For Real? ✅

Chapter 38

TESS

Leah's screams died soon after she was injected the sedative.

I stare in shock at the mayhem surrounding Leah's bed, where the nurses work feverishly around her and the doctors are shouting orders.

I think it's because she had just recovered from being unconscious, only to be sedated again.
Moreover, it felt like the only way to control Leah, especially when she screamed like a raging beast.

Leah's parents look very disturbed to have seen her this way, now keenly observing the doctors' movements. They seem to be very disturbed by the sight of their daughter.

I'm surprised that her parents responded as soon as I'd called them. Maybe Leah was wrong about them and that they did care more about Leah than they did about their jobs.
Or maybe they're just frightened that Leah could end up the same way as Ben.

Really, what matters is that they are here, and they are desperate to know what has happened to their perfect daughter.

Which leaves them to question me as much as possible.
"What happened to Leah?"
"When did you find her?"
"How long has she been like this?"

Luckily, that's when Dr Ray and Dr Scharf call out for me.
"Teresa Heartwood, we'd like a word with you." Dr Ray says, pointing into an office.

"Sure", I reply, walking into the room.

Its a calming place, with sky blue walls and a clean desk. Dr Ray enters, followed by Dr Scharf. I sit on the chair, but they don't. Instead, both of them eye me carefully, before Dr Ray speaks again.

"When you had brought Leah here, we suspected her to be a case of alcohol intoxication. However, judging by her screams, we realise that she has also been through some mental trauma."

I nod to them. Leah had been through an emotional ordeal too.

"We're running her through blood tests, as I suspect that she might have been under drugs. Though, we didn't find any such substances with her when she was brought here", Dr Scharf says.

Drugs? Leah never did drugs, not any that I knew of. Unless...

"Anyways, Dr Scharf here is a psychiatrist, and she'd like to ask you a few questions." Dr Ray explains, nodding towards his colleague.

Dr Scharf sits opposite to me and picks up a pen. Meanwhile, Dr Ray leaves the office to talk to Leah's parents.

"So, what happened, Teresa? Why do you think Leah got drunk in the first place?" Dr Scharf asks, her eyes piercing. She seems like a no-nonsense kind of person.

I explain to her about Leah and Adam's secret relationship, how they wanted to tell everyone today. About how hurt Leah had seemed when Adam was kissing Heather, that she'd gotten herself drunk.

"... I had been searching for five hours when one of my friends called me to tell me that Leah was lying outside her apartment." I end.

"What did Leah look like when you found her?" Dr Scharf questions. I notice that she has made notes of what I'd just told her.

"She was unconscious when I found her. She seemed to look tired, but otherwise unharmed. I didn't find her bleeding or anything." I say.

Dr Scharf nods to me, then continues, "Is there any possibility that Leah may be doing drugs?"

"None that I know of. Although, by nature, Leah is a very emotional person. She was heavily affected by what Adam had done." I reply.

"Yes, that could be it," Dr, Scharf shrugs, then adds, "I don't think that's the case though."

I gawk at her. "What do you mean, doctor?"

"If you noticed, Leah was shouting about something she had done, not what Adam did. She has apparently done something so bad that she had deserved to die. Only she knows what she has done." Dr Scharf explains.

"Leah is not suicidal, at least as far as I know!" I reply indignantly. "I have no idea what she was talking about."

"I know, Teresa." Dr Scharf answers, as though she didn't want me to start shouting.
"I will also be questioning Leah using hypnosis because I feel like she has been through some sort of emotional trauma."

"I guess. She's also been paranoid in the past few days, that she might be murdered, like her cousin Ben was. I don't know exactly how worried she was about it, but I do know that she used to have nightmares." I tell her, thinking of how anything may help her.

"Interesting. Hopefully, this doesn't extend into a case of crime. Thank you, Teresa." Dr Scharf smiles at me, as I leave her office.

"Thank you too," I tell her.

"If it's possible, can I speak with this Adam and the girl who found Leah?" Dr Scharfs calls out as I leave.

"Of course. I let them know." I reply.

Once I'm outside, I watch Leah's parents entering Dr Scharf's office.

I unlock my phone and dial Greyes's number. The caller tone says that her number is switched off.

"That's strange", I think. Greyes never switched off her number, since many of her drug dealings were through phone calls.

I decide to dial Adam's number, hoping that he picks up.
He does.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Adam. It's Teresa." I begin, "You know, that girl who slapped you today?"

"Yeah, I can't forget her slap..." He replies, but I cut him off.

"Yeah, her. Well, she's been hospitalised, and the doctor would like to talk to you about her." I tell him, only to hear him protesting.

"What? Why? I don't know anything about her! Why me?" He complains.

"She's sad because of you, so you'd better come," I tell him, projecting the fact on how he was responsible for this.

I hear Adam talking to someone in the background, "Fine but it's only for you, Waters," He says, before getting back on the line.
"Alright, I'll come. Only because Heather told me to, " He replies.

"Okay, cool. See you." I say.

Adam rudely cuts the call.

I sigh. It's going to be a long, long night.