His Peace (bwwm)

8

*Trigger Warning*:Mentions of drug overdose

2 weeks later

Narrator
The feeling of someone gently shaking her awakens Michelle. She slowly opens her eyes, seeing her mom by her bedside.

"What is it?" She questions, her eyes still slightly closed due to the lights in her room now being turned on.

"Honey" her mom softly speaks "I-it's Rue"

Michelle immediately sits up now fully alert. Intense anxiety flows through her. "What happened? Is she okay?"

Lisa Harrison slowly shakes her head, "She overdosed yesterday evening"

Michelle gasps in shock, tears immediately falling down her cheeks.

"She's in the hospital and she's gonna be okay. They were able to find her just in time thanks to Gia" her mom assures her

"Gia found her?" Michelle asks barely above a whisper.

Her mother only nods.

Michelle couldn't even imagine what Gia had to have been going through having found Rue nearly dead from overdosing on drugs.

"I need to go see them now" Michelle says hopping out of bed and rushing into her closet to throw on a hoodie, sweatpants, and some sneakers.

"I'll be waiting downstairs when you're ready to go" her mom informs her, exiting her bedroom.
——
Michelle quietly sobbed into her Aunt Leslie's shoulder as they hugged in Rue's hospital room.

Seeing Rue asleep in her hospital gown made everything so real. She couldn't help but feel like this was partly her fault. How could she have ignored or missed the signs? Rue was struggling. And as her cousin she should've questioned her more and checked in on her. But she didnt.

And now Rue nearly died because the people around her were oblivious.

Michelle spots Gia who was seated outside of the hospital room with her head in her hands. She exits the room, leaving her mom and Aunt Leslie with Rue, to go sit with Gia.

"Hey" she softly greets her sitting in the chair beside her. She rubs Gia's back in an attempt to comfort her. "How're you holding up?"

"I thought she was dead Shelly" Gia sniffles looking up at Michelle with tear stained cheeks. "She was c-covered in throw up and barley even breathing"

Michelle wipes a tear from her cheek as she envisions what Gia had to witness.

"Well, you saved her life" Michelle points out. "I'm so sorry you had to see her like that but thankfully you saved her. And she's going to be alright, all thanks to you"

Gia leans closer towards Michelle and the two of them embrace each other in a tight hug. They both sob into each other's shoulders sad at Rue's reality.

Michelle spent the rest of the morning and afternoon by Rue's bedside. Despite being tired, she didn't want to leave her cousins side at all.

"Hey baby, you should go home and get some rest you look exhausted" Aunt Leslie says sitting beside Michelle.

Michelle's eyes looked over at Rue who was still asleep.