"My brother?" my voice turns shrill. My father's face flashes in front of my eyes.
"Yes. He was listed as your emergency contact." She appears confused at my outburst.
I rack my brain, trying to remember who else is on the list. Living on the other side of the country, I never put Lilly on it—something I should do ASAP. "Youjustcalled Oli?" I need her to confirm to me that my father is not coming to LA.
"Yes, is there a problem?" Dr. Palmer peers between the other people in the room and me.
"No. I'm sorry." Embarrassment keeps me from facing my friends. I'm acting less than sane. I give her what I'm hoping is a reassuring smile.
"Well, uh, okay then. Would you like your friends to be with you when we go over the lab results?"
"Yes, please." For once, I am not trying to be strong. My eyes gloss over as the realization hits that the one person I need to be here is not. I want Lilly to call Marcus. He's been the one giving me strength. If it is because he pushes me or for a reason I'm not willing to admit to myself…
A finger swipes at the tear trailing down my cheek. "Um, would you guys wait outside?" Lilly addresses Rhys and Ethan, who both cock a brow. "Please?" she pushes more sternly.
Hesitantly, both guys start drudging toward the door. When both are gone, Lilly takes my hand. "Do you want me to call him?"
My heart skips a beat. "How do you—?"
She smiles softly at me. "Babe, how long have we been friends?"
"No, it's fine."
My poor doctor must be beyond confused by our cryptic conversation.
"Are you sure? I can order him here." Lilly shrugs with a smirk.
I shake my head and face Dr. Palmer. "What do the results say?"
She peers at the folder in her hand. "The urine and blood sample both showed a low dose of Flunitrazepam in your system. It wasn't as much as we normally find in sexual assault victims, which explains why you were able to call for help and were in and out of consciousness."
Marcus's face flashes in front of my inner eye, him stroking my cheek and holding my hand.Of course I came.He stated it with such confidence that it makes me want to believe he's moved past his hatred.
"Isn't it odd that someone would drug her and then leave her alone? I mean, if someone tried to, uh…you know…" Lilly doesn't finish her sentence, but Dr. Palmer and I both understand what she indicates.
"I'm going to be blunt with you. This is a unique situation. I usually don't get these types of test results unless there has been at least an attempt of physical assault. Could this have been someone playing a terrible prank on you?"
A prank? A tremble spreads through my limbs.
"I wouldn't know who." I glance at Lilly, following the twitch in her arm to her fingers flicking against her thumb.What is she not saying?
"Well, okay. You will have to give your statement to the police later. They have been notified, and someone will come by before you are released tomorrow."
"Tomorrow? Why can't I go home today?" I don't want to stay here.
"You need fluids, and we need to keep you under observation." Dr. Palmer's calm voice does the opposite of soothing me. I hate hospitals. They remind me of— My chest feels too tight, and my gaze darts around the room.
"D, calm down. You'll be okay. You won't be alone." Lilly takes both my hands in hers, and I focus on her face. The crease between her brows will cause a permanent wrinkle. I inhale slowly through my nose and hold my breath before expelling it, repeating the motion.
"Would you like me to get the nurse to give you something to relax?" My eyes fly to my doctor.
"NO!"
She jumps back, and I wince. Now she's going to give you something to calm your ass down.
"She'll be okay. It's just a lot. I think rest will be all D needs," Lilly interjects herself, and suddenly, she's in mom-slash-business mode. Sometimes I'm still surprised by the different faces she has mastered and taken on over the years. It all seems to come naturally to her. But things are never how they appear from the outside. I'm the best example of that.
The woman in scrubs studies us for a moment too long before nodding. "Don't hesitate to call for a nurse. I will leave a prescription with them, just in case. I will check on you before my shift ends, and the night nurse will take your vitals in a bit." She squeezes my forearm before leaving the room.