Mr. and Mrs. Carter: I Need You Tonight

Chapter 25

June 27, 2003, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles
KEVIN'S POV
I heard a groan coming from the bed. I sat up with a start.

"Jesus." Lili opened her eyes.

"Lili? You okay?" I touched her arm.

She looked at me. "What happened? Where am I?"

I took a deep breath. "You're in the hospital. You had a hypertensive crisis two days ago."

She tilted her head to the side. "A what?"

"It's when your blood pressure goes up incredibly high."

"Oh." Lili looked at her lap.

"You almost died Lili. They found so much meth in your system." I said, sorrowfully.

A tear fell down her cheek. "I'm sorry Kevin."

"Don't cry." I put an arm around her. "You're going to be okay."

"No I'm not. I can't control myself Kevin. I can't stop the drugs. You were right. Right this whole time. I'm an addict." she buried her face in my chest.

"It'll get better, you just need to do what I say okay?" I gave her a hug.

I felt her nod.

"But not rehab right? I don't think I could go there Kevin." she wiped her face.

I sighed. "Lili, rehab is the best option for you. It really works. It worked for AJ, so it can work for you. You just have to commit to it."

Lili hesitated for a moment.

"Okay. I'll go." she hung her head.

"Don't be ashamed. We all need help sometimes. You're going to be okay. I promise." I kissed the top of her head.

"Thank you Kev. I don't know what I would do without you." Lili smiled softly.

"Don't stress over it. You're gonna be in here for a few days to recover, but after that, I'll take you there okay?" I said.

Lili bobbed her head. "Okay. But what about filming?"

"I'll talk to Jamie for you. Don't worry about that. Just rest okay? And if you need anything call me alright?"

"Yeah, I will. Thanks Kevin. I'm kinda tired right now."

I nodded. "That's fine. Just sleep as in a few days, everything will get better."

She thought for a moment. "I hope so."

"It will. I promise."

                                ...
"Hi, this is Nick." Nick answered, cheerfully.

He had been in rehab for a month.

"Hey kiddo, it's Kevin." I said.

"Oh! Hey Kevsters." Nick said. His voice was bubbly.

"Ummm, why are you so cheerful?" I asked.

"You were right Kevin. This is a really good rehab center. I mean, the first week was really hard, since I wasn't used to not having drugs at all, but it's been getting a lot better. And everyone is so nice and doesn't judge me."

I smiled. I felt happy that he wasn't having a hard time with it. "I'm happy for you man, but I gotta tell you about something. I don't know if you've seen the news or anything but-"

Nick interrupted. "Oh, I don't really watch the news these days. Plus, the therapist here says it's best to stay away from the news, since it can have dangerous side effects on me getting better."