Addiction

11

Saturday

"Penny," a familiar voice said. "Penny? God, Penny open your eyes."

I gasped and sat up. The room was so bright. It felt like I was dreaming. I blinked hard as the room came into focus. My head was pounding. I reached up and felt something damp. When I brought my hand down my fingers were covered in blood.

"Penny?"

My eyes focused on Professor Hunter's face. "I thought you weren't talking to me?" I mumbled. I reached up and touched my forehead. "What happened?"

"You fell. Don't you remember?"

"What?" I looked down at Professor Hunter's hand. He was holding a cloth that was covered in blood. Is all that blood from my head?

"Penny, what is the last thing you remember?" He was standing next to me by the bed I was on. He looked concerned.

"I don't know." I felt like I wanted to cry. "You weren't talking to me." I looked around at Professor Hunter's bedroom. "Why am I here? How did I get here?" It had been so long since I had been here. The last time I was in his apartment he had told me to leave.

"I carried you." Professor Hunter looked concerned. "Penny, tell me the last thing you remember."

"I don't know." I started to cry. I felt confused. "I don't know why I'm here. I can't remember. Am I okay?" What is happening to me?

"You're going to be fine. The doctor is on the way." He said it calmly, but he didn't look calm. He lightly pressed the cloth in his hand against my forehead.

I put my hand over my mouth. I was going to throw up. I tried to climb out of bed, but the sudden movement made me dizzy. I started to fall, but Professor Hunter caught me. He kept his arms around me as he set me back down on the bed.

"Penny, stay still. The doctor will be here any second. You're going to be fine," he repeated. He sat down on the bed next to me and rubbed my back.

I immediately threw up down the front of him. He patted my back as I finished vomiting all over his shirt. The taste was horrible. The sight was even worse. "I'm so sorry," I groaned.

"It's okay." He rubbed my back. "It's okay. Stay right there. I'll be right back." Professor Hunter quickly stood up and walked out of the room. When he came back a minute later, he was no longer wearing a shirt and was carrying a bottle of ginger ale. He handed me the bottle.

"Drink this," he instructed. He sat down next to me.

"I'm so sorry," I repeated.

"Please stop apologizing. All of this is my fault." He suddenly looked angry. "Where the hell is he? He should have been here by now."

I reached up and grabbed Professor Hunter's chin. I turned his face to me. "You're hurt."

"I'm fine, baby. I'm fine." He took my hand and kissed my palm. He stroked his thumb against my palm as he brought it to his lap.

"No." His lip was cut and there was a bruise forming around his eye. Tears started to stream down my cheeks again. He was hurt, yet here he was taking care of me.

"You should see the other guy." Professor Hunter gave me a weak smile.

"Was this my fault?"

Professor Hunter continued to rub his thumb against my palm. "No. It's mine."

A buzz sounded through the apartment. "Finally." Professor Hunter stood up. "Don't move." He disappeared from the room.

I heard the elevator doors ding open and then hushed voices. I tried to concentrate on their words.

"She just threw up," Professor Hunter said.

"Has she been drinking?" said the stranger.

"Yes. But that's not why I'm worried."

"How much?"

"I don't know."

"Let me see her."

"Steven, she fell. She hit her head hard. She's disoriented. She doesn't even remember what happened."

The stranger walked into the room. "Miss Taylor, I'm Doctor Ridge."

"Hello," I said weakly. I couldn't help but realize how much trouble I was in. Doctors had to report underage drinking to the college, didn't they?

"Can you tell me what happened tonight?"

I shook my head.

"How did you hit your head?"

I looked up at Professor Hunter. "I fell?" That's what he had said.

"Do you remember falling?"

"No."

"Have you been drinking?"

"I don't...I don't know." I swallowed hard. My head was fuzzy like I was buzzed. "Yes. I think so."

"How much alcohol have you consumed?"

"I don't know. I don't remember." My eyes were growing watery again. His tone was so accusatory.

He walked around the bed and put down a bag on the floor. He unzipped it and held up some sort of small flash light to my eyes. "Follow the light with your eyes," he instructed.

I did as best I could.

"Please stand for me."

I slid off the bed and onto my feet. But my legs were wobbly. I felt dizzy. Doctor Ridge put his hands on my arms and helped me back onto the bed.

"You have a concussion. Sit back for me."

I leaned against the pillows behind me. He grabbed something else from his bag and blotted my forehead. It stung.

"You need stitches."

"Shouldn't I go to a hospital?"

"I'll fix you up better than any emergency room doctor at this hour. Close your eyes. This is going to sting, but then you won't be able to feel anything."

Professor Hunter climbed on the bed beside me and grabbed my hand.

Before I closed my eyes I saw Dr. Ridge pull a syringe out of his bag. Holy s**t. I squeezed Professor Hunter's hand. I felt the pinch of the needle in my forehead and a few moments later the pain was gone.

"Keep your eyes closed, Penny," Professor Hunter said. He stroked my palm with his thumb. I squeezed my eyes shut. Professor Hunter's voice was soothing. And his fingers rubbing against my palm made me relax. I kept my eyes shut until the doctor told me he was done.

"Take it easy for a few days," he instructed.

"Thank you," I murmured.

Dr. Ridge nodded and gave me a small smile. Professor Hunter walked him out of the room.

"What about her memory?" James asked as soon as they were out of the room. I closed my eyes and listened.

"She's just in shock. She should be fine in the morning. Call me if she's still having trouble with her memory."

"Thank you for coming out, Steven."

"Did you want to tell me what happened tonight?"

"A sequence of unfortunate events is all."

"I see. How old is she?"

"Old enough." Professor Hunter sounded defensive.

"Does Isabella know?"

Professor Hunter didn't answer. Or at least, I couldn't hear his answer. I bit my lip.

"Put some ice on that eye, James."