Chapter 11 PANIC MODE
Chapter eleven
PANIC MODE
According to my research in preparation for this exact scenario, the number one reason for a flight to be diverted is severe weather.
The second, medical emergencies.
I pop two more anti-nausea pills into my mouth since I apparently already burned through the first dose, then unbuckle my seatbelt and stumble forward, making sure to bump into Bianca on my way up the aisle.
It’s time to put into motion my plan to fake a medical emergency so that the plane is forced to land, and I can be back in contact with my family before something terrible happens to them.
The look on Bianca’s face as I pass by lets me know that I might just have what it takes to pull this off, even though my only acting experience was as turkey number three in my elementary school Thanksgiving pageant.
It didn’t hurt that my legs were actually wobbly upon standing, and are still a bit unsteady, even now—probably a combination of the anxiety and alcohol.
I make a show of locking and unlocking the bathroom door a few times, then lean against the wall to steady myself as I pull my phone out of my pocket to review the bullet points for sudden onset illnesses.
Being a woman in my late twenties, a stroke is more realistic than a heart attack, although my chest is pumping so hard that I might not even need to act if we don’t land soon.
The bathroom tilts, and I throw my arms out to steady myself.
A glance in the mirror reflects my flushed cheeks and neck.
Good. It all helps to paint the picture that I am not feeling well.
I dab a bit of water from the sink on my forehead to really sell it and clutch my head before stepping back out.
Bianca races to catch me as I lunge forward out of the bathroom and manages to bear all my weight when I struggle to get back upright.
“Are you okay, ma’am?” she asks in a low but panicked voice. The first-class bathroom is at the front of the plane, so the entire cabin is likely able to see my performance right now. Scott and Gabe’s insistence on spending top dollar is working in my favor this time.
“I don’t feel right,” I say, which is the only true statement she will be hearing from me over the next few minutes.
“Let me help you get her back to her seat,” a familiar female voice says behind me, and adds a supportive hand across my back.
“I think we should see if there is a doctor on the plane, so that someone can check her out,” Bianca says to the stranger behind me.
“I am a doctor,” the woman says, and when I turn to see who the familiar voice belongs to, I come face to face with my seatmate, the one who insisted I have a screwdriver with her. “Bring her back, and I’ll check her vitals.”
The women hook my arms over their shoulders and guide me back to my seat. I slide in without a single measure of grace and slouch over into the aisle.
The cabin starts to spin as Bianca unlocks the overhead compartment, and I shut my eyes tightly to try and concentrate on what the next step in the plan is.
Unfortunately, my brain is preoccupied with the realization that I might actually be having a medical emergency right now, and it goes straight into panic mode.
“My name is Doctor Emily, and I am a vascular neurologist. What’s your name?” my seatmate asks.
The irony of it momentarily pulls me out of my spiral, and I laugh out loud. Sitting next to a neurologist would be the best-case scenario for someone who was actually having a stroke. But for me, trying to fake one, just about the worst.
“Just call me Bad-Luck Drew,” I say, rolling my head to the other side so that I am no longer hanging in the aisle. “My family thinks I can be someone else, but they’re wrong. I will always be Bad-Luck Drew.”
The silence that follows prompts me to crack open one of my eyes, and I catch the end of a look of concern that passes between Dr. Emily and Bianca.
“Do you know where you are right now, Drew?” Doctor Emily asks.
“On a plane ride to break my curse at a book club in Charlotte. Although I should probably just—” The words die in my mouth and are replaced by an insistent, full-body yawn.
“Drew, do you give me permission to check your vitals?”
“Sure, but there’s no point. None of this is real. I am just acting. Well, at least I was, at first. Now I’m not so sure.”
“Can we help you take your cardigan off so that I can check your blood pressure and heart rate?”
“I’ve got it,” I say, and try to remove it myself, but find that my arms aren’t cooperating.
Multiple hands step in to help, and I force my eyes open again to take in the scene. Bianca and Doctor Emily are closest to me, and two other flight crew members hover behind them. My heart beats so fast it practically hums as they coo words of encouragement and guide my arms out of my sleeves.
“What’s happening to me?” I ask, reeling with the possibility that something is actually wrong.
“I’m not sure yet,” Doctor Emily says. “But I’m here to help. I want you to focus on taking a few deep breaths in and out. Can you do that for me, Drew?”
Bianca leans into my view and models how I should be breathing, and I try to match her, but fail miserably.
“Are you currently taking any medications?” Doctor Emily asks.
“No.”
“What about the pill case you had earlier?” she asks, placing the cold metal of her stethoscope to my overheated skin. “Can you show me what you took?”
I nod weakly and gesture towards my purse. Doctor Emily digs through my things for the emergency kit and holds it up so I can see it.
“Which of these pills did you take, and how many?”
I point to the yellow compartment. “Four of those.”
“Four!” Bianca exclaims, then puts her hand over her mouth, either in horror or to keep from another outburst.
“How far apart did you have those four pills, Drew?” Doctor Emily asks.
I push aside how panicked Bianca just sounded and focus all my energy on recalling what happened. “Some in the beginning, and then some just now.”
“Beginning of the day?” Doctor Emily asks.
“Beginning of the flight.” I correct.
“Drew, let me know if I am hearing you correctly. You took four of these pills since we took off an hour ago?”
I nod, feeling too nauseous to open my mouth to speak. A lot of good those pills did me.
“I had no idea,” Bianca says defensively. “If I did, I wouldn’t have served her an alcoholic drink.”
One of the faceless crew members behind Bianca chuckles, and the demeanor of the group assisting me visibly relaxes.
“You’re going to be okay, Drew,” Doctor Emily says, removing the pulse oximeter from my finger and looping her stethoscope around her neck.
“You just took double the recommended dose of Dramamine for someone your size, which can cause drowsiness, and had alcohol on top of it, which intensifies the effect. You are probably about to take the best nap of your life.”
The mention of the word nap makes my eyelids heavy as lead.
“Let’s see if we can get her to drink some water before she falls asleep,” Doctor Emily adds.
“Absolutely, I’ll be right back with another bottle.”
A nagging feeling jockeys for my attention as I wait for Bianca to return, but I am so exhausted that I can’t focus enough to concentrate on it.
I am forgetting something, clearly, but I can’t remember what. Plus, Bianca and Doctor Emily don’t let me fall asleep until I get down a water bottle and a few pretzels, so that depletes any brainpower I had left.
Whatever I am forgetting will have to be addressed when I wake up from my nap. When they finally stop fussing over me and allow me to rest, I ball up my cardigan to use as a pillow and drift off into what is the first dreamless sleep I’ve had in years.
When I come to, the entire plane is empty, except for me, Doctor Emily, and the flight crew. I rub my eyes to adjust to the harsh overhead light and take in the smiling faces around me.
“How do you feel, sleeping beauty?” Doctor Emily asks.
“Still tired,” I admit, and roll my sore neck.
“Do you give me permission to check your vitals one more time?”
“Sure.” I nod and close my eyes as she takes my blood pressure and listens to my heart again.
“Everything sounds great, and you’ll be back to normal within a few hours, but you should avoid driving for the rest of the day. Is someone picking you up?”
“I have a—Oh my gosh!” My eyes fly open as I remember what I was forgetting, and I scramble for my phone.
My hands shake so hard that it takes me two tries to unlock it as I remember why all of this happened.
I was supposed to divert the plane to save my family from danger, but I took a fat nap instead.
I click on the messages icon multiple times as if that will make it load faster and check the group chat.
Gabe: Your flight should have just landed! Call me when you can!
Monika: Have the best time, Drew. Can’t wait to talk later.
Just as I am convinced that something bad happened to Scott because he hasn’t written anything since before takeoff, my phone buzzes in my hand.
Scott: Snuck out of my meeting to check in. Have fun. I’ll call tonight too.
I let out an audible breath and clutch my heart. Bianca’s smile falls as she looks to Doctor Emily.
“Are you feeling all right, Drew?” Doctor Emily asks.
“Yes, more than all right. They all survived!”
I ignore the look that passes between them and lean my head back against the headrest. Nobody died. Everything is okay.
“Where are you headed, and how are you getting there?” Bianca asks wearily.
“To a book club retreat, and I have a car rental reservation already in place,” I say, and push to stand, but frown when none of them retreat to let me by.
“Let us help you set up a taxi or an Uber instead,” Bianca says, as more of a demand than a question. With all of them firmly in agreement behind her, I have no choice but to plop back down in my seat.
“I can figure it out myself. I don’t need help to call an Uber,” I point out, irked that I am being treated like a child. My phone buzzes again, this time with a FaceTime call.
“Is that your boyfriend?” Doctor Emily asks, seeing the contact photo of Gabe and me in a cheeky embrace pop up on the screen.
“My brother-in-law,” I correct.
“Go ahead and answer it,” Doctor Emily says, and I do as I am told.
“Hey, Drew! How was—oh my gosh. What’s happening?” Gabe asks, going from excited to panicked in the span of two seconds.
“Nothing, I’m fine,” I say, shooting the crew around me a pointed look. “Just had a little mishap on the plane and am trying to get off now. The real question is, how are you and the others?”
Doctor Emily leans forward so that she is visible on screen, interrupting Gabe’s answer.
“Hi, Gabe, my name is Doctor Emily. I was sitting next to Drew on the flight when she accidentally ingested four Dramamine pills and a vodka soda within the span of one hour, so she is unable to drive at the moment. Would you be able to pick her up from the airport and take her to her retreat?”
Gabe’s already big brown eyes bulge even more. “I am in New York—”
Doctor Emily interrupts again. “If you can set up a ride for Drew to get from the airport to her retreat, that would help all of us here sleep a little more easily tonight.”
“Of course, I’ll work on that right now. I’ll call you back in a few,” he says, then the FaceTime call disconnects.
I look up at my captors. “I can handle it from here. Thank you all for your help.”
The flight crew defers to Doctor Emily, and she gives them a nod, prompting them to move aside, and I am finally free to get off the plane.