"How long it takes depends on how long ago your last dose was," Hawkeye said. "The first few days are the worst, but you won't be completely free of it for a good week or two."

There really wasn't that much he could do to ameliorate it, either. He could take care of her, but the only thing that really alleviated withdrawal was giving the body the drug it craved, and that was out of the question.

"Think of it as being like a really bad flu. You'll feel like hell, but your body'll do all the work of cleaning itself out. All I can really do is minimise your discomfort while that happens. We've got some anti-anxiety drugs that might help, but mostly what you're going to need is plain old looking after." Hawkeye shook his head with a slight air of regret. "All these doctors on the island, and not nearly enough nurses. Do you have any friends here who would be willing to help out?"