I’ll even join that support group here at the hospital for people
who’ve lost loved ones.”
“Derrek, please…please don’t make this any harder than it already is.”
“But I’m really gonna get help this time. I’ll do whatever I have to.”
John shook his head. “Derrek, that’s all fine and well, but you and I both know that the reason you’ve missed so much work
is because of your drug use. I knew something was very wrong the first time I spoke to you a year ago. Remember when you’d
first come back to work, and I noticed all the sweating you were doing?”
Derrek was speechless. He wanted to deny everything John was accusing him of, but no words he wanted to say would leave his
mouth.
“The best thing you can do now,” John continued, “is start packing your personal belongings.”
Tears welled up in Derrek’s eyes. “John, I’m begging you. If you’ll please just give me a chance to show you how serious I
am about fixing things.”
“The decision has already been made, and security is waiting right outside your door with boxes. I’ll also be staying while
you gather everything together.”
“I don’t believe this. After all the time I’ve put into this hospital, you’re going to escort me out like some criminal?”
“You’re an illegal drug user, Derrek, and we simply can’t take any chances. I’m sorry, but we have patients to worry about,
and this is policy.”
Derrek couldn’t recall ever feeling more humiliated than he was right now. He was actually being fired from a six-figure management
position, and security was going to usher him out of the building in front of everyone. The whole idea of it was ludicrous.
John opened the door and two security guards strutted in with boxes. They never made eye contact with Derrek, but he could
tell they meant business, and that they wanted him to start packing without delay. They wanted him out as soon as possible.
Derrek hated what was happening to him, but in a split second he thought about something much worse than being fired. How
was he going to break this kind of news to Denise? Tell her that he’d lost his job and that she would now have to take care
of all of them? How would he ever find the courage to look his daughter in the face again?
Derrek tried gaining his composure but before long, his knees buckled and he dropped down in his chair. What in the world
was he going to do? He literally had no idea, and while he would never say it out loud, he felt like dying. He’d felt the
same way the night Dixon passed, but for some reason, today, his thoughts of killing himself were much more real. This time,
he could actually see himself doing it.
Hours had passed and no matter how many lines of coke Derrek had done, he still didn’t know how he would break the news to
Denise. He was a nervous wreck, and he had a feeling that maybe he’d snorted just a little too much because his heart raced
frantically. He also thought he’d heard voices but every time he’d gone to check downstairs, there had been no one in sight.
He paced back and forth and back and forth again, and then looked out of the bedroom window when he thought he heard a car
pulling up. Sure enough it was Denise and Mackenzie waiting for the garage to open. Now, Derrek paced even more, and he hoped
he wasn’t having a heart attack. His chest tightened, and he also had difficulty breathing, so he sat down in one of the chairs
over in the sitting area. He tried to calm himself as best as he could, but within minutes, Denise strolled into the bedroom
and smiled.
“Hi, honey.”
Derrek burst into tears, and she closed the door.
“Oh my God, honey, what’s wrong?”
Derrek grabbed hold of her. “Baby, I’m so, so sorry. I really messed up.”
“Honey, you’re scaring me. Please tell me what happened.”
Derrek released her and took a couple of steps back. But he just couldn’t make himself say the
who’ve lost loved ones.”
“Derrek, please…please don’t make this any harder than it already is.”
“But I’m really gonna get help this time. I’ll do whatever I have to.”
John shook his head. “Derrek, that’s all fine and well, but you and I both know that the reason you’ve missed so much work
is because of your drug use. I knew something was very wrong the first time I spoke to you a year ago. Remember when you’d
first come back to work, and I noticed all the sweating you were doing?”
Derrek was speechless. He wanted to deny everything John was accusing him of, but no words he wanted to say would leave his
mouth.
“The best thing you can do now,” John continued, “is start packing your personal belongings.”
Tears welled up in Derrek’s eyes. “John, I’m begging you. If you’ll please just give me a chance to show you how serious I
am about fixing things.”
“The decision has already been made, and security is waiting right outside your door with boxes. I’ll also be staying while
you gather everything together.”
“I don’t believe this. After all the time I’ve put into this hospital, you’re going to escort me out like some criminal?”
“You’re an illegal drug user, Derrek, and we simply can’t take any chances. I’m sorry, but we have patients to worry about,
and this is policy.”
Derrek couldn’t recall ever feeling more humiliated than he was right now. He was actually being fired from a six-figure management
position, and security was going to usher him out of the building in front of everyone. The whole idea of it was ludicrous.
John opened the door and two security guards strutted in with boxes. They never made eye contact with Derrek, but he could
tell they meant business, and that they wanted him to start packing without delay. They wanted him out as soon as possible.
Derrek hated what was happening to him, but in a split second he thought about something much worse than being fired. How
was he going to break this kind of news to Denise? Tell her that he’d lost his job and that she would now have to take care
of all of them? How would he ever find the courage to look his daughter in the face again?
Derrek tried gaining his composure but before long, his knees buckled and he dropped down in his chair. What in the world
was he going to do? He literally had no idea, and while he would never say it out loud, he felt like dying. He’d felt the
same way the night Dixon passed, but for some reason, today, his thoughts of killing himself were much more real. This time,
he could actually see himself doing it.
Hours had passed and no matter how many lines of coke Derrek had done, he still didn’t know how he would break the news to
Denise. He was a nervous wreck, and he had a feeling that maybe he’d snorted just a little too much because his heart raced
frantically. He also thought he’d heard voices but every time he’d gone to check downstairs, there had been no one in sight.
He paced back and forth and back and forth again, and then looked out of the bedroom window when he thought he heard a car
pulling up. Sure enough it was Denise and Mackenzie waiting for the garage to open. Now, Derrek paced even more, and he hoped
he wasn’t having a heart attack. His chest tightened, and he also had difficulty breathing, so he sat down in one of the chairs
over in the sitting area. He tried to calm himself as best as he could, but within minutes, Denise strolled into the bedroom
and smiled.
“Hi, honey.”
Derrek burst into tears, and she closed the door.
“Oh my God, honey, what’s wrong?”
Derrek grabbed hold of her. “Baby, I’m so, so sorry. I really messed up.”
“Honey, you’re scaring me. Please tell me what happened.”
Derrek released her and took a couple of steps back. But he just couldn’t make himself say the
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