Erin - Steps to Recovery (25)

Erin – Steps to Recovery

They tried to make me go to rehab, I said, "No, no, no"
Yes, I've been black but when I come back you'll know, know, know

I don't ever wanna drink again
I just, ooh, I just need a friend
I'm not gonna spend ten weeks
Have everyone think I'm on the mend

And it's not just my pride
It's just 'til these tears have dried

They tried to make me go to rehab, I said, "No, no, no"
Yes, I've been black but when I come back you'll know, know, know
I ain't got the time and if my daddy thinks I'm fine
He's tried to make me go to rehab, I won't go, go, go

                                                      Amy Winehouse (Rehab)

Waking up in a hospital bed was scary to say the least.  Erin opened his eyes slowly, stared at the tiled ceiling, and realized that he was not in his bedroom.  He turned his head to the left and saw an IV pole and a monitor.  He turned his head to the right and saw Violet sitting in a chair, napping with her head in her hand.

“Violet.”  His voice was raspy and barely more than a whisper.

She snapped awake.  “Hi.”  She smiled at him.  “Did you have a nice nap?  Glad to see you’re finally waking up.”  She reached out to touch his arm.  “I’m going to go get a nurse.”  She started to get up, but he grasped her hand.

“What happened?  Why am I here?”  He searched her face for an answer.

“Let me go get the nurse.  You’ve been asleep for a while.  I’ll be right back, I promise.”  She quickly left the room.

He reached up to touch his face and felt what could only be at least three or four days of stubble on his normally clean shaven face.  He also had an IV taped to his left hand that was dripping something into his veins.  The monitor was tracking his heart rate and blood pressure if he was reading that correctly.  What had happened?  He struggled to remember but could not come up with what had happened before he ended up here.

Violet came back in with a nurse who took his vitals.  “Mr. Taylor, you’ve given everyone quite a scare.  I’ve called the doctor and he will be in shortly.  Do you think you are up to eating something?”

Erin thought about that.  “I suppose.  I’m not really sure.”

She smiled.  “I’m sure you’re very confused right now.  I’ll see if I can get you some soup or something light to start.”  She turned on her heel and disappeared out of the room.

He turned to Violet.  “What happened?  I don’t know why I’m here.”

Violet looked at him, and her eyes started to get moist.  She reached out and held his hand.  “You rolled your Jeep.  They removed your spleen, your gallbladder and your appendix.  You had so much swelling in your brain that they put you in a coma.  You’ve been in the hospital for six days now.  Your seatbelt saved your life, but the force of the impact caused a lot of internal injury.”

“Was anyone else hurt?”  He looked worried.

“No sweetie.  You went off the side of the road.  But I think you totaled your Jeep.”  She leaned toward him and placed her other hand on top of their clasped hands.  “I called your dad.  He’s coming over from the hotel now.  We’ve been talking shifts because we didn’t want you to wake up and be alone.  He was so glad to hear that you were finally awake.” 

“Hey, can you help me raise the bed up a little?”

“Sure.”  Violet took the large remote control hanging from the side of the bed and pressed the button.  Slowly, Erin sat up.  “Do you want me to adjust your pillows?  Lean forward and I will fluff you.”   She took the pillows, shook them out, and put them back behind his head.

The nurse came in with a cafeteria tray.  “I did the best I could.  I’m not sure how much of an appetite you will have.  Take your time and just buzz the nurse’s station if you need anything.  The doctor will be in soon.”  She set the tray on the rolling table next to his bed.  “I’ll just refill your pitcher with some fresh water and get out of your way.  You sure do have a devoted gal here.  She’s hardly left your side since you arrived.” 

Erin turned and stared at Violet in surprise.  She blushed involuntarily.  “Well what else was I supposed to do?  It’s not like I can write these songs by myself.  You’ve not allowed to leave me.  We’re in this together, remember?”

The nurse smiled at them.  “You two are so cute!  I’ll be back.”   

Violet sighed and then laughed.  “Should we tell her how much we hate each other?” 

Erin grimaced.  “I don’t hate you Violet.  I know we don’t agree on everything all the time.”

She practically cackled at that remark.  “Now that’s an understatement!  We fight like cats and dogs more than I care to admit.  You’re a colossal pain in my ass, but I still love you.”  Her hand flew to her mouth and her eyes grew wide.  “I’m sorry.  You know I mean that in a friendship sense, right?”

He shifted in the bed uncomfortably.  “Yeah, I know.” 

His dad came in, just in time to distract them from the awkward moment that had just happened between them.

“Hi, Son.  I’m so glad you finally decided to wake up.”  His voice cracked a little but he managed to keep his composure as he reached over and hugged Erin tightly.  He looked up at Violet.  “Have you seen the doctor yet?”

“No, we’re still waiting.  I hope he…” Violet trailed off as the doctor breezed in. 

“Well, well, well, look who’s finally awake.”  He stood at the foot of the bed.  “I’m Doctor Stone.  No relation to Sharon I’m sorry to say.”  He laughed a little.  “So how are you feeling Mr. Taylor?”

“It’s Erin.  Mr. Taylor is sitting over there.”  He nodded his head towards his dad, Paul Taylor.  “To answer your question, I feel okay.  Though I must admit, I’ve felt better. I guess I want to know what I have to do to get out of here.”

Dr. Stone looked at the chart in his hand.  “You sustained quite a few internal injuries.  We removed your spleen, gallbladder and appendix.  Normally I would say that you can go home at this stage.  But there’s also the issue that you’ve been unconscious for the past five days.  With that in mind, I would like to run a few tests and make sure that you are in good working order before I sign your discharge papers.  How does that sound?”

“I’m not the type to sit around and be idle.  I want to get out of here as soon as possible.  What kind of tests are you talking about?”   

“Basic mobility, CAT scan, blood tests for starters.”  Dr. Stone looked at Erin.  “Let’s see how those come back and we’ll go from there.  I’ll be in to check on you tomorrow.”  He jotted down a few notes, closed the chart, and swept out of the room as fast as he had appeared.

Erin sat there, digesting the doctor’s words.  “I guess I don’t have a choice.”

Paul Taylor spoke up.  “I think it’s better for you to rest and let the doctor run those tests, Erin.  We were all so afraid that we would lose you.”

“Okay Dad.”  Erin sighed and leaned his head back against the pillows.  “Could you roll that tray over here?  I think I’m ready to eat something.”  His dad pushed the tray in front of him and he examined his choices: chicken noodle soup, chocolate pudding, orange jell-o, toast and a banana.  “What I really want is a double cheeseburger from Sonic and a Vanilla Dr. Pepper.  Any way I could talk someone into getting me that?”

“Not a chance, but nice try.”  Violet clucked at him.  “You get discharged and we’ll stop in any drive-thru you like on the way home.” 

Two days later, Erin had passed every test that Dr. Stone had thought to throw his way, and he was itching to go home.  He sat on the edge of the bed, one leg on the floor, one leg bent at an angle on the end of the bed.  He flipped through the channels and his cowboy boot tapped nervously on the linoleum floor. 

A nurse came in, pushing a wheelchair.  “Now darlin’ does it look like I need one of those?”  He smiled at her, cocking his head.

“Mr. Taylor, it’s hospital protocol.  I have your discharge forms, and then I will escort you out to the lobby.”

Erin slapped his hand on his knee.  “Hot dog!  I sure am ready!”  She opened her folder and placed the papers on the rolling table.  She handed him a pen and he singed all three forms with a flourish.  He stood up, walked over to the wheelchair and sat down.  “Let’s get this over with.”

“Do you have a ride home Mr. Taylor?”  The nurse released the brake and began pushing him to the door.

“I thought I had a ride.  She must be running late in this LA traffic.  I can wait outside.  I haven’t had any fresh air in a week.”  He laughed. 

They reached the elevator and waited in silence for a car to arrive.  The doors finally opened and she pushed him inside.  Instead of pushing the button for the lobby, she pushed the button for the 7^th floor.    

“Hey sweetheart, I don’t think they moved the lobby to the seventh floor.”

“I have one stop to make before then.”  She pushed him down the hall and stopped outside a conference room.  She knocked on the door.  After a moment, it swung inward, and Erin was a little more than surprised to see Venus holding the door open for him.  The nurse wheeled him in and set him at the end of a large conference table.  As he looked around the room, he saw his father, Violet, his sister Kelly, Doctor Stone and his Aunt Shirley all seated at the table.

“What’s going on?  What’s everyone doing here?” 

Venus walked around and took a seat at the opposite end of the table, facing Erin directly.  She held his gaze and said evenly, “We’re here because we want to help you.  This is an intervention.”

“What kind of intervention?  You think I have a drinking problem?  That’s ridiculous!”  He put his hands on the table, pushed away and stood up forcefully.  “I don’t have to sit here and listen to this.”  He started towards the door, but the nurse was sitting in a chair in front of it. 

Venus continued talking.  “Please sit down and listen to your family and friends.  They’re worried about you.”

Paul Taylor stood up and faced him.  “Son, please.  IF you won’t listen to your friends, listen to me.  I don’t want you to make the same mistakes I made.  After your mother died, I wasted five years in an alcoholic haze.  I missed so much of you when you were growing up and I’ll never get that time back.  If your Aunt Shirley hadn’t taken you in, I don’t know what would have happened.  I’ll always regret that.  Please get help now so you don’t have any regrets later.  You have family and friends that care about you.  Don’t throw that all away.  Get help now before it’s too late.”  

Erin glared at his father.  “So I drink a little at parties.  Who doesn’t?  Violet sees me every day.  She’ll tell you I don’t have a problem, won’t you, Violet?”  He turned towards her, but she did not look at him.  She stared down into her lap and bit her lip.

Finally she muttered, “I can’t.”

His eyes grew wide and he stared at her indignantly.  “What?  I thought we were partners!” 

She paused, gathering her thoughts.  “We are.  That’s why I’m here.  I want you to get the help you need so we can continue to work together.”

Erin practically roared at her.  “What are you talking about?  I’m fine!  I really don’t understand why you’re all here.”  He sat on the edge of a chair at the end of the table, glaring at her.

Violet raised her head and stared at him.  “All I know is that I’m not going to lie and make excuses for you anymore when you’re hung over and can’t work.  I’m not going to deal with any more women you sleep with and then never call again.  And I am certainly not going to feel the wrath of any more pregnant women who show up at your door and wrongly assume that I’m the new flavor of the month.”  Her eyes started to water and she barely whispered.  “We were supposed to take care of each other, remember?”

Erin stood up forcefully, knocking over the chair in the process.  “Are you finished talking?  Cause I sure as hell am finished listening!  I’m outta here!”  He marched towards the door.

Venus stood up.  “I would think very carefully before you do that, Erin.”

He whirled around.  “And why is that?”  He practically growled.

She kept her composure and spoke slowly and evenly.  “Let me put this in terms you will understand.  If you walk out of that door, you will not make one more cent from this studio, or any other studio for that matter.  My influence is long and wide and you will not get another job in this town.  The choice is up to you.”

Erin stood rooted to the spot, contemplating her words.

“Do I have your attention now?”  She waited.

“Yes,” he managed to spit out.

“Good.  Now sit back down.”  She gestured towards the chair.  Erin stood there for a moment, tapping his foot.  Then he righted the chair and plopped into it.  He looked past the table and out the windows, not meeting anyone’s eyes.   

Venus smoothed her skirt as she sat back down.  “At the conclusion of this meeting, you will be checking yourself into a rehab center.  It is clear to everyone in this room that you have a drinking problem.  Your blood alcohol level was .32 when they checked you at the scene of the accident, which is four times the legal limit here in the great state of California.  You’re lucky you’re not heading to jail for arraignment.  I managed to convince the District Attorney that you needed help more than you needed to go to jail.  The fact that miraculously no one else was hurt is probably the only reason he agreed to mandatory rehab instead.”

Erin sat at the table seething.  He stared blankly out the window but refused to say a word.

Venus continued, “Once you have successfully completed the first 30 days as an inpatient, you will be able to complete the remaining part of the treatment program as an outpatient.  What questions do you have?”  She looked at Erin and waited patiently.

“What if I don’t agree to this?”

“You’ve heard the term ‘breach of contract’ haven’t you?  That means that the studio will not be legally obligated to pay you.  You will not get another nickel from any of your songs.”

Erin gritted his teeth.  “So you’re really telling me I don’t have a choice.”

“I prefer to look at it as a required opportunity.  One the studio is willing to pay for, I might add.  I am not bluffing Erin.  If you don’t take this deal, you might as well pack your bags and leave L.A. now.”

“Can I have a few minutes to myself please?”

Venus smiled at him.  “Sure, take all the time that you need, but I need your answer before you leave this room.”  She turned and addressed the rest of the folks at the table.  “Let’s give Erin some space.”  They all filed out of the room.  Aunt Shirley went over and hugged Erin, but he did not return her embrace. 

Venus came to stand next to Erin.  “Just for the record, I organized this whole thing.  I have already spoken to my supervisor and anyone you might try to sweet talk; we are all in agreement about this arrangement.  So if you’re looking for someone to blame, it’s me.  Your friends and family love you and just want you to get well.  I asked them for their support today and they only agreed to this because they don’t want you to self-destruct.”

She paused to let that sink in for a moment.  “There’s also the little matter of your sexual indiscretions, but we’ll take care of that issue after you get out of rehab.  I am going to need that girl’s name and a way to contact her in the meantime.  I trust that you can provide me with that much.  You’re a smart guy Erin, and very talented.  I hope you make the right decision today.” 

She walked back to the end of the table and picked up her leather folio and purse.  “I will be right outside when you’re ready.  Take all the time you need.”  She went out the door and left him alone.

Erin sat there, drumming his fingers on the table.  He felt betrayed on so many levels!  His father, Violet and even his Aunt Shirley all conspiring against him was too much for him to take.  Sure he got a little carried away at times, but that didn’t mean that he had a problem.  He had everything under control.  But he didn’t want to give up his career just for the sake of being right and holding onto his stubborn pride.  All he had to do was play along and go through this treatment program.  Did he want to?  Hell no!  However, it seemed as if he didn’t really have a choice in the matter. 

He sighed and got up from the table.  He walked to the door and opened it.  Venus looked up from the trashy magazine she was reading.  “Okay,” he said.  “I’ll go.”