Chapter 18
Helen sat at the nurses station brooding over Abby, she wouldn't respond to anyone and no matter how hard Helen tried she couldn't get her to eat anything either. Apart from going to the bathroom, she hadn't moved from her bed all day, she just lay there, her eyes blank staring into space clinging onto her IPhone listening to music. It broke Helens heart to see her friend so distraught, she'd been making such wonderful progress and Gabe had been part of that. From the look on his face yesterday she couldn't believe the rubbish the media was saying about him and that feeling was confirmed by the press release this morning. If only she could get Abby to talk to him she knew it could be sorted out, but they seemed intent on destroying each other. She lifted her head and sighed staring down the corridor, at that moment the door opened to the ward and she saw Gabes friend, what was his name? Pod yeah that was it, what a strange name she thought, but hey that was musicians for you she shrugged. As he got closer she could tell by his face something was wrong, he looked pale and dishevelled and his eyes were blood shot. She stood and started walking towards him, she had a very bad feeling about this.
"Hi, Pod isn't it?" She gave him a small smile.
"Er yeah, look I need to see Abby." He raked his hand through his messy black hair and squeezed his eyes shut as if trying to compose himself.
"I'm not sure she will want to see you Pod, where's Gabe?" She looked behind him as if expecting to see him standing there.
Pods breath hitched and his eyes were watery, he took a deep breath before he spoke.
"He's in ICU, he took an overdose this morning." His face started to crumble and even though Helen was in shock, she grabbed his arm and guided him towards a chair.
"Oh hell Pod I'm sorry, how is he?" She watched him as he sat with his head in his hands.
"He's in a coma, it was antidepressants and alcohol, apparently that's not a good mix. If it hadn't been for Dr Powell he wouldn't have made it this far."
Helen shuddered, she knew only too well the complications that kind of overdose could cause, then the words that Pod had said registered.
"Wait, what did you say about Dr Powell?"
"What? Oh yeah he went round to talk Gabe into coming to see Abby, but when he got there he had to get security to open the door and found Gabe on the sofa. If it hadn't been for his actions......" Pod broke down and buried his head in his hands again.
Helen tried to comfort him and laid a hand on his shoulder as she bent down to face him.
"Hey Pod, he's in good hands and he's young and strong, don't give up on him, you need to be there talking to him."
His head shot up and he looked at Helen. "No, he needs Abby, I have to tell her."
Helen shook her head slowly. "I'm not sure that's a good idea, she's not strong enough to take any more bad news and even if she was, I doubt the doctors would let her leave the ward, the risk of infection is too great."
Pod grabbed her shoulders and she winced under his grip. "But she has to, he needs something to live for or he'll just give up. At the very least she deserves to know, doesn't she?" His voice was becoming louder the more agitated he got.
"Pod, please calm down, you're not doing anyone any good by losing it. I will page Dr Powell and see what he thinks, that's the best I can do, so you stay there until I have an answer." She stood up and gave him a stern look, defying him to move. He just slumped further down in the chair and crossed his arms.
Abby had just climbed back onto her bed after using the bathroom, in some ways she wished she still had the catheter in, then she wouldn't have to move at all. She was just about to put her earphones back in when she her loud voices outside her room. She shook her head in confusion because she was sure it was Pods voice, she would recognise that Irish lilt anywhere.
