Chris busted through the door without bothering to shut it and ran over to where Karen was on the floor. He immediately began to take her vitals. 
“What happened?” 
“We came home and found her unconscious with a bottle of Dexedrine spilled next to her. I can’t believe we didn’t see this! How long do you think she’s been using?” Gail questioned, trying to figure it all out. 
Chris didn’t answer, he just worked to get Karen to regain consciousness. 
“Chris is here, Karen,” Sydney told her, still holding her hand, “He’s trying to help you, but you have to work with him. You fought to keep me alive and now it’s time to fight for yourself. You’ve got to wake up! I need you, Karen.” 
Just as Chris began to fear that they’d have to get Karen to GH, her eyes opened. She looked around and couldn’t figure out why Chris, Gail and Sydney were huddled around her. She opened her mouth to speak, but was overcome with nausea and began vomiting. Soon, she was convulsing and Chris drew a syringe from his bag. He injected her with the Valium to try to control the convulsions. When they stopped, Chris spoke. 
“Gail, get some more cold cloths, her temp is still too high, and dim the lights,” He instructed, seeing the agitated look in Karen’s eyes. 
“What are you doing to me?” Karen asked, seeing the needle in his hand, “Leave me alone,” She told him, trying to sit up. 
“Do you remember what happened, Karen?” 
“Yeah, you lied to me! You let my family and everyone believe that you knew nothing about Christina!” Karen yelled as a strange feeling of defensiveness infected her. 
“Karen, you overdosed on pills! We just almost lost you,” Gail said coming out of the bathroom and handing the towels to Chris. 
He tried to put one over her forehead, and she turned away from him. As much as he hated to do it, he knew that they needed to get her to GH before the fever caused the convulsions to start again. 
“C’mon, Karen, we need to get you to the hospital,” He said reaching his hand out to her as Sydney shot him a look, “She needs to have her stomach pumped before the drug soaks too much into her bloodstream.” 
“Get away from me!” Karen yelled, swatting his hand away and pulling herself into a ball while still sitting on the floor. 
“Karen, we’re just trying to help you, honey,” Gail attempted, reaching out to touch her arm. 
She pulled away from Gail and turned away from them. Horror crossed Sydney’s face as she watched the woman she looked up to falling apart right in front of her. 
“You need to get that fever down before you start convulsing again. Please work with me, here. I love you, Karen and I’m not going to let you give up this easily. I understand this isn’t really you talking, so you have to fight it and come back to me! We need you, Karen, you can’t give up.” 
Karen looked up at him with tears soaking her face and Chris saw something in her eyes change. He threw his arms around her and held her to him. 
“I didn’t mean to do it, Chris! I was just so upset about our fight and then Scott showed up and we fought and…” 
“Shhh, it’s okay, baby, we can talk about it later. Just please let me help you right now,” He begged, reaching out as Karen took his hand and he scooped her up into his arms. 
Gail helped him get her to the car and the four of them rushed over to the hospital. 
Sydney pushed open the Emergency room door and Gail was thankful to see Alan walking by. 
“Alan! We need to get Karen in for a gastric lavage,” She explained, trying not to speak too loudly. 
Alan glanced around, noticing the only nurse in the quiet ER hadn’t yet looked up from the computer screen. 
“Get her into curtain two,” He said, leading the way, only speaking again when they reached the room, “Does someone want to explain to me what happened?” 
“She overdosed on Dexedrine, but we don’t have the full story, yet. Her fever hasn’t broken and I already had to give her Valium to stop the convulsions,” Chris told him, not letting go of Karen’s hand as she fought to keep her eyes open. 
“Stay with us, kiddo. I’m not about to lose the best doctor I have on staff,” Alan said, guiding the tube down her throat. 
Watching Karen go through the same experience she had recently lived, even if she couldn’t remember it, was too much for Sydney. She quietly slipped out of the small curtain area. Being in a daze, she failed to see Eve walking towards her and she crashed into her. 
“I’m so sorry, I wasn’t paying attention, I…” 
“Hey, don’t worry about it,” Eve said, recognizing her, “How is living with Karen going?” 
Sydney couldn’t answer her. Images of finding Karen’s unconscious body forced tears to overflow and slip down her cheeks. She just looked up at Eve helplessly, as her bottom lip started to quiver. 
“Sydney, did something happen with Karen? Did you two have a fight?” 
“I…she…” Syd tried to get out, contemplating whether she should tell Eve or not, “Karen’s in there,” She pointed to the curtain, “She OD’d and…Chris got her to wake up, but…” 
“Oh my God! I can’t believe I didn’t notice that she was using again! I’m supposed to be her best friend, how did I miss all the signs?” Eve lost it as it hit her, “I should go see what I can do. You going to be okay?” 
“I just need to get some fresh air, I can’t be in here right now.” 
Eve touched the young girl’s arm before disappearing behind the curtain. When she got in there, Karen was arguing with Alan. 
“Just stay away from me, all of you!” She yelled, curling up on the bed and pulling her arms over her head as she buried her face in her knees. 
“Karen, you need to calm down. This is the drugs talking, you know we’re just trying to help you. We’ve been through this before and we’re going to get through it again,” Alan tried to get through to her. 
“I’m sorry, Alan, I just feel so out of control. I can’t handle it.” 
“Yes, you can, you just need to calm down and take control. Can I have a minute alone with Karen?” 
Chris opened his mouth to protest, but Gail gave him a reassuring nod and they left with Eve following. 
Alan sat down next to the gurney, took Karen’s hand and lifted her chin so that she was looking at him. 
“You have so much to fight for, Karen. You have a family that loves you, a boyfriend who seems to be crazy about you and a bright future in your career. You can’t let the drugs take that away from you.” 
“A family? Alan, I haven’t heard from my mother in over a month and my father is too busy with his own family to remember that I even exist!” 
“Oh Karen, you know that’s not true.” 
“Scott has known about me for over eight years now and not once has he made an effort to get to know me. You were more of a father to me then he’s ever been!” 
“I have always had a special place in my heart for you, Karen, but you have to believe that your father does too.” 
“I don’t want to talk about him right now! I don’t have the strength,” She said weakly, turning away from Alan when her eyes swelled with tears. 
Feeling his heart break at the sight of anguish in her eyes, Alan wrapped his arms around Karen, cradling her as she sobbed. 

Chapter 20- 
Eve walked up to Karen’s door and was surprised to find a guard standing there. 
“I’m sorry, Miss, this room is restricted.” 
“I’m Dr. Lambert, I’d like to check on my friend,” she said, watching him check his list. 
“Ah, Dr. Lambert, I’m sorry, go right in.” 
She slipped in the room, picking up Karen’s chart. Reading it, she shook her head slightly. She looked over at her friend, who was sleeping. Eve sat down next to her and couldn’t believe how small Karen looked. 
“Some friend I am…I can’t believe I missed this. I’m so sorry for not spending enough time with you, Karen, for not paying enough attention…” Eve admitted. 
“It’s not your fault, Eve,” Karen said, opening her eyes, “I was messed up long before you came along.” 
“Don’t say that. You know that’s not true. You’ve had a rough time and you just needed some help to make it through.” 
“Yeah, but instead of doing what normal people do and asking for help, I took the coward’s way out.” 
“Karen, would you listen to yourself! You’re still the same loyal, compassionate person you’ve always been. We all see it, now it’s your turn!” Eve argued, “You’re going to get better.” 
“Who says I want to? Maybe I like letting the drugs dictate my life?” Karen lied. 
“We both know you don’t believe that garbage. You want to fight this, but you’re scared. You don’t have to be, Karen, because you have a whole family behind you. Chris would move heaven and earth to make you happy. And you have Sydney to…” 
“Oh God, Eve,” Karen interrupted in a low voice, “I didn’t even think about Sydney. She must hate me for lying to her! Is she okay? Where is she? I need to see her!” 
“Don’t worry, she’s here somewhere. I’ll go find her, okay?” 
Karen nodded and took a deep breath as Eve left the room. 
 
 
 

Sydney slid into the pew in the tiny hospital chapel and did a quick sign of the cross before kneeling. 
“I know I haven’t exactly been a good little Catholic girl, and I haven’t been to church in over a year, but I need your help,” She pleaded, taking something out of her pocket, “I need the strength to not take these pills. I just watched the most important person in my life almost die because of drugs and all I can think about is taking them!” 
Her head fell as she began to cry, holding the two small pills tightly in her fist. 
“Karen was there for me when I had no one. She treated me like a friend, not some messed up kid…but she lied to me! She preached to me about staying away from drugs and how dangerous they are and she was using! She’s a hypocrite and she’s not as perfect as I thought she was, but…but I love her,” Syd confessed, looking up at the cross on the wall, tears glistening in her eyes, “Finding her unconscious and looking so sick felt like someone had punched me in the stomach and knocked the wind out of me. It was then that I realized that even thought we don’t have the same blood running through our veins, in my heart, I know, that she’s my sister.” 
Eve heard the last few words, appearing in the doorway unnoticed. She quietly walked up and slid next to Sydney. 
“I’ve been looking all over the hospital for you. Figures you’d be in the last place I check.” 
“I just needed some alone time,” Syd said with a shaky voice, wiping away the tears. 
“Karen wanted to make sure you’re okay,” Eve told her, noticing her balled fist, “Are you?” 
“Me? Sure, I’m fine.” 
“Then what are you hiding? If you’re holding Rosary beads then it has to be the smallest set I’ve ever seen.” 
Sydney panicked, not sure what to say, but let out a sigh and opened her hand. 
“Oh, Sydney,” Eve said as Syd lowered her head, “You don’t need that. I know how rough all this must be on you, it’s killing me, but we can talk this out. We don’t know each other very well, but we’re both very connected to Karen and I’m willing to listen if you want to talk.” 
“I tried to be mad at her, Eve, for being such a hypocrite and not telling me the truth…I thought it would be easier to handle if I was upset with her then if I cared about her. It’s not working, all I want to do is take these pills and make all the pain just go away,” She cried, unable to look at Eve. 
“I can tell you over and over again not to take them, but I can’t make you do it.” 
Sydney stared at the pills, building up the strength to not swallow them. She got up, walked over to the small wastebasket near the door and threw them in it. Eve smiled at her and got up to join her. 
“I’m ready to go see Karen now.” 
 
 

Chris poked his head in Karen’s door and found her awake. He hoped she wouldn’t kick him out. 
“Chris, hi…come in,” She invited, glad to see him. 
“I wasn’t sure if you wanted to see me right now.” 
“I’m sorry for everything, Chris! I screwed up big time and I have no right to be mad at you for lying to me after what I did to you,” She admitted, tearfully. 
“Oh baby, you don’t have to apologize. I love you and this isn’t going to change that,” He said, climbing into the bed with her and holding her in his arms. 
“I wasn’t trying to kill myself, Chris, I just wanted to make it all stop. All the hurt and the fear…I just couldn’t handle it.” 
“Shh, I know you weren’t. We can talk about all this later. Right now, you need to rest.” 
“I love you,” Karen told him, lying her head on his chest and closing her eyes. 
“I love you, too, Karen, I love you, too,” He repeated, kissing her on the top of her head as she drifted off to sleep. 
Chris couldn’t shake the guilt of missing all the warning signs that Karen was in trouble. He should have seen this and been there for her. 
You were my wild companion 
We were forever high, high, high 
We burn the night around us 
Sleeping could wait until we die 
You wear the scars of passion 
And since the crashing came 
You’ve broken every promise 
I walked away, hey 

I watched you fall 
I was blind to ya, was lyin’ to ya 
Like everybody else who watched you fall 
Say they love you but they’re laughin’ when you crawl 

“I tried to be there for you, Karen, but I guess I just didn’t try hard enough. I wanted to be the one you turned to and trusted,” Chris explained, tears falling down his cheeks. 

It’s such a weary feelin’ 
When you’ve been stealin’ from yourself 
Wishin’ the word away, blamin’ someone else 
No one can do this for you 
Straighten your head, fix your face 
Take all the pain inside you, wash it away, hey 

I watched you fall 
I was blind to ya, was lyin’ to ya 
Like everybody else who watched you fall 
Say they love you but they’re laughin’ when you crawl 
Did I hear you? Did I try? 
Can I forgive myself for not standing by? 

“I can’t help feeling guilty, Karen. I feel like I let this happen, like I let you down. I didn’t mean to, baby, but I hurt you. Without even knowing it, I just sat back and watched you fall.” 

I watched you fall 
I was blind to ya, was lyin’ to ya 
Like everybody else who watched you fall 
Say they love you but they’re laughin’, laughin’ when you crawl 
I was blind to ya, was lyin’ to you 
Said I love you but I’m, I’m laughin’ when you crawl, oh 
Was blind to ya, I watched you fall 
And I watched you 

“I’m going to vow, right here and now, Karen…I’m never going to let you down again. I’m going to be here and I’m going to love you no matter what. We’re going to get through this and we’ll be stronger then ever. You’re going to get clean and I’ll be here every step of the way,” Chris vowed, kissing her again as he watched her sleep all curled up in his arms.