Page 49 of The Destruction You Desire

"We'll be back. Don't do anything stupid," I warn her before following the doctor out of the room and to a small family room a little down the hall.

She walks straight over to the coffee machine, but before she even asks what we want, Luca steps up beside her.

"I've got this."

"Thank you." I take a seat on the couch while Dr. Willis sits opposite me on a chair.

"How much do you know about your sister's life?"

"Not a lot. She left home five years ago, leaving her baby behind. She's always had an addictive personality, so I wasn't under any illusion as to why she vanished."

"Okay. Well, your sister was brought in yesterday following a crystal meth overdose."

"Jesus Christ." I drop my head into my hands. "Crystal meth. Seriously?"

"I'm sorry, Peyton. I know this must be a lot. Do you have any other family or anyone who could be here to help take the weight of this?"

I shake my head. "Our mom died a few months ago. It's just me and her son."

Luca places two cups of coffee on the table and drops down beside me, pulling me into his arms.

"What happens now?"

"She's had a hemorrhage which has caused a mild stroke. She—"

"A stroke? Shit. She's only twenty-three."

"I know. But from her test results, it would seem she's been using for a while and it's more common than we'd like to believe."

"Shit. So what now? Is she going to make it? If she does, is she going to be able to function, what's the prognosis here?"

I stare at the doctor, not knowing what's worse, her not making it or her surviving and not being able to live a normal life.

"It's too early to tell really, and I'd hate to give you any kind of false hope. The next few days are going to be crucial. We'll see how it goes and if her vitals look okay then we can start to bring her around and see where we go from there. She's got scans booked in for the next few days and hopefully, they will help us see how things are going. But even if she's lucky, I'm sure you're aware that she's going to have a very long road ahead of her."

"I know," I mutter, mostly oblivious as to what that journey will entail, but I'm not an idiot. Recovering from this, if she gets the opportunity, and rehab if she accepts it, is going to be hell.

"I hate to bring this up, but I need to talk to you about insurance."

I shake my head, a sad laugh falling from my lips.

"She has none. I have none. It's—"

"I've got it covered. You don't need to worry," Luca says, his deep voice startling me.

"N-no, Luc. You can't—"

"It's the least I can do, P. It's the leasthecan do."

My argument is right on the tip of my tongue, but I can't deny that Luca's got a point.

"I'll make sure she has the best care, and when she gets to leave here, I'll ensure she has a place in an excellent rehab facility."

I stare at him, my eyes burning and emotion clogging my throat.

"N-no, you—"

"I can, Peyton. Please, let me do this for you, for both of you."