Jon slowly regained his senses, opened his eyes, and tried to figure out where he was. Seconds later pain hit him from all sides and he moaned.
"Jonathan, are you okay?" a familiar voice asked. Jon fought to clear his head, trying to identify it.
"No, not really," he mumbled, trying to push the blankets from him. His wet hair pressed down on his forehead. "It's hot," he complained.
"I know." The blankets were tucked around him again. "The doctor said it's dangerous for you to not be covered. Something about pneumonia." He moaned again, tossing his head. Pain gnawed at him, and he curled up, trying to find a position where the pain was less. It remained constant, however, and the only relief he got was in the black oblivion.
He woke one day to find the bed cool, the pain faded, and his mother next to his bed. He watched her for a minute, relaxing in his pain free body, and realized she wasn't just staring into her lap, she was reading.
"Mom?" he asked sleepily. She looked up at him and smiled.
"Hi. Welcome back to the world of the living."
"Thanks. How long have you been here?" He moved slightly, stretching his legs.
"Since you got here," she said.
"When was that?"
"When you sent about five people into shock on the plane three days ago." She smiled. "Jordan's very worried," she told him. He shrugged slightly and grimaced, then reached up and touched the stitches on his lip.
"Where did this come from?" he asked.
"You screamed on the plane, then bit your lip right through. The doctor said he'd never seen that happen."
"Never go on a plane when going through withdrawal," Jon said fervently. "Mom, can I have something to eat? I haven't had anything for about... I don't really remember the last time I ate something." He paused. "I don't remember much of anything," he added in wonder, then stretched his arms this time, to the side, and yawned. "It's been so long since I've had the chance to enjoy being sleepy." He shifted slightly to get comfortable, and fell asleep.
He woke again later to find his mother talking to the nurse, and just listened for a while. He soon discovered that they spoke too quietly for him to hear. "Mom?" he asked. They turned to look at him, and the nurse smiled.
"How are you feeling?" she asked.
"Tired," he answered truthfully.
"That's fairly normal the first few days. Your mother also said you were hungry."
"Yeah," he grinned. "A nice green apple sounds great."
"Well, I don't know about an apple, but I'll see what I can come up with. And the doctor will be in here shortly." She left quietly.
"She says the worst is over," his mother said, brushing his bangs from his face.
"Good. Hopefully, I won't do that again," he mumbled.
"You probably won't be getting much solid to eat, either. Jordan wasn't sure how long you hadn't been eating." She noticed Jon seemed to shrug with indifference whenever she mentioned his brother, and decided to ask Jordan about it later.
"Mm," Jon said. "That apple's really soundin' good."
The nurse returned then, with a glass of milk and the doctor. She helped Jon sit up, and it surprised him that he needed the help, then he drank slowly.
"You look better," the doctor said, standing at the foot of his bed. Jon looked up from the glass, somewhat startled, and the doctor smiled. "Everyone looks better with color in their faces. You're recovering fine. We've run all the tests we need, so you won't have to worry about those. You're going to feel pretty bad for a while," he added as the nurse helped Jon lie down again. "It should wear off soon, you've gone through the worst of it." Jon's eyes were slipping closed, though he fought to keep them open. "Go ahead and sleep. I'll talk to you later, when you might stay awake long enough to hear the answers to any questions you have." Jon smiled, then fell asleep.
"Let me state the situation," the doctor said, about three days later. "You are recovering from a withdrawal of Dexamyl, your brother tells me, and are going to be very short on energy for a while, as you've noticed. Take the next few months easy; touring is out of the question, at least on this tour. If you plan to go on the next one, I want to give you a check up before you go." Jon nodded, sure he wouldn't be touring again. "Also, you'll want to take it easy when you eat. Your appetite will return to normal in a couple of weeks, but don't over do it. Any questions?"
"What are the other side effects of the Dexamyl? It's an upper, right?"
"Yes. It's an antidepressant drug which can be used to control appetite, though not very often. If taken in large quantities, it'll make you very high and not hungry at all."
"That's familiar," Jon mumbled. "But there's no memory loss?"
"Not that I know of," the doctor said curiously. "Why?"
"I don't remember when I started the drug. I mean, a friend told me I did, but I never remember buying or taking it," he explained.
"That's very odd," the doctor said. When he left the room a while later, he was no closer to having an answer. Neither, for that matter, was Jonathan.
Just before he left, the doctor talked to him and his mom about his rehabilitation.
"I want you to check into this rehabilitation center." He handed the card to Jon's mother. "They'll help you through the psychological part of your withdrawal. You'll want to mention that you don't remember taking or buying the drug. They may be able to help you figure it out."
Go on to Next Chapter | Grounds for Vengeance
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