For Research Purposes | ✔

CHAPTER FOUR

     Calla is fine.

     The ER nurse runs her bloodwork, and the doctor comes in to say they found traces of pseudoephedrine, guaifenesin, and amphetamines in her system on top of the alcohol. He says it casually and Sage can feel his heart like it's sitting in his palm. The doctor must notice the way all the blood has drained from his face because he quickly adds that he's not concerned. He says it looks like she drank something that was mixed with Adderal, Sudafed, and Mucinex.

     "Harmless substances when they aren't being abused," he'd added unhelpfully.

     "Well, she wasn't abusing them," Sage had responded. "She was given it without her knowledge."

     "Right," the doctor said, clearly not caring either way. "Once her IV's finished, she'll be discharged."

     Calla wasn't reckless. He knew that. She'd made a mistake. It was why Sage hadn't called his parents. He'd cover for her this one time.

     So when they come to discharge her a few hours later, he hands over his credit card for the ER bill and doesn't say anything when Calla looks at him curiously. She's still groggy, but she slept through her IV, which seems to have helped with the sleepiness.

     "Did you call mom?" she asks, rubbing at the crook of her elbow where the nurse has just pulled her IV.

     "I didn't," Sage responds as he runs through her discharge paperwork. There's nothing useful in it, just the suggestion of rest and rehydration.

     She reaches out, touching his forearm so he turns to look at her. "Thank you." He nods and she says again, "I mean it, Sage. Thank you."

     He puts a hand on hers. "You scared the shit out of me, Calla."

     "Well I scared the shit out of myself," she says. "I'm so stupid. I should've known they were going to pull something like that. First rule of drinking is never take a drink you didn't watch get made."

     "I'm just glad you called me when you did and nothing worse happened," Sage says. He kind of wants to agree that she was stupid but that's not really helpful. These things happen. He wished they didn't but you can't protect someone from all the bad in the world without protecting them from the good, too. He just hopes this was a lesson learned and she'll be better prepared for college where he won't be able to protect her as easily.

     Once billing is handled, Sage helps Calla out of the hospital and they take a taxi to his apartment. Its nearing five in the morning when they get in. Calla wants to shower so Sage gives her a towel and some clothes and changes for bed while she does.

     "I can take the couch," Calla says when she reenters the room. Her hairs damp and dripping down the back of the grey shirt she's wearing, leaving dark spots.

     Sage gives her a look. "Take the bed," he says grabbing a pillow and bringing it over to his couch. He tosses it at one end and goes to shut the curtains.

     "Okay, but like who has been in these sheets?" Calla says pinching the duvet and pulling it back suspiciously.

     Sage rolls his eyes. "Nobody," he says. "Now go to bed. It's late. Or early. Or both, I guess."

     It was true. Sage hadn't taken someone to bed since the semester had started. His last partner had been in Montauk. An older guy. Ramiel. It'd ended badly and Sage needed a breather from complicated. And most of his free time was consumed in his work, anyway. He had to break up his time between classwork, Olekev's research and his own work. He'd spent the last three years of school prioritizing economics. This summer was the first time he'd invested real time into himself and it'd paid off. It was still paying off.