Patch reappeared and handed a shirt to me. “I had an extra in my locker. It’s clean, but it might be a little snug.”
“Thanks, man,” I said and quickly removed my cut so I could pull his shirt over my head. When I slipped my cut back over my shoulders, I looked up and caught Presley staring at me. As soon as I made eye contact with her, she turned away and focused on her daughter. I briefly wondered what she was looking at, but ultimately assumed she was looking at my tattoos and didn’t think anything else of it.
“Hello,” Claudia said. “I’m going to get their IV fluids started.”
“Can you stay with Ariel for just a minute?” Presley asked. “I’ll be right back.”
“Of course,” she said.
Presley grabbed my arm and pulled me to the other side of the curtain before I could process what was happening. Then she grabbed the hem of my shirt and yanked it up my torso.
“What are you doing?” I asked and flinched when her hand touched my skin.
“I’m so sorry. Let me get you some ice.”
I looked down at my chest in confusion. When she moved her hand, I saw the red mark it had been covering.
“Presley,” I said softly. “You didn’t hurt me.”
“You flinched.”
“Because your hands are fucking freezing.”
“Oh,” she said and clasped her hands together. “I get that a lot.”
“Listen, I’ll admit you scared the hell out of me, but you didn’t hurt me. I have no doubt that you would have if Patch hadn’t stopped you, but as it is, I’m fine.”
“I’m really sorry. I saw your shirt on her, and I just reacted,” she said, covering her face with her hands. “She’s my whole world.”
At the sound of her first sob, I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her. “Get it out now so you can go back in there and be strong for your girl.”
After several heart-wrenching moments, she stepped back and wiped her eyes. Like a soldier reporting for duty, she straightened her shoulders and nodded once. “Thank you.” Then she turned and went back to her daughter’s side, taking a little piece of my heart with her.
“All right,” Gabby announced. “I’m going to start giving the reversal agent.”
“Narcan?” Presley asked.
“Oh, sorry, Presley. I just realized you weren’t here for that part. Yes, Narcan, O2, and IV fluids.”
Presley nodded in a way that made me think she agreed with what Gabby said.
We waited in silence as several minutes passed. “Well, I think it’s safe to rule out opioids,” Patch said.
“Agreed,” Gabby said.
“What now?” Annabelle asked.
“Just like with Falcon, we wait,” Ember sighed.
“Falcon?” Presley asked.
“My son, Falcon, was drugged at a party a year or so ago,” Ember said and shook her head. “I realize you don’t know much about me other than both my children have been drugged at parties, but please don’t judge me.”
“I only have the one, so if we’re going by percentages, we’re both at one hundred percent,” Presley said.
“How old is she?” Annabelle asked.
“She’s seventeen—” Presley said and paused when a nurse entered the room.
