Page 44 of Hard Rock Deceit

"Good news," he told us in a slightly relieved tone. "The patient is awake. He said you're all his next of kin. He's asking toseeyou."

"Fucking finally," Damonmuttered.

"Before you go in…" the doctor hesitated. "You should probably know the cause ofhisfall."

"Moron probably worked himself too hard," Cameron said. "He doesn't know whentoquit."

"No."

The doctor looked each of them in the eye. He seemed to be bracing himself. I stayed sitting in mychair.

"It was a drugoverdose."

Pure silence filled the hallway. I examined the expression on each band member's face. Shock, surprise,disbelief.

I kept my faceblank.

Cameron barked out alaugh.

"Are you fuckingwithus?"

The doctor shook his headsadly.

"I know this sometimes comes as a surprise to friends and family. Often, there are nosigns."

Ianglared.

"August isn't a drugaddict."

"We found large doses of opioids in his bloodstream. Possibly Oxycodone. Enough to make him collapse. Enough to stop hisbreathing."

The others stared at each other, questions in their eyes. Did any of them know? Had any of themguessed?

"Fuck this shit," Cameron grunted, shouldering past the doctor. "I'm going toseehim."

The band members followed the nurse to August's room. I trailed behind them. Not a single one of them seemed to notice I was there. I stayed back, hovering in the doorway as they crowded around thebedside.

Peeking in, I saw August sitting up in bed. A plastic tube connected a bag of solution to the back of his hand. His hair was limp and falling around his face. A small bandage covered a patch of his forehead near his hairline. Dark purple bruises under his eyes showed hisexhaustion.

Still, his lips curved into a slight smile as he greeted hisfriends.

"I'm sorry I scared you," were the first words out of hismouth.

"What the hell, August?" Cameron immediately blurted. "You're a fucking drugaddictnow?"

"I had a sore shoulder," he said reasonably. "I took something from one of the crew members. I had no idea it would affect methismuch."

"You could have died." Ian sounded wounded, as if he were the one sitting in the hospital bed, not August. "How could you have been so irresponsible? That's not like youatall."

"I'm sorry," was all he said. He turned to Noah. "What happened with the rest oftheshow?"

"Fuck the tour," Noah said bluntly. "You focus on gettingbetter."

"The doctor said I can leave tonight. No long term effects." He pointed to the bandage on his forehead. "Just alittlebump."

"Better make sure there's no brain damage," Cameron said, forcing a grin. "How many fingers am Iholdingup?"

August returned Cameron's rude one-finger salute. "Onetoomany."