How to save a life..

(Names were changed for the safety of those involved)

So, on the 4th of November, I went over my friend Bob's to watch movies.
Simple and innocent enough, right? I go there around 7pm.. then leave around 11:30pm.
I get home, talk to Patti on the phone for a bit. Its around 4am and I get a text from Bob... a very strange text. I tell her about it and she tells me to call him and see what its about, so I do. To my surprise.. I find him in a panic on the phone, talking out of his head about how he's going to KILL himself. I try to calm him down, no good. He won't listen. Nothing I do is going to change his mind, so I think of a plan...

I make him call his bandmate Jason, for one last goodbye. Its "only proper".
So, he hangs up and does so. Me, hoping that Jason answers, I cross my fingers and call his wife, Lisa. Happily enough, he does answer and remains on the phone with him, also trying to talk him out of it. They're very close, so I knew he wouldn't let him die either.

Lisa and I plan with Jason for him to take us (Jason and I) to Bob's house. Only unfortunate part is that they had no bloody idea on where he lived. Fortunately for me, I was JUST there a few hours ago. Had I not... he would have been dead on the porch of his house by morning..

So, while Bob's still on the phone, Jason drives and picks me up, and we head to his house.
I'm quiet the whole ride there so he doesn't know we're coming or that he's with anyone just incase he hears the car through the phone. We eventually arrive once I barely remember in the dark, where exactly he lived. The houses around him look all identical, so I had to remember things I saw to be sure. Thank goodness they had corn stalks on their pillars.

So we go around the back, where Bob was awaiting death from the overdose of pills, alcohol, nyquil, and anti-depression meds that he took at once. He looks terrible. One side of his mouth drooping down to the side, he's barely conscious. It was a horrible sight.. its hard to just think about afterwards. But neither of us panicked, we had to do what we had to do.

We try to keep him awake as well as verbally fight him to try and get him to stand up and get taken to the hospital. He wouldn't have it. He would get angry and yell at us and tell us "Why can't you just LET ME GO?? Please! I don't want to be here!" It tore at us but we never faltered... he wasn't going to go out like this... he needs to live first. REALLY live.

After fighting with him and telling him "NO! You are NOT going to "drive" anywhere!" and such.. Jason went to go get his parents.. they were asleep. During this he tried to persuade me to let him up so he could drive off, but I wouldn't let him. To be frank, I downright bitched the boy out. I haven't been that demanding in a long time, but he deserved it. Soon, Jason came back with his parents, and they just gasped in horror at the sight of their youngest son, helpless and dying on their porch.

We tried to explain what happened, and told them all that we knew of that he took. He broke down a bit and said "I don't wanna die .. but I do.. I don't want to be here!" in a panic when he realized he was dying from this. His father went inside to call the hospital while his mother sat in front of him, panicking. Many bottled emotions came from the both of them.. it tore at your heart to watch this happen. They talked, cried, and yelled at each other before Bob gave in and said yes to the hospital - though he refused to go with anyone but us. His parents didn't mind at all, so we picked him up, and got him to the car after a bit of difficulty. We threw a cover over him and as Jason drove, I held his hand and shook him to stay conscious. He yelled a few times, but I could care less about his attitude at the time.

Halfway to the hospital, we had to pull over so he could throw up some of the crap in his stomach (finding out later that it saved him from kidney failure). Eventually, we arrived there, got him inside on an Emergency bed. I didn't appreciate the dumb looks we got from the night staff, but hey they can suck it. His mom was a crying mess, but attempted to hold it together so he wouldn't get tense or go into shock. The medics and such came in and got him questioned and hooked up to IV's and such. The view once again horrible to see.. all the wires coming from the bags to him.. the gown.. the pale skin.. just terrifying.

Jason and I stayed there with his family (and the other relatives that came and went) for 3 hours before we had to leave. They all teared up a bit, thanked us for what we had done for their family. Bob, himself gave me a hug and a kiss, followed by a "thank you". I'm hoping this changes him for the better, he'll get the help he needs there.

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Edit: We went to see him the next day, to find he was doing MUCH better.
He had color to his cheeks again, a smile on his face, optimism, and love in his heart again.
I'm hoping this all works out for the best.

He's a fighter. He can do this. <3 (Lisa, Patti, Jason, and Bob are all fake names)