Chapter 193 - Withdrawal

Jackson walked over to Trisha and Oliver and explained that he would be staying in Munich until his sister helped identify the people that trafficked her and requested that Oliver not write anything until the case was finalized. Oliver nodded in understanding. "I wasn't planning to write anything until I got the complete story anyway," he explained. "Will I be able to interview Miss Wu after she feels a little better?" 

Jackson glanced at his sister as she looked around awkwardly. "You can ask her when she's recovered. I will be taking her back to see John and Mia. Hopefully, they can help her," he replied.

Oliver looked at Trisha. "I guess I'll be staying in Munich to gather a bit more information. What about you?" he asked, secretly hoping that she would stay.

"I think I'll be returning to Hong Kong. I have no reason to stay," she said gently with regret.

"Well...I just called a nearby hotel to book a room for 2 weeks and they only had a twin room left. I can't sleep in 2 beds at once. If you want, you can stay with me for free. You've already traveled halfway around the world, you might as well experience a bit of Germany while you're here. Didn't you say that you had never been here before?" Oliver tried to convince Trisha to stay without sounding too pushy.

Trisha listened to the man's reasoning and agreed that it was a rare opportunity. So, she turned to Jackson and asked, "May I take some time off to experience Germany while I'm here?"

Jackson smiled and nodded his head, "You've worked hard. You deserve some time off."

"Thank you, Captain," Trisha quickly saluted as she hooked her arm around Oliver's in a friendly manner. "So, which hotel did you book?"

Oliver glanced down at his and Trisha's arms and smiled, "It's not too far from here. Let me take you there."

After Oliver and Trisha left, Jackson turned back around to look at his fiancee and his sister, "Jaclyn, we will need to take you back to see Mia and John."

Jaclyn looked at her brother in shock. She didn't know that John was an addiction specialist and that Mia was trying to help her so Jackson quickly explained everything to her.

"The injections you've been receiving over the past few days was heroin. Some people can get addicted after one use, so it's no surprise that you are showing early signs of addiction. If John and Mia can help you before your addiction grows any stronger, you should be able to quit without any relapse."

Jaclyn nodded her head. She couldn't believe that her captors had been injecting her with heroin. No wonder it made her feel so good that she kept pleading for more. 

Jaclyn had never tried drugs before and had only had alcohol for the first time recently. Who knew she'd end up being addicted to heroin?

Jackson and Halia soon brought Jaclyn back to the apartment that she had run away from earlier. When John opened the door and saw the three, he quickly welcomed them into his home. Even though Halia had kicked him earlier and pinned him to the floor, he understood her actions and did not hold any grudges. Most importantly, he had observed Jaclyn earlier and noticed that she showed obvious signs of addiction, so he really wanted to help her.

"I'm glad you're back," he said. "It's easier to quit during the early stages of addiction."

"I was about to explain everything to you earlier before your brother arrived and you ran away," John explained to Jaclyn. "You are addicted to heroin, a potent opiate that has an intense effect on the brain. The reason why it makes you feel so good is because it triggers the production of feel-good chemicals in your brain like dopamine and endorphins."

"Heroin makes people feel good and it does not produce a hangover like alcohol so it is attractive to new users. But, the problem occurs when the user's brain stops developing normal levels of dopamine on its own. As a result, users find it hard to function without continued use. Slowly, tolerance builds and many users end up overdosing."

Jaclyn nodded her head in understanding. "Please help me quit before I get to that stage," she said. What would happen to her mother if she died from an overdose? Her mother was all on her own and she wasn't even officially married to her father, so she had no rights to any of his assets. Who would take care of her mother if she died?

"I'm glad that you have the determination to quit. But, I need to warn you, as soon as the withdrawal symptoms kick in, your determination is going to go right out the window," John said. "You had your last shot less than an hour ago, so you are still feeling good, but in another 5-12 hours time, the symptoms will be unpleasant and it could last up to 5 days. In those 5 days, you are bound to give up and plead for another shot. You may even try to escape. It's normal, I've seen it many times. That's why we need to tie you up and monitor you at all times."

Jaclyn looked at the man nervously. 5 days? That was a long time.

"Don't worry, I've been through it before and I successfully quit. You will be fine. Since you haven't been using it for long, the symptoms shouldn't be so harsh. I will be here to support you through the entire process," Mia stepped forward and offered.

Jaclyn glanced at the beautiful blue-eyed woman. She suddenly looked like an angel again. "Thank you," she said. She didn't even know this woman well, yet she chose to go against her brother and help a stranger; this wasn't something that everyone could do.

Jaclyn then followed Mia back into the bedroom that she had escaped from earlier.

"Don't worry. Your sister is in good hands. You are welcome to visit at any time, but it is not necessary for you to stay all the time. Mia will be keeping her company and helping me," John reassured.

Jackson nodded his head, "I'll entrust my sister to you, then."

He then held onto Halia's hand and left.

After he was gone, John joined Mia and Jaclyn in the bedroom. "Are you ready to be tied back up?" he asked.

Jaclyn stared at the man with determination, nodded her head and stretched out her hands, "Yes."