“The first doctor was giving your patient a small regulated dose of anti-anxiety medications, some mood blockers, some anti-depressants. Not exactly something to be worried about but maybe not the best combination of drugs as they can be known to make people a little unemotional,” Kelly advised. “Dr. Mendes upped the dosage of certain drugs and lowered other ones. I’d say your patient was fully functioning under his care but still might not have the capacity of feeling. They would fell numb. It suggests the patient might have some psychiatric issues, like memory trauma with those types of meds.”
“With those types of medications, the patient was likely trying to avoid the traumatic memories and the drugs would suppress long term memories,” Noah added. At Drew’s surprised look, he explained. “I head up the scientific research division of Ramesly Pharmaceuticals.”
“What about Dr. Urshman?” Drew asked Kelly. He was particularly interested in the most recent medications.
“That’s where it gets weird,” she sounded confused through the phoneline. “At first, Dr. Urshman clears away all the old drugs. She starts a vitamin routine and a drug that is known to enhance memory. I’ve seen it used in dementia or Alzheimer’s patients with good results. On someone younger it would be used to try to stimulate old or buried memories. With all the old drugs gone, the patient should have a clear head and their emotions would be more prominent.”
“That’s a good thing, right?” Max asked. He looked at Bethany in apprehension. She was just sitting and staring at nothing.
“Maybe, but then it’s like a complete turnaround with the prescriptions from the last three days,” Kelly said. “I’d have to look a couple of them up but most of these are used in what nurses like to call the zombie cocktail. It’s to make very difficult psych ward patients pliable and easy to handle. At these doses, I’d say your patient was on suicide watch or was extremely violent. What hospital is she in?”
“She’s not,” Drew said.
“What do you mean she’s not in a hospital?” Kelly was astonished. “There is no way that anyone should be on the zombie cocktail outside of a clinical setting. Not only is it dangerous medically, they need to be monitored for drug reactions, but it’s dangerous physically. Patients could chop off an arm and not realize they are bleeding to death or drive a car and kill someone. It’s reckless not to have them committed and on this plethora of medications. Please tell me she’s at least in private care with twenty-four-hour nursing?”
“I found her alone at her apartment,” Drew admitted.
Noah cursed and took Bethany’s hand.
“Are they trying to kill her?” Kelly was astounded.
Privately, Drew wondered if someone was trying to do just that.
If they were, it would be connected to her trying to regain her memories. Something happened on that boat and Drew intended to find out what. “Tinkerbell, how long will it take for the drugs to get out of her system? Is it safe for her to go cold turkey?”
“How long do you think she’s been on them?” Kelly questioned.
“I last saw her three days ago and she was fine,” Drew answered. “She wasn’t on anything like this. She was alert.”
“Then she shouldn’t have any serious reactions to going without medications,” Kelly hesitated. “Again, I’m not a doctor. If anything seems off, or she starts having a reaction, you should get her to a hospital right away. It will probably be a full day or two before she returns to normal.”
Drew thanked Kelly for her time and expertise before ending the call.
“You want to tell us how you know Beth and what’s going on here?” Noah demanded.
Drew glowered at Noah who was crouched beside Bethany, still holding one of her hands. He didn’t like it. It shouldn’t matter, he barely knew her, yet he didn’t like it one bit.
“She’s asked me to investigate a matter for her,” Drew wasn’t going to tell this snotty rich man much. “I’m a detective. When I couldn’t get ahold of her by phone, I dropped by her apartment and found her like this, all drugged up.”
“Why didn’t you bring her to the hospital?” Max asked. “Why come here?”
“I think Bethany’s life is in danger,” Drew sighed. “A hospital is a very public setting where it would be difficult to ensure her safety. Also, I knew that you might have the contact information for Kelly. I wanted a medical opinion on all these prescriptions.”
“Who would want to hurt Beth?” Noah questioned angrily.
“I have an idea,” Drew grimaced. It was all connected to the boat in his opinion. “Maybe she should go rest. Mrs. Ramesly, do you have a room where Bethany could lie down? Then I’d like to talk to all of you. I need to know more about her childhood, her friends and family. Anything that you think might be relevant.”
Piaget moved forward to take Bethany’s hand. “Beth? Would you like to lay down?”
Bethany looked at her in confusion. “Do I know you?”
Noah gently turned Bethany’s face to look at him. “Hey Beth. You remember me?”
She gave him a small smile. “Hi Noah.”
“Hi,” he smiled back. “I’m going to pick you up and we’re going to tuck you into bed for a little nap. Okay?”
Bethany nodded. “I’m tired.”
