Kevin must have fallen asleep as he sat by Abigail’s hospital bed after the doctor’s had determined that there was no signs of permanent damage and they were just going to keep Abigail for a few hours for observation. He was woken when a gentle hand squeezed his shoulder. He wasn’t sure if he should be happy to see his cousin or fear the worst, but it didn’t take him long to recognize the sympathetic look in Brian’s eyes. “Carlos told us what happened. Is she going to be all right?” Brian asked. He recognized the seriousness of the situation and knew this was no time to criticize Abigail.

“Yeah. She’s just sleeping off the effects. Brian, we need to figure out where she got it. She doesn’t have the best judgment right now and we can’t have a threat like this around.” Kevin said. He raked his brain earlier to try and figure out where it may have come from, but he came up with nothing. None of the guys, band or dancers was involved with drugs as far as he knew.

“Maybe she’ll be able to shed some light on the situation when she wakes up.” Brian said.

“Look, you guys better go ahead. I can’t leave until I know what’s going on here, but I’ll be there in time for the show tomorrow.” Kevin said.

“The buses are all ready gone. Since we have today off, the plan is to catch a flight later today when we know more. We didn’t just want to leave the two of you alone.” Brian explained.

“I appreciate your support.” Kevin said. After a brief pause, he continued, “I’m not sure how to proceed Brian. It’s becoming obvious that my help is not enough. It’s going to break my heart if I have to leave her here.” Kevin said.

“Why don’t you wait and see what her doctor has to say. But maybe a different form of treatment will help Abigail in the long run. Try to keep in mind what is best for her when making a decision. It may be difficult to leave her for a short period of time, but it may help her recover faster. The hardest thing to do, might be the best thing for her.” Brian said sincerely, hoping that Kevin didn’t take what he was saying the wrong way.

“Thanks Brian. I’ll let you guys know what the decision is.” Kevin said as he gently pushed a strand of hair off of Abigail’s forehead. He desperately wanted her to wake up so he could be reassured that she was all right.

Kevin spent the next half an hour on the phone with Dr. Steep and he agreed that he was extremely concerned about Abigail’s condition and they discussed several treatment options. Kevin didn’t want to make a decision without speaking to Abigail first, so he promised Dr. Steep that he would let him know what they decided.

When a nurse came in to check on Abigail a short while later, she finally woke up. At first she appeared to be groggy and confused, but Kevin watched her as her brow furrowed. “Abigail, do you know where you are?” Kevin asked as he picked up her hand to try and assure her that she had his support.

“I’m at the hospital.” Abigail replied as she looked straight ahead. All the details from the night before were flooding back and she was embarrassed and couldn’t bring herself to look Kevin in the eye. She feared all she would see reflected in his eyes was disappointment and anger.

“Do you remember what happened last night?” Kevin asked calmly.

“I remember taking a white pill last night while we were at the venue. He promised me no one would know I took anything. I guess I should have never listened to him.” Abigail said.

“Who was he Abigail? This is a very serious matter. We don’t condone drug use within our organization.” Kevin said, determined to find out who had convinced Abigail to take drugs.

“It was someone in the crew.” Abigail stated.

“Have you seen him before?” Kevin asked.

“I don’t normally pay attention to the crew, so no, I didn’t recognize him. I might remember who he was if I saw him again though.” Abigail said.

“I don’t know if I want to put you through that right now. Maybe we’ll deal with the issue when you’re feeling a little stronger.” Kevin said.

“I’m sorry Kevin. I know what I did was wrong.” Abigail apologized solemnly.

“Yes, what you did was wrong, but I’m not angry at you. I’m just grateful that you managed to tell me what you took and that Carlos recognized it as Ecstasy and thought it was best if we brought you to the hospital since reactions differ with each person. The doctor said you were pretty lucky and you shouldn’t suffer any long term effects from the one-time use.” Kevin explained.

“Kevin, what are we going to do? Does Dr. Steep know what happened?” Abigail asked.

“We spoke in great detail while you were asleep. We have to make a difficult decision regarding the method of treatment to pursue.” Kevin said. Dr. Steep had highly recommended a particular treatment and he hoped Abigail would understand that they were just trying to do what was best for her.

“What does he recommend?” Abigail asked, recalling the alternative treatments that were originally discussed.

“He would like to see you spend a few weeks in a treatment program designed for victims of traumatic events. You would remain at the facility to ensure that you’re getting the necessary therapy.” Kevin said.

“I remember him mentioning it initially, but he didn’t think it was necessary in my case. Does he think that a few weeks is really enough?” Abigail asked, skeptical that a few weeks would be sufficient.

“That’s what he is recommending to start. Keep in mind that you’ll have access to several types of therapy on a daily basis. You’ll be encouraged to talk about your situation in group therapy sessions and one-on-one therapy sessions with Dr. Steep and there will always be someone there to help you.. He can guarantee that it will have a much greater impact on your recovery.” Kevin explained.

“How do you feel about it?” Abigail asked as she looked up at Kevin.

“I want to see you get better and if this will guarantee that, then I support the idea one-hundred percent.” Kevin replied.

“Will I still be able to have contact with you?” Abigail asked, fearing that she would loose contact with Kevin during the time she spent at the treatment facility. Her biggest fear was that Kevin would meet someone else while she was away.

“You have to understand that I have to carry on with the tour, but he encourages contact with friends and family. He feels that contact is important, so we’ll be able to talk on the phone everyday and I might be able to arrange some visits when I have some days off, but I can’t guarantee anything.” Kevin explained.

“When do I leave?” Abigail asked. She understood that this was for the best and she had no intentions of putting up a fight.

“I have every intention of accompanying you there. We can leave later today provided the doctor feels you are well enough to fly.” Kevin said.

“Make the arrangements as soon as possible please. The sooner I get there, the sooner I’ll get better.” Abigail said as she noticed a sigh of relief come from Kevin. She just prayed that Kevin would still be there when she got out.