-Accidental Overdose-

Almost every employee of the restaurant sat on the patio enjoying a drink as the cool summer air wrapped around them. The dinner crowd was long gone, and the bar was full�but not over flowing. All in all not a bad night. Maddie Laurent took a sip of her cranberry juice and blueberry vodka before she began to doodle in her check pad. She watched her friend Constance out of the corner of her eye, all night she�d been distant, and distracted.

�Okay, so we�re all agreed that we really need to figure out a way to section off the tables.� Constance took a drag from her cigarette before putting in the ashtray to take notes.

�We�ve been saying this for weeks.� Maddie leaned back and ran her hands through her red hair before pulling it back into a pony tail.

�We all know what the problem is.� Terry leaned forward before looking into the darken dining room, �The hostess doesn�t know how to balance us out.�

�And then you guys get five tables up at once.� Logan the bartender noted before putting out his cigarette.

Maddie took the last sip of her drink and followed him inside, �Hey Logan, how much as Constance had tonight?�

�I think just that one. Why?�

�She�s my ride home tonight. Gotta be safe, ya know?�

Logan smiled, �I understand. So what�s your need to get home early tonight and not hang out?�

Maddie sighed, �Family stuff tomorrow. My brother is playing in the finals of the Westport Summer Baseball league tomorrow afternoon. Also why I have tomorrow night off since I would never get here in time.�

�That makes perfect sense.�

�Hey Maddie, have you seen Ace and Terry?� Constance held her cell phone close to her ear as she looked around.

Maddie looked around the bar, �Yeah, the boys are over there. Want me to grab them?�

�Please.� Constance went back to focusing on her phone, �Yes, I promise we�re about to leave. Do you have the stuff?�

Maddie shook her head and walked over to the guys, �Hey, Constance is ready to go. Let�s hit the road.�

Ace took a long sip of his beer and called out to Logan, �I�ll be back. I�m not running out.�

Logan nodded and Maddie walked out with the two boys towards Constance�s Honda. Terry climbed in the back, while Constance got in the driver seat. �Maddie, what are you waiting for?�

�Ace, he went to go pee by the tree.� She pointed and rolled her eyes, feeling the slight chill in the air.

Ace came back and zipped his pants before crawling in the back seat. Maddie pushed the front seat back and got in. �Buckle up boys.� She told them as she fastened her seat beld.

Maddie turned her head and saw Ace attach his.

Constance revved up the engine and drove out of the parking lot and sped up along the curvy river side road. She reached over and turned up the volume on the CD player, blasting it.

Maddie dug through her purse, and pulled out her cell phone. Still no signal. This drove her crazy, every time she was at work her phone would loose its signal and she�d have to wait until she was about halfway home for it to pick it up again.

�So what are you up to the rest of the night Maddie?� Terry leaned forward between the two front seats.

Maddie leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes for a moment, �A hot shower and then curling up in bed with the book I�m currently reading.�

�Oh come on, its Friday night, have a little fun.�

�I have a long day tomorrow, lots to do.� Maddie defended just before they felt the car skid off the road, �Constance slow down!�

A moment later they were back on the road, but only for a second. Maddie grabbed the handle above the door as the car flew off the road, into a meadow like area before the car rolled over.

Ben Reed tossed down his hand of cards before leaning back in his seat. It was late Friday night, early Saturday morning. Not like he really cared. It all blurred together. It was quite in the fire house. Too quite. The kind where you know that in just a moment you�ll have to go and face something you might not always be ready for.

His gut was right, the alarm went off and over the radio�s they heard calls for ambulances and rescue crews for a car accident by the river. Ben�s gut was tight as he and his fellow rescue workers moved to get ready and to the scene.

�Are you awake?� Ace called out to Maddie from his seat.

Maddie opened her eyes and gasped for air, feeling the restriction of the seatbelt against. �Oh my god!� She cried, �Get this off of me.�

Ace moved and helped her out of the seat belt and then pulled Maddie from the car, laying her on the ground.

Maddie reached up slowly and rested her hand under her head, where she had a large bump. Her legs hurt, she felt dirty, she felt gross. She felt pain.

Constance was still behind the wheel, her body limp behind the seat.

Terry was still in the backseat, slumped over.

Ace ran off into the night, he looked back only once before feeling sick to his stomach.

�Maddie?� Constance called out what seemed like forever later. �Are you okay? Maddie?�

�Constance! I�m okay! I�m here!� Maddie called out into the darkness, just before hearing sirens off in the distance.

Ben Reed climbed out of the back of the ambulance, and took out his flashlight, looking around before seeing the young woman laying on the ground.

The music from the car was still playing, blasting. Haunting the night air. He crouched down, �Are you okay? What�s your name?�

�Madeline Laurent, my legs hurt, that�s all.� Maddie clutched her head, �Where�s Constance?�

�Maddie, you�re going to be okay. Just stay still.� Ben stood up and looked around waving to the others around the scene.

A group of guy�s went over to Constance, and Ben looked inside the backseat, finding Terry. He reached over and checked for a pulse, but their was none. He went back to his group, and told them about the male in the back seat before going back to Maddie.

�Maddie, my name is Ben.� He gave her a soft smile, �How many people were in the car?�

�Four.�

�What are their names?�

�Me, Constance, Terry and Ace.� Maddie focused on the night stars, trying to keep herself from future restless nights of this scene playing over and over again.

�Okay Good, now tell me. What hurts?�

�My leg, I�m cut up, My head a little.�

�Maddie, we�re going to put this neck brace on you okay? It�s going to be uncomfortable but it�s to help make sure you don�t get further injured.�

Maddie sighed and felt the brace get put around her neck before hearing someone call for a backboard and someone a moment later saying the helicopter was on its way.

Inside of her, Maddie knew. That in just one moment, everything had changed forever.

Maddie was alone in the room. Her Doctor had run off to treat, Constance perhaps or Ace. No one had told her yet, but her gut was telling her that Terry hadn�t made it. They had x-rayed her right ankle to check for a fracture, and now she waited still on the backboard and desperate to move and try and release some of the tension building in her body.

A new nurse came in, and smiled, �Good news, your ankle is only sprained.�

�That�s good to know.� Maddie squirmed from the uncomfortable position of being flat on a plastic board.

The Doctor came in, and he and the nurse removed her from the board, and removed the neck brace. The nurse helped her put on a hospital gown. �A State Trooper would like to speak with you.�

Maddie was now sitting up, and trying not to look at her leg seeing how scratched up it was, or the gaping cut on her calf.

A state trooper came in, �Hi, may I ask you a few questions.�

�Sure.� Maddie looked forward, focusing on the hallway, thinking perhaps some sort of hope would show its face.

�How many people were in the car?�

�Four.�

�Okay, Who was driving?�

�Constance was.�

�And did you pull yourself out of the car?�

Maddie shook her head slightly, �No, Ace pulled me out.�

The trooper nodded, �Just so you know, Ace did leave the scene. He was found not far away. He just has a few slight injuries like yourself.�

�And Terry?�

�Um, he was found at the scene already gone.�

�We need to wrap her ankle.� The nurse came back into the room.

The State Trooper left, and Maddie watched as the nurse cleaned her cuts and wrapped her leg. �The Doctor is going to suture this up. He�ll be in, in a moment. You�re friend Derek Scott is outside, wanting to see you.�

�He can come in, for sure.� Maddie watched the door way before seeing Derek run towards her. �Derek, I am so glad to see you.�

Derek threw his arms around her gently and hugged her, �I�m so glad you�re okay. They said you can go home. I�ll drive you. I�ll be safe, I promise.�

�What�s going on with Constance?�

Derek smoothed out his best friends red hair, �She has to stay over night. She sprained her wrist, but she did knock her head on the windshield. Right now she thinks it was only the two of you in the car. She doesn�t remember Terry or Ace being their at all.�

Maddie took a deep unsettled breath, �Everything is different now, isn�t it?�

�It looks that way.� Derek looked up, �I�ll let the Doctor take care of you. I�ll be out in the hall.�

Maddie gave him a soft smile before the Doctor sat down and speaking very little began to suture the cut on Maddie�s leg. �The nurse will be in, in a moment. And I believe your boyfriend will be taking you home.�

�Oh, he�s not my boyfriend. He�s my best friend.� Maddie corrected just before Derek came back in.

The doctor left and a moment later the nurse came in with a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt, �I thought you might like these. Since they cut your clothes off in the ambulance.�

�Thank You.� Maddie took the clothes and then began trying to get dressed, moving her sore body parts slowly.

�Also, you�ve got a couple prescriptions that need to get filled. You�ve got an antibiotic and painkiller. These just need to be filled today.� The nurse handed them to Derek and then went to the hall and got a wheel chair.

Derek and the nurse helped her into the chair, and then took her to sign her release papers before bringing her out to Derek�s car.

As soon as Maddie was in the seat she put her seatbelt on and took a deep breath to calm her nerves.

�I am so glad you have an elevator in this place.� Derek announced as he unlocked her front door and kicked it open with his foot. �Otherwise I�d have to carry you up three flights of stairs.�

Maddie rolled her eyes, �Very funny. Not.�

Derek helped her over to her sitting area, �Couch?�

�Sounds perfect.� Maddie sat down for a moment before laying down.

Derek pushed the coffee table closer, �Okay so, um since you don�t have your cell phone right now I�m putting the land line right next to you and my number. Call me for whatever you need.� He also moved the television remote closer to her and then ran into her kitchen to prepare a bag of ice. �I called you Dad, and left a message for him to call me. I�ll tell him. I know you wanted to go to your brother�s game today but he�ll understand.�

�Derek, you really don�t have to do all of this.� Maddie tried to sit up and fluff her pillows a bit.

Derek placed the ice bag on her ankle, �Maddie, I�m your best friend and your mine. Let me take care of you. I�m going to get your prescriptions filled, and I�ll find out how Ace and Constance are doing. I�ll bring you some take out when I get back from the pharmacy to, okay?�

�Don�t you have to be at the resort today? Your parents won�t let you miss work.�

�For Constance, no they won�t. But for you, of course they would. They like you.� He kissed her forehead, �I�ll be back soon, try and sleep.�

�Thank you Derek.� Maddie watched him pick up her keys and walk out the door.

Alone. She was alone, in the silence of her apartment. Everything could sink in now. She could start to put it behind her, she could start to move forward.

Ace Houston walked out of the hospital, his arm in a sling and some cuts and scrapes along the right side of his body. His roommate led him to the car, �It�s going to be okay Man.�

�How? Terry�s gone, Constance doesn�t remember a thing?� Ace quickly put his seat belt on, hearing Maddie echoing in his head.

�Because, you�re still here. You still have a purpose. Make it count.�

Derek stood outside of Constance�s room, watching her family with her. She was so out of it still. Part of it was the medication, at least that�s what Derek hoped. He wasn�t ready to see her yet, he just wanted to know she was safe�because Maddie would want to know.

�Derek, what are you doing here?� Mrs. Savoren asked when she came into the hall after seeing him by the door.

�I just wanted to make sure Constance was okay. Maddie�s going to ask me later, when I get back to her house.�

�She�ll be fine, once they can get her calm enough to tell her about Ace and especially Terry.�

Derek watched Constance in her drug induced sleep, �She�s a strong girl. She�ll get through this.�

�I certainly hope so.�

�Excuse me, do either of you know where Maddie Laurent is?� Ben asked dressed in street clothes now that he wasn�t on duty.

�She�s been released. Which reminds me, I need to go get her prescription.� Derek walked off not saying another word to Mrs. Savoren or Ben.

�Are you friends with Maddie and Constance?�

Ben looked at Constance, �Just Maddie, I was on the rescue crew. I just wanted to check on her. How�s your daughter doing?�

�She�s foggy on what happened. We�re waiting for her to be better able to comprehend what happened.�

Ben nodded, �Well, I should be on my way. I�m glad to hear your daughter will be fine.�

Mrs. Savoren watched as Ben walked away, and wondered if her daughter really would be fine, she wondered if Constance would take this as the wake up call it was meant to be.

Maddie was fast asleep on the couch when Derek came in, trying to balance the bag from the pharmacy, the take out container and a set of crutches. He quickly let things drop onto the counter. He placed the crutches near the couch and then went and brought over the food and prescriptions, �Hey Maddie, wake babe.�

�Ouch, I feel like I got run over.�

�Close.� Derek looked at the food, �I got your favorite from that Mexican place downtown.�

�You Derek, are too good.� Maddie sat up a little bit, �God, tell me you got the prescriptions?�

Derek smiled and handed her one of each pill, �Antibiotic and painkiller. Take them, and then eat something.�

Maddie did as directed and then looked at the food, �You�re too good, really.� She took out the plastic ware and began to eat a little bit. �How�s Constance doing?�

�I talked to her Mom, she�ll be fine.�

�Good.� Darkness clouded Maddie�s eyes as she went back to eating and Derek turned on the television set, leaving it on the soap opera channel.

�Just relax, I talked to your Dad. He said you�re Mother will come by later before your brother�s game. I�ll be here so you can rest. You�re going to be okay Maddie.�

�I know.� Maddie looked up at the television, �You really going to watch the block of All My Children with me?�

�Well, at least until you fall asleep, then I�ll change the channel.� He gave her a playful smile.

Deep down Maddie knew Derek was right. Things were going to be fine, she also knew that things would never be the same again.