#accidental opioid overdose

[ableism]

I know i’m functionally a gay DARE officer at this point but I do in fact feel some sort of way about Cocaine being back in vogue. Surely I sound like a square + narc and I’ll concede ok do whatever you want, nobody can materially stop another person from using drugs if they really want to 🤷🏻 I don’t really care that it’s hip to do party drugs, moreso I want to articulate a general level of caution and concern that I never see a sidecar of harm reduction and safe using practices along with the commonplace clips of people straight up snorting coke I’ve seen for “brat summer!!!1!!”

You 🫵 are not immune to ingesting fentanyl or any number of other additives. Do you think drugs at the gay club are different than the drugs people are taking under bridges and in gutters? I promise they’re not! So if you want to use drugs and continue being alive, do your part to be safe. Protecting yourself protects others and your community.

Do not accept drugs from strangers. Test your drugs with fentanyl test strips. Carry narcan and know how to administer it. Never use alone. Have an exit strategy if you’re using drugs in a public space. Know the contact information for your local harm reduction groups, overdose emergency hotline, and if you need/want it, addiction treatment orgs. This is all the bare minimum for community care if you intend to be out in the world using drugs. Mainly I encourage you all to be buzzkills if it means you don’t have to die of an accidental overdose. Overdose is the leading cause of death for Americans under 40. I have a whole lot of social workers in my network and however bad you think the synthetic opioid crisis is, it’s worse. The war stories I’ve heard from my people on the ground are… The shit of nightmares. Don’t let it be you or anybody you love.

If you live in the state of Georgia, DM me for a longer list of resources.

Fentanyl information (harm reduction.org)

Get Narcan

How to use fentanyl test strips

Call 311 to find out where to get Narcan in your community at no cost to you

[yearningfortheend]

....You too.

...I guess.

...Hello...

...

...I'm finally here...

(@yearningfortheend)

"Welcome back. Take a seat if you would like."

[mindblowingscience]

Buying counterfeit painkillers in the United States has never been more dangerous. In Rhode Island, the ongoing opioid epidemic has become a "tremendous public health crisis". It ranks among the top ten states in the nation for drug overdoses. Now, epidemiologists at Brown University have found initial evidence that many of the state's accidental overdoses may be caused by contaminated pills. The results are not yet peer-reviewed, but they indicate a deeply concerning continuation of America's opioid emergency.

Continue Reading.

[opioidenjoyer]

SUBSTANCES IVE TAKEN

(RANKED) 🏴‍☠️❗️

Marijuana: 10/10 (No withdrawals, no comedown, high leads to sleep, gateway drug, multiple ways to consume)

Cocaine: 5/10 (Cant eat, cant sleep, super human ability for 10mins, never enough)

Oxy/hydrocodone: 9.5/10 (i would sell my soul to nod forever, agonizing withdraws, tolerance fast, pain receptors shut off)

MDMA/Ecstasy/Molly: 8/10 (easily best party drug, solo rolling is mid, serotonin levels ruined for days)

LSD/Acid: 6.5/10 (amazing visuals, brain full reset, 8-12 hour high is way too long, dopamine drainer, research chemicals NBomes are trash, burnt out easily, could unlock underlying mental health problems)

Psilocybin/Shrooms: 8/10 (best psychedelic, upsets stomach because of fungus, bad trips more likely at higher dosages, micro-dosing saved lives, naturally produced, can be done with every day life)

Benzodiazepines: 7.5/10 (too many chemical derivatives, potential life ruiner, fatal withdraws, anxiety nonexistent, thief abilities heightened, memory loss)

Robitussin, Coricidin, Dextromethorphan: 6.5/10 (instant dissociative, if mixed with Guaifenesin its a bad time, steal these from supermarkets)

Nitrous Oxide: 6.5/10 ("fill up my balloon again stop playing")

Air/Gas/Whippet Duster Inhalant: 2.5/10 (added chemicals make usage ALMOST impossible to inhale, taste like battery acid for 10 second high, brain cell damage, stay away)

Benadryl/Diphenhydramine: 4/10 (most irritable drug, feels like spiders crawling on your skin while high, shadow people, noise distortion, easy to get over the counter)

Methamphetamine: 4.5/10 (functional tweaking until you realize you are waiting for the pawn shop to open, can find this high in other drugs with less side effects, in 35% of most molly, overall bad reputation)

Fentanyl: 2/10 (highest level of nodding, waves of body heat, worst drug of all time, ruined the opioid game, kills almost all of its users, countless accidental overdoses, 10cents per pill, RIP real percs)

DMT/N,N-Dimethyltryptamine: 5.5/10 (breaking through spiritual barriers, out of body experiences, too powerful to be recreationally, trip sitter recommended)

Promethazine: 4/10 (does nothing when taken by itself, good when taken with other opioids, makes stomach feel better)

Lean/Codeine: 7/10 (2011-2021 best era to sip drank in, fun to pour up, easy to get at the time, euphoric body high, trend sippers, price inflation, weak opiate, too much sugar)

Tramadol: 6.5/10 (beginner nodderville, itching, weaker lame cousin to Oxycodone, still in the opioid family)

Adderall/Dextroamphetamine/amphetamine: 5/10 (Not fun when you actually have ADHD, recreational use does not make sense, highest level of functioning addict)

Morphine: 9/10 (instant trip to nodderville, good member of the opioid family, doctors are stingy with this)

Salvia: 3.5/10 (almost unexplainable high, dissociative, can find better effects in a psychedelic while smoking marijuana, very short high 1-5mins)

Heroin: still have not tried yet :(

[techramonic]

Though Austin survived, sadly he died from an accidental heroin overdose on May 18, 2019, just weeks after Columbine's 20th anniversary. He struggled with opioid for years after the shooting, having gotten hooked on painkillers while recovering from his injuries. Corey was never far from his thoughts in life; he spoke about him often when he was at public speaking events.

what the fuck man. kill me.

[chronicallycouchbound]

hi I had a question about your cannabis post

i don’t know much about cannabis so sorry if I misunderstand smth

but I don’t understand what “safe” drug use implies,, how can drugs be safe? what’s safe drug use??

i probably have a very narrow view on this topic, so id like to know more

on a different note id like to thank you for your content, I feel that ive learned a lot from this account :)) thanks!!!

(feel free to ignore this)

It’s important to first recognize that more things are drugs than we normally consider: alcohol, tobacco, nicotine, caffeine, cannabis, are all drugs just as much as opiates, benzos, etc. Any medication is a drug.

Any drugs have the ability to be used properly and safely as well as the potential to be used negatively or harmfully. Drugs are morally neutral. Even addiction is morally neutral.

Alcohol can be used to cut loose with friends on the weekend, but it can also be used to cause poisoning. Tobacco can be used to calm down after an argument, but it can also cause cancer. Opiates can be used to manage severe pain, and can also cause overdose.

People have always used drugs historically, and in order to survive, people often need them. Using substances can also not just be medically or recreational, there are spiritual and cultural reasons as well. Some people need substances to manage their emotional or mental needs (especially without supports otherwise).

Any drug can be safe. It’s all in how it’s used, as well as within context.

Safe use looks different for everyone, but personally, I try to encourage methods that are harm reduction focused.

Harm reduction can look like:

• Safe supply of substances to ensure that people are getting unlaced stuff.

• Education so people know how to avoid accidental consequences of their use.

• Access to unused syringes or works to prevent blood borne infections.

• Having a designated driver or trip sitter.

• Sitting with someone while they use in case they have negative effects.

• Access to naloxone/Narcan to reverse opioid overdoses.

• Starting with a lower dose and going slow with use to ensure you’re getting the intended effects.

And harm reduction is so much more than just about substances, it’s things like seatbelts in cars and condoms and STI testing. It’s the lesser of two evils and a primary focus of harm reduction is that it keeps people alive above all else.

Some people like to say “harm reduction keeps people alive long enough to get sober” but I personally feel like sobriety isn’t always the solution for everyone, nor is it accessible to everyone.

But yeah, safe use exists, and most drugs ARE used safely every day. That’s what a pharmacist’s whole job is for.

•

I appreciate this ask, I’m always happy to talk about harm reduction. I co-founded a local harm reduction organization and have done a lot of advocacy around this— everything from reversing ODs, speaking on panels, testifying for bills with the ACLU, training communities on how to administer Naloxone, distributing safe use supplies, etc. I have a lot of personal experience with addiction and feel very passionately about this. I was tired of my friends dying and I just want to make the world a safer place.

[37q]

FDA just approved OTC narcan

[psychoticallytrans]

So, I just saw a post that explicitly stated that Tylenol,also known as acetaminophen, can't harm you. Tylenol is actually a drug that can easily harm you if you don't monitor your dosage carefully. Specifically, it can fuck up your liver really badly, and potentially fatally, if you consume too much too quickly.

It's also very easy to do. The maximum safe dose of Tylenol for an adult or teenager over 110 pounds is 4000 mg per day, or 1000 mg in one dose. The amount of Tylenol in some Tylenol pills is 500 mg. It's very, very easy to consume ten pills instead of eight when your head is messed up from being in pain, or to decide that three pills at once can't be that much of a risk. Dosing guidelines for children based on age and weight can be found here.

People that should be especially careful with how they use Tylenol include people with damaged livers and people who breastfeed. Since Tylenol overdose affects the liver, people who already have a damaged liver are at risk. In addition, it passes into breast milk, so if you're breastfeeding, the child will consume some. Please consult your doctor before using Tylenol while breastfeeding.

Regardless of if you're at risk or not, I strongly recommend keeping a record of how much Tylenol you consume, especially if you're in enough pain to be disoriented and/or have memory issues. Post it somewhere you go to take the Tylenol, like on your medicine cabinet's mirror. Include the time you took it, the dose you took, and the max safe dose for yourself. You may also find it useful to add your cumulative dose for the day each time you take some.

If you're close to the dosage maximum, please take a very close look at any other medications you are taking to make sure none of them contain Tylenol or acetaminophen. It's often included in cold medicines in particular, and anything intended to reduce fever.

If you are in significant pain and close to the dosage maximum, add a different kind of pain medication to the mix. This applies to ibuprofen, of course, but it is also significantly safer for most people to add opioids to their pain management than it is to go over the dosage limits for Tylenol. This is because, I cannot overstress this enough, overdosing on Tylenol can lead to death. This is a significantly worse outcome than most people have from taking opioid painkillers.

This is not an anti Tylenol post. Tylenol, when used in proper doses, can be hugely helpful for pain management, and is accessible and affordable. This is an anti accidentally giving yourself liver disease post.

Be careful. Read warnings. Monitor your dosage.

[audreycritter]

time for my pet PSA again:

if you or a loved one or friend are on an SSRI, please be aware that SSRIs inhibit activity of a liver enzyme that metabolizes some opioids. if you have surgery or an injury/emergency and your pain meds are not working, let your doctor know you might need a different class of pain meds. this info is from a major nine-year study and many doctors STILL don't know to flag contraindications for SSRIs in patient charts.

if you or a loved one are an addict, please be aware that SSRIs increase the risk of opioid overdose because of the uptick in dosage to achieve a high. (if nothing else, make sure you carry narcan in some form for emergencies. goodrx has information on where to get it for free or reduced cost in the united states, or you can search "free narcan" and your state or county in your favorite search engine. this is also useful for anyone who may have an opioid rx for pain management, in case of accidental overdose in the home.)

the study mentioned in the NPR article is here.

[moneeb0930]

Prince Rogers Nelson, known simply as Prince, was an iconic American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor. Born on June 7, 1958, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, he rose to fame in the late 1970s and became one of the most influential artists of his generation. Prince was known for his eclectic sound, flamboyant stage presence, and prolific songwriting abilities.

He released his debut album, "For You," in 1978, and followed it with a string of successful albums including "Prince" (1979), "Dirty Mind" (1980), and "Controversy" (1981). However, it was his 1984 album "Purple Rain" that catapulted him to superstardom. The album, accompanied by a film of the same name, was a massive commercial success and earned him two Grammy Awards.

Throughout his career, Prince continued to push boundaries and experiment with different musical styles, incorporating elements of funk, rock, pop, and R&B into his music. He released numerous hit singles such as "When Doves Cry," "Kiss," and "1999," cementing his status as a pop culture icon.

In addition to his musical career, Prince was also known for his enigmatic persona and eccentric behavior. He famously changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol in the 1990s as a protest against his record label, Warner Bros. He was also a vocal advocate for artists' rights and fiercely protected his own music from unauthorized use.

Prince's life was tragically cut short when he passed away on April 21, 2016, at the age of 57, due to an accidental overdose of the opioid fentanyl. His death was met with an outpouring of grief from fans around the world, and he is remembered as one of the greatest musicians of all time, leaving behind a legacy that continues to inspire generations of artists.

[intriguingpeoplebyangelafloyd]

PRINCE

PRINCE 7 June 1958 - 21 April 2016 Prince Rogers Nelson was a successful singer and musician who became one of the highest-paid musical artists in the world. He was able to play 27 instruments and wrote and produced all his music. He also wrote and produced for other music artists including Sinead O’Connor. He starred in the move, Purple Rain, which had a successful soundtrack. Prince was famous for his distinct appearance which was often sexy, with fingerless lace gloves, and high-heeled boots, and was best known for wearing the colour purple. Prince was born in Minneapolis and was the son of musically gifted parents. During a teacher's strike in 1970, Prince aged 11 was interviewed by a news reporter. He was married twice and had one child who died not long after his birth. In 1992 he signed a $million dollar contract with Warner Bros, he had been with Warner Bros since 1978. After he signed the deal he stated he was being restricted by the company and had been treated unfairly. In an attempt to get out of the contract, he changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol, known as love symbol. People started referring to him as the Artist Formerly Known as Prince. He would write ‘Slave’ on his face whenever he went out in public. When his contract expired he returned to the name Prince. Prince, 57, suffered from influenza days before his death; he performed his last concert on 14 April, even though he still wasn’t feeling well. While on a flight the next morning he became unresponsive and the plane had to make an emergency landing and was hospitalized. He suffered from influenza and dehydration for several weeks. Days before he died he was seen riding his bike, shopping, attending a party, and attended a jazz performance. On the 20th a specialist was called after Prince was seeking medical help, he was scheduled to see Prince on the 22nd. On 21 April, at 9:43 am, a 911 call requested an ambulance to Prince’s home. Emergency found Prince dead in an elevator and it was said he had been dead for at least 6 hours. Prince had been given an accidental overdose of fentanyl and it was revealed that Prince had been addicted to opioids. Prince’s ashes were made into a 3D-printed urn shaped like Paisley Park estate.

prince #princenelson #princerogersnelson #lovesymbol

[edgessunflower]

Rehab

Pairing: Cathy Kelley x Fem reader

Description: Cathy helps you get through recovery after getting out of rehab

Warning: Mention of Opioid addiction, rehab, and withdrawal from opioid use

You felt free as you walked out of rehab after your two and a half month stay, your heart flutters when you see Cathy waiting for you as you run to her. The two of you ate and went home where you truly shower after so long instead of just half your body with a washcloth, "Mind if I join you?" you smile as cathy joins you before kisses are shared in the comfortable silence under the warm water for the next few minutes until the water starts getting cold leading to the two of you cuddling in bed under the covers after falling asleep which was the first time you truly slept in a long while since you had checked in to rehab due to your growing addiction to opioids that started four months back after getting into a car pileup accident that injured your back leading to you being prescribed strong pain killers that would be the start of a never ending battle. The final straw came when you accidentally overdosed on Methadone leading to the wake up call for you to realize the rabbit hole you had been stuck in, you were straight to rehab as soon as you had healed from back surgery which was emotional for you and cathy not only because you knew that you needed help but you couldn't handle knowing that she could hate you and was disappointed in you for your budding addiction only further sinking you into a deep depression until the last week of your stay where you felt human again rather than a zombie or as you say "Just being here" as you went through the painful detox of your body cleansing the tolerance and remaining drugs in your system out for the first six weeks of your stay before doing group and individual sessions of therapy with a therapist and psychiatrist, you wake up after a few hours of sleeping before finding cathy making stir fry which made your mouth water and your heart flutter. You pull her into a hug as tears flow down your face as her hands run through your hair and caress your back knowing how it helped with the small amount of pain, "I love you, I'm so proud of you for getting help even though it was hard" you quietly sob in her shoulder as you realize that she didn't hate you for what happened and loved you no matter what which made your bottled up emotions pour out like a waterfall as she holds you in her arms and whisper reassurance to you, "I'm not disappointed in you and I never was, I was just so worried about you" the next thing you knew was sharing emotional soft kisses before eating and spending the rest of the night making up to each other for the lost time you were away until you held her in your arms as she sleeps and press a kiss to her temple "I love you".

[on-this-day-btvs]

November 30, 1999

Hero aired for ATS season 1, episode 9. This was the last appearance of Doyle, whose full name is Allen Francis Doyle. Doyle is an Irishman who receives prophetic visions. Doyle is played by Glenn Quinn. Doyle is in nine episodes of ATS, all in season 1. (Later appearances used archived footage.)

Glenn Quinn's full name is Glenn Martin Christopher Francis Quinn. Quinn was allowed to use his native Irish accent for Doyle and said: "I've been hiding it for so long that it's amazing to have some freedom. It was like putting on an old pair of shoes. It's bringing my soul back to life." Doyle advised Angel and after Cordelia joined them, the three formed Angel Investigations.

-----

PSA: Glenn Quinn died of an accidental heroin overdose in 2002. Opioids include heroin, fentanyl, OxyContin, and others. Narcan - generic name Naloxone - can be given to people in opioid overdose through injection or nasal spray. Narcan / Naloxone is FDA approved and available over-the-counter.

(image credit to buffyversefans) (Glenn Quinn quote via wikipedia) (narcan / naloxone - more information)

[enbycrip]

Been listening to a podcast with an episode on how the NHS establishment responded with opioid prescriptions controls following the discovery of the Shipman murders. Then a really interesting bit on how the US hadn’t had that in the late 1990s-early 2000s and thus kept prescribing strong opioids.

The original statisticians who noticed the “opioid crisis” in the US noticed it as accidental overdoses alongside alongside suicides and liver failure as skyrocketing causes of death amongst white USians aged 45-60. They referred to the trio as “Deaths of Despair”.

And I thought about just *how much* I’ve heard about the “Opioid Crisis” in two ways; to shame “addictive behaviour” and “junkie tendencies” amongst the poor in the US (with some particularly horrendous bits of racism in there) in the general news and culture, and from within the disabled community as it’s become basically impossible for chronically ill and disabled people to get the pain control they need to do anything, or just to live not in agony. And I’ve seen that attitude making it to the UK too - the idea that people using opioid medication for pain control and to enable us to do *some* things are clearly “addicts” or “drug seekers”.

I’ve never heard the term “Deaths of Despair” before now. And it’s *really* good copy. I’ve been a copywriter enough to know that when I hear it. It should have been all over the media.

So why isn’t it?

Is it just perhaps because it’s much easier to just make it impossible for disabled people to access medication that gives some quality of life and demonise poor people as “addicts” and “junkies” than to address the fact that the US healthcare system in particular is not fit for purpose, people living in poverty generally don’t have health insurance, and thus if they don’t work, they can’t afford to live? Let alone access healthcare? So so many people have zero choice but to find a way to work through any injury or illness, and strong opioids are one way to do so? And that because real wages have been falling in relation to housing and food prices, unstable temp work has become the only work available to millions of people, the need to work ridiculous hours in low paid jobs that destroy even formerly abled bodies, the number of people this applies to has only been growing since 2008?

Is it perhaps *not* coincidence that the only one that has a reasonably “quick fix” - make it nightmarishly difficult to prescribe opioid medication and up the War On Drugs - is focused on while the others are buried?

Drug (including alcohol) addiction is a symptom - sometimes of illness or disability where other treatments aren’t accessible to that person, or don’t even exist, sometimes of a life that isn’t bearable without them. Which usually means exploitation, inequality, marginalisation, isolation, lack of access to education, lack of access to a supportive community, and trauma. That can lead to ODs, suicide and liver disease.

Isn’t it interesting how those facts aren’t being focused on?

[supersonic1994]

only my truest and dearest followers remember when I accidentally overdosed on opioids

[theshippirate22]

OD part 3 love y’all

The statements typed up and placed in a manila file to be looked over on a pair of official Willablues investigators’ desks included the following highlights:

Hunter Stevens Willablues- Case 39202948

Evidence relevant to case:

-Urine toxicology screen results: Positive for opiates (Approx. 80 mg)

-Blood toxicology screen results: Positive for opiates (Approx. 80 mg)

-Saliva toxicology screen results: Positive for opiates (Approx. 80 mg)

-Vomit sample toxicology screen results: Positive for opiates (Approx. 100 mg)

-Monster Energy drink can containing Stevens' DNA: Positive for opiates (Concentration unknown)

-Premier Protein shake bottle containing Stevens' DNA: Positive for opiates (Approx. 110 mg)

-Hair toxicology screen results: No recognizable or significant previous metabolism of opiates, oxycodone, or morphine derivatives

Interrogation of Eliza Stevens:

Do you have any reason to believe Hunter may be addicted to opioids?

ES: Absolutely not. If he was, I would know about it.

Arguably most addicts would try to hide their issue, especially if it would directly endanger their job. What makes Hunter any different?

ES: You don't get it. Our dad was an addict. Broke his hand in a car door when we were teenagers and started popping Vicodin like candy. It made him absolutely insufferable, and he was so horrible to Hunter. He'll do anything to not be like Dad. If Hunter had a problem, he would tell me. He would want help. He would be scared.

Interrogation of DeLyn Lexie:

Do you have any reason to believe Hunter may be addicted to opioids?

DL: No! See... he's weird. About pills. He... his best friend died by suicide via overdose. It... f***ed him up pretty good. He's really, really careful, and just generally bizarre about pills. If he had an addiction, it wouldn't be to that. And if he had addiction at all, we would know about it. He tells me when he has sex, for God's sake! And rates how good it was! He tells me things that couldn't be waterboarded out of me. He would say something, even as a joke.

Has he expressed suicidal ideation in the past?

DL: What, you think he's trying to copy Amber? I mean, what do you want me to say? He's mentally ill, sure, but again, f***ing weird about pills. If he was going to kill himself, he would've done something more creative and less uncomfortable for him.

Would you say Hunter is well liked?

DL: I don't really know. I like him, but I've always had sort of a crush on him, so I don't know if my opinion is worth anything. None of my friends like him.

Interrogation of Michelle “Missy” Schwartz:

Do you have any reason to believe Hunter may be addicted to opioids?

MS: God no! He's not that type. That's just... I can't even get Hunter to take Tylenol when he has a migraine! I keep his Adderall in my bag to give to him because he's afraid of having it around and accidentally double-dosing! Look at this!

~Upon removing one prescription bottle addressed to Hunter Stevens for Dextroamphetamine/Amphetamine Salt Extended Release 20 mg tablets from her bag~

MS: I've got it right here! He doesn't like keeping pills on him at all! Hell, I had to fight him for months after Amber to count anything other than Aspirin, and that was still pulling teeth! He hates pills! And he especially wouldn't be able to stand anything he knew he could overdose on, especially opioids.

Would you have any reason to believe Hunter was following one Amber Roberts' behavior in efforts to harm himself?

MS: What?! You think it was a suicide attempt? No, no, no, no, no. He wouldn't do that, because he would think that I would get in trouble for it. How would it look for me if another one of my techs died by overdose suicide? He wouldn't f*** me over like that.

Would you say Hunter is well liked?

MS: Clearly, you've never met him. You don't really... go around liking him. It's more like, you hate him for a long time and then eventually one day you'd die for him and you love him more than your own siblings. It's... He's... difficult.

Interrogation of Erica Shah:

Would you have any reason to believe Hunter was following one Amber Roberts' behavior in efforts to harm himself?

ES: Oh, no. After Amber, he was very angry. Not at her, just about everything. He would say that suicide was stupid. That Amber solved a temporary problem for herself by creating a bigger permanent problem for everyone else. It was one of his principles.

He could’ve changed his mind.

ES: Hunter? Never. He would rather make a fool of himself defending something stupid than admit he was wrong.

Would you say Hunter was well liked?

ES: *laughing* We love Hunter because we know him. Not many other people do.

Love him or know him?

ES: Both.

Interrogation of Elijah Hansen:

Do you have any reason to believe Hunter may be addicted to opioids?

EH: No, I never would’ve guessed. I mean, Hunter has a bad habit of telling people things he probably shouldn’t.

But he never said anything about taking opioids?

EH: Not that I can remember.

Would you say Hunter was well liked?

EH: Yeah, of course! He’s funny, he’s generally helpful. He’s everybody’s favorite.

Buchanan dragged his hand down his face. “What do you think?”

Davison looked over the pages a final time. “I think Stevens is a dick, and he’s definitely got some problems, but an opioid addiction isn’t one of them.”

“So how’d he end up with enough hydrocodone in his drinks to kill him?” He meant it rhetorically and Davison took it as such. He tucked everything back into the folder and decided, “We’ll stop by tomorrow morning to give Mrs…”

“Schwartz.”

“Schwartz, right, the all clear for him to return as soon as he’s physician cleared.”

Truth be told, Hunter didn’t feel all that shitty. The whole affair had had the same effect on him as what he imagined happened when he shut his phone completely off and restarted it.

Which was a good thing, given that he was in an elevator with Lyn, who had gone nearly a whole 36 hours without talking to him and was meticulously relaying to him every single thought that had occurred to her in the time they’d been apart.

He didn’t mind, not really. The sound of her endless yapping was familiar and endearing and proved that even though everything felt fucking weird, one thing would always be the same. Lyn was consistent. And loud.

She was explaining the plot of the episode of her show she’d watched the night before when the doors parted and he was met with a smirking Eliza who knew exactly what was happening.

“Next time you plan on having a medical emergency, do you think you could give me a heads up? I’ll request time off.”

“I’m feeling fine, thanks for asking.” He let her look over him and kiss his forehead, before lowering his voice to ask “Did you talk to the cops?”

“And the Willablues investigators and the Willablues corporate lawyers and some newspaper, I don’t even remember which one.”

“And you too?” He asked Lyn.

“Me and everybody else. Even Heather and Livy.”

He set his jaw, trying very hard not to look as worried as he felt.

“Don’t worry about it,” Eliza mumbled pointlessly. “It’ll be fine. Everyone knows you’re not an addict. Missy will look out for you.”

“Yeah…” He didn’t sound at all convinced.

"She's right," Lyn continued. "Besides, you've got much bigger problems right now."

"What could possibly be-"

"HUNTER!"

"Oh, God." Hunter had just enough time to brace himself before Erica yanked him into a hug. She smothered him in against her, then flung him out at arm's length to examine him and then pulled him right back out. "I'm okay, Kiki," He mumbled, although it came out all muffled against her shoulder.

"You're stupid," She accused, cradling his face. "You need to be looked after."

"I really did argue on your behalf," Lyn insisted.

"She did," Eliza laughed. "It was a valiant effort."

"What's happening?"

"She thinks you're going to die if you go home by yourself, and neither of us can really look after you, so... you're going home with Erica."

"Oh, Kiki, no!" Hunter scrubbed his face. "I'm really okay. You don't need to-"

"Shut up. You're coming."

"What about your kids?"

She rolled her eyes with all the exaggeration of a long-suffering mother. "It will do them good. You can teach them some respect and I can teach them to not need me. You're my kid now."

He laughed, clearly coming to terms with the fact that the battle had been lost. "Yeah, okay."

"Look," Erica told the girls. "He's already better."

Eliza hugged him again and half-sang "Have fun!"

Lyn hugged him too, to which he made a face. "Why do you smell like vomit?"

"It's your vomit, asshole."

"Come on, Kiki. Clearly, she needs your help more than I do."

Erica cocked an eyebrow and pointed at Lyn. "Take a shower."

"Yes ma'am." She smirked.

Erica took Hunter by the hand and started to drag him out toward the automatic doors to the parking lot. He looked back at Lyn and Eliza and sort of waved.

They both waved back. "He's going to hate that whole thing, isn't he?"

Eliza tipped her head. "He'll say he does, but... Actually, he'll just be so thrilled someone's gonna cook for him."

"He's easy to please," Lyn agreed, laughing fondly.

Hunter leaned over the counter. That was weird too. He was used to being on the other side.

"You look better," Caleb said, filing away the just-reviewed prescriptions tucked in bins next to Lee's computer.

"What, cause I'm not choking on my own tongue?" He smirked.

"It was super ungraceful. You're brave to show your face around here again."

Hunter laughed, but sort of trailed off into solemnity. "I, uh... I don't know if anyone told you."

Caleb set the now empty bin back on the counter and came to lean across from him so they could properly talk.

"From the tox screen, they, uh... well, there was so much in my system, they said if you guys had waited for the EMTs to give me Narcan, my chance of survival would've been less that 20%."

Caleb's eyebrows shot up, nearly touching the single gold curl that hung down near his glasses. "What?"

"Yeah, uh..." Hunter swallowed. "You saved my life."

The words washed over them both and there was something needlessly intense about it.

"So, thanks, or whatever."

"Yeah, of course," Caleb mumbled absently. Lee pushed another bin of packaged prescriptions toward him and he straightened up to file those too. He only got three put away before he turned around. "It wasn't me."

Hunter gave him a bemused look. "Lyn and Missy said-"

"Well, yeah, it was me, I stabbed you, but... I didn't know what to do. Everyone was arguing, and I was panicking, and I was completely useless. I just had one, single thought."

Hunter leaned in closer, like that could answer his unspoken questions faster.

"What would Hunter do? And I knew if it was me, if our roles were reversed, you would trust Lyn. You would stay calm and... you would've stabbed me. So that's what I did."

"Thank you," Hunter echoed significantly.

Caleb nodded slowly.

The moment was shattered as Buchanan and Davison rounded the corner. "Stevens! Glad to see you up and about."

Hunter instantly tensed, standing up straighter and crossing his leg under to appear somewhat casual.

Everyone in the pharmacy, which at that moment, included Caleb, Lee, Missy, Lyn, Elijah, and Erica all came around to talk to the case workers.

"The good news," Buchanan said. "Is that Hunter is good to come back to work. He's been cleared of any suspicion."

Hunter relaxed again, relief washing over him like the nausea that hit moments before. His sight darted quickly to Lyn, who was already giving him a side-eyed look to confirm they'd both heard the same thing.

"The bad news," Buchanan continued. "Is that if Hunter didn't do this to himself... there's only one other explanation."

No one said anything for a moment, until Lyn got her voice back enough to say what he meant out loud.

"One of us poisoned him."