet a couple of my old friends. This is Travis and his wife Cheryl. I'm sorry- where are my manners. You haven't told me your name yet."

He sat up a little bit. It was clear that he was hurting. He said, "I'm Aaron."

"Aaron, Cheryl is a nurse and she is going to look you over take your vitals and see if this is something that we can handle here."

Aaron nodded and Cheryl took a seat beside him. She pulled out a stethoscope listened to his heart and then took his blood pressure.

While she was looking him over Travis and I went into the kitchen.

He grinned at me and said, "You can't resist taking in strays can you."

"Well, that's how I got you isn't it?"

He shook his head and asked, "How do you want to go about this?"

"You're the social worker. We've got to follow the law. How about our friendly judge?"

Travis said, "I think I can handle that. I'll have to do all the paperwork. Since it is a Friday, I think I can put most of it off until Monday."

I reached in a cabinet and pulled out a green pickle bucket I got from a fast food joint.

Travis chuckled and said, "The barf bucket?"

"It sorta has to be green doesn't it?"

"You are nuts."

I said, "I have to be to have a perfect stranger in my house to detox. Come on let's see how Cheryl is doing."

When we got back into the living room, Cheryl had Aaron's shoes off and was working on his feet. There were red angry sores between his toes where he had been shooting up. She was gently applying an ointment to them and Aaron was not enjoying the process at all.

Cheryl noticed our arrival and said, "This is why he can't stand, among other issues."

Aaron had the sweats and I knew that the nausea wouldn't be far behind.

Cheryl went into her black bag and took out a box and pulled out what looked like a sheet of paper. She broke it open and said, "OK Aaron, I've got something here that should make this not quite as difficult for you."

Aaron said, "I don't know if I can swallow anything. Everything has been coming up."

Cheryl said, "It a film that goes under your tongue and dissolves. Open up and lift your tongue."

Aaron complied and she slipped the film under his tongue.

"Good boy. It'll take it a few minutes to dissolve. No talking and no liquids until it is done. Given time it'll make you sleepy and you can miss out on some of the bad stuff."

Aaron nodded.

Cheryl said, "Jim, have you got a cup of coffee?"

"Sure, follow me to the kitchen."

I went into the kitchen and started up my coffee maker. I don't drink the stuff myself. It's one of the few vices I have been able to avoid.

Cheryl sat down at my kitchen table and said, "We've got a pretty sick kid on our hands. Travis, when he's done with the Suboxoene, you need to get a history. I suspect that it's not going to be pretty. I really wouldn't be a bit surprised if he was HIV positive."

That hit me like a punch and she saw it.

"It's not like it used to be Jim. There are medications for it now. I just want you to know that going in. I drew some blood. I'll take it to the lab for processing and we'll know what we're dealing with in the morning."

I shuddered at the thought of that kid having what had killed so many of my friends and said, "Given my history with that little bastard of a virus, I'm not sure I can be completely rational about it."

She asked, "Jim, you know how hard this is going to be. Are you up to it?"

"You know me. Kittens, puppies, kids in trouble- I'm there."

Cheryl was a good nurse. She took charge. "First things first. We've got to get him cleaned up. You two are drafted."

Travis said, "Happy happy, joy joy."

I said, "Just think of it as earning good karma at a vastly accelerated rate."

We returned to Aaron and Cheryl said, "We've got to get you cleaned up. Think you can handle that?"

Aaron nodded and I said, "Give me a minute to set up the bath room."

I went down the hall and prepared the bathroom for the ordeal that we were about to put the kid through. I ran some moderately warm water in the tub and waited for it to fill up. I got the towels and the bath clothes out and rummaged through the cabinets for bottle of phisoderm.

When I was reasonably sure the bathroom was ready, I went back to the living room.

I said, "Cheryl, I don't have anything that will fit him. Could you run over to Walmart and pick up some sweats, some shorts and a couple of t-shirts?"

She agreed and went out the front door as I carried Aaron to the bathroom with Travis following.

We got his clothes off and I lowered him into the water. I tried to ignore the scars on him but they burned themselves into my memory. Somebody had tortured this kid. The were the tell-tale round scars of cigarette burns on his back and buttocks.

It made me want to kill whatever sick bastard had done it.

We kept his feet out of the water. I washed those down with phisoderm and a wet rag. He was able to use the soap, washrag and wash his own hair.

When he was done I picked him up again and set him down on the toilet again. He was shaking from a chill so I wrapped him in towels and helped him dry off as best I could.

Cheryl returned with the basic clothes and Travis and I helped him get dressed.

Aaron said, "This is just so humiliating. I'm helpless."

I put my arm around him and said, "Remember this well. In the days, months and years to come, you are going to be tempted to use again. This is what it costs. I've been through it. So have Travis and Cheryl. We help other people clean up to remind us of what is waiting for us if we ever pick up and use again."