For the rest of the week, I tried to keep Harry's mind off of the seriousness of his situation while I did anything and everything I could to prepare to meet with the lawyer the following week. I couldn't imagine what it must have been like for Harry, knowing this suite as his only home for all these years. Now suddenly, I was giving him ideas about freedom and leaving and moving out and moving on, not to mention, planting fear in him that had been nonexistent before.

He deserved to be free but I could imagine it was probably the most frightening thing he'd ever been through. Hell, he still believed he was a little kid a few months ago and now he was being faced with becoming an adult sooner than he ever thought possible and  defying his maniac of a father and hoping he could get away with it. I did everything I could to reassure him and encourage him, but I knew the whole situation still weighed on him heavily.

It was late Sunday when one of Theodore's employees came to retrieve the pill box, the same slight young woman with mousy brown hair. We had been hiding his extra doses just like he had decided, so we didn't think we had anything to worry about. We had settled into watching Finding Nemo when I heard the doors fly open and Theodore's voice bellowing. I told Harry to stay put and I went to face his wrath.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" He screamed. "I gave you strict orders to give Harry his medication every day and you deliberately disobeyed me!"

I stood my ground and took a deep breath to calm my quivering courage. "What are you talking about?"

He ran to my bathroom and grabbed the plastic baggies. He came back out and shoved them in my face. "I'm talking about these!"

Fuck, the nanny cams! How could I have been so stupid? He'd seen us while we separated the pills in the kitchen. I'm sure he saw me take off with the baggies and it wasn't a secret that the cabinet in my bathroom was where Harry's meds were stashed.

"He needs to be seen by a doctor before taking more pills," I said firmly.

"Harry!" Theodore shouted, ignoring me completely.

Harry appeared in the kitchen, looking rather terrified. "Yes, sir." His voice was barely a whisper.

"Take. These. Pills," Theodore growled, dumping five days' worth of pills onto the table. He grabbed a glass from the sink and filled it with water, setting it down with a slosh next to the box.

"Which ones?" Harry asked.

"All of them!"

"No!" I screamed, maneuvering myself in front of Harry. "He can't take all those doses at one time! He could die!" I whimpered. "Please, you said you'd fire me. Just do that. Just send me away," I begged and Harry looked at me like I'd betrayed him.

Theodore grabbed the collar of my shirt and pushed me hard against the door of the pantry, his face mere inches from mine. I could smell the stale wine on his breath as he seethed, "You will learn to do what is expected of you. And Harry will learn to obey me." He was drunk, that fucker, but I knew he was dead serious.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Harry trying to shove pills into his pocket but Theodore whipped around and saw the ones that were left on the table. "Where did the rest go?" He demanded.

"I took them," Harry lied smoothly and evenly.

"Then take the rest," Theodore said coldly. "Now! Or Juliette leaves tonight!"

"No!" I protested again. "Harry don't take them!"

"You shut up!" Theodore said and backhanded me.

"Please," I pleaded with him as I rubbed the blood off my mouth. "You said you'd fire me! I'll go and pack. Just don't make him take those!"

But Theodore pointed at the pills, eying Harry viciously, while he held the collar of my shirt so forcefully that it began to tear. "Now!" He screamed.

Harry complied and I watched with horror as he swallowed at least twenty pills. Thank goodness he didn't take all of them but I still hadn't the slightest clue what effects those drugs would have on him.

I was sobbing and trembling in fear as Theodore gave me a final warning before storming out: "Do not ever disobey me again!"

As soon as he was gone, I dragged Harry to the bathroom. "You have to make yourself throw up," I said, trying to sound calm even though I was losing my shit. "Do you know how to do that?" He shook his head. "Stick one finger to the back of your throat until you gag." He did it once and gagged but didn't vomit. "Do it again, please. Keep doing it until you throw up."

Harry had tears in the corners of his eyes; I wasn't sure if they were from gagging or if I was freaking him out. "I don't like throwing up," he whimpered. "Oh, Jules, you're bleeding." He was on the verge of a panic attack.

"I know, baby, but it's okay, it doesn't hurt. I hate throwing up, too. But those pills could poison you. You have to get them out of your body." He looked even more terrified. "Just trust me, okay? I wouldn't lie to you. I'm right here, okay?"

He knew something was terribly wrong with the way I was acting. He tried again, making himself gag, and again and again. It took about five tries before he threw up everything into the toilet. I rubbed his back while he expelled it all.

"Good job, Harry," I encouraged him. When he finally finished, I used a wet wash cloth to clean his face. I flushed and shut the toilet seat cover since he looked a little pale. "Sit down," I instructed and I knelt down before him. "I'm sorry you had to do that. But I'm so proud of you."

He nodded sleepily, looking terribly peaked. "I don't feel so good, Jules." His eyes were drooping and when he said, "My ears are buzzing," he slumped forward, all of his weight landing on me. I wrestled with him to get him to land softly on the bathroom floor. I wet the wash cloth down again and tried to revive him but he wouldn't respond. I kept trying, shaking him and calling his name but he remained unresponsive.

Fighting back a panicked sob, I ran for my cell phone and dialed 911.

I cried a sigh of relief when an operator answered, "911 What's your emergency?"

I forced myself to remain coherent. "I have a 17 year old boy here...no, I'm um, he's 20, twenty years old. He took too many medications and he's unconscious."

"What is your address?"

"I don't know, um, 1750...1725...I...I..we're on Hillsong Drive, on the last curve," I whimpered. "Oh god, I don't know if he's breathing."

"Ma'am, stay with me," the operator commanded. It was only her voice that kept me tethered to the situation; otherwise I would likely have dissolved into a full blown panic. "I've dispatched an ambulance. Now I need you to do exactly as I say. Put me on speaker phone." I did. "Lift or open his shirt and put your ear by his mouth. Listen for any sign of breathing as you watch to see if his chest is rising."

Shakily, I followed her instructions, yanking Harry's t-shirt off his chest and listening. "He's not...he's not breathing," I whined. "He's not breathing!"

"Ma'am!" Again, her voice brought me back to Harry. "Check his carotid artery for a pulse." I did and I felt a weak rhythm.

"He does, he has a pulse," I cried in relief.

"Okay, next you are going to tilt his head back slightly. Cover his nose, seal your mouth over his and give him two rescue breaths."

"I...I don't remember-"

"Take a deep breath and release it slowly into his mouth," she continued. "Watch for his chest cavity to rise."

I followed her instructions and told her, "It worked. Okay, it worked."

She repeated her instructions, telling me to check his pulse again and I did. I continued the cycle with her coaching me until Harry was breathing on his own again. He wasn't awake, but I cupped his face and kissed him, sobbing in relief just knowing he was breathing. I heard the sirens getting closer as the dispatcher told me just to stay with him until the paramedics arrived.

"Come on, Harry," I whimpered, squeezing his hand. "Please wake up, baby. Please wake up."

I heard a commotion as the doors to the suite opened. I looked up, expecting to see paramedics but when Theodore arrived in the doorway, flanked by two large men I'd never seen before, I was completely confused.

"Get away from him!" He barked.

I stood up and frantically asked, "Where are the paramedics?"

He snatched my phone from my hand and pressed end, cutting off the dispatcher. "I will take care of this," he snarled.

The two large men picked Harry up and carried him out while I ran after Theodore, screaming, "He needs a hospital! Take him to a hospital!" They all ignored me, but just before they left the suite, I followed, yelling, "Harry! Come back okay? I'll be here waiting, baby! Please come back!" I tried to follow them out the door, but Theodore shoved me back and locked it. "Stay here!" He shouted through the panes of glass.

I collapsed against the door, sobbing. "God, please don't let him die." A third large man was stationed outside the door so I took to pounding against the glass and screaming until I was hoarse, "Let me out! You can't keep me locked in here!" I pounded and pleaded until I had no energy left. I slumped onto the floor and wept in complete and utter hopelessness.

* * * * *

So, there it is. Sorry you're going to have to wait for a few days til I can update again, but it will be worth it, I promise <3