Read Online Bad by Francine Pascal - Free Book Online Page A

Gaia. Always Gaia.
    Sick Bastard
    AN IV BAG DRIPPED CLEAR LIQUID into Mike’s veins, and a heart monitor beeped ominously beside the bed. Even from his stance at the door Sam could see that the guy had lost close to ten pounds in the last few days. How could he be outof the woods? His skin was the color of ash. It wasn’t until Mike’s eyelids fluttered open that Sam was convinced his friend was even alive.
    â€œHey, Moon,” Mike croaked. His voice was like sandpaper. “What’s shakin’?”
    Sam tried to smile. “Must have been one hell of a party, Suarez.”
    â€œYeah.” He grinned ruefully. “I guess I’ve got the mother of all hangovers to prove it, huh?”
    â€œRight.” For some reason, Sam couldn’t bring himself to make eye contact. Of course, maybe that was because he knew that
he
was the one who had put Mike here. Or maybe it was because he secretly hoped that Mike wouldn’t remember anything. Maybe it was because Sam prayed that Mike believed he’d tried heroin in a drug- and alcohol-induced frenzy. Because then ...well, then Sam Moon would be off the hook.
    He sauntered across the room and sat down in the chair next to Mike’s bed, keeping his head down the whole time. “So. Do you, uh, remember anything that happened?”
    Mike sniffed. “Nah. I mean, I don’t know. Sort of. I was at a party most of the night. I chugged like two quarts of beer.”
    Sam nodded. His eyes remained pinned to his folded hands, resting in his lap. There was nothing unusual about that. Mike had been consuming massive amounts of alcohol all semester. And if hismemory was foggy, chances were good he could have had a blackout. Chances were good he could have done
anything.
    â€œAnd then what?”
    Several seconds passed before Mike even breathed. “I don’t know, man.” His voice quavered. “That’s the scary thing. I mean, I don’t remember doing the heroin. I’ve done a lot of messed-up shit in my life, but that stuff is way beyond anything I’ve even considered trying.”
    â€œBut it was in your system,” Sam heard himself say. “So you must have decided to try it. Maybe you just don’t remember because of what happened afterward.” A sickening icy sensation tore through his stomach. For Christ’s sake . . . who
was
he right now? What kind of sick bastard would try to manipulate his friend’s memory to save his own skin? To convince somebody that he had almost killed himself?
    The kind of sick bastard who wants to hold on to what he’s got,
a silent voice answered. It was true. Sam might be a sniveling wimp, but he’d never had more to lose. Gaia was finally his. He couldn’t afford to risk—
    All at once he realized his knee was jiggling nervously. He clamped his hand around his knee to stop it.
    â€œYou all right, man?” Mike asked.
    Sam nodded vigorously. Talk about sick: The guy in the bed was asking
him
if
he
was all right. “Yeah . . .it’s just—I don’t know. Hospitals make me nervous.”
    â€œTell me about it.” Mike chuckled, then squirmed in his sheets. “Try talking to
cops
in a hospital. It’ll do wonders for low blood pressure—”
    â€œWait, did you say cops?” Sam interrupted. His head jerked up. His heart immediately snapped into overdrive. “What did they want?”
    â€œWho knows?” Mike’s eyelids were drooping. He yawned. “It was some detective guy. Pantis. Mantis. Something like that.”
    Sam leaned over Mike’s bed, struggling to remain calm. “Are they going to press charges against you? Is that why he was here?”
    Mike shook his head. “Nah . . . they just needed to ask me some questions. Kind of a routine thing.” His eyes closed all the way.
    Damn it.
Sam wanted to grill Mike some more, but it was useless. The guy was already half asleep. Sam