She's alive? I'll kill her!

Well that Thursday, we were going to have a family discussion with Amy after Olivia got out of school. I thought I'd give her a call and just let her know Paul and I would be coming over later. She answered her phone and was able to talk, but something was definitely off. She kept talking about the phone trying to get her because it wouldn't stop ringing. The phone was just doing it to piss her off. Then she started rambling about strawberry milk. She'd spilled it on her bed and from there it just got so crazy I couldn't even follow what she was trying to tell me. I knew something wasn't right at all. But what?

Amy had just been to the ER Monday night and the doctor said it was just a migraine, but my gut was telling me something else was going on. We've always laughed that Amy is a little crazy, but this was a lot crazy. So I'm thinking I need to take her to the doctor again and looked online for a free clinic. There are about 20 in the Charlotte area, but no walk in clinics. So I see this one number that doesn't have hours listed, so I thought let me check that one out. Lo and behold, it is the personal cell phone number to the Director of all the Free Clinics in Charlotte. It was an old list and not supposed to be on the Internet at all. Well she asked what was going on with Amy, and I told her a brief history and she said get her to the ER immediately! Take her to the same one she went to on Monday, so they'll have her history. At this point I am beginning to panic inside. I keep hearing the thought in my head "immediately" and I remember thinking "do not pass go, do not collect $200". So I called Paul to let him know I was taking her to the ER and the family talk would have to wait. Olivia wouldn't be home from school for a couple of hours so I'd call him and check in with him later when I know something.

Amy's house is about 20 minutes away from mine. So I jumped in my husband's truck and took off to her house. I called her 18 times on the way. I wanted her to know I was coming and to get ready, plus I realized since I took Alex's truck I didn't have her house keys with me. 18 calls and she never answered once. I was really starting to panic! What if something really bad has already happened and she's dead. I'm thinking maybe she had an aneurysm or something. So I pull up to her townhouse, which is in a bad part of town, but all that she can afford. I pull up and see the front door wide open. Now my heart completely sinks. Someone has broken in and killed her! That's why she didn't answer the phone. I am in a full out panic and afraid of what I am going to see. About a year earlier, there were a rash of robberies in her neighborhood and someone had tried to kick her front door in. Luckily about that same time, she had just rescued a stray dog and he had been there only a few days while she tried to find him a home. Well when the person tried to kick the door in, Charlie went nuts and they didn't get in, but the door is really loose and would be easy to kick open. And now she has a very protective dog!

I call out to her when I walk in, and Charlie comes running down the stairs barking and growling. Then I hear her, she upstairs in her bedroom. She's alive! She's alive? I'm going to kill her! I am going to kill her. Is she trying to scare me to death? I race upstairs, but now I'm angry! Why the hell didn't you answer your cell phone? She said it wouldn't stop ringing so she put it under the pillow on her bed. I told her her front door was wide open, and she starts telling me about the homeowners association. I'm just confused. I told her the homeowners association would not come unlock her door and leave it open. Then she goes back to the strawberry milk again. She's out and really thirsty and just wants some strawberry milk. So I tell her forget it, we are going to the ER. She thinks I'm just over-reacting and she's not going. I finally convince her after about 20 minutes and a few choice words about how she would be more sober if she were on heroin, than she is now. She says she'll go but needs to pee before first. She fell twice on the way to the bathroom, her left leg kept buckling out from beneath her. I realize I am never going to get her down those stairs on my own.

She looks down the stairs and says again I am just over-reacting and she's not going. I lost it with her. I started yelling at her, get your f***ing ass down those stairs before I drag you to the truck by your f***ing hair! That wakes her up. I am 3 years younger than her and although I have been known to cuss like a sailor at times, I've never spoken like this to her before. She starts laughing at me! She tells me I have a lot of Mama in me. So I go to reach for her arm to help her and Charlie tries to bite me. With promises of strawberry milk, I persuade her to scoot down the stairs on her butt like a 2 year old. So finally, we are off to the ER.