So after a while I suggest that he go to bed, he says he is definitely ready ... half way up the stairs, he comes back down and fishes through his jacket pockets ... eventually finding his cigarettes ... as addicted as my ex was, I am thinking ... just gotta make sure there are enough cigarettes to get through the morning ...
*sigh* ....
So he finally goes to his room and closes the door (poorly, since he had a fit the other night and busted the hinges ...)
Thank god the door did not seal ...
After the 10th Billy Bragg movie was finally uploaded, I thought I'd prowl the kitchen once more for a small snack ... the bane of a night owl's existence ...
Smoke ... what a strange smell ... not the shitty cigarettes Nick usually rolls .... besides, he pulled a real pack out of the jacket ... not the pouch ...
I step into the main bathroom ... smells sweet and clean ... an illusion I think ...
Step back out .... hmmmm .... that's not a nice smell ....
I walk down the hall to Nick's bedroom to see if he is smoking .... the room is dark, but something is definitely wrong ... what a stench ....
I open the light ..... FUCK ... the bed is glowing .... a 6 inch round patch where the fire has burnt through 3 layers .... the duvet is also glowing .... FUCK ....
I run to Nick and shake him awake, shouting for him to get the fuck up and out of the room ... he responds by screaming .... and then going back to sleep ... he's still shit faced ... I am a getting little frantic, since the bed continues to burn and the smoke is quite thick by now .... I am a member of our health and safety committee at the office and I've seen the videos and understand that burning materials and smoke can knock you out right quick ... and then you simply die ...
I shake him again and start pushing on him ... he finally turns over and starts .... WHAT THE FUCK?
I yell that the bed is on fire and get the fuck out of here ... this time he lumbers out of the room ....
I run to the main bath and wet a towel ... that puts the fire out but the smoke continues to rise ....
I go downstairs and he reluctantly lights on the couch .... I grab a sleeping bag and tuck him in .... then run back upstairs ...
I realize I need to soak the mattress .... so off to the bathroom to grab a glass of water and back to the bedroom to pour it right into the mattress and duvet .... that seems to calm things down completely. In fact, it was probably already completely out, as it is cool to the touch.
I then go to the basement and grab a screwdriver to fix his door, which takes 5 more minutes ... by now the headache has set in pretty good ... massive stress coupled with minor smoke inhalation ... goody ...
I check the mattress one last time (which I will do yet again when I am finished this post .... gotta calm down somehow) and I close the door and turn out the lights ... in the other order of course. I want to be able to see a glow under the door should it decide to go ape-shit and burn the place down ....
I hear Jonny get up and take a leak ... or maybe just investigate ... but he's back in his room by the time I check ...
Nick has passed out nicely on the couch ... the room seems quiet ... every window on this floor is open ... every bathroom fan is on ... life is returning to normal ... whatever the fuck that is ... at 5am exactly as I type this sentence .... my head has stopped pounding ... now I just have a stiff neck ...
This could have been the night I lost a son ... this was close ... far too close ... the room was filled with smoke ... had the door been sealed, I might never have smelled it .... he was too drunk to care and would have perished ... the thought chokes me up ... I can't even fucking believe that alcohol would strike my family so dangerously after I thought I was rid of that menace ...
FUCK ....
If you are wondering .... none of this is made up.
I'm still shaking a bit ...
Nick ... we gotta talk ....
5 comments:
That sounds disturbing. But this wasn't the night you lost a son. Have you got smoke alarms?
Yes ... and it did not go off ... right outside the bedroom ... it should have been howling ... I'll be off today to get a new one. It is tied into the electrical, so it was not a power issue.
Dang that is scary indeed
Smoking in bed, even while sober is not safe!
You are all very very lucky
HUGZ!
Thanks Lili ... I agree completely.
O my God, Kim, that was close. You could have all perished...it's a good thing you were up (and the door not completely closed). Perhaps it's time for Nick to not smoke in bed. I'm sure it was freightening as Hell. Glad you are all okay. Hugs.
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