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No One Can Blame You...
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Word of the convulsing man on the dance floor quickly reached the DJ. He cut off the music and raised the lights, and being a nurse, Cassie naturally gravitated to investigate and render aid. She heard someone yell that an ambulance was en route. Cassie gasped upon her first view of the patient encircled by a crowd of drunken, tripping rave spectators. It shocked her to see her brother seizing; Sarah at his side looking helplessly lost as she tried to hold his constantly jerking body. This dreadfully startling scene sent her spiraling into mega-protective sister/nurse mode.
"What the hell happened?" Cassie snapped as knelt next to Gerard and glared over him at Sarah. While she spoke she slipped into autopilot and checked his neck for a carotid pulse: strong and regular=good. Then she began visually checking him for obvious injuries. Most appeared located on his face.
"I don't know...we're dancing...then he started shouting and pushed me..." Cassie listened to Sarah's rambling, hyperactive speech then, in the clear lighting, noticed her substantially dilated pupils.
"What did you take, Sarah?"
"What...take...what...?" she shook her head frantically, "I don't know...didn't take anything." Cassie grabbed her shoulders and shook her roughly. She heard the crowd around them muttering, ignored them.
"Remember I'm a nurse, I can tell you took something. Did you give it to Jer?" Sarah shook her again prompting Cassie to insist louder, "Did you?"
"N-no...no, didn't take a-anything...I swear!" Gerard still seized between them. Cassie rolled Gerard on his side in case he vomited. It was the best thing, the only thing she could do until the paramedics arrived, while his seizure persisted too long. A person didn't breathe during a grand mal seizure and the human brain only lasted a maximum of six minutes without oxygen before brain damage started (barring extreme cold water cases and miracles-this being neither). Cassie mentally counted down the time before she found him then checked her watch; at least two minutes elapsed, perhaps more.
"Come on, hurry up..."she muttered mentally running through the possible causes of seizure in someone of Gerard's previously unremarkable medical history, age, and health then she looked upwards at Jeff, aghast. Her date hovered over them looking nonplussed until Cassie focused on him.
"Jeff...tell me what you did earlier," she said, her voice making the threat of violence clear. He looked back and forth between her and Sarah who appeared a bit less dazed. The crowd muttered louder and someone identifying themselves as the manager walked up watching the exchange as well.
"What? I didn't do anything to your brother, honest," Cassie glared harder, Jeff tossed his hands up in a 'whatever' motion, "Look, Cass, I just added a little happy pill to Sarah's drink to, you know, loosen her up, like you wanted."
"Oh God...Jer..." Sarah covered her mouth, afraid she might throw up, her head ping-ponging between Cassie and Jeff.
"Jer, what?" Cassie asked Sarah, grabbing her forearm firmly.
"Gerard drank...most of it 'cause it tasted funny. I didn't wanna insult Jeff... so he finished it for me."
"
You didn't drink it?" Jeff blurted, "Oh shit!
Oh shit!" Jeff chewed on his crooked first finger and paced.
"Less than a third..."
"Sir, we don't condone illegal drug usage—"the manager started to say but Cassie interrupted him when she sprang up, leapt over, and grabbed Jeff by his shirt collar nearly strangling him.
"You're going to tell me exactly what kind of 'happy pill' you used right now!"
"S-sure thing, babe... plain old X...just one pill...you know Ecstasy." With both hands raised in surrender, Jeff rambled out his confession, "I gotta a good source. It should be pure, nothing cutting it. Don't know why he's tripping so bad." The manager, with the aid of a few men in the crowd, pulled Cassie away from Jeff before her hands finished encompassing his neck. Jeff stumbled and fell to his butt as paramedics and police entered the dance club and were directed towards them.
"You stay the bloody hell away from my brother, asshole!" She shouted, straining at the hands holding her back by her arms, and instead tried kicking at the hapless, cowering Jeff. "Bloody fucking moron! I should've never trusted you! Over here, arrest this fucker!" She shouted to the officers rushing over.
"Ma'am, please,
ma'am!" The officers said while the two paramedics quickly assessed the still seizing Gerard.
"He slipped Ecstasy into my brother's drink and now he's in status seizures! He doesn't have seizures!" Cassie said loudly nodding at Jeff then Gerard. The medics quickly realized that she obviously understood medical lingo, ergo she must be in the business. The officers looked to the medics who nodded confirmation. Yes, the patient was in status epilepticus: a dangerous condition which could cause brain damage and worsening seizure activity if not stopped. Already they prepared the required equipment to establish a fast I.V. and administer sedation to interrupt the seizure.
"You said he doesn't have seizures? Any other medical history, medications, or allergies?" One medic, all business, asked Cassie. "Can you help us hold him still?" The officers directed the bystanders to release Cassie when she agreed to assist, and she immediately knelt by Gerard. Following Cassie's lead and the medics' instructions, Sarah offered her aid while keeping her head lowered to hide her own altered condition. Meanwhile the officers began questioning Jeff, various bystanders, and the club manager.
"No, nothing, and no medical problems at all...although..." Cassie answered the medic's earlier question.
"What?"
"He's been having headaches and sleepwalking recently, he said it was stress." Sarah gave Cassie a sharp look but didn't say anything. The I.V. started, the sedative was injected and within 30 seconds his convulsions slowed then ceased and Cassie released a short sob when she saw his chest rise. He was breathing! Thank God!
"Good, let's get him on oxygen, loaded up and out of here." One of the medics stated. Because he fell, which was evident from his bloody, bruised face; they secured Gerard with a rigid collar around his neck then tied him to a full body splint board before moving him to the stretcher and rolling him out of the dance club. The police placed Jeff in custody pending further investigation and informed Cassie and Sarah they would be following them to the hospital shortly. Feeling somewhat responsible for Sarah's currently diminished mental condition, Cassie opted out of riding in the ambulance with Gerard, instead sharing a hushed, tense cab ride with Sarah to the hospital.
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Hours later, as dawn approached, Sarah sat uncomfortably sober on the opposite side of the small family waiting room from an equally anxious Cassie. The police long gone after numerous questions for them both; they determined that Jeff bore the legal responsibility for Gerard Scott's medical condition, which remained pending for the present. Both women's clubbing clothes and makeup survived the night as disheveled remnants, and they impatiently awaited word about Gerard, furtively casting wary glances at each other. Neither spoke beyond required conversation since leaving the club.
After the arrival at the emergency department, the initial examination, blood draws, stat CT scan, and various other pokes, prods and tests; they took turns sitting with the still unconscious Gerard until the physician asked them both to step out of his room while she performed a spinal tap, and here they lingered. Every hour he remained unconscious Cassie's worry increased exponentially because the post ictal, lethargic period after a seizure rarely lasted hours even with sedation.
Having kept a low profile, Sarah knew when her much smaller dose of Ecstasy wore off because her vision sharpened, her head cleared, and her anxiety acutely spiked beyond its normal red line range. She'd heard about X's downside. Its after effects of severe depression, anxiety, and paranoia to name a few, but this was horrid. Thinking of Gerard's inert form clad in a checkered hospital gown and covered in hygienic looking white sheets with the hospital's name emblazed on the edges, she'd never felt so despairing and anxious in her life.
'
It's gotta be the drugs 'cause he'll be alright. Any minute he'll wait up...' but now that the drug cleared from Sarah's mind she remembered Jeff's motive for accidentally poisoning Gerard, and she felt together enough to address one of their assailants.
"I can't believe you let your stupid boyfriend drug us," Sarah said fiercely, finally looking Cassie in the eyes.
"I didn't
let him. I didn't even know about it." Cassie's eyes flashed dangerously.
"Like I believe that."
"Believe what you want," Cassie snapped then shrugged," Besides, why would I drug my brother?"
"Well, it wasn't meant for him was it? It was meant for me." Sarah stood up, her voice rising with her stance. "Why, Cassie? What the hell is up with you?"
"I
didn't know!" She stood up as well, her body tense, "Look...Jeff's a moron; he thought he was doing me a favor."
"A favor!"
"I wanted to make sure you don't have any hidden agendas, that you're not out to hurt Gerard."
"
What? That's why you interrogated me all night!"
"Yeah...and apparently he figured he'd help suss out any of your secrets with the X, but I swear I didn't know about it." Sarah scowled, her eyes narrowed, fists clenching; she'd never wanted to punch anyone so much in her life, but before her fists rose a nurse walked into the room.
"Excuse me, ladies..." both rotated to face the nurse who visibly flinched for a second, "the doctor's finished and you can go back in." Cassie and Sarah glared at each other in a silent battle of wills; the nurse coughed loudly, adding, "If you both want to go in for a minute we can allow it
if you behave yourselves."
"Fine."
"Good."
Keeping a minimum distance apart, they exited the waiting room and walked down the hall to Gerard's room. Sarah disliked the false sterility of hospitals. The institutional tiles and walls looked clean and boring, yet harbored surviving bacteria and viruses regardless of the determination of the janitorial staff to eradicate the pests. Distracted by the combination of these thoughts, worries about Gerard, and her feelings of discomfort walking next to Cassie, Sarah didn't notice the female hospital office employee coming around the corner until they collided.
"OH!"
"Pardon me," the flaxen haired beauty exclaimed gripping Sarah's elbows to save her from falling backwards, and Sarah noted the professionally dressed woman's unusual lavender eyes. "I'm so sorry!"
"It's okay, really, thanks," Sarah replied. The woman released her and stepped aside allowing Sarah room to pass. The woman's ID badge read 'Dee'.
"If you're sure you're alright..." Sarah nodded and walked faster to catch up with Cassie. As she entered Gerard's room, she turned, and the lavender-eyed woman maintained eye contact. Dee smiled faintly and nodded. Sarah shivered, overcome with an odd sense of déjà vu then shook it off, and pushed through the door to Gerard's room.
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Pain, head to toe, ruled his first taste of coherency, and his second consisted of two voices arguing in low voices. Two female voices and after several minutes of lying motionless his memory identified them as his sister, Cassie and his new girlfriend, Sarah. His third thought was surprise mixed with annoyance; why were they arguing? And could they please cease and desist due to the pain shimmering throughout his head and body?
"Why are you two fighting and can you please shut the bleedin' hell up?" he mumbled, opening his eyes, and rolling his head front and center. It hurt to speak; his lips felt swollen and bruised.
"Jer!"
"Gerard!"
"Ahh...not so loud, my head...and the light..." Sarah jumped to dim the overhead lights and heard him sigh in relief. "Better..." She rejoined him on the opposite side of his bed from Cassie.
"Jer, how are you feeling?" Cassie asked slipping her hand into his, his fingers curled around hers.
"Like I got run over by a soddin' truck...what happened?" He glanced around, "Am I in a bloody hospital?"
"Yeah, about that..." Cassie ducked her head unable to meet his eyes. "What do you remember?"
"What?" Gerard asked staring at his abnormally reticent sister then turned his head to Sarah. "The last thing I remember is dancing at that new club then..." his face contorted painfully, "everything gets hazy...what happened?"
"You had a seizure. A bad one," Sarah answered stroking his forehead. The pallor of his skin made the reddish-purpled trauma of his slip lower lip and bruised right cheek comparatively harsher. Stunned, Gerard was unable to speak for several seconds and when Cassie didn't contribute Sarah continued. "And there's more...Cassie, I think you'd better explain."
He turned back to his sister, "Explain what?" She gazed everywhere but his eyes, "Cassie?"
"I didn't know, Jer. I swear."
"Know what?"
"Jeff...he slipped Ecstasy into Sarah's drink," Gerard's eyes widened, "which apparently you ended up drinking instead, but I
swear I didn't know!" Her fingers tightened around his.
"Cassie," he said cautiously and used the bed rails to pull himself upright into a sitting position. Head pounding, he felt light-headed, but he maintain his fortitude.
"You should lie down..."
"Cassie, why would he drug Sarah?"
"Please lie back down, you're not well."
"Answer the question..."
"He's a moron," she said hedging.
"True, but he must've had a motive." He glanced at Sarah, who flattened her lips to physically restrain her power of speech and strangled the bed rail with her fingers. He looked back to his sister, more insistent. "Why, Cassie?"
"He got the wrong idea...he thought he was helping."
"Helping?"
"Oh, just tell him Cassie or I will!" Sarah blurted unable to stand her delays any longer. Gerard flinched at Sarah's harshness, but listened carefully to his sister's response, observing her inability to stand still or face him.
"Oh...I...I wanted to know her real intentions." She cringed at her brother hissed intake of air. "That's why all the questions at dinner." At her brother's distressed look she rushed on, "I wanted to protect you, Jer, from another Melinda. Jeff knew that and on his own decided drugging Sarah would get her talking. Please believe me, I never intended for you to get hurt."
"But you didn't care if Sarah did..."
"I didn't know!"
"Stop it, Cassie!" He said, lashing out at her, "I've known you your whole life. I know how smart and sneaky you can be, particularly when you really want something. You can't expect me to believe that you never suspected that git of anything beforehand. You're rarely a complete innocent."
"Gerard, please, it's not like that."
Meeting her pleading eyes, he said coldly, "Somehow I imagine it's exactly like that."
"Jer.."
"Please leave, Cassie. I'd like to speak with Sarah alone."
"Jer, please..."
"
Out!" He said almost shouting, his voice reverberating in the small room making both women jump. Her mouth agape—her brother had never, in all their years, no matter what they'd disagreed on, spoke thusly to her—Cassie vaguely nodded and backed out of the room. Her hands trembled and her face blanched.
"I'll...um...just tell the nurse you're awake then...and um wait out here," she mumbled shutting the door behind her with a click. Once alone, Gerard turned to Sarah.
"Are you alright?" He asked, genuinely concerned.
"Me? I'm not the hospital patient." She smiled and clasped his hand to reassure him, "Yeah, I'm fine. My dose was a lot less than yours. I think most of it settled on the bottom."
"Well...good on me then."
"What?"
"I really was your hero, luv, 'cause I'd hate to think of you in my position at the moment."
"Oh, Jer...Thank you, but don't ever do that again." Sarah lowered the rail so she could sit on the edge of the bed and really hug him. Free flowing tears coursed her face, "You could've died. We still haven't gotten all the test results back so they're not sure what caused the seizure."
"Ecstasy can cause seizures. I..." he gulped, "I've seen it before in some mates years ago," he said hugging her close, her head tucked under his chin, "and the results they have told you about...anything abnormal?"
She shook her head no, "Nothing so far. Last time the doctor spoke to us she said everything was normal, but she was waiting for more of your blood work, we haven't heard about your spinal tap, and she's admitting you for observation."
"Bloody hell she is!" Gerard gently pushed Sarah off his chest and swung his bare legs over the edge of the bed to stand.
"What'd you think you're doing?"
"Getting out of here," he said reaching for the clear plastic bag containing his clothes which lie on the countertop. Sarah snatched the bag before he touched it and hugged it to her chest.
"I don't think that's a good idea."
"Sarah..."
"You had a really bad seizure, and you've been unconscious for hours. The doctor said that's very serious, you could've died, and you need more tests." Gerard sighed before he lunged and swiped the bag from Sarah's grip. Scowling, Sarah tried without success to grab it back, but he twisted his torso away.
"Give that back!"
"I'm not staying."
"Gerard!"
"No!" He met her frustrated gaze then stated smugly. "You can't make me."
"
Really?" Her hands flew to her hips as she stood akimbo, "What are you...five?" Pouting and holding the bag in a life-draining grip, he didn't answer. "Jer," she said softly, "aren't we even going to talk about what happened last night? What's been happening?" He shrugged. "You don't think something strange is going on? Don't you want to know about all your weird symptoms, the memory loss, and the nightmares? Aren't you worried? I am."
He shrugged again and averted his eyes to the floor, "Maybe," then he looked up again and said sincerely, "I can't stay here, Sarah. I hate soddin' hospitals. Literally, they make my skin crawl...surrounded by all this sickness and death...makes me want to scratch my flesh off or scream or both."
"Jer..."
"Please...I promise we'll talk about it, but not here," he reached out, grabbed her hand, "
please!" Oh, man...when he pleaded like that, with those eyes, and his voice pitched just so...he had to know this three-pronged tactic was so deviously effective...must've used it numerous times on multiple women. Sarah felt her resistance crumble like feta cheese. Not that he needed her permission, or anyone's, to leave the hospital as he was presently an alert and oriented, competent adult; however he knew it would be easier with her support. How did he pierce her defenses so effortlessly?
"Oh, alright..." she mumbled reluctantly.
"Sarah..."
"But we're doing this my way, got it?"
He grinned and sat up straight, "Yes, ma'am."
"God, I am soo going to regret this," she said rubbing her temples.
Working quickly before either a nurse or doctor entered to check on him, Sarah set the rules: no sneaking out, he would sign out officially against medical advice (he grumbled at this), he wouldn't be left alone at any time (he loved this idea especially since she volunteered to be his sitter), and at the first sign of another problem he agreed to return to the hospital, (he really, really disliked this addendum).
"Tough; agree or I tell them you just told me that you knew about the X and admitted to overdosing yourself on purpose to end your life." She said with a serious stance.
"You...you she-devil," He replied her audacity astonishing him. "They'll likely hold me against my will. Cassie might even agree with you just to get me admitted."
"Yep, so deal or not?"
"Fine...obviously you're a woman not to be taken lightly," he grumbled, but commenced dressing rapidly.
"You got that right, mister," she replied, smirking.
Shortly they exited his room into the main hall, and walked towards the nurses' desk passing Gerard's assigned nurse en route.
"Mr. Scott? What are you doing out of bed? And dressed?"
"I'm checking out."
"
Excuse me? Checking out?" The nurse said, flabbergasted, "this isn't a hotel, Mr. Scott. You can't just check yourself out." She reached for his upper arm, "Now please return to your room and get undressed."
"No," he stepped from her, "I'm leaving. I'm willing to sign whatever paperwork is required, but I not staying against my will."
"But...but you're being admitted!"
Sarah butted in, "Look, I know you don't like the idea, but legally you can't keep him anymore. Please get the necessary paperwork."
"
Well! I need to get the doctor, don't go anywhere!" The nurse rushed off in the opposite direction, mildly offended, followed by Cassie's stunned voice behind them.
"Jer! What the hell are you doing out of bed?" They turned to see his sister standing several feet away at the end of the hall with a cup of coffee in one hand. "And dressed...oh shit, you're not doing what I think you're doing?" Quickly, she moved closer.
"Cassie, don't start..."
"You are! You're leaving!"
"Now look..."
"You promised, Jer! You promised if something else happened you'd see a doctor!" Her hands shook so badly with emotion, coffee spilled over the edges of her Styrofoam cup splashing in translucent brown globs on the bland tile floor.
"This isn't the same thing, Cassie! Don't hold that over my head. Your bloody git of a mate drugged me!" He raised his voice and stepped into her space a bit, threatening and pointed to himself, "
He did this to me!"
"But you still should have more tests...what...what if there's something else?"
"You know as well as I that X can cause seizures. You remember what I've seen, why I don't do that anymore."
"Jer, please...I'm worried about you...what's happening..." she sounded so forlorn that Sarah actually felt a little bad for her. "Please don't go, Jer." Cassie reached out one hand to him plaintively.
"You should've thought of that before you involved him, before you tried to trick Sarah." He moved closer until they were practically nose to nose, and said in a voice pitched low, almost a whisper. "Don't follow me. I can't stand the sight of you."
He might've shouted for the effect it created. As before, he'd never spoken like this to her, in this tone or viciousness, as if he preferred the company of monsters for family than her. They argued before, but always made up. Gerard could be cruel, but never vicious...not like this. But then, Cassie had never harmed him this deeply before. Turning away, Gerard coolly guided the quiet Sarah from his shell-shocked sister.
The coffee cup slipped from Cassie's limp hand, dashing its residual contents upon the floor and her bare legs like a spattered, brown blood pool. Her eyes widened and her mouth agape, Cassie obeyed him without question. She didn't follow Gerard as he and Sarah turned and walked away. She didn't follow Gerard as the staff argued with him. She didn't follow Gerard as she watched in a daze, as he signed himself out of the hospital against medical advice. And she didn't follow Gerard as he left with Sarah short time later. Cassie, however, did notice only Sarah tossing a last veiled look over her shoulder as the distance grew between the siblings.
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