Paul focused his attention on her, with some difficulty, and dragged air into his lungs.She had the no-nonsense, detached vibe of a professional.She left for a moment and returned with a medical bag.She removed a cuff from the bag and wrapped it around his left bicep.He felt the urge to flex, which was ridiculous.His muscles weren’t going to impress her while he wasdying.She squeezed the bulb to expand the cuff.He stared at her pretty face while the cuff tightened.His vision was clear enough.She looked angelic, like a beacon of peace.This didn’t make sense to him.Her personality was more tempestuous than calm, judging by their short acquaintance.Paul wondered vaguely if the drugs had enhanced her beauty.
He studied the other details of her appearance.She was wearing the same outfit he’d seen her in earlier: a green tank top with striped pants and leather sandals.Her skin was honey-smooth, her body lush and inviting.He could see the tan lines, faint but discernible, from the strings that had held her bikini top together.His attention drifted lower, to her breasts, and stayed there.He’d been trying to avoid staring at her chest, because it wasn’t polite, but her forward-leaning position gave him an excellent view of her cleavage.The sight offered a pleasant distraction from his respiratory distress.
“Breathe,” she said again, ripping off the cuff.She modeled deep breaths, her chest rising and falling spectacularly.
Paul attempted to follow her lead.
She attached a device to his finger and used a stethoscope to listen to his heart.He struggled to inhale and exhale in ragged puffs.Thoughts raced around in his brain, untethered, and he couldn’t expand his lungs without a hitch of pain.She continued to model proper breathing, and he gave it his best shot.The pressure in his chest eased a little.
“Your pulse rate is slightly elevated,” she said.“Blood oxygen level is normal.Heartbeat strong and steady.”
Paul blinked in confusion.He didn’t feel normal.“I’m not dying?”
She patted his knee.“You’re not dying.”
“Are you sure?”
“Your vital signs are normal,” she repeated in a soothing tone.“Did you eat food you might be allergic to?”
“No.”
“Did you take any drugs or medications?”
He rubbed a hand over his mouth.“Hmm.”
“Drugs?”When he didn’t answer, she offered a dazzling smile.“I’ve seen it all, Paul.You’d be amazed by what people put in their bodies.”
Her words floated in his mind like puzzle pieces that didn’t fit.It was a chore to process simple statements.Had she asked him if he’d taken drugs?“My brother gave me something.Some kind of gummy.”
“Edible marijuana?”
“Yeah.He said it would help merelax.”
“How many milligrams of THC?”
“I have no idea, but I’m going to kill him.”
She rose to her feet and entered the kitchen.“Have you taken edibles before?”
“No,” he said shortly.His throat was parched, so he reached for his beer and gulped it.He glanced at Emily, who’d apparently become bored with Paul’s fight for life.She’d fallen asleep on the beanbag chair.
“Don’t drink that,” she said.“It has a magnifying effect.”
“Fuck,” he said, putting the bottle down.
She opened his fridge.“Soda or water?”
“Water.”
She brought him a cold water.“Take small sips.”
Paul did.
“Have you smoked pot before?”
“Yes.”
“Do you remember what it was like?”
