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Leo survived.
The first six hours had been touch and go, but by dawn, Oliver was allowed to go back and see his sibling. He was unconscious, heavily sedated, but his vitals had stabilized for the most part, and he would begin a treatment to help him detox without sending his body into shock.
“Based on the levels in his system and the marks on his arms, we can safely say your sibling has been taking a significant amount for quite some time,” the doctor said, looking down at the lab results on the chart. “Due to the nature of the overdose, he’s going to require a psych eval and likely a mandatory three-day stay in behavioral health once he’s fully conscious.”
Oliver let out a long breath. “Yeah. Alright. Do you, erm…need me to sign anything or…?”
“Presently no. We have you listed as his emergency contact, along with his father? Ren Sasaki?”
“Right,” Oliver said slowly.
“He’s been notified as well.”
Fuck, Oliver said in his head. He swallowed. “Alright, thank you. Would it be best if I stayed or…?”
“No, go home. He won’t come around for some time, and if anything happens, we’ll call you immediately. I don’t anticipate any problems after this. He’ll be uncomfortable, but I don’t think he’s been using long enough to put his life in any danger from withdrawal.”
Oliver shook the doctor’s hand, remembering his manners somehow. He started toward the lobby where Gabe was waiting, but just before he reached the doors, his phone began to buzz in his pocket. He didn’t need to look at the screen to know who it was.
“Can we please not do this right now?”
“When shall we, Oliver?” Ren’s voice asked, sharp and angry. “How long did you know this was going on?”
“About six hours, when I found him overdosed on fucking heroin,” Oliver snapped. He hit the button for the automatic doors a little too hard, and stormed past Gabe, heading outside. “He’s a grown person. I am not his bloody keeper.”
“I want you two back in London,” Ren said. “Whatever your little plan was, your desire to escape…”
“My desire to escape?” Oliver all-but shouted. “It wasn’t a desire to escape! She tormented me. Do you even realize that? Do you know what she did? Have you any idea of the physical scars I carry round from that? Burn marks, knife wounds! She had me exorcised and tortured for a month, and only when I vowed that my demons of queer buggery had been purged, did she let me go. I took Leo so she couldn’t do it to him. So, don’t act like us leaving her was some act of rebellion.”
Ren was uncharacteristically quiet. “I’m arranging for your sibling to be put in a rehab facility in London.”
“He won’t agree,” Oliver ground out.
“Yes, he will. Your ability to pay for the rest of your education is riding on it. Both of you. I’m sorting out the sale of the house, and you’ll be put up in a flat. You and your sibling will be getting proper help. I’m not claiming I’ve ever done anything to protect you, but in this case, I know what’s best.” Ren paused for a long moment, and when he spoke again, his tone was quiet and calm. “Are you really going to fight me on this, Oliver?”
Letting out a breath, Oliver fumbled with the smokes in his pocket. He saw Gabe come out, but for the moment, he ignored him. “No,” he said after a long pause. The truth was, he had to let Gabe go. He had lost control over Leo, and over himself. He’d never let himself move past what his mother had done, and it had eaten him alive from the inside out. Now Leo was clinging to life, and Gabe was about to have his heart broken. “No, I’m not going to fight you.”
“Good. Your flight leaves next week. That should give you enough time to get everything sorted out. I’ll be there tomorrow to break the news to your sibling.”
Oliver ended the call without another word. Shoving the phone into his pocket, he lit his cigarette, then tried not to flinch when Gabe took his hand. “He’s going to live,” he muttered after a little while. He wanted to pull his hand away, but he was feeling selfish and just wanted a moment of comfort before he dropped the bomb.
“Alright,” Gabe said quietly.
“My father’s arranging rehab for him, and…” Oliver paused to take a few drags and winced when Gabe’s hand moved from his fingers to his waist, pulling him close. “It’s in London.”
“Probably best for him. To get away from everything,” Gabe murmured. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I know how hard you tried. But I’m here, okay? We can get through this together.”
Oliver bowed his head, then very carefully, stepped away. “I can’t do this with you. I’m…I have to…” He cleared his throat, dropped the cigarette, and crushed it out with his shoe. “We have to break up.”
Gabe blinked at him several times. “What?”
“I don’t want to. Fuck, I love you more than I have ever loved anything,” he said fiercely, his throat going tight against the last words he wanted to say. “But I almost cheated on you tonight. Last night. Whatever.”
Gabe took in a long breath and let it out. “I know. I saw you through the window. But I also saw you push him away. You did that all on your own, and I think…”
“I saw you in the window too,” Oliver admitted. “If you hadn’t been there, I would have done it. I was angry at you for being up my arse about getting better. I’m angry at my mum for being dead so I can’t bash her face in bloody. I’m fucking furious at my sibling for being such a stupid shit. And with all of that, I would have done it, in spite of how much I love you.”
Gabe swallowed thickly. “I see.”
