Always (Follow Me #6)

Chapter Thirty-Six

Dan and Carlotta Logan arrive in twenty minutes. They go straight to reception and don’t say anything to us. Not that I blame them. Their little girl is back there, and for all they know she may have OD’d.

Garrett Ramirez is not worth this. What hold does he have over Tessa?

A nurse comes out and talks to the Logans. Eventually, they make their way over to Skye and me.

I wait for Skye to acknowledge them. She doesn’t. Just as I’m about to, Tessa’s mother speaks.

“Hello, Skye,” Mrs. Logan says. “I’m so glad you found her.”

She still doesn’t speak.

I stand. “I’m Braden Black. How is Tessa?”

“She’s going to be okay,” Mrs. Logan says. “They’re pumping her stomach.”

It was drugs. Damn. I hate to be right.

“So soon?” I ask.

“It’s a preventive measure,” Mr. Logan says. “They won’t get her toxicology lab report back for an hour or so.”

I nod. “I see.”

“You two can go home,” Mr. Logan says. “We’ll call you when we know anything more, Skye.”

“Skye?” I ask.

“I want to stay,” she finally says.

“All right.” I return to my seat. “Is there anything I can do for any of you?”

“Some coffee would be nice,” Mrs. Logan says. “Thank you, Mr. Black.”

I take Skye’s hand and pull her out of her chair. Nothing in the hospital is open, of course, so we walk to a convenience store across the street where I grab two coffees.

“You want anything?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “I should be there.”

“They needed some time to deal with what they just found out.”

“Is that why you dragged me along?”

“That, and because you needed to get away.”

She doesn’t reply.

“This isn’t your fault, Skye.”

“She asked me to have dinner with her and Garrett tonight. I said no, because you and I had plans. I knew we were going to… And I was looking forward to it. I wanted it so badly.”

“Why didn’t you call me? I would have understood.”

“I know. But I didn’t want to break our date. I wanted… Damn! How selfish am I?”

“It’s not selfish to refuse to break a previous commitment, Skye. You and I both know that. Tessa is a grown-up. She’s responsible for her own actions.”

We’ve already been through this. She’s just distraught, and for good reason.

But I’m right.

She knows I’m right.

She stays silent as we walk back to the hospital.

“Here you go.” I hand the tray with the coffees, cream, and sugar to Dan Logan.

Then I sit next to Skye and hold her hand.

I don’t ask her to talk.

I’m able to go through some emails on my phone, but mostly I worry.

I worry about Tessa.

And about Skye.

Because if anything happens to Tessa?

Skye’s heart will be broken.

…

A few hours later, a young doctor comes to the waiting room and approaches the Logans. “I’m Dr. Mary Hedstrom. I have good news. Tessa is going to be fine.”

Skye slumps against me, and a concrete block lifts from my shoulders.

Thank God.

“Could I speak to you two in private?” Dr. Hedstrom says to the Logans.

“It’s okay,” Mr. Logan replies. “Skye is Tessa’s best friend, and Mr. Black is Skye’s…gentleman friend. They’ve both been very helpful. You may speak freely.”

“All right. Tessa had an allergic reaction based on an interaction of two different substances that she ingested.”

I keep my face stoic. This is no surprise to me.

“What substances?” Mr. Logan asks.

“Alcohol and ketamine.”

I lift my eyebrows. “Ketamine?” Not what I expected, but already my mind is racing about Garrett Ramirez.

“What’s ketamine?” Mrs. Logan asks.

“Technically it’s an anesthetic,” Dr. Hedstrom says, “but it’s also used sometimes to treat pain or depression.”

“Tessa’s not depressed,” Skye says.

“Skye’s right,” Mrs. Logan agrees. “Tessa has never been prone to anxiety or depression.”

I say nothing. I don’t know Tessa well enough to offer comment. But my guess is that she did not knowingly ingest the ketamine.

Dr. Hedstrom clears her throat. “Ketamine in a smaller dose can make a person docile. It can also cause dizziness and diminished reflexes. Sometimes eye movements can seem uncoordinated.”

“Her eyes were weird,” Skye says. “Before she passed out, I mean.”

“I’m not surprised. Mr. and Mrs. Logan, I checked Tessa’s name in our database. I don’t show her ever being prescribed ketamine. That doesn’t mean she wasn’t. If her provider isn’t a part of our network, we wouldn’t have the records. But most providers in Boston are part of this network.”

“If no one prescribed it, then how did she get it?” Carlotta asks.

The doctor takes a deep breath before continuing. “Unfortunately, ketamine is a nightclub drug. Men sometimes use it to drug women. It’s known as one of the date rape drugs.”

Carlotta gasps, her hand flying to her mouth. “Of all the…” Dan shakes his head.

“No,” Skye says. “Tessa wasn’t at a club tonight. She and Garrett went to dinner, and then they went to her place, and—”

“Do you know that for sure?” Dr. Hedstrom asks.

“I wasn’t there, if that’s what you mean. But that’s what she told me. But…”

“What, Skye?” I nudge her.

“Tessa wasn’t herself tonight. She was so upset over something that normally wouldn’t upset her. Just like the last time.”

“The last time?” Mrs. Logan asks.

Skye continues, “Either she’s really in love with this guy, or…”

“Or he drugged her,” I say matter-of-factly.

I didn’t mean to be quite so blunt, but Tessa’s parents clearly care for her very much. And Garrett Ramirez—just like his employer—is not a good man.

“Mr. Black, if you know something, you need to tell us,” Mr. Logan says.

I clear my throat. “Call me Braden. If Tessa wasn’t at a club tonight, how else would she have gotten ketamine?”

“Tessa doesn’t normally do drugs,” Skye says, “but a couple weeks ago, when she and Garrett broke up, she took ecstasy.”

Mrs. Logan nearly loses her footing, but her husband and I both steady her.

“It’s off brand for her,” Skye says. “I was surprised as all of you are. But I felt I should say something. If she took ecstasy, it’s possible she took ketamine.”

The doctor talks to the Logans.

Skye’s forehead is wrinkled. Perhaps she’s remembering how Peter Reardon reacted when he saw me at the Opera Guild Gala. Perhaps she’s recalling how I demanded she stay away from him.

“Braden,” she finally says.

“Yeah?”

“You’re serious, aren’t you? You think Garrett gave Tessa the ketamine.”

“I have no proof of that.”

“Then why did you bring it up?”

“Let’s just say I think he may have access to it.”

The doctor’s voice is still buzzing to the Logans.

Finally, Skye breaks through. “Can we see Tessa?”

“Just her parents for now,” Dr. Hedstrom says.

She nods. “Doctor, could ketamine and alcohol have such a dire effect? Obviously it was a small dose of ketamine, right?”

“It’s hard to say. We’ll know more after we’re able to speak with Tessa. If she doesn’t have any retroactive amnesia, we’ll know the dose was small.”

“Retroactive amnesia?” Mrs. Logan asks.

“Amnesia that causes you to lose time from before you took the drug. For example, if Tessa took the drug at—”

Mr. Logan clears his throat. “My daughter did not take that drug.”

Skye just told them that Tessa took ecstasy. But every father wants to think his daughter is perfect.

“I need to ask you both,” Dr. Hedstrom says. “Does Tessa take anything else? Like I said, I couldn’t find any prescriptions in our system, but does she take anything else?”

“You mean like over-the-counter stuff?” Mr. Logan asks.

“Yes, over-the-counter meds. Herbal supplements. Everything.”

“I honestly don’t know,” Mrs. Logan says. “She hasn’t lived with us since she was eighteen.”

“Her allergies were bothering her tonight,” Skye offers. “She takes that stuff. I think it’s echinacea.”

Dr. Hedstrom raises her eyebrows. “Do you know how much echinacea she takes?”

“No, just that she takes it. She has terrible hay fever.”

“That may be the issue. Echinacea can interact with ketamine and make the effects more profound. Then the alcohol on top of everything…” Dr. Hedstrom shakes her head. “But the good news is that Tessa is out of danger. She probably would’ve come to on her own, but I’m glad you brought her in, especially since she was vomiting.”

“Mr. Black…” Dan begins.

“Braden, please.”

Dan nods. “Braden, you seem to know this Garrett. I need to get in touch with him.”

“Not a problem,” I say. “If Garrett Ramirez gave Tessa ketamine, I will find out.”

“Thank you,” Carlotta says. “But what can we do now? The deed is done. I’m just thankful Tessa is all right.”

“We’re all thankful for that,” I agree, “but I will look into this. I’ve looked the other way far too long.”