Page 100 of A Me and Him Thing
“That’s all I need for now. Thank you so much for your help, Carol. Get some sleep.”
“Wait, Mr. Chambers, did I do something wrong?” Carol sounds worried. “I don’t want to lose my job.”
“No worries, Carol. You’ve done an excellent job with Allison. I can’t thank you enough.”
We’re silent as we absorb what we’ve just heard. Even Susan is sitting at the table, wide-eyed, as hash browns sizzle on the stove top.
Jack breaks the silence. “If Curtis is drugging Allie, now we know how he does it. It also explains why she’s calm some days and agitated other days. He’s not there every single day. Still, to keep visiting someone for four whole years, three to four times a week, that takes perseverance and determination. It’s not a quick drive. Either Curtis is still in love with Allie and can’t let her go, so he visits often, or maybe he’s drugging her as some sort of delusional punishment for leaving him.”
“I didn’t allow visitors, other than family, right after the accident or during rehab for the first six months or so. She didn’t have bad nights during that time. That’s telling. It also tells me that if she has been being drugged, it’s been three and a half years, not four years.” Ren sighs. “It’s not much, but it’s something good.”
“No, you’re right. That’s a big deal,” Jack says. “Six months is six months.”
“But how does he get the drug in the pudding without Carol noticing?” Ren asks.
Jack and I exchange a glance. “It’s easy,” we say at the same time.
He winks at me, and I know I’m forgiven. Truth be told, I’m relieved he’s not the bad guy.
“What?” Ren splutters. “It shouldn’t be easy to drug a patient. We’re talking about a top-notch hospital here. Allie has a private nurse at all times.”
“Her food can be tampered with in the foyer, next to the microwave and the mini fridge,” I tell Ren.
“The nurses tend to trust the people who have permission to visit her or feed her,” Jack explains. “If you trust the visitors, then they do too.”
“It never occurred to me that something like this could happen.” Ren hasn’t touched his juice or any of the fruit on the fruit platter. I think he’s lost his appetite.
“That’s because you only see the good in people. It’s a quality I love about you. Please don’t change.” I offer Ren a grape, and he lets me feed it to him.
There’s something intimate about the moment, even though we have an audience.
Ren composes himself. “Okay, here’s the plan. First, I’m letting Exodus know I won’t be there tonight. They can do without me just this once. Second, I’m contacting the hospital administrator to arrange a meeting right away. I’m going to him with our suspicions, even if they sound crazy. I expect him to take us seriously too.”
“Oh, he will,” Jack says. “He definitely will.”
We’re all sobered by the seriousness of the upcoming events. It’s not an accusation we should throw around lightly. Yet there’s enough suspicion to merit an investigation.
Ren goes on. “I realize Curtis has some serious mental health issues. My guess is that Allie didn’t realize the extent of his illness until she was deeply involved with him. Even then, she’d want to help him. That’s who she was. But his mental health doesn’t give him a free pass to hurt someone. He needs help. I don’t think his parents are providing the help he needs.”
Ren is so much kinder than I would be in this situation. Even the new-and-improved me wants to see Curtis punished if he’s doing what we suspect.
I don’t know how I’m so lucky to have Ren in my life, to have his love. But I’m grateful every day for his soft heart. I want to be good just to make him proud.
Chapter Twenty-eight
ON OUR WAYto the hospital, we stopped by my townhome so I could change clothes.
Shortly thereafter, we enter the office of the hospital administrator, prepared to share our suspicions.
Blake Langston is an older man with a full head of dark hair that’s graying at the temples. He’s wearing a tailored suit and speaks quietly, like we just entered a funeral home.
He shakes our hands, then asks us to take a seat in his plush office. Mahogany wainscoting covers the walls, his desk is mahogany, the chairs are mahogany with dark green cushions, and the lights are low. His office is meant to be comforting, almost a sanctuary from the sadness that prevails in this facility.
Susan stayed home to be with the children when they arrive home from school. It’s just Jack, Ren, and me.
“What can I do for you, Mr. Chambers? I’ve reviewed Allison’s records before your arrival. I’m familiar with her case.”
Ren explains our suspicions, who we suspect, and why. It takes him a good fifteen minutes to include all the details.
