Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 77016 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 385(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77016 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 385(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
“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.”