Side effects may include...

Chapter One

"This drug has way too many side effects for one young man to handle. Don't you think, Brad?" Jezebel asked me, while eyeing a bottle of pills.

Jezebel and I were the only two assistants available for this case. It was one that I hadn't experienced before; an attempted suicide. Jezebel has seen a situation like this one other time, but it wasn't as severe as this. It seemed that the victim had studied all the side effects of the drug before overdosing.

"Yeah. What medication has that many possible issues? Honestly."

"I don't know, Bradley, but this guy did his homework. He marked off all the side effects that wouldn't work on him." Jezebel said, pointing out the small marks next to some of the less threatening side effects.

"Poor kid; driven to madness by peers."

"Do you wanna go check on the victim?"

"Jezebel!"

"What?!?"

"The patients aren't victims. The just were brought to this due to circumstance."

"So...they're a victim of the circumstance?"

"Oh, shut it!"

Jezebel punched my shouder playfully, and led me to room 115. This was where the patient was stationed.

We walked in to see a sight we hadn't expected. The boy who had been unconscious just ten minutes before was looking healthy as can be. He was deeply focused on a book.

He looked up from his book, and a smile curled onto his pale lips.

"Hello. I found this book on the desk. It's one of my favorites. La'Joure..."

"Mademoiselle?" I finished. "Sorry. It's my book. Isn't it such a riveting story?"

Jezebel rolled her eyes and pushed the boy back into a pillow.

"What sort of joke are you trying to pull? You were unconscious, and a minute later, you're perfectly fine! That's uncommon."

The guy brushed his blonde hair from his eyes. Gray eyes struck me. They were stunning.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. I promise you, I just woke up. The book was on the table right besides the bed, so I began reading it...for the fifteenth time..."

Jezebel looked down at her clipboard.

"Look...uh...Jayden, you shouldn't touch other people's property. Anyway, how do you feel. There were a lot of drugs in your system."

Jayden smirked. "Darling, that was the point. I was trying to die a little bit faster."

"Ugh!" Jezebel scoffed. "Bradley, can you deal with him? I honestly am getting frustrated."

I nodded, as she stormed out of the room.

I was alone. Alone with this flirtatious, suicidal guy who looked like he wanted my innocence.

"So...I...uhm..."

"Hey. I'm not as bad as I look."

"I'm just not used to guys my age being in the clinic..."

"It's okay. This place is filled with old bats."

"Is there anyone waiting for you? A mom, or dad?"

"No. My neighbor found me unconscious in my bathtub."

"Bathtub? Why did you attempt self-murder in a bathtub?"

"I wanted to drown myself and die of overdose."

That's when it kicked in. His suicide was attempted while taking a tub, which meant he was naked underneath that blanket.

And I was alone with him.