Chapter 24

"Uh...what?" Pyrrha asked. She had met the others at the Valkyrie apartment, and now the whole group returned home. They stood in the lounge, taking in the carnage before them. The television was still on and blaring, displaying some old wartime comedy. The couch was missing several pillows that had been spilled onto the floor. The coffee table held several open bags of sweets and a mostly empty bottle of vodka. Two pajama shirts, one blue and one white, were partially draped across it.

"Oh." Yang gasped.

"Is that..." Ruby started.

"Mom's shirt." Yang and Blake said in unison. They turned to look at one another.

Weiss made her way off down the hall, slowly followed by the others. She made her way to the master bedroom door, which was closed. Weiss paused, pressing her ear against the door. After a moment she knocked, very lightly, then listened again. Glancing at the others, she reached for the doorknob, slowly turned it, and cracked the door open to peek inside. Peering in she felt a smile tug at her lips. Winter was fast asleep, head nestled against Summer's bare chest. Summer was equally asleep, her arms wrapped protectively around Winter. Not wishing to intrude, Weiss carefully closed the door and turned to the group, shooing them back to the lounge.

"What did you see?" Yang asked.

"Winter and Summer, asleep together, nude." Weiss replied. Yang fist pumped, Ruby gasped and bounced excitedly while Blake and Pyrrha just smiled warmly. "Which means it falls to us to clean up."

"Dibs on the candy!" Ruby cheered.

"Too late." Pyrrha laughed, snatching a packet of chocolate covered toffees. Ruby hastily grabbed a packet of marshmallows before Yang could get to them, ducking out of her reach.

"You little shit, that's my comfort food!" Yang complained.

"Mine now!" Ruby giggled.

Yang settled on an unopened pack of gummies, leaving a bag of mints to Weiss and Blake. Blake handed the bag to Weiss. "I'll steal some of Ruby's." Blake declared.

Weiss rolled her eyes, pulling a mint from the bag and holding it aloft. "To newfound love I guess."

Everyone got up rather early the following morning. There was no discussion of the night before, just knowing glances and blushing faces. They all crowded into the kitchen for breakfast, and just when it seemed someone might say something about the elephant in the room, Winter announced that she wanted to take everyone to dinner at the fanciest restaurant on the island. To that end, everyone would need fancy clothes.

Summer and Winter both had the formal clothing they would need. Winter had brought an outfit from home and Summer had something suitable on hand. Pyrrha had the dress and accessories purchased with Weiss. Ruby and Yang possessed nothing Weiss would allow them to wear to such a high-class establishment, so they would need to get something fast. Weiss and Blake had also neglected to bring anything from Atlas, not expecting such a fancy night out. A day of shopping was in order. Summer and Winter elected to stay home. Pyrrha left for work, planning to return to the house to gather Summer and Winter and drive them to the restaurant.

Weiss, Blake, Ruby and Yang headed to a clothing store in the city. The city was more than half an hour from the house, and the restaurant would be close by, so there was not going to be a trip home in between. Immediately upon entering the store, Blake left the group, saying she would not be shopping in the same section. The others carried on. Weiss found her dress very quickly, a blue long-sleeved, long-skirted dress with a chest cutout and a large gemstone sewn into the front of the neck.

Yang had difficulty finding anything she liked, but Weiss was able to track down a few options. Yang eventually settled on a red shoulderless gown with a black corset. Ruby picked out a red silk bow for Yang to tie around her stump. That just left Ruby, who was struggling mightily. Blake soon returned and suggested a dress for Ruby, a black high-necked, long-sleeved dress with a corset and knee-length skirt. When asked Blake refused to say what she had purchased, only that it was being tailored to her dimensions.

Weiss and Yang had to have their outfits adjusted, but Ruby's fit perfectly. Yang went outside to get some air while Weiss and Blake helped Ruby try on her dress. Weiss even had her put on the high heels she would be wearing with it. "Weiss, my feet hurt." Ruby whined.

"You've only been wearing the heels for five minutes." Weiss countered.

"Yeah, and they suck." Ruby complained. "Why do you even wear them? Do you love suffering that much?"

"Ruby, I'll let you in on a little secret." Weiss explained. "Women don't wear heels because they're comfortable."

"Is it to look taller, because I don't think they make them high enough for us." Ruby groaned.

"No, it's because if you stand correctly in them, they emphasize your figure." Weiss declared. "Specifically your rear."

"I'm skeptical." Ruby noted. "Even in heels you don't look very bootylicious."

"That's because I don't have much of a booty." Weiss grumbled. "Just stand in front of the mirror, turn to the side."

Ruby stood before the mirror side-on as instructed. "Wow, my ass looks huge!" Ruby exclaimed. "In a good way! Hey Blakey, what do you think?" Ruby asked. No response. "Blakey?"

"Oh!" Blake gasped, hastily wiping the drool from her chin. "I was lost in your ass."

Weiss chuckled and smiled. "See."

Ruby remained in her dress while the others waited for their adjustments. Yang's dress was done next, and though she needed some help dressing from Ruby, she was soon ready to go. While Weiss was donning her dress, Blake put on her attire and rejoined Ruby and Yang. "Not what I was expecting." Yang laughed.

"Classy." Ruby smirked.

"I certainly hope so." Blake smiled. She wore a black tuxedo with a purple shirt beneath.

"What are you hiding?" Ruby asked, pointing to the hand Blake held behind her back.

"Ah, the finishing touch." Blake replied. With a flourish she swung her hand around and flipped a top hat onto her head. "Ta-da."

"Best hat ever!" Ruby cheered.

"Oh Blake, can't you ever wear a dress like a normal girl?" Weiss asked, approaching the group.

"Normal girls are boring." Blake laughed. "Besides, these pants show off my best feature." She turned around.

"Guh…" Ruby spluttered at the sight of Blake's bottom.

"Nice." Yang grinned. "So, shall we head to the restaurant? Weiss?"

"Guh…" Weiss managed. "Oh, yes, let's."

Ruby, Yang, Blake and Weiss arrived at the restaurant first. They did not have long to wait for the others. Their car pulled up and Pyrrha, Summer and Winter stepped out, Winter tossing the keys to the valet. Pyrrha wore the dress Weiss had purchased for her, along with gold earings and a gold circlet. Summer wore a white kimono adorned with rose vines and red trim, a gift from Raven. Winter was clad in an Atlesian military dress uniform, given to her by Ironwood when she had been his plus one for an event.

"I feel under dressed." Summer complained.

"You look fine dear." Winter assured her. "It seems the girls just went a little overboard."

"Sweet dress Pyrrha!" Ruby cheered.

"Thanks!" Pyrrha smiled. "I have to give credit to Weiss though. She found it. You all look wonderful."

"Yeah, I guess." Yang sighed. "I'd look better symmetrical." Pyrrha frowned.

"Come on now, you look great." Winter encouraged. "Well, our reservations are for half an hour ago, so I'd say we're already fashionably late. Shall we?" She held out her arm toward Summer.

"Yes." Summer nodded, entwining her arm with Winter's.

After an annoying wait, the party was seated. An apologetic waiter soon arrived to take their orders. Displaying something of an obsession with them, Yang ordered bread sticks, adding to them a cheesy pasta dish as her main course and red wine to drink. Pyrrha and Weiss ordered soup and salad, with white wine for Weiss and water for Pyrrha. Ruby ordered a personal pizza and got some good natured ribbing from Weiss, further eschewing the classy nature of the dinner by drinking soda. Blake ordered calamari with red wine. Winter chose chicken parmesan and white wine, and Summer decided to have the same thing.

The food took nearly an hour to arrive. By the time it did, those that were drinking alcoholic beverages were already buzzed. The food was excellent and devoured with the haste that only such a long delay could inspire. After dinner Winter and Weiss insisted on desert. They ordered tiramisu for everyone, along with a bottle of champagne. That bottle soon turned to two and then three as they drank more and more.

The dinner went on, seemingly endless as the party prattled on about this and that. The pain in Yang's arm, already agonizing when the meal had started, reached levels she had not experienced since she was in the hospital. A few glasses of champagne dulled the pain somewhat, but it was a losing battle. Yang needed her painkillers. She needed to go home. In this she had an ally. Ruby, unused to wearing the high heeled shoes she had been forced to don by Weiss, was in pain as well. Her feet ached, the skin blistering as it rubbed against the fancy shoes in ways her usual sneakers had not prepared them.

After a while, the conversation died down a bit but showed no signs of ending. "My feet are killing me." Ruby complained. "Can we please go now?"

"Oh, but we haven't even finished the champagne." Weiss sighed.

"That's alright." Yang said. "I'm feeling tired. I'll head home with Rubes and the rest of you can finish up without us."

"Are you sure?" Pyrrha asked. "We could all…"

"Nah, that's alright." Yang shook her head. "You guys have fun."

Once in the car, Ruby removed the painful shoes, driving Summer's sedan barefoot. Once home she headed to her room to change while Yang headed to hers. Ruby quickly changed into her pajamas. She sat on her bed, slipping on her headphones to listen to some music while she waited for the others to come home. She considered getting up to get some bandages and ointment for her feet, but decided to just let them rest for a while. Maybe Blake would want to patch them up later, perhaps she would even massage them.

Yang wanted to scream, such was the stabbing, burning pain in her arm. She kicked off her shoes and poured the bottle of painkillers on the bed. She grabbed four pills. It was a double-dose, but she had taken that much before. With a little help from the glass of water on her nightstand, she swallowed the medication. Yang scooped the rest of the pills back into the bottle, hopeful that the ones she had taken would soon relieve her of her agony.

With that out of the way, Yang set about getting changed. She untied the bow wrapped around her stump and tossed it onto the bed before shedding the dress. She began to feel quite drowsy as she sifted through her closet, looking for more comfortable attire. She found a shirt, but when she reached out to grab it her vision blurred and she missed. Yang put a hand to her forehead and stepped back, nearly falling over. He legs suddenly felt like jelly and her vision continued to deteriorate. She knew she was going to fall and reached out for something to grab. Her hands found no purchase before her world faded to black.

The drive home had been a bit difficult for Pyrrha. She was the designated driver, being the only person left at the dinner who did not drink. The others had gotten quite inebriated and they could not seem to leave her alone, even as she drove. She managed to get them safely home, though a stumble leaving the car left Weiss with flat on her face in the driveway for a few seconds. Luckily for Weiss, the only results of the tumble were a scraped knee and a dirty dress. Pyrrha helped her up, then acted as a crutch to get her into the house.

Pyrrha ducked into the spare room and quickly got changed as the drunks chatted loudly in the lounge. Getting dressed up was nice and all, but hardly comfortable, and she was happy to be able to throw on a t-shirt and some sweats. She had not heard a peep from Yang or Ruby since arriving, and decided to check on them. Ruby's door was open, and Pyrrha could see her sitting on her bed, listening to music. The bruised and bloody condition of Ruby's feet was a concern, but nothing serious.

Pyrrha moved on and knocked lightly on Yang's door. There was no reply. She was probably sleeping. Still, she might need a refill on her water, so after knocking again Pyrrha slowly pushed into the room. To her surprise she found the lights were on and Yang was not on her bed. The dress Yang had worn and the bow that had adorned her stump were there, wrinkled up as if just tossed. But where was Yang? The open closet door drew Pyrrha's attention. She took a few steps into the room and froze.

Pyrrha spotted Yang, her feet just visible past the end of the bed. Pyrrha rushed to Yang's side, finding her lying face-down on the floor. Yang's breathing was slow and shallow, her skin pale and clammy. "Yang!" Pyrrha shouted, but she got no response. She rolled Yang over, then opened one of her eyelids with her thumb. Yang's pupils were fully dilated and when Pyrrha checked her pulse was weak. "Summer!" Pyrrha called.

Summer stumbled to the door, still short of sobriety. "What's up?" Summer asked.

"Yang's unconscious!" Pyrrha exclaimed. Summer took on a look of confusion and fear. "Call an ambulance!" Summer nodded and rushed off. Pyrrha adjusted Yang's head and neck to keep her airway open and felt for a pulse again. Her heart was still beating...just. "Yang, what happened?" Pyrrha sighed. She looked up and saw the bottle of pills on the nightstand and one of the warnings immediately jumped out at her. Do not mix with alcohol. Summer returned with her scroll to her ear, explaining the situation to the dispatcher. Pyrrha motioned for her to bring it over. She grabbed the scroll. "I think she overdosed on her painkillers."

Pyrrha tended to Yang as the dispatcher gave instructions. She already knew much of the procedure, having been trained in first aid. Once alerted to Yang's condition, Ruby helped. She was the only other sober person in the house. Pyrrha repeatedly checked Yang's pulse as it, along with her breathing, grew weaker and more erratic. She grew increasingly panicked as Yang's life ebbed away before her eyes. Then Yang stopped breathing, just as the ambulance arrived. She still had a pulse, though a very weak one. The paramedics fitted a mask to her face that allowed them to force air in and out of her lungs. They lifted her onto a stretcher and wheeled her into the ambulance before speeding off for the hospital.

Yang had to be defibrillated in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. Being from a relatively poor, rural area, the EMT crew did not have anything they could use to treat Yang's overdose. All they could do was keep her alive until they reached the hospital. Driving Winter's rental car, Pyrrha followed the ambulance with the others as passengers. She had never driven so recklessly, sliding around turns at high speed, running red lights, doing everything she could to keep up. It was harrowing, but no one complained. They were all just as desperate to be there as she was.

When the ambulance reached the hospital, Yang's heart was still beating, however weakly, but she was still not breathing on her own. Immediately on arrival, Yang was administered a dose of Naloxone to counter the overdose. In just minutes Yang stabilized and resumed breathing on her own. Still, it was impossible to know what damage had already been done. The doctor said as much. All Yang's friends and family could do was wait and hope.

In the waiting room everyone was on edge. Ruby sat in Blake's lap, clinging to her desperately, face buried in her shoulder. Summer sat flanked by Winter and Pyrrha, holding her in a shared embrace. Raven paced like a restless animal while Glynda sat in silence. Weiss sat alone, shaking. They decided against contacting Ren, Nora and Jaune, fearing the shock could have a dangerous effect on Nora's pregnancy.

"T-this is my fault." Weiss stammered.

"What?" Raven asked.

"I-I kept her out all day and all night." Weiss replied. "She must have run out a-and...she went into withdrawal...a-and..."

"Stop." Raven commanded. Weiss whimpered, bowing her head. "There is no way you could have known this would happen. None of us knew she was addicted."

"That begs the question, how did she get addicted?" Winter asked.

"Maybe this will help?" Pyrrha suggested. She reached into her pocket, retrieving the pill bottle, and handed it to Winter.

Winter read the bottle. "Eighty pills every two weeks?" Winter gasped. "That can't be right. Summer, do you have the original script?"

Summer searched through her purse, soon pulling out a small slip of paper. "I think this is it." She said as she handed it to Winter.

Winter looked at the script and glowered. "This doesn't say 80." Winter growled.

"What?" Glynda asked.

"It says 30!" Winter shouted. "Two pills per day! Someone must have misread the doctor's shit handwriting!"

"How could...how is that even…" Summer struggled.

Winter stood, her face contorted with rage. "I have some calls to make."