"Ned said this is the place." I double checked the address on the paper in my hands.
"Doesn't look like anyone lives here." Debbie commented looking at the run down building in front of us, crackheads laying on the sidewalk outside.
"Oh, Ian" I sighed.
"Wait, Lip, don't go in there." Debbie stopped him as he started up the steps to the building.
"I kinda have to, right?" He asked back, trying to keep the tone light. "Stay behind me." He held his hand out for her and gave me a look to stay safe as I followed too."Come on" Lip led us up the old stairs.
"Let's go home." Debbie tried as she grew uneasy.
"It's okay, Debs. Someone's got the heat on." Lip pointed to the heater as we walked upstairs to what looked like a homeless person was sleeping on the floor.
"This is Ian's." I noted the green duffle bag, crouching to see it better.
"Yo, Ian!" Lip called out with a smile at the possibility of finding his brother at last. A clatter came from the next room over with humming and singing.
"Someone's coming." Debbie urged in a hushed tone. Lip helped me up from my crouched position and moved me behind him as a naked woman walked in with a beer, singing drunkenly.
"Shit." Lip cursed.
"Aah!" She screamed out loudly as I winced.
"Sorry!" Lip called after her when she dropped the beer and ran back to the other room.
"I have got a gun, you fuckers! I will shoot you full of holes!" She threatened as Lip pulled Debbie and I further behind him.
"No, please don't do that! We're just looking for our brother!" He called as we hid behind a wall.
"Looking for who?" She called back, seemingly calmed down.
"Ian Gallagher? Or-- or Monica? She live here?" Lip asked out.
"Who are you?" She stepped out again wearing a housecoat this time.
"Do you really have a gun?" Debbie worried.
"Yeah! And Monica don't live here no more."
"Okay, look, this is our brother's stuff, okay? So he lives here, right? Look, we're just trying to find him." Lip tried to reason with her carefully and cautiously.
"He's at work." She told us.
"And where's that?" Lip wondered.
"The White Swallow." She sighed.
"Wait, the what?" Lip asked not thinking he heard her correctly.
"The White Swallow, in Boystown." She said as we nodded.
"All right, thank you. Thank you." Lip told her. "Go, Debs, go, Meg. Go, go, go, go, go." Lip urged us out quickly as he followed right behind us.
We walked into the club, crowds of people dancing around to the loud music in the colorful room. Debbie looked around carefully, seeing men making out as we pushed through the crowds. Stepping into an open space we all paused at the sight of a red haired boy servinging drinks at the bar, wearing a sparkly tank top. He glanced over at us before looking back to the drink he was pouring, doing a double take and looking back at us. He locked eyes with me as my face fell in shock.
"Does he know it's us?" Debbie wondered.
"Yeah, I think so." Lip nodded.
"I need to go" I said quickly, fighting back tears as I pulled my eyes away from Ian and looked to Lip.
"Yeah, you gonna be alright?" Lip looked to me before I could get far.
"Yeah I just can't do this now" I claimed, Lip nodding along.
"We'll be quick" He promised with a comforting touch to my shoulder, allowing me to step outside and wait for them. "Yo!" Lip waved over to Ian.
"What's up?" Ian called over happily.
"Hey, man. Oh." Lip gave Ian a high five as he happily walked over to them with a laugh.
"Debbie! Oh, my gosh. You look great!" Ian kissed her on the cheek.
"Thank you. You do too." She commented on his sequin shirt.
"This is my brother and sister. This is family!" Ian introduced to another worker who was passing by.
"Hey." Lip noded to the man as Ian turned back to them.
"Where'd Megan go?" Ian wondered with the slight tilt of his head, a frown sneaking out.
"She was getting dizzy, had to step out" Lip lied to avoid any more pain for his brother and I. "Hey, how long you been working here, huh?" Lip leaned close to let his brother hear him clearly.
"A couple weeks." Ian stated.
"Yeah?" Lip nodded.
"This place, it's awesome. It's-- it's super convenient. You guys want drinks? They're on the house." Ian started back behind the counter.
"No, I'm good, I'm good." Lip waved him off.
"Appletini, Appletin--" Ian nodded along, not hearing Lip clearly.
"No."
"Two Appletinis." He said with a nod.
"Okay." Debbie laughed awkwardly.
"Hey, Ian, is there any place we could talk?" Lip asked, leaning over the bar.
"Oh, I love this song!" Ian gasped as the song changed.
"Yeah, look, some army MPs came by looking for you. They want to arrest you for going AWOL, stealing government property." Lip tried again.
"This is top-shelf." Ian explained the drink to his siblings.
"No, hey, did-- did you hear me? They say you stole a helicopter." Lip said.
"That's hilarious." Ian laughed.
"Is it?" Lip questioned sternly.
"Yeah, yeah, I mean, I didn't steal anything, I just started the rotors. Hey, can you guys hang around for a while? My shift gets off at 2:00, but I always go out after, or hit the local gym, depending on how pumped I am. But seeing you guys, I-I just-- I feel great, you know?" Ian rambled on and on with energy.
"Okay, you know what, hey, let's go outside so we can hear each other, huh?" Lip suggested.
"Try your drink." Ian pushed the glass towards them both.
"No, outside. Come on, come here." Lip tried to grab his brother as Ian laughed.
"Hey, get your hand off him." Security came over to the boys.
"No, it's fine, it's okay. We're brothers, all right? We're just talking. Yo, Ian!" Lip called over as Ian walked away.
"And I definitely need some ID." The man looked to Debbie.
"Come on, Ian!"
"Let's go!" Security told them sternly.
"She's not drinking, man. Ian! Yo!" Lip tried calling him back again as they were dragged out by the security guard.
Lip stepped outside to find me leaning my back against the wall, head in my hands as I cried. Lip gently grabbed my shoulder, pulling me in for a silent yet comforting hug.
"Why was he acting like that?" Debbie demanded with confusion and hurt.
"Like what?" I worried with a sniffle, pulling back slightly as Lip kept his arm over my shoulder.
"Like the mad hatter or something" She described.
"It's late. We should go." Lip started walking us down the street to the bus stop, not wanting to cause a scene.
"Is there something wrong with him?" I asked with more concern, looking to Lip with panic.
"At least we know where he is now, okay? I'll come back and check on him. Let's get you home, though, all right? Come on." He took us back to the bus stop, all of us getting on the bus beside each other.
"Are you coming to Fiona's party?" Debbie asked with a smile as we reached our stop.
"No, she should get home and get some rest," Lip told his sister.
"Yeah, I'll come to her party," I smiled. "I've really missed you guys" I claimed as Debbie smiled back happily.
"We missed you too," She told me.
~~~
"All right, babe, let Tito here take over. We got to get to Fiona's." Veronica started as Mickey sat at the bar stool.
"All right, just one more shot. Here's to good old fashioned American capitalism. You can keep a man down. But you can never keep him from getting it up." Kevin toasted to Mickey.
"Yes, sir!" She cheered out.
"Mm." Kevin hummed.
"Let's go, let's go!" She walked out cheering.
"Hey if Megan is there, keep an eye on her for me?' Mickey asked Kevin as he walked around the bar.
"Of course" Kevin patted him on the shoulder, leaving for the night.
~~~
"There you go" Lip opened the gate for Debbie and I as she brought the cake for the party. Muffled music sounded from the house loudly. "Hey, Debs, Megan. Thanks for coming with me today." Lip stopped us on the step.
"Yeah, thanks for letting me." She replied with a smile. She turned to walk in as I followed and Lip came in behind us.
"Hey!"
"Hey!" Veronica and Fiona both cheered out when we walked in and they were dancing around.
"Look at Lip now!" Veronica cheered to him, pulling him in for a hug. "And look at that baby growing" She pulled back to look at my baby bump as I smiled and posed for her and she laughed, copying my pose to show off her own baby bump.
"Cake, cake, cake, cake!" Fiona cheered at the item in Debbie's hand.
"Hey" Lip smiled at Fiona.
"Where you been?" Fiona wondered as Carl shared the bag of chips with me and I danced with Veronica.
"Oh, we just on a little adventure. I'll tell you all about it later." Lip said.
"Well, looks like somebody's gonna get to keep their job!" Fiona cheered into his face proudly. I moved to sit beside Kevin as I grew dizzy. He gave me a worried look which I brushed off simply, him making a mental note to keep an eye on me.
"Oh, no shit, that's great." Lip commented back.
"Mm-hmm." She hummed back.
"Fiona!" Debbie screamed out from the kitchen. Fiona ran over to see what was wrong as we all followed silent with worry. "Oh, my God." Debbie gasped leaning over Liam who was passed out in a pile of laundry.
"What?" Lip worried following into the kitchen as we were right behind.
"Oh, shit" Fiona cursed.
"What's on his face?" Debbie panicked as white pounder covered Liam's face.
"Oh, my God, oh, my God, oh, my God." Fiona continued as she held up the bag once filled with coke that was laying beside him.
"Step back, step back." Veronica moved over.
"Oh, my God." Fiona continued to spiral as I pulled Debbie back away.
"Step back."
"He's not breathing!" Debbie worried.
"Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God, oh, my God."
"Liam? Liam? Liam?" Veronica tried as she knelt beside him and I held Debbie and Carl back.
"Oh, my God, call!" Fiona shouted to Lip who grabbed her phone to make the call.
"Liam? Liam? Step back, give him some room." Veronica ordered calmly. "Liam?"
"Oh, my God." Debbie started to cry.
"Liam?"
"Debbie" I held her close, brushing away her tears as I too was stunned by the accident.
"BP is 200 over 120. Heart rate's 130." The paramedic stated as they checked over Liam who was still unconscious.
"What'd he take?" The female paramedic questioned us.
"Coke! He got into my coke." Fiona panicked, clearly shaken up.
"How much?"
"A half gram, maybe more. I don't know." She explained.
"Coming through." He warned us to step back.
"He gonna be okay? He's gonna be okay, though, right?" Fiona asked.
"Yeah, clear the way, please. Coming through!" He shouted as they carried Liam out.
"Three-year-old male, cocaine ingestion. BP's 200 over 120. HR is 130." The woman reported to the walker talkie.
"He's gonna be okay, right?" Fiona followed with stress and panic.
"Started 2 milligrams of Ativan, 12 minutes out." She continued to order out.
"He's gonna be okay, right?" Fiona panicked. We all walked outside as they loaded Liam into the ambulance, Fiona getting in with him. She had a feeling of guilt wash over her while they drove away, leaving us to stand in the middle of the street.
"I'll get the truck." Kevin rushed off to get his truck.
"Hey, Kev, take Megan home first" Lip instructed as we all climbed into the truck.
"Here you go, kid" Kevin pulled up in front of my house.
"Let me know how it goes" I told them all, Lip waving as Veronica nodded. I got into the house, closing the door with a sigh as I walked to my room, tuning out the world around me. I fell onto my bed, tears taking over as I processed the events of today.
"Megan?" Mickey asked softly, stepping into my room to find the state I was in.
"We found Ian" I sniffled, turning around to face him.
"He didn't come home?" Mickey questioned carefully. I shook my head, taking in a shaky breath before continuing.
"He was working at some gay bar in boystown, he looked really happy" I said, wiping away some tears.
"That's not all?" He read me like an open book.
"I went back to the Gallaghers house for Fiona's party and Liam was taken to the hospital for ingesting coke" I finished, crying even more as Mickey patted my leg, looking at me with pitty for what I had gone through in a matter of hours.
After an hour my phone rang from my coat pocket, Mickey answering it when I made no move to get up.
"Hey" He greeted Veronica.
"Is Megan there?" She asked back.
"Yeah, she's not in a good place right now" He explained simply. "Can I take a message?"
"Yeah, they stabilized Liam, but Fiona was arrested. We are all going home for the night" She reported back to him.
"Alright, I'll let her know, '' Mickey promised, ending the call. "Liams alright" Mickey told me gently as he patted my shoulder.
"Really?" I looked up with teary eyes and a mess of hair in my face.
"Yeah" He smiled slightly. "But Fiona got arrested" He repeated Veronica's words, growing stern.
"Oh" I nodded, not sure how to react.
....................................................
Question of the day: How did you react to Liam's accident?