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Who needs a therapist when there's Jamie Campbell Bower

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Rhett knew that he was at Emiri's to try and lift the mood. It was difficult considering he wasn't feeling the best and his life felt like it was crumbling down around him, but he would do it for her. She deserved that. Losing your best friend had to be difficult and if he could help take her mind off of it for just a bit, he would be happy to do it. His gaze shifted towards his friend as she wandered off to grab the guitar she purchased, sitting down once offered.

He placed his own guitar case on the ground beside him and he smiled at the sight of her guitar. Just be the look of it, he could tell it wasn't anything fancy. Probably an off brand but there was nothing wrong with that. That was exactly what Rhett used to use before he saved up all his money to get a Gibson. Wiggling his fingers, he reached for the guitar, "I had something extremely similar to this growing up. I learned everything I know on that bad boy so it'll do you just fine." He smiled, "Can I see it?" He asked, "I just want to make sure it's tuned. That's really half the battle."

"Yeah... me too." she responds quietly, tone more on the sadder side. She didn't plan on diving into that conversation, not when it made her just want to sit down and cry. She wanted to do something that would occupy her mind, tear it away from Kate's death and her father's. Grief was a horrible thing and she was trying to pull herself out of it. So hence the reason why Rhett was here, a distraction in the simplest form.

"Yeah, actually I bought one. Not amazing or anything fancy, but I figured it would help here." she offers him to take a seat, picking the guitar she bought cheaply. It probably looked that way too. But it had the strings still intact and she figured it would do - more so her assumption came from someone who didn't have a clue if it would. "I guess this will do?"

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There was so much hustle and bustle already around just being able to get into the festival that Rhett didn't know what to do look at. Luckily, he had Lexie to focus on so that definitely helped. He was just so excited. Growing up, the idea of coming to a musical festival like they were at was just out of the question. He didn't even humor the idea. And while living in New York, it was another pipe dream. Rhett had no job, no money... And really, he wasn't much better off in Tonopah but at least had a job and could sometimes afford to do something fun.

He listened as Lexie spoke and his eyes widened, "Florence... Italy?" The Brit asked, "You lived there?" How did he not know that? "That's fucking cool! What were you there for?" He imagined school or something but what did he know. His shrugged his boney shoulders at her question, "Ah, no, not really." Rhett admitted, flushing red just a bit from his own embarrassment about it, "I've always wanted to go! They're just so fucking expensive." He laughed, "So, I'm stoked to finally check it out. Maybe one day I'll be playing one of these bad boys." He joked.

Months ago, when tickets for the festival first went on sale Lexie had snatched up a pair for her and Peyton, she’d been looking forward to spending time with her niece. In the months that had passed though, things had taken a turn for the worst and the last thing she’d wanted to do was leave Tonopah while everything was unsettled. After Shepherd had woken up, the advice he’d given her months ago (although she wasn’t sure his advice about taking sometime away from the Café included a music festival… semantics) paired with Blake’s assurance that Peyton, who had been spending a lot of time in Los Angeles with her father, would forgive her for going without her, Lexie had decided to go. Leaving Leyla in charge of the cafe she’d been planning to spend the weekend in Vegas alone, until she’d realized Rhett was going to the festival and asked if he wanted to go together.

“It’s no problem, I mean we both were going to be here anyway, may as well come together! It’s a lot more fun with friends!” She nodded her head at his question, “Yeah, I try to go to a few different ones every year. It started when I was living in Florence! What about you?”

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It took just about every ounce of strength in Rhett's body not to roll his eyes and throw his head back in annoyance with the situation. He knew he shouldn't have shown up to work today but he genuinely just wanted to move on from everything that happen and just go back to normal. Things would never be normal again, now would they? Alara knew far more than he ever wanted her to know and that alone made Rhett want to head for the hills and never come back. When scales started to tip in the direction of more people know about his habit than not, Rhett didn't feel welcomed anymore. And Tonopah being such a small town didn't help. Soon enough everyone would know...

The blond released an annoyed breath and he pulled his arms even closer to himself. It was the only sense of comfort he had at the moment. After a few moments, he finally spoke, "Fine." He muttered, his gaze staying upon the cup of coffee that was meant for him, not wanting to look Alara in the eye, "What do you want to talk about?" He asked. Rhett was certain he knew what she was going to say but he figured he could at least hear her out. Even if it would be a waste of breath.

It really was difficult to navigate a situation where you're both employer and friend. However, being a friend didn't mean she would tolerate any sass. "It means I need competent staff, not compromised staff." She says firmly. "You collapsed in work as a result of what you do outside of it, Rhett, you made it my business." It seemed perfectly reasonable to her that she would be concerned it would happen again.

His last comment made her scowl, "Excuse you," she says. "The lack of respect you're showing me stops right now. Drop the attitude and change your tone, ok?" Alara nodded. "Just accept the fact I know something you don't want me to and let's talk about it. I want to help you if I can but you have to start being honest with me."

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"Perfect." Rhett mumbled softly. A few hours, he could go home and pretend none of this every happened. Sure, that was going to be much easier said than done with Alara around considering she was the one that found him. But he was damn well going to try after taking a few days off of work. That was probably a solid idea, right? Right... His brows furrowed as the doctor explained her plan for the rest of the visit. He wanted to tell her she was just going to waste her money but that felt rude...but then again, so did just letting it happen. It was really a weird catch 22. Maybe he could give the supplements to his roommate.

His gaze shifted towards Dakota for a moment at her next statement and luckily, they were interrupted by a nurse. Rhett sighed heavily and laid back onto the exam table, folding his arms across his face. He just wanted to go home. Dakota had a job to do, however, and he was sure that if she pumped him full of whatever she was planning, she would at least feel better about the whole experience so it was the least he could do. He cleared his throat and dropped his arms, folding them across his chest as he laid there, "Why do you care so much?" He asked once the nurse left, idly licking his lips, "There's a bunch of other people who could use it. Why me?"

        Dakota nodded more to herself than to him, but it didn’t take her long to give her thoughts a physical presence. “You can go home in two hours even, three top, there’s no reason for me keep you in the hospital when we both know what’s the reason behind your syncope,” paging the nurse desk, she took a deep breath as she once again took a seat in front of the blond. “We’ll take your blood out, you’ll get IV, and considering you’re anemic, I’ll prescribe you iron and some vitamin C, and then we’ll walk over to pharmacy across the hospital and I’ll buy you some supplements. That’s about it.” The young doctor softly smiled. “Not so bad, huh? But,” her smile vanished, “you have to promise me you’ll let me be there, Rhett. To help you in any way I can - when you need and want.” At that moment, the nurse walked in and Dakota stood up while saying to nurse what she needed to do. 

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"I have a mind like a steel trap, darling." Rhett grinned. That was far from the truth. His years of drug use had definitely taken a toll on his brain but for some reason, Wyatt's birthday had stuck out to him all those years. He smiled as the other hopped into the passenger seat and Rhett nodded his head, "I figured as much. That's why I wanted to do something for you." No one deserved to be sitting around alone on their birthday. It was probably presumptuous of Rhett to assume that Wyatt would want to hang out with him on his special day but it worked out in the end, now didn't it?

Throwing the car into drive, it took Rhett a few moments to get the hang of the car again. He really wasn't that great at driving, but it was fine. He would get them there in one piece probably, "Yeah, yeah. I'll be fine." Rhett smiled. He didn't bring any smack with him, but he did bring some coke. That would help take the edge off for sure and it would get them back home. "This is my roommate's car, by the way." He laughed, "Ya know, that old lady I live with?" He mentioned and shook his head, "Really great lady. She trusted me with this thing which is just...more faith someone has put in me in years." The Brit grinned, "She said as long as I'm back sometime tomorrow, she won't put out a missing person's report." She joked but he was fairly certain she was serious about it.

Confusion wrote itself across Wyatt's face for a moment, but it was quickly replaced by something akin to surprise. "You remember?" He hadn't thought Rhett would've forgotten out of malice by any means, but considering they hadn't seen each other in years, he found it hard to believe that someone would consider that information to be important to them. It touched him in a way he hadn't expected. He smiled, shaking his head and hopping into the passenger's seat, then pulling out his phone to send a text over to Cole to let him know where he'd run off to in case he ended up looking for him. "Honestly, I was fully planning on just sitting in my room and watching TV, so anything sounds better than that to me," he replied with a laugh, looking over the spoils in the backseat. "Looking at the stars would be cool... I hear they're super bright out in the desert around here since it's so far away from Vegas proper. You can be away that long without a problem, right?"

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Grabbing a chair, he pulled it up beside Wyatt and he crossed his leg over the over before he folded his arms, listening as his friend spoke. A smile crossed his lips and he nodded, "Something like that, yeah." He chuckled. New Years Resolutions were something that were so foreign to Rhett. They just never crossed his mind because he knew himself and he knew his habits. It just seemed like a useless thing to come up with. He nodded again at Wyatt's resolution, "I think that's a fine one." Rhett mentioned, "If you want Tonopah to be your home, make it." Wyatt could do anything he wanted.

He couldn't help but laugh at his friends suggestions for his and he shook his head, "Nah. I know I won't keep 'em." Rhett mentioned and he pursed his lips for a moment, "I guess mine is don't die." That could be taken in several different connotations. Between his drug use and the gang activities in Tonopah, who knows what could happen? "If I can do that, it was a good year." He smiled, "Is that too broad?" His brow raised with a smile.

"Right? I didn't think it'd happen, but things worked out much better than I expected." That was putting it lightly, of course, but he wasn't going to go into deep detail about how he'd been caught trespassing by the Sons of Silence president and held at gunpoint. The last thing Rhett needed to worry about in that moment was Wyatt's wellbeing. "Resolutions... I don't think I've done one of those in a long time. But what is it they say? New year, new me?" He snorted and shrugged, giving himself a moment to think over what he hoped to accomplish for next year. "I don't wanna get too attached to the idea in case something doesn't work out, but... I think I'd like to make this place a home. Settle down for more than a brief stopover before moving on to the next place. What about you? Something with your music, maybe? Or maybe your art."

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He rolled his eyes and looked down towards the ground as she spoke. Saying he was fine was just a gut reaction for him. No matter what, even if he wasn't asked. Running his tongue along his bottom lip, Rhett huffed and sat down as he was asked. However, his arms stayed crossed over his boney chest and his head was down, a way to protect himself. He felt so very vulnerable at the moment, and he didn't like it. Rhett didn't like being so seen. Especially not from Alara. Not only was she his boss, but she was his friend and he never wanted her to see the side of him that she was seeing now.

His brow knitted together as she spoke to him and he lifted his head, "What does that mean?" He asked, "I don't come to work high, Alara." That was the truth. He never had, "What I do when I'm outside these four walls doesn't matter because I show up to work, I do my job and I get the fuck out here." Rhett shook his head, "Do you think I'm putting Kian in danger by being here?" That was fucking rich, "I don't use when I'm here." He threw out there, just for clarification, "I passed out once. I'm sorry. It wasn't like I bloody meant to do it."

"You're not going to sit?" She asks, brow raised as she cups her cup of coffee and sits in her usual spot. Truth be told she didn't know how exactly to approach a situation like this. Maybe digging straight in wasn't the way to go but only time would tell. Whilst she had hoped he would see on his own that she wasn't judging him, the way he didn't get comfortable told her he didn't believe her. Though that was hardly her biggest concern right now. "Yes well I may have told her I was family, she wouldn't even tell me if you were ok - that's all I was looking for." Alara thinks to explain that tidbit, not wanting Rhett to think she had purposely tricked the Doctor to pry into his business. As the words I'm fine leave his lips, gone was the softer expression on her features. She wasn't a fool, nor would she tollerate being treated like one. If a firmer hand was needed then so be it.

"I don't recall asking, which is very lucky for you because if I did that would mean you've just lied to me not a minute after I asked you not to." Narrowing her brown eyes, she points to the chair opposite her. "Sit down, Rhett." Now folding her arms, she had what Emiri would call her mom lip, pursed and clearly unhappy with the situation. "I need to know you understand the position you're putting me in, not just as your friend but as your employer. Now whilst your job doesn't require a urine test every thirty days that doesn't make it ok to work under the influence of drugs, in a shop I've worked my ass off to make successful, a place where my son spends time." She says, not to spark fear over losing his job but to try and alarm him enough to see that continuing to avoid the truth wasn't going to cut it.

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And there it was. The pity that often came when he told people anything about his addiction. It was one of the many reasons why he didn't. He hated to hear how sad and disappointed they were for him. It was just... too much. And hearing it come from Diana was even worse because he did consider her one of his best friends. She was always there when he needed someone. Even if it was just to talk and hang out. It was something he appreciated more than she would ever know and now, all that was going to change simply because he was a fucking idiot and told her everything when he shouldn't have.

He didn't answer her questions. The Brit just kept his blue eyes forward, looking off at the town. That would be an answer enough, wouldn't it? Bringing his hand up, Rhett wiped at his nose and he shook his head, "Too many times, Di." He mentioned as he pushed himself from the railing of the balcony, "I was blacklisted back in New York because of it." He admitted with a pained laugh, "There were maybe...two places left in that whole bloody city that would let me play." Rhett couldn't remember a lot of it anymore, but he did always remember going into the green room or the bathroom and shooting up before he went. So much so he couldn't move after he did it and missed his set. The nerves would get to him every time. The kicker? Before he started using, Rhett never had a nervous bone in his body. The drugs made him that way. The drug took away everything from him. "I'm gonna miss this one if I don't go back soon." Rhett laughed but a tear trekked down his cheek that he quickly wiped away with a shake of his head.

Diana took in a deep breath as she processed that information. That meant the majority of the time that she'd known him, Rhett had been high. It took her back to a time when she'd been the same, needing to get a bump of fine white powder into her system to properly function. A sense of concern mixed with something else settled into the pit of her stomach and it took her a few moments to realize what that something else was -- fear. Fear for her friend's well-being, fear that she could lose him if he wasn't careful.

"Rhett..." she finally spoke, her voice trailing off. It was rare when Diana was at a loss for words, but this was one of those times. "Is it easier?" She looked at him. "Is it easier feeling like you can't function without it? Or spending so much on it that you don't have enough for food or rent?" She hoped he wouldn't take it as a lecture, only a plea for recognition of what it really was. It was hard to see it while actively in it; she knew from experience. "How many times have you missed the chance to get your music in front of people because of it?"

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He nodded his head at her Emiri's words and he pressed his lips into a thin line, "I'm...I'm sorry about Kate." The Brit said softly. He and Kate were friends, yes, but they weren't anywhere near as close as her and Emiri, "It's weird without her around." She had been on his mind a hell of a lot lately. It seemed like every piece of art he made somehow turned out to look like her. It wasn't intentional. It just... happened. Pushing away those thoughts, wanting to try and make this a fun experience, Rhett stepped further into her apartment.

Rhett couldn't help but chuckle at her words and he shrugged, "I've been told that's what I am." He mentioned nonchalantly, "Well, first things first, love. Do you own a guitar?" Rhett tilted his head, "If not, that's going to make learning this thing very difficult." Rhett smiled. He could probably manage to teach with just his own. He probably should have asked if she had one... He could have brought his electric along too.

His fine came as something she expected, she wasn't exactly here waiting for him to unload everything on her, not really, yet that didn't mean she didn't find herself rolling her eyes subtly as she turned away from him, making way through her home. Sure, Alara had told her what happened and yet, despite how nosy Emiri could actually be, she knew boundaries and when to keep her mouth shut. More so in Rhett's case. Her dad had always told her that people going through similar situations to the male currently in her home, only could save themselves when they wanted to be saved. It wasn't her business, no, but it was on her mind because she cares for him.

"Yeah... I'm doing ok." as she could be anyway, what with Kate dying, she was trying to do something normal. Whatever that was, she didn't know. "I mean... considering I can't play anything I figured maybe I'd use you a little bit to teach me something," she teased, chuckling lightly, "Man of many talents and all that." she smiled at him. "I'd like to be able to at least play a song and I'd be content, you know? Then I might finally have a party trick to show off."

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The male just sighed softly as she spoke. He probably looked like he wasn't listening, but he was. He recognized that doctors were there to help, he did. But the thing was that he didn't need the help. He was fine. Everything was fine. Everything was always fine. Hearing that he was going to have to stay the night his head fell backwards and he groaned quietly. That was the last thing he wanted. It wasn't like he had money to afford this stupid ER visit that was entirely unneccessary.

His gaze narrowed just a bit when she mentioned his addiction and immediately, the Brit felt his shoulders tense. Even if it was obvious to some people that he was, indeed, a heroin addict, he didn't like it just thrown around like that willy nilly. He didn't say anything, however. Rhett just flipped his left arm over and he presented it to her, "Go ahead." He mumbled, turning his gaze down, "I can go home tomorrow morning, right?" Rhett asked, his tongue dragging along his bottom lip.

             “That would tell me how I can help you, Mr. Vampire,” Dakota put his chart at the bed next to him as she continued to observe him, wondering what made him choose the path that would lead to his downfall. There were many options, many stories behind every addiction, yet none of them were the same, were they? “Because my job is to help you, no matter of what you do or not do, Rhett,” she concealed her words with a kind smile. “I can help your body, if only for a moment. IV will be a must tonight, you know that? And I do understand you don’t want to do a blood test, but I don’t need a blood test to know you’re addicted to heroin. However, I do need it to help you.. if only for tonight. Don’t worry,” she stood up from her chair, “I won’t lecture you because I’m certain you know all about your addiction, consequences, rehabs.. but,” the doctor walked over to the cabinet behind her, “I do want to help you.. now or tomorrow or in a month, I’m here. After all, it’s not so bad to have a doctor by your side, is it?” 

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Special Delivery for: @lexiescott

There was nothing Rhett needed more than this festival. He had been saving up all his extra cash for a ticket. There were so many good bands playing. It was going to be amazing. And it was even better that he was going to be going with Lexie. They were becoming better and better friends every time they saw each other and after going to a twelve hour concert with each other, he was sure that they were going to be like two peas in a pod.

Standing in line to get into the venue, Rhett turned towards Lexie with a wide grin on his face, "Thanks again for coming with me." He said with a nod, "I've been eyeballing this for so long. I could have came alone but it's so much more fun when you have someone." Rhett smiled and shrugged softly as he ran his fingers through his blond hair, "Have you ever been to a music festival before?"

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Oh, showing up at work was just a bad decision, now wasn't it? He should have just stayed home a few more days and let it blow over. But deep, deep down, Rhett knew it wasn't going to blow over. That wasn't the type of person that Alara was. She was attentive. She was kind. She was thoughtful. So, of course she would want to talk to him. Rhett literally groaned at her words and he shook his head, "Alara, come on." He whined, "That's not what I wanted for the docket." Rhett mentioned softly, rolling his eyes. He very well could just leave...and honestly, he probably should. But instead, he just did what Alara asked and locked door.

Shuffling his feet towards the office, the Brit shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his jacket and stepped in. Rhett didn't sit, however. He wanted quick access to get the fuck out when he wanted, which he was sure would be almost immediately. Leaning up against the wall, he crossed one ankle over the other and he sighed, listening to her speak. She said there would be no judgement but how could he trust that? Everyone judged drug addicts. It was easy to do. It took everything in his soul not to roll his eyes, again, at her statement, "Doctor, patient confidentiality is out the window with you around, huh?" Rhett asked, more or less rhetorically, "I'm fine, Alara."

Alara had been worried about Rhett since she left him at the hospital. She waited until he was awake so she could talk to him, so he knew she stuck around, that she cared. What she hadn't let on was that the Doctor's had spoken to her, under the false illusion she was family. It was what they told her that fed into suspicions she already had and so, whilst Rhett was still out of it, she dared to satisfy her own curiosity. Turning his arm so she could see the crease, she knew what she was looking for; needle punctures. Nothing in his right, she momentarily thought she was just being crazy, but alas, the evidence had been right there on his left, confirming everything she was hoping was not true. Not wanting nor knowing how to approach it with him that day, she decided to wait until he was back up and moving.

It was a surprise to her when he came chiming in the door to her shop all smiles and pep, as though nothing had happened. Unfortunetly, it had and in this case, ignorance was not going to fly. "You're not on the rota today, Rhett." Alara smiled, happy just to see that he was up on his feet and trying to take on the day. "I wanted to give you the time to recooperate, but since you're here I think a talk could be on the docket," she says. "Lock the door and come into the office with me." Nodding, there's only softness to her tone. This wasn't a reprimand, nor was it judgement because she didn't hold any of that, she only wanted to share with him what she'd discovered and possibly find a way forward - a way that included getting him the help he needed. Once she hears him come into the office, she's just about finished making their usual drinks and so, walks towards the desk to sit the cups on. "I want to be very transparant with you, Rhett," she says as she sits down. "When I say that I know, I want you to hear me, which means I don't want any lies, bluffs or excuses. You're not being judged, so it's unneccary to try and pacify me with those things, okay?" She smiles softly, hoping he knew that was the truth. "Your Doctor shared your blood results and I saw the punctures on your arm."

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Do you want to get clean?

"Maybe. I don't know." He shrugged, "Things are fine the way they are now, yeah? Why mess that up?"

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His blue eyes shifted around for a moment until he heard the door open and he smiled the moment he saw Emiri, "Hey." He said in response and stepped inside when she offered him to come in. Beginning to take off his boots, he heard her question and his brow raised, wondering the context of it. Rhett wasn't stupid. He knew Emiri was Alara's best friend so he assumed she knew close to everything, which wasn't exactly his favorite thing in the world. But there wasn't much he could do about it now. And he knew that Alara had his best intentions at heart, even though it didn't feel like it sometimes, "Fine." He said with a smile and a nod.

Once he kicked off his boots, the Brit pulled his guitar off his back, "You good?" He asked, tilting his head a bit before he glanced around her home, "I didn't know you were interested in learning guitar. I would have offered sooner." Rhett mentioned. He always enjoyed teaching people music. It was a lot of fun for him and it made him feel like he knew what he was doing, something he didn't feel often.

Learning something new seemed like a good idea, at least it did for Emiri, it was something that would add a skill to her list all while providing her with a distraction. It seemed a win win. She found that putting her focus into something or caring for someone else, helped her perhaps avoid her own emotional needs. She wasn't sure when she'd actually play a guitar outside of her lessons with Rhett and yet she just wanted to be able to play an instrument that wasn't a triangle - yet even then, she would probably say she played that wrong.

Hearing the buzzer go off has her making her way to her door, opening up she smiles warmly at the male, moving back to widen the path for Rhett to come on inside. "Hey..." Emiri knew by Alara that he had collapsed at work the other day and so she found herself automatically glancing him up and down - giving him the once over. "You doing ok?" she asks, not really letting on that she knew what had happened, purely because she didn't want him to feel uncomfortable. It was funny, wasn't it, how when someone has something bad happen to them, you suddenly start to see them in a light of concern and often wondering whether you could still see they were not ok. Trick of the mind or not? She wasn't sure.