Chasing Dreams

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

The craving came out of the blue.

Anyone with some understanding of addiction would have seen it coming, what with the stress and worry Mitchell was facing, combined with his almost total inability to ask for or accept help. Mitchell however, was woefully unprepared.

He was mopping the hallway close to A&E when a car accident victim was rushed past him on the way to the operating room. The blood had literally soaked through the patients sheets and one of the gurny's wheels left a bloody trail in its wake.

His nose was filled with the scent of fresh, warm blood and Mitchell felt his eyes turn black as every nerve ending in his body burned with need. He could vividly remember how good blood had tasted, how good it used to make him feel. He collapsed to his knees and stared at the bloody trail left on the floor. He felt like he was in a dream, watching himself reach out to the blood on the floor and trail his fingers through it.

He stared at the blood on his finger tips. His memory went blank for a moment then and he couldn't remember raising his fingers to his lips but as the coppery taste of blood hit his tongue, he knew he was lost. The next person he saw was dead.

That thought terrified him enough to propel him into action.

Thankfully the hallway was empty and somehow he got back to his feet and staggered to the closest exit. He inhaled deep lungfuls of the cool night air, hoping to rid himself of the stench of blood but he could still smell it. He staggered towards his car, keeping his head low because he knew his eyes were still pitch black.

As he climbed behind the wheel he didn't know where he was going but drove on auto pilot.

He could almost feel the blood on his fingers burning his skin. He licked the remaining blood off them, hating himself for how much he enjoyed the taste.

He found himself pulling up outside the church hall on Stockwood Road and running inside. Some small part of him remembered that Carl would be here tonight, this was his regular AA meeting. Mitchell just had enough awareness left to pull his sunglasses out and slip them on as he entered the building.

The group was already in session but he was past caring about manners.

"Carl?" he called as he looked around the assembled faces that had all turned to stare at him in shock. He couldn't see Carl but suddenly there was a hand on his arm.

"Mitchell?"

He looked down at her, noting the throbbing pulse in her neck. He remembered the voice as that of the sweet woman who had complimented Annie's tea, even though she wasn't sure Annie existed and somehow he managed to move his gaze to Katie's eyes.

"Help me," he implored her.

Katie put her arm around his back and led him into the next room.

"What's wrong?" she asked him when the door was closed.

"I can't stop myself," he said, taking his glasses off so she could see his eyes. He felt bad when she jumped back and he slipped the glasses back on.

"Sit down," she said gently when she had recovered from the shock. She guided him to a chair.

She went to the table and made him a sweet coffee, returning with that and a tin of biscuits.

"Drink," she commanded, handing him the mug.

He was surprised by the sweetness of the drink but did as she asked. He was a drowning man and she was his life raft, right now he would do whatever she asked of him.