Second Chances

Second Chances
By Hero541
Chapter 15: I’m Sick

Josh awoke. It was night time. Bright red and blue lights flashed all around him. He stood from his position laying on the hard concrete and looked around. Police cars and ambulances filled the street, their lights flashing.

However, as Josh quickly realized, there was no one anywhere nearby. He began to walk down to the center of where all the police cars were gathered, the lights playing off everything nearby, making them flash an eerie red color. As he reached his destination, he saw what looked like a rather gruesome car wreck. One car was almost entirely wrapped around the other’s front fender. As Josh looked towards the wreck, his mouth agape, he heard a soft moan from one of the cars.

Rushing forward, he peered in the broken window. It was completely dark inside, but he could still make out the figure of someone trapped inside as the flashing lights played through the opposite side.

“Hold on!” shouted Josh, praying the person was okay, “I’ll get you out! Just hold on, okay?”

Josh rushed around to the other side of the car. He pulled with all his might on the handle, trying to force the door open. After a few more tugs, the door opened, and the moaning figure slumped out. Josh reached in and carefully pulled the limp figure out, laying him down on the ground face first. Unable to think of what to do, he began calling for help.

“Someone! Anyone!” he called, running around a little, “Please! Help us! We need help! Please!”

“J-Josh…”

Josh turned back to the man on the ground, rushing forward and kneeling next to him.

“Don’t worry, man. I’ll get you help, somehow. Just hang tight, okay?”

“W-why… w-why d-didn’t you w-watch w-what was h-happening?”

Josh, who had been looking around frantically, turned and stared at the man. What’s he talking about? he mused. Slowly and carefully, he turned the man over, gasping and jumping away from him. A hand shot to his mouth as he peered into a face almost completely identical to his own, except it was bloodied and bruised.

It was the face of his brother, Richard.

“Y-you k-killed me.” Richard stammered out, pointing a shaky hand at Josh.

“N-No!” said Josh, stammering himself, “I didn’t know! He just came out of nowhere!”

“Just couldn’t l-live without y-your drugs that d-day, could you Josh?”

“I didn’t even have that much!”

“It was enough.”

Josh knelt next to his brother’s form, burying his face in his hands, tears beginning to flow.

“I-I’m s-s-sorry, Richard. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I l-loved you more than a-anything.”

Suddenly, the lights flashing all around seemed to melt away. Josh removed his hands from in front of his face. All around him was darkness. He stood and looked around. Everything was gone, the police cars, the lights, Richard, even the street. Josh turned once more, screaming in fear as he saw Richard standing before him.

“You’re the reason I’m dead, Josh!” yelled Richard, reaching out and grabbing Josh’s throat, picking him up off the ground, “It’s all your fault! You took away my life and my happiness, and now I’m gonna repay the favor!”

Josh’s eyes widened in fear as Richard pulled out a large knife, rearing back his arm before plunging it into Josh’s stomach.

*****

Josh screamed as he awoke, shooting up in his bed. He was shaking and had broken out in a cold sweat. Another withdrawal dream he thought, trying his best to calm himself down. It was the same dream he’d had last time he’d tried to get clean, one that haunted him every time he stopped using. Closing his eyes, he could still see Richard’s bloody, enraged face.

He peered out the window, watching Luna’s bright and beautiful moon shine through. Memories came flooding back to him, memories of the crash, the hospital, the funeral. He choked back tears as he envisioned his brother’s fiancée, Brittany, dressed all in black, sobbing uncontrollably as the love of her life was lowered into his grave. She told Josh she didn’t blame him, but that offered him no sense of comfort. Just because she didn’t blame him, that didn’t mean he didn’t blame himself.

As he prepared to lay back down he heard a small voice call to him from out of nowhere, making him jump.

“Josh?” said the little voice.

Josh looked over the edge of his bed, seeing three pairs of eyes peering up at him. The Cutie Mark Crusaders had been having a sleepover at Rarity’s that night. They must have heard him screaming and come to investigate.

“Oh. It’s just you three.” he said, his heart rate gradually slowing, “You should be in bed right now. What’re you doing up?”

“We heard you screaming,” said Scootaloo, “and we wanted to make sure you were okay. What happened?”

“Nothing Scoots.” replied Josh, ruffling the pegasus filly’s mane, “Just a bad dream. You three need to get back to bed now. I’ll be fine.”

“Ya don’t look fine.” said Apple Bloom, hopping up on the bed, “Ya look like ya’ll are shakin. Are ya cold?”

“I am. But, like I said, I’ll be fine. Just get back to bed, okay?”

“We don’t wanna.” said Sweetie Belle, as she and Scootaloo joined Apple Bloom on the bed, “We wanna stay in here and make sure you’re okay!”

With that, all three fillies reached out their tiny hooves and embraced him, holding his cold, quivering body tightly. Josh, who never could have seen this coming, sat stunned for a few seconds. He wanted to tell them to leave, to get back to bed and leave him be for the night. But he couldn’t bring himself to do it. His body and his heart were both being warmed by this sudden embrace.

Josh could hold it back no more. He felt tears trail down his face as he returned the loving gesture, pulling the three fillies close. These three little ponies cared more for how he felt than for their own need for rest. They genuinely wanted him to be alright, to feel better, to feel loved and cared for. Soon, his whole body was quivering as he openly sobbed in front of the fillies.

“Why’re you crying, Joshie?” asked Sweetie Belle, looking up to Josh’s face.

“G-girls,” he stammered, pulling from the embrace and looking at all three ponies, “I-I’m real sick. I’ve been sick for a long time.”

“Can’t ya just take some medicine for it? I’ll bet that’ll clear it right up.” said Scootaloo, smiling wide.

“There’s no medicine that can cure me, I’m afraid.” he replied, “Only time, a lot of patience, and a bit of suffering are gonna help me.”

“Ya’ll don’t gotta do it alone though, right?” asked Apple Bloom.

Josh smiled wide as he looked upon the little yellow filly before him, “No, Apple Bloom. I don’t.”

“Then the Cutie Mark Crusaders are gonna help make sure you feel all better!” said Sweetie Belle, excitedly waving her tiny hooves in the air.

Josh wiped the tears from his eyes and pulled all three girls in close for one more hug. They settled around his body in bed, each one staying as close to him as they could. Josh lay his head down on the pillow, hearing the soft breathing of Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo all around him. A smile crossed his face as he reached out to Sweetie Belle, lightly stroking her mane as she drifted to sleep, a smile on her face. Recovery isn’t gonna be a cakewalk he thought to himself as he felt sleep overtake him once more, but at least I’m not in this alone.