A/N
If you thought that everything between Nikki and Evie would be better, you were so wrong. Play the song when I will point. Sorry to give you so many panic attacks. This is the most dramatic chapter in the whole story.
After 11 months... December 23, 1987...
It's been almost a year since Evie's accident. Fortunately, the young woman has fully recovered. She did not become addicted to drugs. If that had happened, she would probably be dead by now. The drugs are too strong for her fragile body.
Evie wonders how Nikki can survive on how many drugs he has taken. He still continues to take heroin. He hides from her, but she knows what he's doing. He always comes home late, barely able to walk. If Evie asks him where he was, he can barely talk, and of course he invents a lie.
The brunette got tired of arguing with him. Everything is useless. He does not listen to anyone. Absolutely nobody. She loses patience with him. She had a lot of patience. Evie sometimes thinks of break up with him as what he does affects her so much. She doesn't know what she can do to open his eyes and realize how bad he is doing himself.
He always tells her that he will do something, that he will go to rehab clinic but he does nothing. He always tells her how stunned he was that she didn't become addicted. That she had so much ambition. And Evie gets very angry because he doesn't make any effort to give up the addiction.
In two days, it's Christmas, but Evie doesn't care at all. The holidays have no charm for her when she loses Nikki with each passing day.
This morning, Nikki tells Evie he's going to a party to meet his Guns 'N' Roses friends. She knows what he will do there. That's enough for her.
She is now sitting at the table, in the kitchen, drinking coffee and Nikki wants to go outside and she gets up quickly and slaps her palms on the table, the cup of coffee spills and the young woman screams, a vein swell in her temple:
"Are you going there to inject yourself again with that drug that will one day kill you?!"
Nikki stops walking immediately. He turns carefully to Evie, swallowing hard, seeing her face red with rage.
"Evie... What-"
"Don't even try to lie to me!" She yells. "I'm tired... I'm tired of your carelessness and your lack of will!"
"Evie," he sighs and approaches her, wanting to put a hand on her face, but she quickly avoids looking at him angrily.
"Don't touch me!" She cries.
"Good. If you don't let me touch you then maybe Patrick will like to do this," his expression changes, looking annoyed.
"What the fuck?!" Evie is bewildered by his statement. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"You know very well what I mean," he frowns. "I saw how you look at each other. "Patrick doesn't take drugs, he's so nice and gentle. You can't resist him."
"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Evie screams so hard her face turns red. "You know very well that there is nothing between me and Patrick! I can't believe what you told me! I did not expect this! How dare you? I am always with you and I try to help you... and you are telling me that?" Tears well up in her eyes. "You know what... I came to the conclusion that you love that stupid drug that will kill you more than me. It's your damn mistress! And I will end up not meaning anything to you!"
Nikki frowns again, but didn't say anything. He just leaves the room with his fists clenched.
Evie watches him helplessly as he leaves. What else could she say? He doesn't want to listen at all.
She falls on the chair and cries with her hands in her eyes. She doesn't stay like that for long and gets up from the table and goes to the living room. She put the hand on the phone, puts the receiver to her ear, dials the number and waits. Heather's voice is heard shortly:
Heather: "Hello?"
"Hi Heather... It's Evie," she's trying to control her weeping voice.
Heather: "Evie? Are you ok? Did you argue with Nikki again?"
"Yes..." She murmurs.
Heather: "Oh, girl. I'm so sorry! Do you want me to come to you?"
"Actually... I want us to meet somewhere. I feel the need to get out of this house. It's been like hell for me lately," Evie says, almost crying.
Heather: "Of course!"
Evie is in a bar with Heather in about half an hour. She tells her everything that happened. Her quarrel with Nikki. She feels lost.
"Complicated situation," sighs Heather.
"I can't believe he said I was cheating on him with Patrick!" Evie snorts.
"I'm sure he's sorry," Heather says with a friendly look.
"But he hurt me!" Evie scoffs. "That's too much... Believe me, sometimes I want to give it up and leave. But I wonder if something bad will happen to him right then and I'm not around?"
"I'm so sorry, Evie," Heather puts a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm tired of hoping he'll change," Evie sighs wearily.
A/N
Listen to the song now!
The two stay at the bar for about half an hour and leave. Evie goes to her car and opens the door and just then an ambulance passes her and Heather, with the siren on.
Evie stares at the ambulance for a few seconds. Heather looks at her strangely.
"Evie? What happened?" She asks her, walking away from her car to Evie.
"It's going to the place where Nikki said he was going today," Evie says, tightening the handle of the car "Heather! Get in the car with me right now!"
Although Heather is confused, she does exactly as Evie says, feeling that something bad is happening and Evie knows about it. Evie drives fast following the ambulance. She prays that she is just too anxious and that what she senses is not happening.
After a few minutes the ambulance stops in front of a house and the paramedics get out of it. Evie stops the car and looks at the paramedics inside. Her breathing became heavy and her whole body shiver. She takes a deep breath, unbuckles the seatbelt and gets out of the car. Heather follows her still confounded.
Every step to that house is an eternity for Evie. She reaches the door and puts her hand on the doorknob, trembling. She prays not to see what she is thinking. She opens the door with difficulty, Heather is behind her. But what she sees there creates a total shock that she hollers how hard her lungs hold:
"NIKKI!!!"
Nikki lays on the floor lifeless, paramedics trying to bring him back to life. There are many people around who hope for the same thing as Evie. For Nikki to survive.
Evie approaches Nikki, kneels on the floor next to him, leaving enough room for the paramedics do their job and save him.
"No Nikki! Don't do this! Come back! You can't do this to me!" Hot tears flow down her face and fall to the floor.
Heather approaches her with a worried face and puts a hand on her shoulder, not knowing what else to say in such a situation.
Paramedics take Nikki outside and put him in the ambulance, still trying to bring him back to life.
Evie waits by the ambulance with Heather hugging her, trying to calm her down, although in such a situation it is impossible to be calm. Evie doesn't stop crying. Heather thinks she's going to faint.
***
Evie is in the hospital waiting to see Nikki. After being pronounced dead for a few minutes, he was brought back to life with two injections of adrenaline. Evie almost fainted when she found out.
Heather is with her now, watching her because she's afraid she'll lose her mind. Evie was given a sedative because she looked what she was about to faint all the time. Heather told her to sit in the chair next to her. But Evie didn't sit down at all. She stands up and walks around nervously, her eyes running around waiting for someone to come and tell her she can see Nikki.
And finally someone is coming. A doctor comes out of Nikki's room and says:
"Miss Martin... You can see him now."
"Thank you," says Evie hurriedly and enters the room.
Nikki is awake and looks at Evie who has a face as pale as his. She walks over to him, tears streaming down her cheeks, takes his hand in hers and says with a tired look:
"I thought I lost you..."
"I'm here, Evie... You can't get rid of me so easily," Nikki grins weakly.
"It's not funny," Evie speaks slowly with a serious look. "You almost died. You've got another chance to life. You have one more chance, Nikki. I hope now you realize how serious everything you do is."
"Yes, Evie. You are right..."
"I'm serious, Nikki," Evie frowns.
"Me too, Evie... Me too..."
She sighs and wraps her hands around him and kisses him on the temple, relieved that he escaped with his life on this dark day.
"I'm sorry for what I told you..." He whispers.
"Huh?" Evie looks down at him, confused. "What are you talking about?"
"That you cheat me with Patrick," he says, putting his hand on her arm and looking up at her with a forgiving look. "I know there's nothing between you two. I was just angry... It wasn't me. I am sorry."
"It's ok," she sighs and strokes his hair, resting her head on his head.
Evie is still mad at him for the harsh words he said to her. But now all she wants is for him to feel good. So she leaves that aside and focus on him now.
"Tomorrow I'll go to the rehab clinic, Ev..." Nikki's faint voice is heard.
Evie's eyes widen and she catches her breath when she hears such a thing. How long has she waited to hear this! It's been more than 2 years since she's been with Nikki. It's finally happening! She hopes that's exactly what will happen.
She looks down at him, still unable to process what he told her.
"I'm serious, babe. I will do that. The boys and I will go to the rehab clinic tomorrow. I will not delay."
"Finally," she sighs and kisses him on the temple once more.
***
Nikki and Evie get home after Nikki was discharged from hospital.
Tommy and Heather come with them to make sure they're both okay. Everyone enters the house. Evie takes Nikki to bed, wraps him up, and goes to Tommy and Heather, who are in the living room.
"If you need anything, don't hesitate to tell us," Tommy tells her.
"Yes, Evie," Heather smiles at her. "We're always with you guys."
"I don't know how I can thank you for doing all this for us," Evie says.
"No need," Tommy smiles weakly. "We just want to know you're okay, guys."
Suddenly there is a noise. As if something had fallen. Evie turns her gaze to the bedroom where Nikki is, her fright can be seen in her eyes. Tommy and Heather look at each other concernedly.
All three run to the bedroom and enter. They don't see Nikki. He's not there. He's not in bed. Evie looks at the closet. She knows Nikki is there. She runs and opens it and sees Nikki sitting down. He injected himself with heroin, the needle can be seen on his arm. And he seems unconscious.
"Nikki! For God's sake! You are not in your all minds!" She screams and kneels beside him and takes the needle from his arm.
She checks to see if he is still breathing and has a pulse. His face is just as pale. He opens his eyes to the relief of Evie, Tommy and Heather and they stare at him in bewilderment.
Nikki looks around confused, his eyes stopping at Evie who cry. He feels her trembling hands on his body. He forgot what he did and what he was doing there.
"What do you think you're doing?" Evie rebukes him. "Do you want to die again? You just came back from the hospital! What the hell, Nikki!?" Evie screams so loud her voice is hoarse.
"I'm sorry," Nikki sighs blankly. "It was the last time."
"I can't believe it..." Evie is crying harder.
Tommy helps Nikki to his feet and puts him to bed. Evie keeps checking him to see if he's okay. She is still shaking uncontrollably, Heather is so concerned for Evie too.
"We'd like to stay here with you for a while," she says, looking worriedly at Evie. "You don't look good either, Evie... I just want to make sure you're okay."
"No need," Evie whispers and nods.
"You're both not well," Tommy tells her. "We will check on you all night if anything happens. Ok? We really care about both of you. If something happens to one of you, no one will be here to help if we are not here."
"Okay," Evie nods and looks at the bed where Nikki is sleeping now.
"You should go to Nikki and sleep too," Heather tells her. "You don't look good at all."
Evie nods, her gaze is blank. She tells them what room they can stay in tonight. Evie wants to go show them the room, but Tommy and Heather stop her and send her to bed.
Evie sits on the bed next to Nikki. She presses her head on his chest, hearing his heart beating. The heart that stopped for a few moments today. She looks at the tattoo on his chest. Tattoo he did with her 2 years ago. She looks at her chest and puts her hand on the tattoo identical to Nikki's.
She falls asleep next to him, with tears in her eyes running down her cheeks and hoping for a better day tomorrow.