Page 67 of Something that Could Last

“Your impulsive brother is the one who will probably end up in jail,” my grandmother interjects. I look to Jacob for an explanation.

“When you didn’t come back to the table, I went looking for you. I found you out behind The Barn with Caleb.” Jacob grits his teeth and my stomach sinks.

I was out back with Caleb? And I was roofied? What did that sick bastard do to me?

Jacob heaves a deep breath and continues. “He was practically dragging you to his car. You couldn’t even stand up. I chased him down and shoved him away from you, but Luke grabbed me before I could do anything else. While I was trying to fight him off to get to Caleb, your brother came out of nowhere and took matters into his own hands. Caleb was unconscious by the time the ambulance got there.” His jaw clenches angrily and I can see that he wishes he was the one to put Caleb in the hospital.

Oh, God. The hospital.

“Please tell me he’s not here. He doesn’t know where I am, does he?” I start to panic. The thought of him finding me and trying to finish what he started terrifies me.

“No, he isn’t here. Thankfully, they took him somewhere else.”

“Is Ethan in trouble?”

My grandmother takes my hands in hers. “We don’t know yet. The police questioned him, but he hasn’t been arrested, so that’s a good sign. But he could still be charged with assault.” Her eyes fill with worry and her chin quivers. One grandchild in the hospital and the other potentially facing jail time. My grandmother doesn’t deserve this kind of heartache.

“Caleb will most likely be charged with possession of a controlled substance, at the very least. We’ve heard that he still had the drugs on him. That alone should put him away for a while,” Jacob assures me. “But he could be charged with attempted kidnapping, too.” His forearms flex, the muscles straining as his grip on my bedrail tightens. I fear he’s going to snap the metal rod in half, his barely contained anger rolling off him in waves.

“Hopefully the courts will take into account what Caleb did to you, and that Ethan was trying to defend you,” my grandmother adds.

Jacob and my grandmother share a look, and I worry that they’re keeping something from me. “What?” I demand. “Is there something else I should know?”

“We found out something else last night,” Jacob relents. “This isn’t the first time Caleb has done something like this. He’s been accused of sexual assault before, and there was even suspicion that he had drugged the girl.”

I gasp, my blood draining from my face.

“The rumor is that his family paid the girl off and convinced her to drop the charges,” my grandmother adds. “She’d waited to come forward, and by the time she told her parents what happened, they had little evidence to go on, so they let him walk.”

My stomach churns at the thought of Caleb putting his hands on me. “He didn’t...” I hesitate, unable to speak the words. I take a deep breath and try again. “He didn’ttouchme,did he?” Jacob sees the pleading in my eyes, knowing that I’m begging for confirmation that he didn’t.

His jaw ticks with anger. “That son of a bitch would be in the morgue if he had.”

“Oh, thank God!” I dissolve into a mess of relief and tears as Jacob holds me. He lets me fall apart in his arms, doing his best to hold me together.

A man in green scrubs walks in as I’m wiping moisture from my eyes. “Ms. Harris,” he confirms, glancing at the chart in his hands. “I’m Dr. Benson. I have your test results back, and I’d like to go over them with you.” I nod my head, urging him to continue. “If you would prefer to do this in private...” He lets the suggestion hang in the air.

“No, it’s okay.” I just want to get this over with.

“We did some routine lab work,” he begins, consulting my chart again. “Blood counts were good. Electrolytes and kidney function are right where they need to be. Your X-rays looked fine. Pregnancy test,” he pauses, flipping to the next page. I hold my breath, my stomach in knots as I wait for the result. It can’t happen that fast can it? “Was negative,” he finishes finally and I exhale my pent-up breath, hoping my grandmother is too preoccupied with the doctor to notice my relief. “You were unconscious when you came to us, but your family assured us that no assault had taken place, so we did not perform a rape kit.” I cringe at his harsh, straight-forward words. He pauses for a moment, ready to deliver the bad news. “Unfortunately, your tox screen came back positive for Rohypnol.” I feel my eyes widen as Jacob cusses under his breath. I look at my grandmother, who covers her gaping mouth with her hand. The heartbroken look on her face kills me.

It’s not like I didn’t know what happened, what Caleb did to me. But to have the doctor confirm that he slipped me a date rape drug with the intentions of doing God-only-knows what, makes me want to vomit. I clench my stomach with my hands to keep its contents where they belong.

“So, what happens now?” I just want to get out of here and go home. I feel uncomfortable and justicky. Knowing that pervert was a minute away from having me alone makes me want to scrub my body in scalding hot water until my skin is raw. I can’t imagine how I would feel if he had actuallydonesomethingto me.

“There’s an officer waiting to speak with you. They need to get your statement. Then the nurse will go over your discharge instructions and you can go home. You won’t be able to drive for the next twelve hours because of the drugs in your system, so someone will have to drive you home.”

“Will I be able to work today?” I can’t afford to miss a shift at Rosie’s, but I don’t know if my head or my heart could handle it.

“I wouldn’t recommend it. You need to go home and rest.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure she takes it easy the rest of the day,” Jacob assures him, threading his fingers through mine.

“Well, if you don’t have any other questions, I’ll send in the officer.”

“Thanks, Doctor.”

Moments later, a uniformed officer walks through the door to my hospital room with a clipboard and a set of papers. My life has already changed irrevocably, but now it will be in writing. I’m a victim. That’s how everyone will see me now, and I hate it.

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