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Saving Leslie

By: Grobnar



Author's note: I'm branching out as it were and writing this as an experiment with all OCs. Yes, it is a dark tale, and reader feedback is of course appreciated. No sex in this chapter, but that'll come later. Note: Leslie is a former child star that hit a rough patch, based on every former child star. 

*****

'One long cut. That's all it'll take.' Leslie thought to herself as she stared down at the straight razor held in her hand. She blinked back tears and moved her shaking hand down to her exposed arm. 'One cut, from elbow to wrist.' 

Despite everything in her, the drugs, the medications, and the alcohol something had stopped her from pulling the trigger. Until now. The pills were taking effect, her aim unsteady as she touched the razor in her skin. The pain was dulled to nothing as the sharp blade broke into her skin. A small bubble of blood spitting up where it broke flesh. Leslie looked into the mirror at her face. the light that was present years ago was gone. Her flesh now pale and starting to age from years of meth. Even her freckles looked like blackened sores to her. She pushed back a dyed blonde strand of hair and looked at the mirror then back down at her the start of her end. 

Leslie was starting to pull the razor when she was interrupted. She nearly dropped the blade in the sink as the buzz of the doorbell filled her home. 'Can't even die in peace.' She thought to herself. On the one hand she was willing to let the bell ring as it just had, but the other repressed logical part of her won the argument. The former starlet stumbled out of the bathroom nearly tripping herself over discarded bottles of Jack Daniels and Merlot. As she slowly made her way to the door she knocked over the empty bottle of Ambien, even now it's contents gurgled in her stomach. 

Frustrated at her lack of privacy, Leslie ripped the door open to the bright and cheerful day. Birds were chirping, only interrupted by the sounds of lawnmowers and kids laughing on bicycles. It was revolting to her. "I have a package here for a...Ms. Ryan?"

Her eyes settled on the man standing before her. Average in about everything, he still took on a rugged appearance. His three day old scruff and unkempt hair said more hiker than delivery guy. "Yeah, that's me." She managed to stammer out. Despite everything in her mind she was still flustered by her unkempt appearance. White tank top and grey sweats. She looked like someone that had given up, and really she had. 

"Sign here please." He offered her up a clip board and pen, which she dutifully signed. She didn't notice his eyes wandering her body, especially taking note of where she even now dripped out a steady stream of blood from her left wrist. As he took the clipboard back the delivery man shifted and offered her a small box. 

Leslie regarded the small box with puzzlement. She ordered nothing recently save takeout. What was this item. Her analysis was broken however by the chemicals that now swarmed her remaining brain power..

"Ummm. Please excuse me for asking but are you okay Ms. Ryan?" 

"I'm finnnnee." She slurred out. Everything was taking effect now. "I don't need your help. I don't need anyone's!"

"I didn't mean to say you did, but rather that I'm concerned." 

Leslie was angry now. Ambien and whiskey were effecting her judgment. "Save it! I don't need it or your pity!" She absently tossed the small box into her house. "I'm fine and can take care of myself!" She prodded his chest with a long finger. "Good day!" Leslie made a motion to grab the door to slam it but missed. Her entire body went out from under her as her head met the cold tile of the foyer. 'Just one more chance.' Was her final thought as darkness greeter her head on. 

***

Bright lights. Leslie's eyes opened to the blinding light from several florescent bulbs. Even still, the blinds were drawn open and light poured in from the windows. It made her want to crawl back into wherever she was. She threw her hands up in an effort to block the offending light but her arms wouldn't react. The ominous creeping of leather filled her dread as her arms advanced no further. Looking down, Leslie was more annoyed than anything else to see her arms were strapped down to the bed. 'Where ever I am, that's where I'm staying.' Her mind rationalized.

Silence reigned save for the steady drip on the IV. Leslie's eyes tracked the line as it snaked from the needle in her arm up to the bag. She sighed deeply and became aware of a chalky, dull taste in her mouth. Carbon. The black material must of been pumped into her stomach to filter out her suicide attempt. Before she could ponder further the door to her room swung open. A doctor, judging by his lab coat, entered and stared at her chart for several moments before speaking. 

"You gave us quite a scare there Leslie." He sat on the bed and patted her blanket covered leg. "A few more minutes and you would of been gone." 

Silence. "That's what I wanted." She managed to croak out. 

"Hardly." He lifted her left arm up and the traced the over the bandage a cross her wrist. "You had several hesitation marks. The amount of Ambient you consumed would of knocked you out while the liquor impaired your judgment. Despite all that you hesitated. Even still you managed to answer the door.

"The day you decide to die is hardly one to answer the door, go to work, that sort of thing." 

Leslie was silent again as she processed his statement. He was, of course, correct. However, that didn't make her feel any better. Instead she switched the topics. "Can you remove these straps?"

"I'm afraid I cannot." He adjusted his glasses. "Your condition has prompted you to be restrained until such time you're deemed fit to be released."

"My lawyer will..."

"Do nothing. He actually agreed with us." He paused, "He signed off on it, agreeing with us that you needed to get help."

Leslie was dumbfounded. It might have been a mistake to grant her lawyer power in absentia.

"Now I know you've been in rehab before, but we're sending you to a specialist." The doctor held up a hand to stall her protests. "This is not going to be a group session deal, it's one on one. You'll be with your counselor most of the time. They'll follow you, guide you, and most importantly help you."

"And if I try to escape?"

"You won't, you'll be living with them." He patted her leg. "He'll be here soon, until then sit tight." He chuckled at his own joke before making his way out of the room.

Externally, Leslie was silent. Internally: fuming. She felt betrayed at this unexpected turn of events. At this point in time she expected herself to be a good looking corpse. Not strapped to a hospital bed. Time ticked away however as she lay in bed. Boredom dominated her thoughts, not even a TV in the room to entertain her. TV would do her some good, she really wanted to see how Kim Kardashian was doing. No doubt she was going on about the price of fame. 'What a high cost it is.' Was her thought. 

Right as she was beginning to think she'd die of sheer boredom, which was not the way she intended, the door opened to her room. An older African nurse came in and addressed her without preamble. "Ms. Ryan, y'all be going to see the consular now." She began to remove the straps from her arms allowing Leslie was able to ring her wrists, relishing in the feeling coming back to them. She shifted a little and the nurse helped her on to her feet for the first time in who knows how many days.

Unsteadily, she was able to shuffle over to the IV stand and grab ahold of it. "Follow me please." Dragging along the stand, she obediently followed, unaware of how her gown sat open in the back. The nurse, tentatively identified as Shawnie from her name tag, slowly began to lead her out of the room and to the hall. To Leslie's dismay, the hall was also brightly lit, with a soothing blue painted on the walls. Carefully she guided herself down the hall, following Shawnie, dimly aware of someone following her. She looked back to see a man, very well built by her guess, following not 10 paces behind her. The guard, whom she called Carlos in her head from his gorgeous latino looks, showed little regard for her.

"We're being followed."

"That's Enrique. He's here to make sure you don't try anything stupid. It's happened before." Shawnie paused for a second. "Once you feel his touch however, you won't dare cross him again."

Leslie pondered that. He was there she didn't try to pull out her IV, attack her nurse, or run for the door. The way Shawnie inflected made her feel like something else was going on. 

They turned a corner and went down another hall that looked more of a storage area than anything else. Several handcarts were loaded up overflowing with boxes. As they ambled past, Leslie tried to make out the scribbles. The black sharpie marks were an indecipherable code to her, clearly they didn't want anyone dumpster diving for pills.

"Here we are." Shawnie pointed to a nondescript door without a label. She approached the door and knocked. Without waiting for a reply she entered and conversed for a moment with the occupant. She stuck her head back out. "Come on in. Lee will see you now."

Dreading this moment, Leslie dragged herself into the room. She felt like a child going to the dentist, looking for any excuse to get out of the room. She tried to make excuses but was hushed by the unforgiving black nurse. "Go on it now." Regretfully, Leslie stepped inside. Amazed she looked about at the room. In stark contrast to hall, this room was immaculate. The stereotypical couch was present, along with some chairs. A couple shelves ringed the walls filled with books, board games, and even models of some kind. A sensible desk sat at the far end with nothing but a computer and not pad on top. If she had to label this room she'd call it IKEA catalog.

"Please take a seat Ms. Ryan." The man at the desk addressed her pointing to the chair in front of him. "Thank you Shawnie, that'll be all for now."

Dutifully, she obeyed as the nurse left the room. Surprisingly, Enrique stood at the door at attention. 'A Personal guard.' She thought. She could only wait as he flipped through a file. Several moments passed without comment, giving her ample time to study him. Lee was probably about her age, he had a rugged appearance about him, and a mess of black hair. If she had to guess he was a mix of Chris Pine and Bradley Cooper, with piercing green eyes. Those eyes were now boring into her. Leslie jumped back startled.

"Now, Ms. Ryan, I've heard your case before, I'll spare you details, but this is a new one." He looked at her directly. "So tell me, what's your problem?"

"I...uh...don't have a problem?" She pushed a blonde lock out of the way.

"Really? Okay, I guess you can go then. I'll let the delivery man know he hallucinated you yelling at him then passing out. That the EMTs didn't actually perform CPR on you when you crashed in the bus to the ER. Or the nurses and doctors didn't pump enough medication out of you to fill a pharmacy, or use up 5 liters of blood just to detoxify your system enough that your liver could function again." He looked over at Enrique. "She's free to go, she doesn't have a problem."

Leslie began to stand to get out of the room. It was intense having that all laid out before her. She was being grilled by the headmaster, and he was giving her an out, one she was going to take. She slowly wheeled towards the door as her guard got out of the way. She barely made it through the doorway when he call out to her.

"That's what I thought you'd do."

Angry, she turned back to him and sped to the desk as fast as her legs would move her. "What do you mean 'That's what I thought?!'"

Lee remained calm. "I thought you'd deny what had happened."

"I...I..."

"Yes."

Leslie sat down in the chair again and stared at the desk. "I can control it." She spoke quietly, uncertain of her voice or the explanation she gave.

"Really? Okay. Let me show you what control looks like. Enrique?"

The straight faced guard left the room and returned a moment later wheeling in one of the many carts outside. Lee got up from his desk for the first time and picked up one of the many boxes and upended it on his desk. Bottles rained down from the box onto the desk. Some kept rolling and hit the carpeted floor with a dull thud. All told there must of been twenty or more bottles of alcohol now around his desk. He tossed the box to the side and picked up the next one. When he flipped this one over several pill bottles came crashing out and joined the empty liquor bottles on the desk and floor. He looked at her as he tossed aside the box, "Shall I continue?" 

Softly she spoke. "No." 

"Are you sure? We have what...6 more boxes we collected from your home?" Enrique nodded in agreement. 

"No that's enough!" She shouted. This was a twisted version of 'This is your life' and one she did not particularly want to see. Leslie sniffed as a wave of emotions came on.

Lee resumed his seat. "Good. I can sit here and empty this boxes all day, but I'm sure you don't want that. Now is that something you want to tell me?" 

Leslie sobbed into her hands for several moments. Her cries were all that filled the room for the brief time. When she looked at him through red rimmed eyes she admitted to him and more importantly herself that she had a problem.

Saving Leslie Pt. 02



Thank you for the kind words and support. I do tend to finish this one out, I just don't write at a rapid pace. I also get distracted easily. Comments and feedback are welcome of course. This chapter again features no sex. Anyway, let's continue where we last left off. 

***** 

Leslie's tears fell for several moments before either spoke again. 

"Good. That's step one. Now we're going to confront that issue." He stated flatly. 

"How?" Leslie was a tad incredulous. Even through her damp eyes she knew he was leaping to conclusions. "I've had rehab before. They don't work for me." 

"Because you let them." Lee cleared some of the bottles of his desk and took up a notepad. "I think much of it, revolves around you getting an out. Unfortunately, my methods are less civil. Since you've agreed to this, or your lawyer has in your stead, you are effectively my charge." 

"Meaning?" Lindsay didn't like where this was heading. 

"I am your guardian for all purposes. I choose what you do, when you do it, what you eat, where you go...everything basically." 

"That's not fucking fair!" She shouted, standing abruptly nearly knocking over her iv stand. She only calmed down when she sensed Enrique's presence behind her. 

"Oh I know it's not." Lee stated while she resumed her seat. "Unfortunately, you didn't give anybody a choice in the matter. Right now, we're just going to talk. Later, you'll be heading to my place. There you'll stay until I deem your recovery satisfactory." 

"Should I get on the couch?" She responded sarcastically. 

"If you want. I'm not discerning. I'm just going to start with one question. Why?" 

Leslie was laying halfway down on the couch. "Why?" 

"Yes. What has caused the moon and stars to align in such a way that a young actress, as talented and beautiful as you are, to start taking recreational drugs?" Lee asked, waxing poetic. 

"I just..." Leslie blushed slightly at the compliment but still found herself unable to answer. 

"It says here," Lee flipped through her file. "That when you were younger, your parents, your father specifically, pushed you to take on every role possible. You were really young at the time, working as a model, actress, singing, voice over, in addition to school. That's a lot of pressure to put on a child." 

Leslie just nodded. "Then you get nominated for an award or two, people start telling you how wonderful you are. There's a lot of pressure there." 

"There is." Even as she said that Leslie considered her career. 'I started with a small role, got the lead in a Disney film. By 8 I was doing ads for a major kids retailer.' Leslie thought, brushing a stray loch of hair aside. "There's a lot of pressure to keep up with everything. Make everyone happy, they say you're great and expect that all out of you. You never get a chance to be yourself." 

"Mmmhmm. We see that in other stars. The Coreys both had that. Started with uppers, went to downers, then moved to harder drugs." Lee stated writing something in his notepad. "If you ask me, a certain singer is doing the same thing. She never had a childhood, being a Disney kid and possessing an overly aggressive parent. All her behavior now is acting out for attention and showing her father what's what." 

"How does that relate to me?" Leslie asked, turning to face him on the couch. "You said that was about me." 

Lee smiled, "Pushy aren't we? It does related to you. I'm just thinking that you see a bit of yourself in her, I mean your paths are similar." 

Silence. "A little." 

"Good." Lee checked the clock on the wall. "That's all, I think you can go back to your room now and rest. In a few days you'll see your abode." 

Leslie practically flew up from her seat. "My abode?" 

"Your living arrangements." 

"Oh." 

"I'll check with the doctors but they might be able to get that IV out of you so you don't have lug that stand around. I'll also try to get some of your clothes so you aren't mooning people everytime you turn around." 

Red faced, Leslie grabbed at the hospital gown, pulling it tight across her backend. 

"That's all for today. You'll have a regular doctor to see to your needs." Lee put his notepad down and regarded her. "This will not be fun I assure you, but you will come out for it all the better. Confronting your addictions head on. You're going to hate me at times, but I can take it. I've been called every name in the book." 

"I already hate you!" It was all she could muster as she shimmied out of the room, one hand on her stand, the other holding her gown closed. 

"Cute." Lee stated as he watched her go. Enrique merely nodded before following her out. 

** 

Leslie walked back to her room with her guard in tow. She recoiled as she made her way past the boxes that sat outside Lee's office. 'Are all of these mine?' No doubt her mute companion saw that reaction. It was an odd feeling, like being followed by the paparazzi without the shouting. It was...unnerving. "Do you make a noise?" 

"Only if I have to." His voice was rich, and inviting. Enrique's accent was just enough for Leslie to feel a longing down below. Lee fortunately made no mention of her other addiction. 'How long has it been? A week? Two?' It was enough to make her go crazy. 

Getting back to her room, she practically crawled back into the bed, the blankets a small measure of comfort from all that was happening. Leslie did managed to find a remote, hidden under a spare pillow, and laid there watching TV. Kim Kardashian was indeed complaining about her fame. Ironic considering she relished it at the same time. At the time Extra came on Shawnie appeared in her room, bearing a tray of food. 

"That Mario Lopez. He's a hottie." Shawnie stated in a purr. "He can report for me all night long." 

"He's alright." Leslie didn't feel like arguing or conversing for that matter, "I guess." 

"Don't you be insulting that fine latin ass young lady, or I'll have you begging for this meal." Shawnie snapped at her. From her tone, Leslie believed her. 

She picked at the meal with a discerning eye and plastic silverware. Safety she imagined. "What is this?" 

"Food." 

Leslie resisted the urge to roll her eyes, not sure if that would bring a punishment. "I mean what is this meal." 

"Well you see." The older woman wheeled over and started pointing out compartments. "You have fried chicken, my recipe. Garlic mashed potatoes, and baked beans. Top it all off with some corn bread. We'll get meat back on those bones." 

This was like living with her grandmother, Gertrude 'Food Pusher' Ryan. "Okay." 

"You clear that plate and we'll talk dessert. If you're good maybe ice cream or cheesecake." 

"Oh goodie!" The sarcasm was hopefully not too evident. 

"Now dig, that meal won't stay warm forever." 

Leslie absently picked at the food, finally giving up and starting to eat. Everything was surprisingly delicious. "This is really good, do we always eat like this?" 

"No ma'am. Lee decided you needed something special for your first day. After that it's standard food." 

Leslie nodded, slightly dejected. "What about after?" She said through a mouth full for chicken. 

"Swallow before you speak young lady." Shawnie chastised "Lee will decide. He's an excellent chief." 

The blonde slouched, It seems that her new therapist had a velvet glove covering an iron fist. She hoped it wasn't too bad. Leslie opted to distract herself by watching Mario on the television 

"...and it's reported that she is in a hospital right now after this latest episode. No word on her treatment or if she'll be going to rehab again. This'll be number 4 for her. In other news..." 

Even though she missed the first part of the story, Leslie knew it was about her. 'Great, now the world knows. I might as well hold a press conference about it.' In a flash of anger she reached for the remote, only to have it snatched away at the last second. "No. You throw that, the food goes as does the TV." 

"Can I do anything in here?" 

"Mmmhmm, your doctor will be in later. You'll be working with her and Lee on your issues. It's working therapy. For now just eat." 

Leslie had finished her plate by the time the show ended, which Shawnie took from her. With nary a word, the black lady left. She sighed, this was going to be a nightmare it seemed. Leslie had resigned herself to waiting when her door burst open. A gorgeous doctor walking in, clipboard in hand. 

"Good Afternoon Ms. Ryan, or Leslie...can I call you Leslie?" Leslie nodded dumbly. 

"Okay then Leslie, I want to talk to you today, go over some things, then we'll get you settled okay?" 

Again she nodded, her brain just struggling to take in her doctor. She was tall, much taller than herself, and those black heels made her just tower over her. Grey slacks covered her shapely legs, and most likely shapely rear end. A small black belt encircled a narrow waist, leading up to a blue button up shirt that was filled out nicely from her small chest. Over this, she wore an open labcoat where all her instruments sat. Her skin was like toffee, her face sprinkled with a modest amount of freckles. Her hair, brunette tresses hung in a wavy curly pattern made Leslie jealous. Her hazel eyes sparkled that suggested everyday was a thrill to be alive. Her mouth opened revealing pearly white teeth. 

"..Are you even listening to me?" The mulatto doctor waved a hand in front of her face. "Leslie...you in there?" 

"Ah what? Sorry, I got distracted." 

"It's okay." She said smiling. "I said my name is Genevieve Johnson. Gen is you're nice. Dr. Johnson if you're not. I'm going to be your primary care physician for now." 

"Is there anything I need to do?" 

"Right now? No. We're just going to take your vitals. I want to get that needle out of your arm." She said while removing her stethoscope. Leslie winced as the she felt the cold metal over her gown. "Alright, now breathe." 

Leslie complied, feeling the Gens strong hand on her shoulder and the stethoscope moving around her chest. She nearly yelped as it touched the bare flesh of her back. 

"Alright now cough." Leslie complied "Again...and once more. You sound good, let's see that mouth. Open up...tongue out, now to the roof of your mouth. Good." 

Medical exams always made her nervous, she was never a fan of needles and always felt like the doctor was judging her. "What's up?" 

"Well, you're looking good, I think the danger is past and we can get this out." Gen stated, gesturing to the needle. She took out a cotton ball and a bandaid. "This might sting a little. Count of 3. 1.." 

Leslie was about to tense when she felt the needle withdraw from her skin. Already the cottonball was in place and the bandaid going on. "I thought you said 3!" She nearly shouted. 

"I lied." Gen said laughing, "I lied, if I waited to 3 you would of tensed, makes the whole process much more painful for you." She closed off the IV and set it aside. 

Leslie merely grumbled at her statement. 

"That's the spirit. Now you should get to bed early, tomorrow is going to be busy." Already Leslie was rubbing her arm. 

"What happens? 

Gen opened her mouth but was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Come in." She made a motion through the glass, signaling Shawnie to come in. 

"Excuse me Dr. but these are for her." She said holding up a pair of Batman pajama bottoms and matching grey shirt. 

"It's quite alright. Leslie, strip down and change." 

Leslie held the sheets of her bed up protectively. "Right here in front of you?" 

The doctor and nurse both laughed. "Of course, I want a sneak preview for tomorrow. Come on now, show us some skin." 

"But I'll be naked!" 

"Don't worry about it, just get undressed you don't need to make a show out of it." She pulled a pen from her pocket and started making notes on her clipboard. Silently watching as Leslie slowly complied. The hospital gown slipped off and hit the floor, just as quickly the pants went on to cover her nudity, and the top went on to cover her bare breasts. 

"Happy?" 

"It'll do for now." The doctor got up as Leslie climbed back into bed. "There's a call button over here if you need it. Bathroom is through that door. Both rooms are monitored. Rest now, tomorrow the real work begins. I'll see you early in the morning." 

Shawnie waited until the doctor left, lingering for just a moment. "You best be following her orders, she's one of the best." 

"Thank...you...?" Leslie said, slightly unsure in the statement. 

"Take care Ms. Ryan, we'll see you in the morning." Shawnie flipped the lights off and left Leslie alone in her room. Just the light of the TV and a soft nightlight illuminated the room. 'Well this is where I'm going to be I guess.' 

Leslie slid deeper under the covers and thought to herself. 'Is this the second chance I asked for? Is this just purgatory?' She was never a religious person, but now wasn't certain. A million questions ran across her brain in some bizarre flash card game. She could only see a few of them, and knew the answers to even less. Her final thought before she slipped unconscious was simple. 'Why are they even trying with me?'



Saving Leslie Pt. 03



This has been a long time coming, and I apologize for the delay. Real life gets in the way of my other projects way too often. I do hope you enjoy this next chapter of Saving Leslie. Still no sex, but comments and feedback are always appreciated. 

** 

"Rise and shine." 

A long groan erupted from a vaguely human lump in the bed. The doctor, completely unbothered by guttural response, pulled open the blinds, letting in a cascade on sunlight into the room. In turn, the lump groaned again and pulled the sheets tighter across their body. 

"I said up, the day is already starting." Genevieve went to the bed and prodded the form. Receiving no response, she grabbed hold of the blanket and heaved. Leslie screamed out as the blankets were ripped from her. She, blinded from the light, grasped for the blankets. 

"Ahh! Alright I'm up!" 

"That's better." The doctor touched her arm gingerly. "Now get up. Go do your morning routine and get back here, we'll start your physical." 

"What time is it?" Leslie asked, rubbing sleep from her eyes. She was much too tired to argue. 

"6:30." Gen responded, fixing a stray strand of hair. "Now get in there before all the hot water is gone." 

Leslie groaned again and heaved herself off the side of the bed. Dragging her feet, she couldn't remember the last time she got out of bed this early. Being a diva meant you got to set your schedule. 

After a few moments she stumbled back into the room. She was a mess and wanted a shower, and more importantly her make up. The girl staring back at her in the mirror looked more like The Ring character then Leslie Ryan. 

"Good, you're back. I was going to assemble a search party." 

"Are you always so happy?" Leslie grumbled. 

"Mostly, everyday is a thrill you should be happy to be here." 

"I don't feel it, nor did I a few days ago." She responded flatly. 

"I know, and we'll get to that." Gen responded seriously, "Now though, you can strip." 

"Here?!" 

Genevieve rolled her eyes. "We did this last night. Yes here. You can wear the gown if you want." 

She patted the bed. "Come on out. Or Enrique will come strip you." 

Leslie halted. The idea of the muscular man stripping her down aroused her, yet the embarrassment won over. "Fine fine." She started to take over her garments. 

"The way you guys do things here." Leslie complained as she hopped onto the bed fully nude. 

"It works." Gen wheeled herself over to the bed. "We'll get this done then you can have breakfast." Once again, the mulatto doctor started taking her vitals. Leslie endured it as the doctor poked and prodded her. 

"Mouth...you have a little damage. Were you taking meth?" 

"I did once." Leslie admitted. 

"It was more than once, damage isn't too bad, fixable still." Gen responded while looking in her mouth. "Skins' also a little damaged from it." 

"I..." Leslie began, suddenly feeling guilty. 

Genevieve stopped and looked her straight in the eye. "Look, I'm not here to judge you. You want judgement talk to god or TMZ. I'm here to help you. Later today you're going to see serious substance abuse. You are lucky believe it or not." 

"Ummm..." 

"Any other drugs I should know about?" 

"I've smoked pot." Leslie offered helpfully. 

Gen just rolled her eyes. "Everyone has. Any damaging drugs?" 

"...just meth." 

"Mostly Pills and liquor then?" Leslie nodded. "Alright lay down, going to check your tummy." 

Leslie complied and the test continued. Genevieve, she decided, had a gentle yet firm touch making this appointment a whole lot easier. Until the end that is. 

"Okay left arm up over the back of your head." 

"What? Why?" 

"For your breast exam of course. You do give yourself one monthly right?" 

"Ummm..." 

"That's what I thought. Most women ignore that. Alright arm up." 

Leslie complied and almost immediately felt her touch on her skin. Despite going through the physical she admired how the doctor gently prodded her way around her breast, carefully feeling every spot. It was soothing, relaxing, tingling, and electric. She was starting to fade out when Gen brushed her nipple, carefully poking it and pulling slightly. Leslie shuttered as sparks hit her brain. It was...sensual. Just as quickly as it began, it ended leaving her high and dry. 

"Other arm please." She was the utter professional, completely ignoring Leslie's arousal as obvious as it was. Just as quick, it was over. With nary a glance to her moist loins, Gen pulled back and made some notes. 

"Get dressed. We're done for now." She said, closing the chart and standing up. "It's time for your life to begin." 

Leslie slouched, an exaggerated sigh escaping her lips. 'If I knew everyone was going to be this dramatic I would of used a gun.' 

"Oh and wear this." From her bag, the doctor pulled a black t-shirt. Leslie's heart sank as she read the white text: 'I'm Special' 'Yep, should of used a gun.' 

*** 

Leslie, now dressed in something nicer than her pajamas, was lead out of her room and into the main hallway. Gen explained as they walked. "You're in a more secluded wing, so you got some level of privacy. Currently you're one of two 'celebrity' patients. The other I cannot say who." Already Leslie's mind was running through the list of rehab buddies and fellow stars she knew. 

"In the morning you'll come get breakfast, you'll also do some physical activity. The order is your choice. After that, you'll attend therapy with Lee, then lunch." 

"This all sounds pretty standard." 

"That part is. In the afternoon you'll be coming with me. We'll be either making rounds in here, or visiting patients outside. You'll be getting a firsthand look at what 'the end of the line' looks like." Gen stated as they turned a corner and entered another brightly lit hallway. 

"I've seen that." Leslie was suddenly defensive, "If you're trying to scare me..." 

"You will be, but it won't be my doing. You know what Krokodil is?" 

Leslie shook her head. "Never heard of that." 

"Well, you'll see the results of it. We'll be bring barf bags." Gen paused outside the cafeteria. "The point here is not to scare you, the point is to help you. You'll meet with people, talk with them, see their struggles and ideally sympathize with them." 

Leslie nodded, not quite certain that it'll work. 

"In a few days, you'll go to your new living arrangements. If all goes well, we'll make some additional changes. This isn't just drug rehab, this is life rehab." 

"Okay." It was all the starlet could come up with. 

"Come find me after you eat. Also, don't eat the hash, there's something wrong with it." Gen turned and started to walk away. 

Nervous as ever, Leslie peered in the door to the eating room. Already many people were sitting in there talking in groups. To her, it looked more like a school cafeteria than a rehab center. She took a step back, then looked in again. Nervous. She was nervous about entering a damn cafeteria. Leslie stewed to herself. <i>I've done live performances in front of thousands of people, but I can't enter a damn room?</i> She paced the hall, slowly building up the courage. <i>Where's Enrique when I need him.</i> 

Approaching the doorway again, she stopped again just before the entrance. She started to back up again, only to feel strong hands on her and she was propelled into the room. "You'll not be getting food by standing in the hall!" Shawnie had appeared and started dragging her through the cafeteria. Almost all conversation stopped as they sat and watched the spectacle. 

"Let me go! I can do this myself!" 

"Mmmhmm. Pacing the halls yes, but you may need a refresher on eating." Her grip did not slacken as she dragged the protesting starlet up to the counter. "She's going to have a little of everything. Leslie, my baby girl was bigger than you when she was born, and I'm not going to have you wasting away on my watch, even if I have to take out the ladies and nurse you myself." 

Laughter at the comment erupted from the crowd, causing Leslie to flush red with embarrassment. Looking away she watched as food was piled onto the tray, an inordinate amount of food. Eggs, bacon, waffles, and the dreaded hash. "I can't eat all this." 

"Mm...you will. I'll sit there while you clean off this plate." Shawnie grabbed the tray and a glass of water and lead her to an empty table. "Now dig in, I'll be back to check on you momentarily." The nurse left, leaving Leslie staring at a mountain of food. 

"Crap." She picked up her fork and started in, but already she felt eyes on her as she started. This is what it's like being the school outcast. Leslie mused. When she was back in school she was the popular girl. Queen bee as it were. 

** 

"Nice shirt." 

"Fuck you. Gen picked this out." Leslie spat out. After that embarrassing meal she was not in the mood for Lee's remarks. "Let's just get this over with." 

"That's the spirit! On the road to recovery!" 

Leslie's face took on an even darker tone as she sat down in the chair. "So what do you want to talk about today? My mother? My over bearing father? I don't want to talk about those. I was pushed once as a kid, that may be the cause of my addiction." 

Those green eyes bored into her. "We can certainly talk about that if you want. Rather I want to focus on your career." 

"My career?" Confusion. "You're asking me about anything that could be found on imdb?" 

"Precisely. I want your perspective." Lee turned the monitor on his desk so it faced her. Her imdb profile flashed before her. "Here's your start, then your next movie. After that you had a string of movies. 5 in one year. Is that when you started using amphetamines?" 

Leslie sighed. "Probably. My mother was working me to death. She didn't have anything growing up and always told me that I was her golden ticket. I guess that meant exploiting me." Leslie paused when she realized what just happened. 

"Gotcha." 

"You're an asshole." She brooded for a moment before continuing. Being tricked into talking about her parents. "Anyway, yeah. I was in a movie with one of the Robs. They were always so high energy and I couldn't keep up. One day he gave me one of his pills, or my mother got them from his agent. I don't quite remember." 

"And that was the start?" Lee asked, writing down some things. 

"Probably. My father found out and he wasn't angry, rather excited. I guess I was a cash cow to them." 

"He managed you didn't he?" 

"I prefer mismanaged me. I took way too long to realize it." Leslie let out a breath. "What's all this mean?" 

Lee stopped writing for a second and put his pen down. "I want to ask you, do you feel like you had agents or parents?" 

Leslie was silent for a long time, and when she spoke the words slowly came out. "I think I have parents. Maybe? They were concerned with what I could do for them. The next role, event. It was a nightmare to keep up." 

Over the next half hour the pair went back and forth, carefully talking about Leslie's past. They both danced around certain issues, but made the point that recovery was the future. What else was in the future, that was anyone's guess. Lee however had plans for it. 

"I think that's enough for today. This is step one." He closed his little notebook and looked over at her. "Lunch is available for you in the cafeteria. Then Gen will find you." 

Lee got up and offered her a hand out of the chair which she ignored. Rather she got up and was out the door as soon as she could manage.



Saving Leslie Pt. 04



Look at me, I have two updates within a month. This chapter came out rather quickly, and I hope to have more soon. The recovery process is not always 12 step. I think we've established that 12 step doesn't work for her. The story showcases her struggles with all forms of addiction. Will she find love along the way? That remains to be seen. Everyone is over 18 etc. Comments and feedback are always welcome. Enjoy! 

***** 

Peas, carrots, and something vaguely meat all swam before Leslie's eyes. Peas. When was the last time I had peas? It didn't matter however as another wave of nausea hit her. More bile came up along with even more food, leaving an acrid taste in her mouth. 

"That's it let it all up." A gentle hand on her shoulder gently coaxed her along. Leslie coughed and spit, trying to force the flavor out of her mouth. Fortunately, her hair was saved from her vomitous spray. 

"Is that Krokodil?" 

Gen nodded, her hand rubbed gently rubbed Leslie's back. A small measure of comfort. 

"That's horrific! How can people do that to themselves!" Leslie exclaimed, missing the irony of her statement. 

"Every drug has its' effect on us. Pills, liquor, and the harsh stuff. This is just one of the harshest." Gen moved beside her and sat down on the floor. 

"Will he live?" 

"No." Gen sighed. "His arm is necrotic and it's spreading to the rest of him. Exposed bone and muscle like that isn't natural. Maybe 6 months, a year." Gen was silent as Leslie wretched again into the trash can. 

Leslie half stumbled half fell next to Gen against the wall, a small trail of spittle landing on her shirt. "That's horrible." 

"It is." The normally bright eyed doctor was stoic. "Krokodil is particularly nasty. It's a cheap drug to make, but the byproducts include gasoline and some other fun things. That all gets injected into the persons' system. By the way, our bodies aren't meant to handle gasoline." 

"Obviously." Leslie spit up a little in her mouth. "All that to get high? He looked like the walking dead." 

"He is. Brain damage, liver damage. It all adds up. Everyone copes with life in a different way." She patted her leg reassuringly. "I hike. Get outdoors, see nature." 

"What does Lee do?" 

Gen was silent for a long time before getting up. "Come on, we're finished here." 

"That man was a zombie, he didn't even care." Leslie stated, carefully inching her way back to a standing position. 

"Nope. Many people don't care when they get that far." Gen responded, carefully walking back towards the main hall. Leslie pondered that as she trailed behind. 

** 

Exhaustion. That's what Leslie felt as she dragged her feet back into her room. Fortunately, everyone gave her a wide berth as she came back from the cafeteria. Still no one wanted to be near her. That didn't bother her, she really didn't want to face anyone. Aimlessly, she turned on the TV before heading into the bathroom. She really needed to shower or something. It was like everything felt grimy. After what she saw today, she also needed to brush her teeth. Again. 

What she really wanted was a drink, but that wasn't going to happen. Did she still have that bottle of absinthe? Did they take that from its' hiding spot? No matter, she couldn't get to it anyway. Instead, she had to settle for her other relief method. She striped down, tossing the hated shirt to the side. Likewise her jeans joined the shirt followed closely by her undergarments. Fully nude, she turned on the shower waiting as it came up to temperature. Slipping in, she rejoiced at the level of comfort a hot shower provided. The steam just sunk into her pores as she turned about, letting the cleansing water pour over her. 

As one would expect, she lathered up and rinsed herself, using a large portion of her body wash and shampoo in the process. When it was done however, she did not want to leave. Instead, Leslie opted for one last task. Her small hands slid down her wet body, taking in her small but decidedly feminine curves. Her fingers squeezed at her small breasts, particularly the hardened gum drop sized nipples, before cruising further south. 

Leslie poked her sensitive belly button while a free hand slid down her small waist. Together, both hands met up again at her hips. One went back to her pert rear, while the other went down to her sensitive folds. She loved the feeling. The hot water cascading down her as she gently stroked herself. Her index finger made several strokes along her outer lips before hitting her sensitive clit. Electricity flew through her system as she started. The other hand reappeared after squeezing her ass; its destination obvious. 

At first just a single finger slipped into her dripping sex. Then another. She slowly fingered herself, methodically pleasuring herself to an inevitable release. She picked up speed, constantly increasing the pressure and the momentum in which she pumped her fingers inside her vagina. Outside her other hand worked her clit. Her thumb and forefinger rolling it back and forth before tugging on it. 

Cries of pleasure erupted from her lips. A muted scream as she reached a miniature orgasm. It was a small plateau if you will. Just a brief stop on her journey to ultimate release. Her hand was a blur as it pumped into her body. Her small breasts shaking with every thrust. Semi conscious of her breasts need for attention, she tried to adjust her position so the cascade of water would land upon them. 

Pleasure was her reward as droplets of warm water would hit her sensitive nipples and the areola around it. It wasn't enough, no matter how hard she pushed the orgasm she desired was just out of reach. As time went on, it would quickly become unobtainable. Thinking fast, she removed her clit hand and took the shower head off its mount. Leslie directed the warm, harsh spray to her sex, parting her lips wide. 

Another moan escaped her lips as she aimed the sprayer at her most sensitive spots. Her other hand continued its actions. Her fingers frantic in tapping her hidden g-spot. It was only a matter of time now. 

Leslie's knees buckled as the orgasm hit her. Like a wave, it cascaded over her; covering her mind. A hoarse cry erupted as she rode out the wave. For her, it seemed like moments passed as she rode the wave up to its crescendo, only to ride it back to it's natural crash. In actuality mere seconds had passed since it started. Exhausted, but definitely more relaxed, she returned the sprayer to its position and shut off the water. Satisfied from her experience, she pulled a towel and dried herself before stepping out of the stall. 

Leslie ran a hand through her bleached hair, examining her body in the mirror. For a brief instant she saw exposed bone and muscle like that patient earlier. Ribs poked through her sagging, jagged skin. Her eyes were dead, a dull faded black instead of light brown. Coming down from all this was tough. Leslie shook her head, trying to clear her brain of it, but the images didn't seem to fade out. Did it just smile at her?I've entered a horror show. She half expected the image to crawl out at her. 

Discretion being the better part of valor, she retreated from the bathroom. The door closed with a satisfying click and she launched herself into the bed. Her heart racing, she grabbed a hold of the pillow and squeezed tight, staring at the bathroom door. Heart pounding in her chest, Leslie nearly jumped out of bed when the automatic light clicked off. For several moments she sat unmoving, waiting for her heart to stop or at least slow down. Only the noise of the TV filled the room. 

Gradually, her heart slowed and she let out one long breath. With a sigh she sat up and took stock. All a dream.It seemed so real.  "Leslie, you're losing it." She idly wondered if this was withdrawal. Leslie looked up at the TV, Trying to push those images from her mind. Once again, another E! entertainment show was showcasing the life of the stars. True Hollywood Story, meh she couldn't care less. Leslie flipped off the television and hit the light. Sliding back down into the warm sheets she idly hoped that the sleep would be pleasant. 

** 

Unfortunately, she was sorely mistaken. Two disparate Leslies argued with one another in her head. They screamed, insulted, kicked and yelled. The blonde, her drug addicted self, argued with her brunette self. Leslie, the main one, was just a silent witness to this exchange as they hurled insults at one another. She desperately wanted to tell them to stop, to settle down, to do something other than fight, but no words came out when she opened her mouth. They both noticed her and turned their attention towards her. Advancing at Leslie they both stared deeply at her. The brunette with innocent eyes, pleading for help. The blonde, eyes that seemed both pitch black and burning, demanded another fix, a way out of here and back to her vices. Leslie could not move as much as she tried. Her feet were rooted as they came up to her. Her screams choked in her mouth as they grabbed her. 

** 

Leslie awoke with a startled yell. Everything went flying as she jolted back to reality. Her arms flailed and her legs kicked. The covers were lost to her blind rampage. Her eyes wide and full of panic. Slowly, she realized this was not part of the dream and settled down. Her actions slowed as her mind came to grips with consciousness. Leslie could see again, her eyes now starting to focus in. 

Gen sat in a chair some 3 feet away. Her hand on her chin, her face contemplative. Leslie cried out again in surprise and nearly tossed herself from the bed. Only Enrique's touch prevented her from taking a nose dive to the floor below. "Easy, easy now. You've had a long night's rest." 

Leslie gulped at the air, trying to force it into her lungs and calm herself. Her panic faded and her struggling stopped. Enrique pulled back his hands and let Leslie sink back into the mattress. Her eyes darted around. Gen was there, Enrique, and Shawnie in the corner. The nurse had no reaction but held something protectively in her hands. Gen spoke again. 

"Deep breaths Leslie, you've had a long night." 

"Ugh, what happened?" 

"You would know more than us. A nightmare I'm guessing." 

"Yeah, it was. Should we talk about it?" Her voice was, as expected, sarcastic 

"Lee will later." 

That did not appeal to her. "How long was I...?" 

"At least an hour. Shawnie came in on rounds and noticed you were tossing hard. We've been watching you since." 

Leslie tried to sit up in the bed. Pushing herself up, her head fell forward and she found herself staring at her nudity. Leslie yelled again and tried vainly to cover her exposed flesh. "You could of told me!" She shouted as she attempted to arrange the sheet over herself. 

"Occasionally, your safety comes at the price of your modesty. Besides, I'm sure we all know about your 'leaked' pictures." Gen responded flatly. 

Leslie blushed at that remark. "Okay, okay. I'm up I guess. What's in store today?" 

"You'll actually be doing fitness today. You can go for a jog, take a walk outside, go to the fitness area, or swim in the pool." 

"Swim. Swim Swim Swim." 

"Okay, get up and get changed, I believe we rescued your bathing suit." 

Leslie started to get up than looked at all the people in her room. "Can I get some privacy?" 

Gen nodded and signaled the others. "Show's over, give her some space." Shawnie and Enrique both left, yet Gen didn't move. When Shawnie left Leslie thought she saw her pocketing something. 

"Everyone?" 

"Not I. Besides, I've seen you naked already." Gen rolled her eyes. "Can you go in there alone?" 

Leslie frowned as she started to climb out of bed, then looked at wooden door to the bathroom. "I'll manage...but could you stand outside the door?" 

Gen finally smiled. "Of course." 

Leslie scampered to the bathroom, trying to hide her naked self as she ran. Meanwhile, Gen started digging through her collected clothing, searching for a bathsuit. She pulled out a two piece suit that covered nothing. Tossing it aside she eventually found a blue metallic number. This will do. Gen thought as she also found a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. She went to the door and offered up the items after hearing the toilet flush. 

A hand appeared and grabbed the items. "You people are crazy. I can't get over all that's going on." 

Gen leaned with her back against the door, staring at the room. "What do you mean?" 

"I have an episode and you treat it like it's time to go swimming." The sink turned on. 

"It is, that's part of it. You can sit and dwell on it, or get on with life. The choice is yours to make." 

"What happened if I didn't stop freaking out?" 

"Shawnie was going to sedate you." Gen stated flatly. 

Leslie's head stuck out of the door. "That's what that was! I saw her holding something." 

Gen looked over at her. "We can't have you being combative. It slows down everything. You're wasting water." 

Leslie ducked back inside and the faucet turned off. "I suppose that's true." 

"Leslie, can I ask you something?" 

"I suppose, since we're all being honest here." It came out muffled as she brushed her teeth. 

"How long have you been a sex addict?" Gen asked. 

The only response was Leslie's toothbrush hitting the floor.



Saving Leslie Pt. 05



It seems that I'm speeding up with my writing. It's because of readers like you that have caused me to speed up and continue this tale. Thanks! All characters are over 18, etc. Comments and feedback are welcome. 

*** 

"What do you mean!" Leslie shouted, mouth frothing with toothpaste. She looked like a mad dog, and her mood matched. 

"Leslie, we heard you last night. I think the entire building did." Gen looked over at her before handing her a paper towel. "The night nurse heard you and thought you were being attacked. When she came in she realized what you were doing." 

Leslie was silent as she wiped her mouth. Her eyes smoldered in anger. My privacy has been invaded. Again! 

"Yesterday during your exam you started to get excited. Not 'oh my nipples' excited. You were leaking. A lot." Gen stared into the room again as Leslie turned away, blushing furiously. 

"Are you going to tell?" 

"Your therapist? No. This can stay between us girls. We will however talk about it." The doctor paused before continuing. "We can start now if you want." 

"I'd rather not." 

"I thought so. We'll speak on it later, but now it's time to get you exercising. Something to focus on" Gen reached in a plucked the blushing blonde from the bathroom. 

Leslie, her mood dampened, obeyed and followed the mulatto doctor. As they walked along the corridors other patients milled about. Most were Leslie's age; some older, some younger. All of them seemed in rather high spirits considering where they were. "Is everyone here for addiction?" 

"Most. There's also a level of hospice care, which you saw yesterday. This place is the Ritz compared what's happening in Maine." 

"What's happening there?" 

"Maine has taken a different stance on narcotics. Rather than treatment they're using retribution. There's one facility that only has 16 beds for treatment, and that's 7 days only. They're having to turn away 100+ people a day. My college roommate actually just got terminated from her job there." 

"What the hell?" Leslie felt bad, even if she resisted rehab. Several times. 

"Heroin is popular up there, and the state is not treating it. Substance abuse needs treatment, as it's a slippery slope back to abuse." 

"Are you going to stay with me the rest of my life?" Leslie asked, half sarcastically. 

Gen snorted. "Nope, I'm to get you back together then kick you out. I'm sure we can stay friends." 

Leslie glowered. "I don't want friends." 

"And that, my dear Ms. Ryan, is where you've gone wrong." The pushed through a door and entered into the fitness area. It looked more like a professional gym, quite more than Leslie expected. "Here we are." 

"This is it?" 

"Mmmhmm. You also have a coach to watch over you. You'll not be treading water or sitting on a machine for an hour. Her name is Colleen Bradley. There will be more names for her after all this I'm sure." 

"Great." Is everyone in fucking nuts? 

"Colleen!" Gen shouted and a woman at a bench perked up and started to walk over. Leslie drank in her visage. Medium height, the woman had chin length raven black hair. Clad in yoga pants and a sports bra, her flesh was pale. Moderately sized breasts stuck out from her chest, nipples prominent against the black material, and the slight sign of a tattoo on her side. This woman lived to work out. Just her sight was enough to fill Leslie with desire. 

That desire abruptly ended when she spoke. A rich English accent erupted from her lips. "Got me another one did you doc?" This did not bode well. 

"Yes, Colleen. She wants to swim." 

"Alright Lass, come with me. We're get you into the pool." Leslie didn't like the sound of this at all. 

"When you're done, you can change and get breakfast, then to Lee." With that, Gen turned and left along any chance of Leslie escaping. 

"Come on, no sense dawdling." A strong arm gripped her and dragged her along. As she went she caught a brief glimpse of people working out, the facilities were nice, akin to a high end gym or spa. Her current treatment however did not feel like a spa day. Was that Lee over there? Maybe it was, but something didn't look right. She couldn't tell as she crossed from carpet past the locker area and onto tile. 

The overwhelming stench of chlorine filled the air. Abruptly they stopped and Colleen's grip slackened. "Alright, here we are. Get out of those clothes and into the pool." It was not a request. 

Dutifully, she complied, shedding the t-shirt, shorts and sandals she grabbed on her way out. Colleen appraised her body, making Leslie feel like a piece of meat. She squeezed a bicep and poked at her stomach. "Do they feed you? You're all bones. No matter, we'll get some muscle on you. Now in." 

Leslie carefully approached the large pool, carefully dipping her toe in to check the temperature. Fortunately it seemed just a little cold. She glanced about and saw that there were only a few people in the pool, and those were thankfully occupied. Colleen came up behind her. 

"You can climb in, jump in, or dive in. If those don't work you can be pushed in or thrown in." Leslie knew that she would make good on that threat. Taking a deep breath she launched herself in. Her body arced several feet before breaking the water. A brief instant later she came up gasping. The water was a lot colder than she thought. Her nipples puckered instantly. 

"Good start there. Now, I think you should be able to get 20 laps done in the next hour." Leslie immediately started moving to the side. "No, long ways." Leslie sank slightly where she was treading water. 

** 

Leslie dragged herself towards Lee's office. Swimming was a disaster; everything ached. She doubted she had ever swam that much or that hard. Nothing motivates you like a British woman yelling at you from the side of the pool as you attempted to swim, save jaws swimming behind you. She criticized her strokes, her athleticism, her demeanor. Nothing was beyond reproach. Leslie asked her why her panties were in a bunch. Colleen responded, without hesitation, that she wasn't wearing any. The names flew from then on. Ballbusting Bradley, Colleen the cunt, the list grew as the hour dragged on. It was so bad that Leslie wondered if she had a dick under those pants. Those tight, tight pants. She must have been commando, she saw no lines. Even though Colleen worked her to death, Leslie still wanted her. 

Leslie dragged herself forward to Lee's office, dreading what was going to happen today. Yet, she knew it was for the better. The scar on her arm told her that. The sooner they declared her treated to the sooner she could leave and be back to her life. She approached the door grumbling, but when she heard a conversation she went immediately silent. 

The door was closed but she could make out two distinct voices. Leslie carefully pressed her ear to the door. 

"...tre...ent...prog...ure..." A distinctly female voice. 

"Nothing...can...help?" Probably Lee's. 

"...at this time..." Leslie felt like such a voyeur, but also thought that this was about her. As such she wanted, no needed, to know. She could make out scarce details of the ongoing conversation however. The little bits and pieces only increased the mystery. The conversation shifted and it seemed like someone was about to leave. Hurriedly, Leslie retreated as fast as her aching muscles would allow. Safely around the corner she peaked back around. 

The door opened and Lee stood in the door. A female doctor she didn't recognize was there. Their conversation went on for another minute before the doctor turned and left. Lee stood in the doorway for minute before retreating back into his room. Leslie waited several moments before she reentered the hall and knocked on his door. 

"Come in." 

Leslie dragged herself in, studying Lee and she entered the room. He seemed pensive. "Hello." 

"Hello Leslie. You look a little worn down." 

"I swam today." 

"Ms. Bradley?" Leslie nodded in response. "Tough luck. She's going to push you to your limit." 

"She already has." 

"Nope not yet." Lee closed the file on his desk and filed it to the side. He then pulled another one out and opened it. "So, I heard something today that piqued my interest." 

Leslie tightened for a moment. "About me?" 

"About you." He paused for a moment, causing Leslie to feel panic well within her. Did Gen lie? Will I have to talk about that...with him? "So how many nightmares do you normally have?" 

Leslie relaxed. Oh that. Her secret was safe. "A few." 

"This one was standard or more intense?" 

"It was real, or felt real. Two disparate parts of me yelling at one another while I stood by unable to do anything." Leslie replied. The answer came out easy, surprisingly easy in fact. 

"What were these two parts of you?" Lee asked, his left hand writing while his right supported his chin. 

Leslie went on to describe the parts, trying to make the connections of what the represented. Lee merely nodded, saying little. This wasn't what progress normally felt like to her. 

Finally, "You have a choice to make here. I'm not saying your bipolar, but there are two parts of you fighting for control. There's the innocent part of you, then there's the more aggressive part. In old interviews you've said you wanted to be the best. I'd say your brain justifies the liquor and pills by thinking that. Leslie needed the edge, she needed to be everywhere. 

"Unfortunately, your body said no. After the your last film you kept pushing. As I recall there was Oscar talk for you in your last big hit?" Leslie nodded. "Yet, that didn't happen. So your brain says we need to go harder. You moved up as it were to something stronger. Amphetamines, pain killers, uppers, anything to get ahead. Your parents said that. Than it all came crashing down on you. I think that you want to get better, but you're fighting yourself along that way. It's a common problem. You can go drug free, or slip hard back abuse." He paused then added, "Like you've done before." 

"I want to get better." Leslie responded, still unsure. 

"No doubt, but you'll have to commit yourself to it. You'll have to fight those demons of yours." He leaned over the desk. "I'll make you a deal Leslie. If you make it through this week in my sole estimation; I'll have something special lined up for you." 

"Will it be ice cream at dinner?" She asked sarcastically. 

"They already offer that, you just have to ask." He responded flatly. 

"Oh." She suddenly perked up. Another surprise for her. Maybe they'll have chocolate. I could use some chocolate. "What is it?" 

He wagged a finger at her, "Nope. That ruins the surprise." 

Leslie sighed, defeated. "Alright what now?" 

"We're going to delve into you, like we've already started. The dream, sorry nightmare, you had is a sign of the choice you need to make. I hope you just make the right one." 

"So do I." 

"I think we're set for today, is there anything else you want to discuss?" 

"No." Leslie paused as she considered her situation. "Wait, yes. Has anyone one tried to inquire about me? My health? My status? Mom, dad or Tom? You said that media tried to comment but...my family?" Tom of course was her off and on boyfriend. Leslie was dreading this. The thought occurred to her yesterday when they discussed her parents, and now she wanted to know. 

Lee sighed and punched a request into his computer. "Leslie, no one has tried to contact us, family or otherwise, regarding your health, or rehab. I'm sorry." 

A single crack caused her emotional wall to burst. Tears burst through her brown eyes as the realization hit her. No one she seemed to care about even bothered to ask if she was okay, much less alive. No doubt my parents are checking up on my life insurance. Tears flowed like a river from her eyes, dripping off her chin onto her clothes. People she didn't know before she cut herself cared more than her family. 

Lee came over and tried to comfort her. In her weakness she buried her face into his shoulder as the tears started to stain his shirt. "It'll be okay Leslie." He said, trying to reassure her without crossing any boundaries. 

She pulled back slightly, her face streaked from her exertion, her eyes red and blurry. "No it won't! I have nothing left now!" 

"You still are alive Leslie, that's something." Lee pulled a box of tissues over and presented them to her. Taking several, she tried to wipe her eyes and stem her nose as best as she could. Leslie knew he was correct, but right now could care less about what was right. The tears exploded again and she buried herself in his shoulder, her arms clinging to his body. 

Lee looked up where Genevieve leaned against the closed door and shook his head negatively. 

*** 

I know a certain character keeps coming up in several of my stories. She's a favorite of mine that was created a while ago. She will keep appearing in my tales. If you want a better idea of her, picture Jen Hilman with raven black hair.



Saving Leslie Pt. 06



Another new chapter. This is a little lighter than the previous ones. As Senior819 pointed out, Leslie needs a friend to rely on. Someone to keep her grounded. Maybe she has that friend, maybe she'll find them. From personal experience, I was that friend. I can go into greater detail on this if desired, however: This story is a mismatch of my memory, my ideas, and some more reality. Everyone is over 18, etc. Comments and feedback are of course welcome. 

***

"More?" 

"Please." Leslie responded, holding out bowl. 

"I've said before that I never met a chocolate I didn't like. It seems that you are much the same way." Gen smirked as she dished out more of double chocolate ice cream into Leslie's bowl. 

"She'll put away as much as you give her. Look at her face." Shawnie commented. Already Leslie had her spoon deep into the scoop of ice cream. Leslie only made a murmur as a response. 

It had been nearly a week since she entered this place completely unconscious. In that week she'd been yelled at, thrown into a pool, screamed, yelled, cried, and have been generally combative. Yet, it seemed slowly she was getting better. As a reward for her progress Gen brought in a couple cartons of ice cream. Now the three girls sat in Leslie's room, sort of a girls night.

"Okay, so when was it Leslie?" Gen asked. "You've dodged the question for a few days now." 

Leslie blushed, the question of course was her first time. She'd been avoiding this discussion for the last few days, but now it seems Gen had buttered her up into talking about it. "You first." 

"Fine, if it'll make you feel better." Gen replied. "It was my senior prom. I had a bad week, a very bad week before. I wasn't going to go at all, even though I spent all my money on my dress. I used to waitress at a Denny's. No glamor, but it got what I wanted. I paid a lot for that dress." 

"You said that already." 

"It was a nice dress! Anyway, a friend of my brother came home. I think Charles had a crush on me. He heard about my week and arranged everything. He swept me off my feet, a room at the Hilton in the city. It was romantic, it was special." Gen looked off into the distance as she reminisced. 

"What then?" 

"You want more?" Leslie and Shawnie both nodded. "I had a good night, I'll spare most details, but it was wonderful. Lite FM playing as we made love by candlelight " 

"Oh that's so romantic." Shawnie responded. "Mine wasn't nearly so good." 

"Well spit it out." Gen and Leslie both demanded. 

"My husband was a regular of mine. I had dropped out of school to help my family. Daddy got hurt working the towers. Everyday Bobby showed up at my McDonald's, ordering the same thing. Asking me out every time."

"What sold you?" Leslie asked as she put down her bowl, a ring of chocolate encircling her mouth. 

"One day he brought his kid sister in. Sweetest little girl in the world. When I saw how he treated her, I was sold. 3 dates later we did it in my room. Tupac hiding our yells of passion. 6 months later there was a ring." 

The girls laughed at it, Leslie had to laugh too, she felt a connection of sorts that she had been missing. Was this what girls did? She was so busy she never had a reference. "So you regret that?" 

"How it was done? I wouldn't have it any other way." Shawnie smiled as she looked at the rings on her finger

"Alright, quit stalling Leslie, when was it?" 

Leslie grimaced, as this was a closely guarded secret. "Okay, Ok. I was on the set of...I don't remember what movie.. some high school trash. Anyway, my co star was Rob Harriman. Every time I looked at him I just felt desire. That intense hunger. One day I finally had enough." 

"Wait wait wait. You're telling me, that Rob Harriman was your first?" 

Leslie nodded, "I threw him into a set closet and threw myself at him." 

"You picked him over Rob Fields? He was the better looking one." Gen twinged, a slight hint of jealousy in her voice.

"He came later. So yep, a broom closet on a movie set." Leslie nodded to herself. "No way special or memorable." 

"I'm sorry Leslie." Gen stifled a laugh, "it just seems so weird, i mean one of the Robs "

"You fan-girled them?" 

"I had their poster in my room....how was he?" 

"Overrated. Like everything else he did. Don't worry, Fields was better." A little. She thought to herself.

"Thank god for that." Gen checked her watch. "It's best you get to bed Leslie, seems like tomorrow is going to be a busy day for you." 

Shawnie collected the bowls and made her way out of the room. "Sleep well Ms. Ryan." 

"Thanks Shawnee." Leslie watched as Gen picked up the ice cream. "Gen can I ask you something?" 

"Of course." 

"You said it was a romantic time, what happened after?" 

Gen went completely still, refusing to turn and face her. "We wanted to continue but, 2 days later his unit was called back to Iraq." She sniffed as if she was fighting tears. "Goodnight Leslie." 

The door shut and with it, the fun spirit of the night left. Shit. Leslie sat in silence for a long time before going to the bathroom. Coming back out a few minutes later, she climbed into bed. What would that be like? She found love and then it left her. For good? Leslie thought to herself as she drifted off to sleep.

***

"So what is this?" Leslie asked as Lee lead her outside. He signed her out without any problems. Something that surprised her.

"This is a car. Hop in." Leslie sighed but complied with his request, snapping herself into her seat as he climbed in. Almost immediately he took off. Lee said little as they drove, instead he hummed lightly to the local alternative station. 

The car ride seemed to go on for a good while, so much so that Leslie lost track of where they are. 

***

"Where are we?" Leslie asked. Outside she saw a fancy looking building, but right next door was a tattoo parlor. Surely he wasn't thinking she needed a tattoo.

"A special place." Lee responded, killing the engine. "Let's go."

Leslie followed as he led her forward towards the fancy building. A simple red door seemed the only highlight. What the hell is this place? Her answer was short in coming as they went inside. It was a salon and spa. A high end one at that. Just inside the foyer a bubbly blonde sat behind a reception desk.

"Hello, I think we've been expecting you." The blonde looked over at Leslie. Suddenly she felt like she was being evaluated like a hog. It was par for the course so far. "Sarah will be down in a moment."

Leslie backed up a little. "Umm, can I have a word?"

"Of course." The pair scooted away slightly.

"What is this?"

"It's a spa day of course. We're getting you back together, not just mentally, but also physically. That includes improving the outer self."

Leslie was dumbfounded. "but...I'm.....I.....why?"

"Because you're worth it."

Leslie looked at him blankly. No one has ever said that to me. At least I don't think they have and meant it. She studied his eyes and found no deception, no Hollywood fakery. "I...thank you? Does Gen know?"

"She does. She's a little jealous, as Gen doesn't get time for spa days."

"This must be Leslie." A perky woman had appeared near them.

"Umm hi."

"Hey Sarah." Lee responded. "Yes, this is Leslie. She needs the works."

"Excellent." Sarah rubbed her hands together like she was a super villain. "Do you have an idea?"

"Here." He pulled an envelope from his pocket and handed it to her. She peaked in, then came back smiling.

"I think this is all doable." Leslie tried to peek, but Sarah snatched the envelope away. "Nope. It'll be a surprise."

Leslie slouched, she was not into all these surprises. "Fine. Can we just get started then?"

"Of course, I'll have to get some things setup, so Armando will take care of you first. Come with me."

Leslie followed Sarah, slightly worried but also admiring her. She had long wavy auburn hair, her entire body encased in tight black yoga pants and a shirt with a deep v. As they walked along, Sarah said little, instead leading her through a myriad of hallways until she arrived at a plain wooden door. "Armando will take care of you, then we'll work on the rest of you."

Sarah knocked and the door swung open. "Come in." The voice was decidedly masculine.

Leslie walked inside, only to be greeted by a hunk of a man. "Hello, I am Armando."

"Um. Hi." Her eyes worked him up and down several times.

"Please, remove your garments and get on the table. Cover yourself up with the sheet. I'll be outside." He left as Leslie started to work herself out of her clothes. His voice was commanding. Deep and resonate, it filled her body with desire and made her loins tingle. Her clothing quickly tossed aside, she slid onto the table between the sheets.

There was a knock on the door. "Are you ready Ms. Ryan."

"I'm ready for anything you want to give me." She responded, ideally hoping he'd give all she wanted. Hopefully she wouldn't stain the sheets with her desire.

Suffice to say, the massage was heaven. Leslie was practically gripping the table for dear life as Armando worked his way up and down her body. His strong oiled hands slid across her receptive skin. His touch: electric as he worked out her muscles, replacing dull aches with a pleasant soreness. She was putty in his hands, and these were the hands of a master. Was he as skilled a lover as he was a masseuse? Leslie wanted to know.

Unfortunately, Armando was all business. He erased every knot and spot in her body, replacing it with glowing, glistening skin. Beyond the full body massage, he also did something she never expected. Leslie had gotten massages before, but never had she received a scalp massage. He rubbed her scalp in gentle motions, slowly working every part of her hair. Armando paid particular attention to her small ears. Never did she realize her ears were so sensitive.

Her lips parted, releasing a gasp as he gently tugged on her ears. His fingers sliding along the lobe up to the helix making her body quiver. When he finished with a gentle pull on her neck, she was complete jello. It was almost like her body refused to move after experiencing such a delight. "You are done. I shall leave so you can change into the robe." Armando exited the room, his departure signaled by a solitary click of the door.

For several moments Leslie did not move. She didn't want to. Rather she just basked in the experience she just had. Carefully, on wobbling legs, she eased herself off the table. Leslie held tight as she slowly made her way to the chair. Gone were her clothes, instead a pair of black slippers and a black oversized robe were in their place. When did that happen? Leslie never heard anyone enter or leave. Yet in all fairness, she wouldn't of noticed a bomb going off. 

She opened the door to find Sarah waiting for her. "Ready for step 2?" 

"Anything like Step 1?" Leslie asked on rubbery legs. 

"That just prepared you for this Step 2, follow me." With that, they were off again. This time up a flight of stairs, ending up in a salon. Sarah lead her through the brightly lit area to a side section. There a single cutting chair sat with an array of people standing about. "Here we are." 

Leslie sat down in the chair, taking in all the faces. "Are you all here for me?" 

They all nodded. "This is Taylor your stylist. Brad here is your colorist. Mei will be your nail specialist, and later you'll meet Carmen, your makeup specialist. Now, we've seen what the goal is, now we'll take you there." Sarah clapped her hands and the team divided, each one going to their jobs. 

First was Brad. He was likeable enough, the gay man new everything about color and tone. He was not content to just change her color, no this was about her whole look. The way he spoke about color you'd think the world would end if there was a grey hair. Strange, Leslie thought, coming from a bald man. He pulled at her hair, dabbing a brush in, occasionally making small cuts and wrapping her hair up in foil. Leslie doubted there was a part that wasn't touched. 

Brad stepped away while her color set leaving her looking like a paranoid freak with tin foil jutting from her head. As if on cue, Mei showed. The small Korean girl wasted no time going to work on her. This girl was full of praise, everything from Leslie's previous work to her nail beds. Whatever that meant. Not a single imperfection was missed by her discerning eye. 

Just as the clear coat was beginning to set, Brad came back and leaned her over the sink. Foil came out as her hair was washed out. Finally, he sat her back up but kept her away from the mirror.

"Don't I get to see?" She asked, both curious and afraid.

"Nope, I'm afraid not. Captain's orders." He responded, causing Leslie to sigh. 

As soon as he left Taylor appeared. The black haired woman evaluated everything. "Mmm Brad has done another wonderful job on you. Now it's my turn." Taylor ran her fingers through Leslie's hair, slowly pulling up portions and trimming them away. Leslie couldn't see, but she had to guess there was a mountain of hair on the floor. Still, the scissors kept snipping. Every so often Taylor would murmur or make a comment to herself. 

Finally, the scissors went down and a comb went through her hair. A blast of wind hit her hair as a blow dryer hit her. A brush hit and everything was combed out. Overall, this experience was disconcerting for her. Rather, she wanted to see what the heck was being done to her head. After several moments, the dryer went away. Taylor and Brad both came over and walked around her, evaluating the result. 

"I think we've done an excellent job here." 

"As usual." The pair fist bumped, causing Leslie to roll her eyes. Am I the only sane one in this state? 

As if on cue, Carmen the makeup lady showed up. Her bubbly personality was actually not that bad as she went about her business. The redhead explained everything as she dabbled makeup on her face. Leslie didn't like makeup, but she knew she probably needed it. All my scars from my life. When Carmen was finished she pulled back and gave Leslie a once over. "Another masterpiece." 

"Can I see it now?" Leslie whined. The suspense was getting to her. 

"I suppose." Sarah responded. Behind her the rest of the team gathered. Sarah put her hands on chair. "Welcome Leslie. Welcome the new you!" Leslie spun around in the chair coming face to face with a mirror. She yelled out in surprise, as she wasn't sure who the girl in the mirror was. Actually, she knew exactly who it was. 

Gone was the boxed blonde hair. Now brunette locks poured off her head,cascading with highlights and ending in slight curls just above her shoulders. To Leslie it looked like they matched her original hair color. The color she started with; the color before she went crazy. She ran a manicured hand through the tresses, admiring their feel. 

I don't think my hair has been this good in years. She thought to herself. Her eyes drifted lower. Carmen had done an excellent job with makeup. When she looked in the mirror she didn't see the girl that lived off liquor and pill bottles. Rather she saw her old self. The one with the bright brown eyes. The one she now desperately wanted to be. 

"Well?" 

"I love it! This is like how I used to look."

"Excellent. That's the look we were going for." 

"Wait, is that what Lee gave you?" Leslie looked back at Sarah. 

She nodded, pulling out an envelope. Leslie opened it and pulled out a single photo. Almost immediately she recognized it. One of her last big hits was 'Bad Girls' a high school drama/comedy. This photo was from the premiere. In it, she had a black top matched with a red knee skirt. An over the shoulder look from her, a hand on her hip. Leslie looked sassy; she looked alive.

Wait, why does he have this? She had little time to consider that before Sarah interrupted her. "If you'll come with me Leslie, we have one last thing for you." 

Leslie eased herself out if the chair and followed Sarah. In the adjoining room, which was actually a changing room, a set of clothes was laid out. Unlike her latest fashions, which consisted of jeans and t-shirt, this was fancy. Leslie equated it to date clothes. Date clothes?! He better not be taking me out! Rather than go with her gut instinct, she tried to ride this out. "Wow. What's all this for?"

"I'm not sure, Lee says he says something else planned for you." Sarah's response caused Leslie to slouch. Great. "Speaking of..."

"Hey Leslie." Lee had come up from where ever he was hiding. "You're looking lovely."

"Lee." She responded curtly, not sure yet how to take in the entire morning. "You arranged all this?" 

"I had some help." 

"Well, thank you." Oh please don't let him ask me out. 

"You're welcome, now come on, it's time to get back to work." Lee turned and started to work his way out. 

"Right." Leslie responded. She was glad that he was all business, yet there was some slight nagging in her. In her heart, Leslie was slightly disappointed. 

***

Leslie was surprisingly content munching on dinner. This day had gone much better than she expected. Even the bland food seemed a little better. That peace was abruptly shattered however.

"Hello Leslie." Immediately she went still. Rob Fields slid into the chair across from her. He wasn't her first, but he still held a bit of terror in her soul. Rob Fields was the one that started her on drugs.