I release a disgusted laugh. That’s not the half of it. If colleges and scouts see me on the video, my chances of getting a swim scholarship could be blown. I could face jail time and have a permanent record if they charge me as an adult.
“I know what you’re thinking. Don't jump to any conclusions. I’ve already spoken to Fallon and he assures me he’ll take care of it. He’s more concerned about the fallout to him if your lab work comes back positive for something. You were at his house at a party he threw. He has as much stake in making sure things are kept quiet as we do. I highly doubt Marshall or the other guys will go against Fallon since he rules their school and will make life fucked up for them if they say anything.”
I’m sure Ryder’s right. If there’s one thing about Marshall, it’s he’s a cowardly fuck. No one in their right mind wants to be on Fallon’s shit list.
The sounds of heavy footfalls outside in the corridor and my mom’s voice end our conversation. I tense like I’m preparing myself for battle. There is nothing worse than facing the wrath of my mom when she’s angry, and as sure as I am that the sun will rise, she is going to be livid at me.
My hospital room door opens, and my mom, dad, and Julien walk inside, closely followed thirty seconds later by a doctor wearing a typical white lab coat, stethoscope around his neck.
My mom rushes over to my bedside and runs her hands all over my face and shoulders to ensure herself that I’m in one piece. “Oh sweetheart. What happened?”
“Are you the family of Mr. Jameson’s?” the doctor asks, clipboard in hand.
My dad speaks up. “Yes, we are, and this is his brother, Julien.” My dad focuses on Ryder. “Ryder, thank you for calling us. Can you please tell us what happened?”
The doctor gets our attention by clearing his throat. All eyes turn to him. “My name is Dr. Dukovny. I am the doctor assigned to your son’s case.”
“Can they all stay in here with me, Doctor?” I ask him. “I have no secrets from any of them. I’ll sign waivers if you need me to.”
“That’s fine. Your verbal agreement will do.” He sets the clipboard down and bends over me with a flashlight to check my pupils, listens to my heart, and checks the IV drip line. Once he’s satisfied, he sits down on a rolling stool and flips through papers on the clipboard. “Your vitals look good. The lab work did find trace amounts of GHB in your system.” My mom’s hands fly over her mouth when she gasps.
“If you had waited to come in,” the doctor continued, “we wouldn’t have been able to find any trace of it. From the timeline you both gave the medical staff and your symptoms along with the blood results, it’s safe to say you didn’t ingest a large amount. You should recover quickly. We’ll keep you on an IV drip overnight to continue to flush your system and rehydrate you just to make sure. Any questions?”
“Shouldn’t my son report this to the police?” my mom asks. “Ryder said he didn’t willingly ingest this drug. It was put in his drink without his knowledge.”
“My responsibility is to provide your son with the best medical care and treatment I can and uphold doctor-patient confidentiality. The hospital is not required to report instances such as this. It’s up to your son if he would like to speak with the authorities regarding this matter.”
“No police.”
“Jayson! Why?”
“No police, Mom.”
“I’ll leave you all to discuss matters privately. Mr. Jameson, if you need anything, just press the call button. I’ll come back and check on you again before my shift is over.”
As soon as Dr. Dukovny exits the room, four sets of eyes turn toward me.
“How did this happen, Jayson?” my father asks with a no bullshit tone to his voice.
“We went to a party and apparently the beer I was handed had the stuff in it.”
“Jayson, you were drinking alcohol? You’re only seventeen years old!”
“Freda, honey, I don’t think yelling at him is going to help the situation.” Dad wraps his arm around Mom to hold her tight to his side. “Let’s let him explain.”
Julien walks over and stands by my bedside to show he and I are a united front. “Yes, Mom, we drink. We party, we have sex.” My parents’ eyes bug out like it’s the most shocking thing to hear that their two seventeen-year-old sons are having sex. “I’m sorry if that comes as a shock to you both, but it is what it is. We use protection, we don’t do drugs, we would never drink and drive, and we always have someone as a designated driver. We try to be responsible and look after one another. It’s not Jayson’s fault that someone slipped him something without him knowing. What is his fault, however,” he turns to me, “is that you took an open drink from someone. You know better, Jay.”
He’s right. There is nothing I can say to refute that, so I just bow my head in shame, nodding to let him know he is absolutely correct.
“Wait a minute. You were with Elizabeth tonight. Where’s Elizabeth? Oh, dear, is she here too? Did anything happen to her?” Mom starts frantically rummaging through her purse to find her phone, more than likely to call Liz’s mom, Ann.
Julien grabs Mom's arm. “She’s fine, Mom. Liz doesn’t drink. I drove her home and she’s fast asleep, safe in her bed. I saw Hailey when I dropped her off.”
“Thank goodness.”
I grab Ry’s attention. “Hey, man. Since Julien and my parents are here, would you mind checking on Liz for me?”
“I can do that.”
