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Mierda …
It wasn’t the first time he had found Leaf in this state. So far, luck had been on his—or rather, Leaf’s—side. The ambulance had always managed to bring him back. But until they arrived up here …
“Wake up, damn it!” José shook him harder. Grabbing his jaw, he turned his head in his direction. It was barely visible in the dim light, but José was sure that Leaf was pale, and his lips were gradually turning blue. “Coño, Leaf!”
“José,” Nathan mumbled behind him. “What are you doing here, man?”
“What? … Dammit, Nate! Did you give him this crap?”
Nathan replied with some unintelligible words.
“Leaf, damn it! Snap out of it!” Not even a slap helped.
“Did he overdose?” Nathan mumbled.
José’s heart was racing, and beads of sweat trickled down his forehead. “I’m calling an ambulance.” With trembling hands, he took out his phone.
“Wait,” Nathan said, now kneeling beside Leaf on the floor, assessing him.
“What?” José exclaimed impatiently.
“I have naloxone in the glove compartment. It takes too long for the ambulance to get up here.”
“Coño! What are you waiting for! Go get it! Hurry!”
Nathan stumbled past him and limped out of the cabin. Every second José spent alone with Leaf felt like an eternity. He kept trying to wake Leaf, but he seemed more dead than alive.
When Nathan returned, José wanted to snatch the emergency kit from him, but he had no idea how it worked. Nathan tore open the package, revealing a plastic device.
“What’s that?”
José had expected a syringe and a vial of some substance, but this looked like …
“Nasal spray,” Nathan answered, turning to Leaf. “Since the government lost control of Skid Row and fentanyl is on the rise, they’re handing out this stuff everywhere.” He slid a hand under Leaf’s head and lifted him slightly. With careful precision, he applied the spray and pumped the dose into his nose.
José held his breath for a few seconds, and then, without warning, Leaf suddenly jerked, made some noises, and rolled onto his shoulder.
“Welcome back, dude,” Nathan said.
José quickly realized that Leaf was far from well. He pushed Nathan aside, lifted Leaf up by his arms, and hoisted him off the ground. Though Leaf wasn’t fully conscious yet, his body began to shake, as if trying to rid itself of the poison he had ingested as fast as possible.
José led him to the bathroom, helped him kneel in front of the toilet, and smoothed his hair. Leaf clung to the bowl and retched, but couldn’t manage to throw up. José stuck his finger down Leaf’s throat, causing his body to convulse, and he vomited.
“How is he?” Nathan asked from the door.
As Leaf continued to hang over the toilet, José sprang up, grabbed Nathan by the collar, and shoved him against the wall. “What kind of friend are you, not noticing what’s going on? He’s dying next to you, and you don’t even realize it?”
“Chill, man! Everything turned out okay in the end.”
“What the hell is going on here? Haven’t you caused enough trouble already? Why are you even here?”
“What do you mean?”
“What was going on with Diego?”
“What the fuck! What are you accusing me of?” Nathan pushed José aside and stood tall in front of him. “I had nothing to do with that! Get a grip! That was between Leaf and Diego. I’m not dumb enough to get mixed up in their shit. I stay out of Diego’s business. I don't know what kind of drama they've got going on.”
Leaf slumped beside the toilet, and José helped him back up.
