Grady went back to flirting with the girls by the pool, and Monica eventually left, although she put up a stink about Graham taking Grady out to the bars later. The possessiveness Monica had over Graham was a quality he didn’t appreciate, but he knew it stemmed from his relationship with Rennie.
When evening rolled around, the Chamberlain twins and Graham’s roommates boarded a train for San Francisco and hit the town running, and Grady quickly learned what Cali life was all about.
By the time the weekend was over, Graham was exhausted. He took Grady to the airport and made him promise to come back in the fall, once fishing season concluded.
“You never made it back,” Graham said to Grady.
Dr. Field and two nurses walked in and went right over to Grady. The nurses started messing with the machines and the tubes running in and out of Grady’s body.
“We are weaning him off the sedation meds,” Dr. Field said. “Grady could wake up within hours, or it could be a day or two. We’ve done everything we can to repair some of the damage to his organs, but he is far from stable. His pancreas, liver, and kidneys are severely damaged from the continued alcohol abuse. Before he’s discharged, we’ll insert a feeding tube through his nose and into his stomach. He needs a liquid diet to maintain weight.”
“So, he can’t eat real food?” George asked.
“No, he can eat soup, ice cream, anything soft. He won’t be able to digest anything heavy. No meats, pasta, those types of things, at least for right now.”
“When can we take him home?” Johanna asked.
“Mom,” Graham said, cutting her off. He shook his head slightly, as if to remind her Grady wouldn’t be going home anytime soon. “Sorry, Dr. Field, please continue.”
He cleared his throat and began speaking again. “We’re recommending inpatient rehab for at least three months, if not longer. The severity of Grady’s addiction is one of the worst I’ve seen in years, and I’m not confident he won’t need to stay longer.”
“He doesn’t need any help,” George blurted out.
“Mr. Chamberlain, I can respect that you feel this way about your son, but he’s going to die if he drinks another drop of liquor or injects his body with any more heroin. He will suffer a massive heart attack, or his death will be slow and painful from each organ shutting down. Honestly, I’m surprised he didn’t pass away already.”
Harsh as the words were, Dr. Field was right to say them to George. He, as well as Grady, needed a reality check. A slap in the face, as it was. The family needed to band together to help Grady or accept that their son and brother was going to die.
After the doctor and nurses left, time all but stood still for the Chamberlains. George paced the room. Johanna sat by Grady’s side and held his hand. Graham needed fresh air, and when he stepped out of his brother’s room, he saw the two police officers who had found Grady on the side of the road.
“Unbelievable,” Graham said as he stood next to them. “He’s not even awake yet, and you’re here to arrest him.”
“We’re just doing our jobs, Mr. Chamberlain.”
“He’s sick,” Graham reminded them. “He can’t go anywhere.”
They nodded but said nothing else. Graham stormed out of the ICU and pulled his phone out of his pocket. He pressed Rennie’s name and waited for her to answer.
“Hey, Graham Cracker.”
He closed his eyes at the sound of her nickname for him. He desperately wanted her. In his life, by his side, in his bed. He had to find a way to stop thinking of her as more than a friend, or he was going to fall off the deep end. “They’re bringing Grady out of the coma.”
“That’s great news. I’ve started working on Grady’s case. I met with a colleague today, and he gave me some advice. I should be able to handle everything.”
“The police officers from the other day—they’re here.”
“What? Why? To arrest him?” Rennie seemed frantic. Graham could hear papers shuffling around, and she muttered some obscenities. “They can’t arrest him right now. His arraignment would need to be within three days, and he’ll be in no condition to leave the hospital. Shit.”
Graham held the phone to his ear and waited for Rennie to come to her senses. He tried his hardest not to laugh but pictured Rennie running around her office—without her heels on, for some reason—with the phone cord knocking papers and books off her desk.
“Okay, I’m going to call the chief in Port Angeles and talk to him. I have a plan, but I want to talk to your parents about it. Is your dad on board yet?”
“Possibly. I think Dr. Field scared the life out of him.”
“Good. I’ll clear my schedule and see when I can get up there. Call me if anything changes, okay?”
“I will, Ren.” They hung up, and relief washed over him. He felt confident Rennie would get Grady the help he needed. When the bar had been broken into, Graham wanted his brother in jail, but after seeing the difference of what two weeks of sobriety had done for him, Graham knew rehab was the best place for Grady.
Graham went back to Grady’s room and suggested his parents take a walk, at least to go and get something to eat and to get some fresh air. Johanna took George by the hand and led him out of the room.
The blue plastic chair next to Grady’s bed was as uninviting as cleaning the bathroom at the bar after a busy Friday night. Still, Graham sat down in case Grady woke. Even though phones weren’t allowed in the ICU, Graham slipped his out of his pocket and pulled up a game he often played to pass the time.
He sat there, with nurses coming in and out of Grady’s room, and waited. He spoke to his brother, telling him about the weather and how he had to tighten down the houseboat the other night because the waves made him seasick. At some point, Graham rested his head on Grady’s bed and fell asleep.
Graham felt something brush through his hair. It reminded him of when he was little, and he would lay his head down on his mother’s lap, and she would comb her fingers through his hair. He lifted his head, and Grady’s hand fell away. Graham glanced at his brother and saw his eyes fluttering open.
“Grady,” Graham said his name softly. “Can you hear me?”
Grady groaned and tried to speak. He reached for the solid tube coming out of his mouth, but Graham stopped him. “Let me get the nurse.” He pressed the call button, and immediately, a nurse came in. She smiled at Grady, turned the switch off, and started talking.
“I’m going to remove your breathing tube, but you have to wear oxygen for a little bit. Nod if you understand.”
Grady nodded.
The nurse instructed Grady to breathe out as she removed the tube and encouraged him to cough. Graham gagged while watching the procedure. “I’ll page Dr. Field and have him come check on Grady.”
As soon as the nurse left, Grady reached for Graham and beckoned him to come close. He tried to ask “What happened?” but could barely say either word. Graham sensed his request and sat back down in the chair. He contemplated waiting for their parents, but he had something to say to his brother.
“You messed up, Grady. The gig is over. The drinking, the drugs—it’s all done. You’re going to rehab if Rennie can keep you out of jail.”