Page 99 of A Me and Him Thing
When Ren starts to laugh, I join him. Even Jack releases a chuckle or two.
I leave my soft cocoon. “I’m getting in the shower before I make a complete fool of myself.”
As I’m heading toward the hall, Ren says, “Bree?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m a fool too.”
That’s the first time in my life I smile throughout my entire shower.
BRUNCH IS Abit of a solemn affair, knowing what we have to face today.
“What can I do to help, Mom?” Ren asks.
“Nothing. Let me cook for you. Something tells me it’s going to be a stressful day, and you need to relax.”
Jack, Ren, and I sit at the dining table.
Ren’s dressed now, his hair still wet from his shower. “I’ve been thinking about this over and over. Do you really think it’s possible Curtis could be drugging Allie?” Ren asks his father.
“It’s a distinct possibility. Her behavior matches the side effects of an uncontrolled dose of Adderall. But they also match someone with brain damage. Hard to say. Am I suspicious? Yes. And not a little bit. A lot.”
Ren nods. “Same. I have to know for sure. The only way to prove that Curtis is drugging Allie is to catch it on video. Otherwise, it’s his word against ours.”
I miss relaxed “just woke up” Ren. But this is something we have to deal with today.
“There is a simpler way,” Jack says. “Don’t allow him to visit Allie anymore. If she improves, we have our answer.”
“But not proof,” Ren says. “We need proof. Allie’s room has video monitoring everywhere except in the bathroom. It’s only used if there’s an issue. I’ve never even tried to view it. The hospital will bring it up for us if I ask. I think it’s saved for thirty days before they delete it.”
I clear my throat. “Just ask the hospital to check her labs. The med will show up in her bloodwork, right?”
“No, actually.” Jack twirls his fork as he thinks. “It will show up in a urine drug screen, though. Adderall is in the same family as methamphetamines, but there’s only a tiny dose of methamphetamine in it. Adderall has been known to give a false-positive test result for meth. But if someone is giving Allie an overdose of Adderall, she’d test positive due to the small amount of meth in the drug. That way we’d know for sure. But it won’t prove who is drugging her.”
“Hold up,” Ren says. “How long does Adderall last? Allie’s agitation lasts nearly all night, leaving her irritated and exhausted the next day. Would Adderall do that to her?”
Jack drinks half a glass of orange juice. “This isn’t my area of expertise. But I had patients on Adderall, so I do know this: Adderall comes in a tablet that only lasts for around six hours. It also comes in an extended-release capsule that lasts aroundtwelve hours. If someone is opening up that capsule, crushing the contents to form a powder, then giving it to someone, it would be an instant-release dose. In other words, an overdose. Like I said, it can cause liver damage. Exactly what Allie is facing.”
“That’s too much of a coincidence. I’m calling Carol. I need to speak with her. She’s the one on duty when Curtis visits. She texts me often. I have her number.” Ren pushes the call button on his phone, then puts it on speaker so we can all hear. It rings several times before a sleepy voice answers.
“Hello? Mr. Chambers, is that you? Is everything okay?”
“Hey, Carol. I apologize for waking you.”
“It’s no problem. What can I do for you?”
“I have a few questions. You’re there when Curtis Rothman visits Allison, correct?”
“Yes, I am. He’s good with her, always sweet and polite. When he visits, he feeds her the evening dessert.”
Ren makes eye contact with each of us, one at a time. “The what? I wasn’t aware that Allie has dessert at night.”
“Yes, sir. We call it a dessert, but it’s really a chocolate pudding packed with protein. It’s given to all the patients who can still take food by mouth. It helps them feel full so they can sleep at night.”
“I see. How often does Curtis visit?”
“Oh, probably three or four times a week. I can get you the exact numbers from the front desk visitor records.”
