cryptic ⋙ calum hood

31. Calum

possible trigger warning

I called 911, directing them to Cassie's house and then drove dangerously fast there myself. I was thankful I wasn't pulled over because it would have delayed things even more.

How could I have been so stupid? How could I not have realised Cassie was the anonymous person? How could I let her life slip through my fingers like that? My grip on the steering wheel was so tight, my knuckles turned white and I thought the flesh might rip. My skin felt like it was on fire as I parked in the street and ran up her empty driveway. She was home alone. 

I ran up to the door, which had been locked, and shouted for Cassie, hoping maybe she was still somewhere in there. I hoped maybe she'd appear and tell me she changed her mind. I looked frantically for a spare key, which I found above the doorframe. With shaky hands, I unlocked the door as fast as possible, calling out for Cassie as I ran up the stairs. I ran into her room, tears already streaming down my face out of fear of losing her. 

"Cassie!" I stumbled over to the figure slumped beside the bed, kneeling down and pushing her hair out of her face. Her body was limp, but she was slightly crying, and that was the only reason I could tell she was still conscious. There were multiple pill bottles scattered around her floor and bed, and her sleeves had blood seeping through. "Cassie, it'll be okay, I promise. Please stay; please stay with me," I cried into her hair, pulling her into my chest, not caring how selfish I sounded right now. I needed her, we all fucking needed her. She didn't say anything, and I kept pleading with her to stay with me until the ambulance came. I grabbed her phone off her desk quickly as I watched her practically lifeless body in the hands of the paramedics. 

Riding with her in the ambulance was something else. This was what love felt like.

I held her hand and tried to keep from crying anymore. I unlocked her phone and called her mother.

"Hello? Cassandra?"

"Hello, Mrs. Brooks," I cleared my throat a bit, "this is Calum Hood. Cassie is being taken to the hospital right now. Please hurry." 

I didn't even hear her response as I ended the call and texted her the hospital we were going to. I'm sure she already knew, since it was the closest hospital, but I texted her anyways.

I went into the emergency room with Cassie, but emerged shortly after when her mother called back.

"Hello?" I answered, making my way out to the waiting room, where I saw the woman I had met before, when Cassie and I weren't talking. All my fault. I hung up quickly and approached her, where she was talking to someone at the main desk. "Mrs. Brooks?"

She whipped around and took me in, her eyes red. "What happened to Cassandra?"

"She overdosed," my voice shook as I spoke. "Here's her phone," I handed it to her.

"You knew about this? And you didn't do anything?" She began waving her arms around and raising her voice. "My daughter could be dead!"

"I assure you I didn't know! As soon as I found out I went after her!" I defended myself. "I love Cassie, I wouldn't let her do this!"

She stared at me for a while, before asking a nurse to show her where Cassie's room was.

"Please, go home," her voice was quieter. She noticed someone from behind me and sighed as a man approached us. "Thank you for taking care of my daughter, but I'd prefer if only family visited her right now."

'What the fuck is going on?" The man's voice was loud. The waiting room didn't have too many people, but the people that were there were all paying attention to us.