Corey POV
I was stretched out in the middle of my bed. I had returned to my room only ten minutes ago. Addison and I had been talking for hours about my past, and I was mentally drained. I had been trying to get in touch with Mattie for the past sixty minutes. I wanted to make sure she was feeling okay since she went to lay down. I pulled out my phone and texted Addison.
Anything from Mattie yet?
She replied almost instantly:
I haven't heard from her. Still in the lobby. Room key is under the potted plant outside our door. You can go check in on her.
I hopped off the bed and put my shoes back on. I hope she's feeling okay. I thought to myself as I left my room, A1 and walked down the hallway to room A2.
"Mattie?", I called through the door. I leaned up against it and put my ear to the door. Silence. I spotted the potted plant by my feet and lifted it carefully, a little bit of soil tipped over the side. I grabbed the room key card and spread the soil around with the bottom of my shoe. I slid the slim card through the room slot and a green light blinked twice. I opened the door quietly; not wanting to wake Mattie if she was asleep and resting.
"M.J.?", I said loudly this time. The living room was empty. Addison and Mattie's breakfast plates still sat on the table in front of the couch. The TV was on, but it was on mute. I didn't bother paying any more attention to it. My footsteps were whisper soft as I turned down the hallway to my right and tip toed into Mattie's room. The door was open a few inches and I pushed it open with my palm.
"What the fuck?", I said out loud as my eyes scanned her room. Clothes were scattered everywhere. Her bed wasn't made and her pillows were askew. Mattie wasn't anywhere to be found. I shook my head in disbelief and then I heard a noise. The shower was running from the bathroom. I was a little relieved, so I walked to the door and knocked loudly. "Mattie? Hey, are you okay?". Nothing. Just the sound of running water. I knocked louder. "MATTIE! Open the door!" Silence. My heart rate picked up and I slammed my palm on the door. It shuddered in the frame. "MATTIE! OPEN THE DOOR, MATTIE!!" Nothing happened.
"Something's wrong...", I thought. I did the first thing that came to my mind. I stepped back and then kicked the door under the door knob as hard as I could. The frame around the door broke free and clattered to the ground. I kicked one more time and the door flung open.
Water instantly flowed from the opening and began to gather in a puddle by my feet. "What the fuck?", I said then I peeked inside the bathroom. My heart stopped.
Mattie was laying on the floor inside the shower. She still had all of her clothes on and her blonde hair was fanned behind her. She was facing the wall. I let out a sob and ran inside the bathroom. I heard a clatter on the ground and I had kicked something. I looked down and saw a orange prescription bottle. As quickly as I could, I looked at the label. Oxycontin. The word shone in my head and I looked at Mattie. I kicked the bottle hard and ran to her. "Mattie! No! Mattie!", I screamed, "Don't do this to me!". I picked her up in my arms. There was blood running down from her nose and she was pale. Her lips were blue. Her eyes were closed.
I carried her outside the shower and laid her gently on the floor. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and called Addison. "Addison! Call 9-1-1! It's Mattie! Something is wrong...just do it! Meet me up in your room! NOW!" I picked Mattie up in my arms. She was so light. Lifeless. I took her and laid her down on the floor by her bed. I plugged her nose, put my mouth on hers, then pushed air inside her lungs. My tears mixed with the water on her face. I put my shaking hands on her chest. I pumped down on her heart and began chest compressions. "Mattie!," I screamed, "Wake up! Don't do this to me!". I put my mouth to hers again. I remembered the last time that my lips touched hers before this all happened. I remembered her smile and her laugh. I remembered the hurt in her eyes when she had walked away from Addison and I just hours before. My heart pumped in my chest and my arms ached, but I wouldn't give up on her. I couldn't go through with this shit again. I wouldn't let Mattie end up like Paul.
I picked Mattie up in my arms and held her close to my chest. "You need to come back to me Mattie. Please," I sobbed quietly, choking on my words. I rocked her back and forth and brushed her hair out of her face. I touched her lips softly. "Mattie, you can't leave me. I love you, so much. Don't leave me." I hugged her body close to me and hit her swiftly on her back. I heard coughing. I pulled Mattie back and her mouth was moving. Her eyes fluttered open. My heart stopped. She rolled to her side and threw up onto the carpet. When she was finished, she leaned back over and looked at me, "C-Corey?", she whispered her voice was rough. I sobbed from happiness. "Mattie?! What happened?" I grabbed the comforter off of the bed and flung it around us. I hugged her to me. She needed to stay warm. Her body was shaking, "I don't...", she began but then the door to the bedroom slammed open. "Mattie!" Addison screamed and she ran over to her little sister. The room was suddenly full with police men and paramedics. A man in a blue paramedic uniform unwound Mattie and myself from the comforter. But before he did, Mattie reached up and touched my face, "I love you, Corey." she whispered. Silent tears ran down my face as I watched as a man took Mattie's vital signs. He checked her pulse and respiration rate. A gurney was being rolled into the room. "She's stable," the paramedic said to Addison and myself. "We need to take her to the hospital, so she can be evaluated by a doctor."
"Yes, of course.", Addison said softly. She was crying softly. Her whole body shook. I stood up and took Addison's hand in mine, I gave it a gentle squeeze. "You two are welcome to come to the hospital as well," the paramedic said to us as Mattie was put onto the gurney and wheeled from the room, "We're taking her to Mercy West. That's the closest hospital." Addison and I nodded our heads. The paramedic stopped and looked at me, "You saved her life, you knew to do CPR right away. And that saved her life." I took a shaky breath. And nodded my head. I didn't know what to say. "Like I said, Mercy West Hospital." He gave us one last nod then left the room.
Addison looked at me, speechless. "Corey," she began with tears in her eyes, then she lost it, "Oh my God, oh fuck...you saved Mattie, you saved her...she'd be dead-.". Addison sat on the bed and sobbed with her face in her hands. I sat down next to her and laid a shaky hand on her shoulder. "We should go to the hospital. Go, I just need to get cleaned up first. We can go to my room for a minute. Then we can go." Addison just nodded silently and stood up. She walked out of the room. I began to follow her then stopped at the doorway, I looked behind me. The room looked different now. Like something had passed through, something bad and malevolent. I looked down at myself. I was wet and Mattie's vomit soaked the bottom of my jeans. I closed my eyes and wiped my tears on the back of my hands. "Corey?", Addison called softly from the living room. I cleared my throat. "Coming.", I called back. I swung the door to Mattie's room and shut it. I turned and walked down the hallway and found Addison. "Grab your stuff. You can stay in my room for now. There's an extra room and an extra bed." I explained. "Thank you." she said softly, still in shock. She walked down the hallway and to her room. The door clicked softly behind her.
My legs shook. My head hurt. A cold sweat broke out on the back of my neck. I sank to my knees and sobbed. My hands gripped my hair and I closed my eyes as hard as I could. I cried for Addison, she had almost lost her sister. I cried for Mattie, she was hurting so badly that she thought this was the only way out. I cried for myself, for almost losing one of the greatest things that had ever happened to me. And I cried for Paul, because I hadn't been there to save him in time. The wound that was in my chest from losing Paul opened up, and it felt like I had lost him all over again. I had almost lost Mattie the same, exact way. I screamed in agony and banged my hands against the floor. Then, I felt arms around me. Addison was there, silent tears streaming down her face. I grabbed her arms like a life line. We both sat there for a long time and cried until our bodies had run dry. Eventually, Addison helped me to my feet and she looked in my eyes. "Are you ready?", she asked quietly. Her suit case was by the door. I sighed, "Yeah. I am. Let's go."
