Jon woke up every time one of the nurses came in to check Amanda’s vitals. She was sleeping normally and he was informed she was recovering well from the reaction to the drug. She would probably have a sore throat for a day or two, but everything looked good. About seven that morning as Amanda was having breakfast, Jon went to call Richie.
“We’re waiting for the doctor to come in, but it looks like she can go home in a few hours.”
“Thanks great news, man. Give me a little heads up and I’ll come get you both. You don’t have a car there, remember?”
“Will do, Rich…thanks a lot.”
Amanda’s voice was huskier than usual and a bit sore, but otherwise she was feeling much better. Since her head was clearer today, she asked Jon to tell her again what happened.
“Somebody drugged me?” She was more than a little shocked.
“Yeah, and I’m pretty sure I know who it was, but I don’t have proof. Dot and Matt said a woman named Maryann had been supplying them with information from the road, some true, most not. I think she’s the one who confronted you in the bathroom at the party.”
“Oh God! The party! Did anybody see me? I tried to get outside because I just couldn’t breathe and there were reporters out front, so I went out the back.”
“Honey, the only thing you should have done was tell one of us. Other than that, from what I’ve learned about that damn drug, there wasn’t anything else you could have done. You’re allergic to it and that’s what caused most of the problems.”
“I’d really like to get out of here. Could you see when that will be possible, please?”
He kissed her softly. “Be right back.”
~~~
Before he could locate a doctor, his cell rang. It was Dot.
“Hey Dot…what’s up?”
“Drugs, Jon…she takes drugs?”
“Whoa! Hold on one damn minute! Did Maryann call you?”
“Yes and told me that Amanda was doing coke and she saw her!”
“Dot, I’m at the hospital with Amanda right now. She was drugged last night and had an allergic reaction to the drug. I’m pretty damn sure Maryann is the one who did it because she confronted Amanda in the bathroom right before it happened.”
Dot was staggered with this information. “What did you say? Why would she do that? Has she been lying to me all along?”
“I don’t know because I don’t know everything she told you, but she lied to Matt the other night and lied to you about Amanda last night. Those are facts. I have copies of the blood work they did on Amanda. No coke, but she was drugged with a Roofie.”
“I’ve heard of those…and she’s allergic to that?”
“They had to intubate her…she stopped breathing because her throat swelled closed…she almost died…she could have died…” He had to stop talking from the emotions filling him.
“I’m really sorry, Jon. I didn’t really believe it after talking to Amanda myself, but Maryann had been right about things before. Guess I need to learn to stop jumping to conclusions. Is she going to be okay?”
“Yeah, sore throat for a few days from the tube, but she responded to the medications. They should be letting her out today. I’m on my way to find a doctor now.”
“Okay…you do that…Jon, I hope she’s okay and I’m sorry for listening so much to Maryann.”
She hung up the phone, wondering for the first time just how much Maryann had cost her.
~~~
When Jon returned to the room, the doctor was there with Amanda. He turned as the other man came in and repeated his instructions.
“She needs bed rest for the remainder of the day and soft foods for her throat. Tomorrow she can resume normal activities if she feels up to it.” Turning to Amanda he continued. “The chemical compound in that drug was what caused your allergic reaction. Some people get hives and itching, others like you have what’s called an anaphylactic reaction, like people who are severally allergic to bee stings get. Your throat closes and it stops your breathing. Now that you know you have this allergy, you’re going to have to avoid any contact with drugs containing similar compounds.”
Amanda looked at him carefully. “I don’t do drugs, other than necessary prescription medications. I did not take that drug last night.”
“Ms. Matthews I believe you as only someone with a death wish would have taken a drug that caused that kind of allergic reaction. Unfortunately, this is a street drug and it’s not uncommon for someone to get their drink spiked with it.”
He started to walk out of the room. I’ll get someone to disconnect the IV’s and then you can go home.”
Jon shook his hands. “Thanks so much. I’ll take good care of her.” The doctor nodded and left the room.
As they sat there waiting, Jon relayed his conversation with Dot, making sure to stress that Maryann had called her, but Dot did not believe it after meeting Amanda.
“What are you going to do about Maryann, Jon? She seems pretty obsessed with you.”
“I’ll be talking to my lawyer tomorrow to find out the best way to handle the situation. Unfortunately, there’s no proof that she did this or even that she spoke to you in the bathroom as it was just the two of you. But, I’ll tell you something for damn sure, she’s going to be as far away from you and the band operations as possible.”
Within a short time a nurse came in to remove the IV’s and Jon stepped into the hall to call Richie that they needed that ride.
“I can be there in about 30 minutes, that okay?”
“Sounds great, thanks man.”
Amanda had just been informed that her clothes did not survive the emergency care she had been given. She called out to Jon who immediately called Richie back.
“Hey bro’, you didn’t leave yet, did ya?”
“No, almost, what’s up?”
“Amanda needs clothes, hers didn’t make it. Can you bring something of yours for her?”
“No problem, got it covered. See ya in a few.”
Roughly 30 minutes later Richie walked into the room where Jon and Amanda were waiting. He had a bag in his hands and pulled out a very familiar t-shirt and sweatpants for her. When she saw the clothes, she started laughing until the soreness of her throat made her stop.
“Oh my God, Richie, you had to bring THOSE!?”
He grinned his wicked grin at her. “Hey, I knew they fit you.”
“Yeah, right. Bet there’s no underwear again.”
His grin became even more wicked and he waggled eyebrows. “I don’t wear underwear.”
“We’re waiting for the doctor to come in, but it looks like she can go home in a few hours.”
“Thanks great news, man. Give me a little heads up and I’ll come get you both. You don’t have a car there, remember?”
“Will do, Rich…thanks a lot.”
Amanda’s voice was huskier than usual and a bit sore, but otherwise she was feeling much better. Since her head was clearer today, she asked Jon to tell her again what happened.
“Somebody drugged me?” She was more than a little shocked.
“Yeah, and I’m pretty sure I know who it was, but I don’t have proof. Dot and Matt said a woman named Maryann had been supplying them with information from the road, some true, most not. I think she’s the one who confronted you in the bathroom at the party.”
“Oh God! The party! Did anybody see me? I tried to get outside because I just couldn’t breathe and there were reporters out front, so I went out the back.”
“Honey, the only thing you should have done was tell one of us. Other than that, from what I’ve learned about that damn drug, there wasn’t anything else you could have done. You’re allergic to it and that’s what caused most of the problems.”
“I’d really like to get out of here. Could you see when that will be possible, please?”
He kissed her softly. “Be right back.”
~~~
Before he could locate a doctor, his cell rang. It was Dot.
“Hey Dot…what’s up?”
“Drugs, Jon…she takes drugs?”
“Whoa! Hold on one damn minute! Did Maryann call you?”
“Yes and told me that Amanda was doing coke and she saw her!”
“Dot, I’m at the hospital with Amanda right now. She was drugged last night and had an allergic reaction to the drug. I’m pretty damn sure Maryann is the one who did it because she confronted Amanda in the bathroom right before it happened.”
Dot was staggered with this information. “What did you say? Why would she do that? Has she been lying to me all along?”
“I don’t know because I don’t know everything she told you, but she lied to Matt the other night and lied to you about Amanda last night. Those are facts. I have copies of the blood work they did on Amanda. No coke, but she was drugged with a Roofie.”
“I’ve heard of those…and she’s allergic to that?”
“They had to intubate her…she stopped breathing because her throat swelled closed…she almost died…she could have died…” He had to stop talking from the emotions filling him.
“I’m really sorry, Jon. I didn’t really believe it after talking to Amanda myself, but Maryann had been right about things before. Guess I need to learn to stop jumping to conclusions. Is she going to be okay?”
“Yeah, sore throat for a few days from the tube, but she responded to the medications. They should be letting her out today. I’m on my way to find a doctor now.”
“Okay…you do that…Jon, I hope she’s okay and I’m sorry for listening so much to Maryann.”
She hung up the phone, wondering for the first time just how much Maryann had cost her.
~~~
When Jon returned to the room, the doctor was there with Amanda. He turned as the other man came in and repeated his instructions.
“She needs bed rest for the remainder of the day and soft foods for her throat. Tomorrow she can resume normal activities if she feels up to it.” Turning to Amanda he continued. “The chemical compound in that drug was what caused your allergic reaction. Some people get hives and itching, others like you have what’s called an anaphylactic reaction, like people who are severally allergic to bee stings get. Your throat closes and it stops your breathing. Now that you know you have this allergy, you’re going to have to avoid any contact with drugs containing similar compounds.”
Amanda looked at him carefully. “I don’t do drugs, other than necessary prescription medications. I did not take that drug last night.”
“Ms. Matthews I believe you as only someone with a death wish would have taken a drug that caused that kind of allergic reaction. Unfortunately, this is a street drug and it’s not uncommon for someone to get their drink spiked with it.”
He started to walk out of the room. I’ll get someone to disconnect the IV’s and then you can go home.”
Jon shook his hands. “Thanks so much. I’ll take good care of her.” The doctor nodded and left the room.
As they sat there waiting, Jon relayed his conversation with Dot, making sure to stress that Maryann had called her, but Dot did not believe it after meeting Amanda.
“What are you going to do about Maryann, Jon? She seems pretty obsessed with you.”
“I’ll be talking to my lawyer tomorrow to find out the best way to handle the situation. Unfortunately, there’s no proof that she did this or even that she spoke to you in the bathroom as it was just the two of you. But, I’ll tell you something for damn sure, she’s going to be as far away from you and the band operations as possible.”
Within a short time a nurse came in to remove the IV’s and Jon stepped into the hall to call Richie that they needed that ride.
“I can be there in about 30 minutes, that okay?”
“Sounds great, thanks man.”
Amanda had just been informed that her clothes did not survive the emergency care she had been given. She called out to Jon who immediately called Richie back.
“Hey bro’, you didn’t leave yet, did ya?”
“No, almost, what’s up?”
“Amanda needs clothes, hers didn’t make it. Can you bring something of yours for her?”
“No problem, got it covered. See ya in a few.”
Roughly 30 minutes later Richie walked into the room where Jon and Amanda were waiting. He had a bag in his hands and pulled out a very familiar t-shirt and sweatpants for her. When she saw the clothes, she started laughing until the soreness of her throat made her stop.
“Oh my God, Richie, you had to bring THOSE!?”
He grinned his wicked grin at her. “Hey, I knew they fit you.”
“Yeah, right. Bet there’s no underwear again.”
His grin became even more wicked and he waggled eyebrows. “I don’t wear underwear.”
She waved her hand at him to stop as she was getting a stitch in her side from trying to hold in her laughter. Richie left the room as Jon helped her dress. She used a comb he had to try and get some of the tangles out of her hair and was ready when the orderly came in with the customary wheelchair.
Great conversation with Dot and her reflecting on the damage that Maryann may have done over the years. Makes you wonder what else she lied to Dot about...I'm also wondering about how Jon will handle maryann and if ther'll be a confrontation between the two of them? What will she do to retaliate?
And ya gotta love Richie's sense of humor again-he could be a comedian! I love the way you write him so cleverly!
As soon as you wrote that Amanda's clothes didn't survive, I said to myself "bet Richie leaves out the underwear"! LOL
And I agree w/Dorothea, what else did Maryann lie to her about over he years? Would she have sought a divorce if not for Maryann?