Off Limits

by Jules Barnard

  “Thanks. I’ll probably take you up on that…” Leo’s voice dies at the end of the sentence.

  I follow his gaze to a pale, slender guy with chunky black hair standing next to Leo’s car, his hip propped against the door.

  Leo frowns as we approach. “Brad? What are you doing here?”

  “Needed a ride home. You mind?” Brad’s gaze slides to me, his lips quirking at the corners.

  Leo darts an unsteady glance my way. I shrug and Leo unlocks the doors. “Sure.”

  “Cool,” Brad says. “Let’s grab a bite first, though.”

  The café is located on the other side of campus, so Leo drives over and parks in the lot nearby.

  I skipped dinner and this gives me a chance to grab some food for Jaeger and me, and maybe pick something up for the morning. Jaeger has to leave early again tomorrow and Leo agreed to give me a ride to work, which is pretty big of him.

  Leo works at a restaurant during the day and says giving me a ride is no big deal, but I feel I owe him. He’s really helped me get around town these last few weeks, and I hope he does take me up on the offer to help with school.

  Gen’s still working nights at the casino, and I don’t trust her behind a wheel at seven a.m. under normal conditions, let alone after only a couple hours of sleep. And though we’ve talked, Tyler’s been reclusive since my mom’s surprise visit. He’s been staying with a friend the last couple of nights.

  I have not mentioned my carpool arrangements for tomorrow to Jaeger. He’ll be gone by the time I leave, and I think he assumes Gen’s taking me to work. I didn’t correct him. I’m worried he’ll bring up the car thing, and it still embarrasses me. I’d just as soon not discuss that I can’t afford a vehicle. And bumming a ride from Leo is preferable to taking the bus.

  Leo, Brad, and I are at the campus café, when Brad holds the cooler door open for me. I’ve been staring inside at the drinks for the last minute, trying to decide what I want. “What can I get you, Cali?”

  It’s late and it’s been a long day. A little extravagance is in order. “Chocolate milk, please.”

  “You got it.” He grabs the milk, along with a sandwich, bottled water, and a soft drink he hands to Leo, then walks to the counter. He pays for all of it before I can say anything.

  Okay—that was nice. He didn’t have to do that. I offer him money for the chocolate milk, but he shakes his head.

  I grab a muffin and some other items, and set them on the counter to pay. By the time I return home around ten, Jaeger’s passed out in his clothes on top of the air mattress, his breathing steady and deep. He managed to remove his shoes, so I don’t bother waking him. I wash up, pull on nightclothes, and crawl under the covers next to him.

  When I wake the next morning, Jaeger is gone.

  I’m bummed.

  The legalities of getting Kate out of his house and keeping up with his workload are taking up all of his time. I pull out my phone and text him.

  Cali: Missed you this morning.

  He responds almost immediately.

  Jaeger: I snuggled you when I woke, but you were passed out. Crushed my ego to have my kisses swatted away like a fly. I expect recompense this evening, and ego-stroking. Other stroking acceptable as payment as well :)

  Cali: Stroking to commence this evening. Don’t pass out this time before I get home!

  An hour later, I’m showered and eating the last bite of my muffin when Leo’s car pulls into the driveway. Brad is in the passenger seat. Did he say he was coming too?

  I lock the front door and walk over. Leo holds up his hand in a brief wave, and Brad tracks my progress to the car.

  “Morning.” I close the door and buckle my seatbelt.

  Brad reaches back, holding out a Starbucks cup. “Mocha. I noticed you like chocolate last night.”

  Not as much as I like lattes in the morning, but I don’t kick chocolate out of bed. Ever. “Thanks,” I say. “What do I owe you?”

  “On me,” Brad says.

  I glance at Leo, who’s watching the exchange through the rearview mirror. He looks away nervously and reverses down the drive.

  “Brad, you sure you don’t want me to take you straight there?” Leo asks.

  “No, I’m good.” Brad taps a happy tune on the window with his finger. “It’s right by her work. I can walk from there.”

  So Leo’s giving Brad a ride as well. He’s way too nice. I’ve got to at least offer Leo gas money the next time we’re alone.

  Savoring the chocolatey goodness of my mocha, I glance out the window at the businesses on Stateline Boulevard, taking one sip for every name or title we pass with the word chalet in it. By the time Leo drops me off in the parking lot, I’ve polished off my mocha and have an extra bounce in my step from the sugar/caffeine combo.

  A warm sensation runs through me as I enter the front doors. Leftover euphoria from my delightful mocha?

  I’m happy. I mean, really happy. It’s my job, or Jaeger, I don’t know which, but I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy in my life. The world is a wonderful place.

  I greet our receptionist, and my smile freezes on my face. Something isn’t right. My steps falter after I pass her desk, a mind-numbing pain shooting through my skull.

  I pause at the entrance to my office, a spasm of cramps bisecting my midsection, nausea rocking me. I pinch my lips together and grip the doorframe, taking deep breaths. Sweat breaks out over my forehead.

  Turning slowly, I look around. Going to be sick. Bathroom… Black dots wink in my vision. Can’t think—

  The scent of vomit singes my nose.

  I’m choking and gagging. Choking on my vomit.

  Frantic voices clamor above me.

  I open my eyes, then shut them. I don’t know where I am. Why am I on the ground?

  “What has she eaten? Does she take prescription or illegal drugs?” a deep voice asks.

  “Is this her purse?”

  “Percocet.”

  “Percocet? What’s—” This from a high-pitched voice.

  Someone wipes my mouth. A mask goes over my nose and chin. Strong hands lift me.

  I open my eyes again, and this time, an image comes into focus—Lewis watching me from the front door, a look of shock on his face.

  Men with medical patches hover over me. Paramedics? They push me on some moving bed. I’m bumping over the threshold and out the glass doors. I’m at work?

  My chest rattles with each breath, my heart swooshing slowly in my ears. My head is too heavy. I close my eyes and rest.

  Moments later, I hear, “Calista? Calista, can you open your eyes?”

  The voice is male, but not one I recognize. I open my eyes and the vision in front of me isn’t blurry this time. It’s a man in a white coat. A doctor. I move to sit up.

  “Please lie still while I ask you a few questions.”

  The doctor leans over me and flashes a light in my eyes. “They’re no longer pinpoint,” he dictates to someone over his shoulder, then returns his attention to me.

  “Calista,” he says loudly, as if I’m hearing impaired. I want to tell him he doesn’t need to shout, but my mouth is dry and my chest hurts. I still can’t breathe well, and there are popping sounds coming from my chest. “I’m Dr. Gregger. I’ve just given you Narcan to counteract the opiates in your system. The paramedics said they found Percocet in your purse when they searched for prescription and allergy information. Have you ever used Percocet before?”

  I shake my head.

  “Were you given a prescription by a physician?”

  Another negative head shake. I’ve never heard of Percocet. I have no idea what he’s talking about.

  A round of phlegmy, body-rattling coughs steals my breath. I’m gasping. The doctor rattles off orders to someone in the room.

  “Calista,” he says to me, “the paramedics believe you aspirated when you passed out. We’re going to do a chest X-ray.”

  What seems like only minutes later, but that I suspect i
s much longer, I’m being admitted into the ICU. My chest X-ray showed pneumonia.

  I must have dozed again, because the next time I open my eyes, there’s a warm pressure on my hand. Jaeger’s beside me, his large fingers wrapped firmly around mine, his head bowed as if he’s praying. My mom is at the end of the bed, her hand gripping my foot.

  “Mom? Why are you holding on to my foot?” My mouth is sluggish. I sound like a lush.

  Mom blinks as if startled. She’s been staring silently at me for the past minute. “Calista.” She rises and crosses to my side. She kisses my forehead and runs a cool hand down the side of my face, which feels hot in comparison. “You’ve been in and out with a fever. I wasn’t sure if you were really awake this time.”

  Jaeger watches my face now, his breathing shaky, as if some deep emotion has taken hold.

  “What happened?” I swallow, a slightly inflamed sensation in my throat.

  Mom glances at Jaeger, then back to me. “You passed out. Your coworkers called nine-one-one, but you got sick and breathed it in.”

  I glance at Jaeger. I might be embarrassed by some of this if I didn’t feel like such a train wreck.

  “They’ve put you on powerful antibiotics, but your lungs…” My mom’s lips pinch together, then she bites the top one. “You need rest, honey.” She pats my hand. “Lots of rest for your body to heal.”

  “But Mom, what happened?” I think back to this morning. “I ate a muffin and had a mocha. I felt fine until I walked into work. Then… I don’t remember.”

  “They discovered”—her voice catches—“oxycodone in your system—Percocet. They found more pills in your purse.”

  I process her words. The doctor mentioned that too. “What’s Percocet? I didn’t have anything in my purse.”

  She lets out a choked, quaking breath. “Cali, why are you taking drugs? All the stories I told you about the casinos, how drugs and alcohol ruin lives—” She shakes her head. Tears streak her cheeks. “I just never thought you’d do it. Never thought you’d get caught up in that mess.” Her voice cracks the way it does when she’s emotional or has just woken up.

  God, I hate that croaky voice. It means my mom’s seriously upset or seriously tired. Neither makes me feel good.

  “Mom, I don’t do drugs.” Okay, that’s a lie. “I smoked pot a couple of times in college,” I correct. “That’s it. I don’t know why they found that stuff in my purse, but it’s not mine.”

  “Honey, the doctors ran blood tests. You had remnants of the drug in your system. And that wasn’t the only one. They found ecstasy as well.”

  “What?” I try to sit up, but think better of it when my arms collapse.

  “I don’t understand,” she says. “Were you experimenting?”

  “No.” The strangeness of this morning fills my head. I was happy because of Jaeger and our little text exchange, and then really happy after I drank that mocha.

  The one Brad gave me.

  Why was Brad there, again? He’s a strange guy. And he gave me the drink. Leo said his roommate was into stuff—

  “Mom, it wasn’t me. Look, this morning I got a ride from Leo.”

  “Yesterday morning.”

  “Yesterday?”

  “You’ve been in the ICU for twenty-four hours,” she says.

  I lost an entire day? God, this is crazy. “Mom, check with Leo. Maybe he knows something. His roommate Brad was there and he wasn’t supposed to be. He gave me the mocha. I—I think there might have been something in it. Leo’s expression this morning—yesterday morning—and what Leo said about Kate—”

  “What?” The dark voice comes from Jaeger. “How is Kate involved?” On the surface, Jaeger’s question sounds concerned, but the edge is threatening, as if he’d like nothing more than to have another reason to wring Kate’s neck.

  “Leo said he’s seen Kate at parties that his roommate has thrown. He said his roommate was into stuff, but he didn’t explain. I honestly didn’t care at the time. But what if he was referring to drugs? Kate’s boyfriend is involved in that stuff. I don’t know why Brad would put something in my drink, but he wasn’t supposed to be there yesterday. Do you know what I’m saying?” At the moment, I can’t tell if anything coming out of my mouth is making sense. My head is not exactly sharp.

  The lines around Jaeger’s mouth turn white. “What is Leo’s number? His full name?”

  I direct Jaeger to my purse, which the hospital placed beside my bed. He finds my phone and Leo’s number. He seems reluctant to leave, and kisses my forehead. “I’ll just go outside for a minute to make the call.”

  I nod and he walks out the door.

  Mom takes his seat. “That boy’s been sitting here since I arrived. I was at the end of the bed because there was no room beside you. Didn’t have the heart to ask him to move.”

  She’s right. There’s a screen and no chairs on my right. Jaeger had the only spot for visitors.

  “Don’t be fooled by his overgrown size,” she says. “He was terrified. We all were. The doctor said he was optimistic. That with your general health you’d recover, but until you woke, I didn’t know, honey. I didn’t know.” Her head dips, mouth pressed to our clasped hands. Her shoulders rise and fall on quiet sobs.

  This is all so crazy. One minute everything was fine and seemingly working out, the next, all hell has broken loose.

  Tyler walks in with paper coffee cups in his hands. Surprise crosses his features, his shoulders dropping as if a great weight has been released.

  He comes around the bed and sets the cups on the table beside it. Without a word, he bends over and hugs me, his arm shaking where it rests along my neck.

  He pulls away and draws in a breath through his nose. “What’s up, Calzone? Glad you’re feeling better.”

  Jaeger returns a second later, followed by a police officer. “Someone notified the police.” His voice is stiff, angry. “The police went to your work and traced you to the hospital.”

  Went to my work? For what? I smile wearily at the officer, and Jaeger looks ready to rip the guy’s head off.

  The officer asks me some questions, and I tell him everything I know, which is essentially not helpful. No, I didn’t take Percocet. I don’t do drugs, nor do I keep a stash in my purse—apparently, the paramedics who arrived at the scene found ecstasy and Percocet in a side pocket of my purse when they searched for allergy records and prescriptions. No, I tell him, I don’t know why anyone, including Leo and his roommate Brad, would give me drugs without my knowledge.

  The officer leaves, saying he’ll make inquiries, but his tone is flat, as if he thinks it’s a waste of time.

  He doesn’t believe me.

  I’m still processing this and what it means when Gen rushes through the door to my hospital room in her sweat pants, a tank top—probably sans bra, given it’s the one she wears to bed—and a light cropped sweatshirt. Her hair shows signs of bedhead and she’s not wearing makeup, meaning lip balm. She has clearly come straight from bed.

  “You’re awake,” she says on a sigh of relief. Lewis follows her into the room, and my mom and brother exit to make space.

  What is going on with Gen and Lewis? Why would he come here with her?

  Oh, God. I fainted at work. Lewis must have told Gen. The entire office must know what happened. Am I going to lose my job because of the drugs they found? Dammit! I just got that job and I really like working for Sallee Construction.

  Why would someone do this to me? I can’t believe Leo would hurt me. That leaves Brad, the generous, somewhat creepy roommate. If the mocha is to blame for how the drugs ended up in my system, he was the one who bought it for me. But Brad barely knows me. What did I ever do to him? Leo said Kate used to go to Brad’s parties…

  I’m so confused, and my head hurts. The blankets of my bed are stifling. I swat Gen’s hands away when she tries to tuck them in.

  “Cali,” she says. “How did you get mixed up in this?”

  Great, apparently everyo
ne believes I’m a druggie. I roll my eyes and defend myself.

  I do it several more times before the hospital decides it’s safe to release me four days later. My fever is gone and my lungs, though not clear, are improving as long as I take it easy in bed.

  But that’s not going to happen, because the police are waiting.

  Jaeger puts a body-lock arm around my waist and exchanges a few heated words with the lead officer, but it’s no use. Aside from the fact that the paramedics found the drugs in my purse, someone called the police anonymously and told them I carried illegal drugs on me. That’s why the police showed up at my office, and later at the hospital.

  No wonder the officer who questioned me didn’t believe me.

  Jaeger, Gen, and my family follow me to the police station, but I’m immediately separated from them, arrested, and strip-searched—most humiliating experience ever—and taken to a holding cell. The space I’m in is empty, with the exception of a bench and a stainless steel toilet bowl. I lie on the hard bench in shock and because I’m exhausted. The popcorn sound coming from my chest has gone away, but my lungs wheeze and feel heavy, and I have a nasty cough. Physically I’ll recover, but then what?

  Aside from reconnecting with Jaeger, I’ve had some messed-up luck returning to my hometown. First Drake blackballed me, making it difficult for me to find a job, and now the drug incident. Only this feels personal—not just some jerk on a power play.

  Someone wanted to screw me over, and they did. My own family and best friend didn’t initially believe me when I told them I hadn’t taken drugs. It didn’t take long to convince them of the truth, but they know and trust me. How will I convince the police that the drugs aren’t mine when all the evidence points to me?

  An officer opens the metal door to my cell several minutes later. “Bail’s been posted. You’re free to go. For now.”

  My mom, Tyler, and Jaeger wait at the front of the police station.

  Jaeger’s the first out of his seat. He pulls me into a tight bear hug and releases me for a moment so I can embrace my family.

  He tucks his arm around my waist, holding much of my weight as we leave the building, all of us uncharacteristically quiet. I should tell Jaeger I’m fine, that I don’t need a crutch, but his strength is welcome because mine fails me. I’ve always thought emotional and financial dependency on a guy led to disaster, but I don’t mind it so much with Jaeger.