Kiss Me if You Can — Chapter 20

IT WAS A MEDICATION OVERDOSE.

AN OVERDOSE?

I CALLED NAOMI JUST TO BE SURE.

APPARENTLY, HE SUDDENLY SPACED OUT DURING FILMING AND COULDN'T SNAP OUT OF IT.

EITHER WAY, PLEASE BE EXTRA CAUTIOUS AND KEEP THIS UNDER WRAPS.

AVOID MENTIONING ANYTHING PERTAINING TO MEDS ON SET.

MR. MILLER HAS REGAINED CONSCIOUSNESS.

AH, EVERYONE, THIS IS MR. MILLER'S PHYSICIAN, NORMAN STEWARD.

MR. STEWARD, THIS IS THE NEW SECURITY TEAM.

RELAX, EVERYONE.

THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO CHANCE OF ANYTHING BAD HAPPENING HERE.

IS MR. MILLER OKAY?

IF HE WEREN'T A DOMINANT ALPHA, HE WOULD'VE DIED TEN TIMES OVER BY NOW.

HE'S ALWAYS HAD TO TAKE A TON OF MEDICATIONS, SO I HAD WARNED HIM ABOUT THIS BEFORE.

THIS WAS BOUND TO HAPPEN SOONER OR LATER.

WE STILL NEED TO RUN SOME TESTS, BUT WE’LL END UP EITHER REDUCING HIS DOSAGE OR CHANGING HIS PRESCRIPTION.

BY THE WAY, IS EVERYONE ON YOUR SECURITY TEAM AN ALPHA, OR ARE THEY BETAS?

SOME ARE ALPHAS, SOME ARE BETAS.

ANY GAMMAS? OMEGAS?

NONE.

MUST BE TOUGH FOR YOU ALL, THEN.

WELL THEN, I’LL GO BACK TO TREATING MR. MILLER NOW.

LAURA, WOULD YOU SHOW THEM TO THE LOUNGE?

YES, MR. STEWARD.

EVERYONE, FOLLOW ME.

SOMETHING ABOUT THAT DOCTOR IS OFF...

I HAD A BAD FEELING THE MOMENT THE SECRETARY MENTIONED HIS MEDICATION BEFORE THE SHOOT.

AN OVERDOSE? REALLY?

SERIOUSLY, JUST HOW MANY PILLS DID HE POP?

WHERE'D YOU GET THAT CHOCOLATE?

A NURSE CAME IN EARLIER AND LEFT IT.

THIS STUFF'S RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE.

ONE PIECE GOES FOR $2.99. CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?

THESE ARE THAT EXPENSIVE?

LOOKS LIKE ANY OTHER CHOCOLATE TO ME...

DO YOU WANT ONE, JOSH?

UH, NO, I'M GOOD.

I'LL HAVE IT, THEN.

YOU SHOULD STOP EATING SO MUCH.

I SHOULD'VE STEPPED IN THE MOMENT I NOTICED HE WAS ACTING STRANGE.

IT WAS BETTER WHEN I COULD JUST ASSUME THAT HE WAS LIVING PERFECTLY FINE.

WHAT HAVE I GOTTEN MYSELF INTO...?

Doctor's Office

SHALL WE BEGIN THE CHECKUP NOW?

YOU ALREADY HAVE A ROUGH IDEA OF WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, RIGHT?

IT'LL BE THE SAME AS ALWAYS.

...I KNOW.

GRAYSON SAID BLISS WENT TO ENGLAND.

IT WAS TO PROTECT HIS BELOVED YOUNGEST SON, SO I GUESS HE FELT THAT HE HAD NO OTHER CHOICE.

CAN'T HAVE BROTHERS RAPING EACH OTHER, AFTER ALL.

BEING BORN A DOMINANT OMEGA AMONG DOMINANT ALPHAS...

HE'S BEEN THROUGH THINGS HE SHOULDN'T HAVE HAD TO. KIND OF PITIFUL, REALLY.

DON'T SAY CRAP YOU DON'T MEAN.

DEEP DOWN, YOU WANT THAT TO HAPPEN TO HIM, DON'T YOU?

TO YOU, THAT KID'S JUST ANOTHER LAB RAT.

YOU'D BE OVER THE MOON IF ONE OF US HAD ACTUALLY RAPED HIM.

YOU MIGHT SEE IT THAT WAY,

BUT I REALLY DO WANT TO HELP.

BOTH YOU AND BLISS.

EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE YOUR SUSPICIONS, I KNOW YOU COME TO ME BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE.

GRAYSON ALSO TOLD ME

THAT YOU HATE DOGS AND WOULD RATHER HAVE A BIRD.

DO YOU HATE ALL ANIMALS?

DO I HAVE TO ANSWER THAT?

NO, I WAS JUST CURIOUS.

UNTIL THE TEST RESULTS COME BACK, I'LL GIVE YOU A TEMPORARY PRESCRIPTION.

YOU'LL FEEL MORE OUT OF IT THAN USUAL TODAY.

IT'LL TAKE A WHILE FOR YOUR BODY TO GET USED TO THE NEW MEDICATION.

IT SHOULDN'T CAUSE MEMORY LOSS, BUT YOUR HEAD MIGHT FEEL A BIT FOGGY, SO BE CAREFUL.

LOOKS LIKE EVERYONE'S BEEN WAITING.

HERE'S THE NEW AND IMPROVED CHASE MILLER.

BECAUSE HE'S ON NEW MEDS, HE MIGHT NOT FEEL WELL FOR ABOUT A DAY.

HE MAY ZONE OUT, REACT MORE SLOWLY THAN USUAL, OR LOOK SLEEPY.

HE SHOULDN'T SUFFER ANY MEMORY LOSS, THOUGH.

SO, IF SOMETHING TRAUMATIC WERE TO HAPPEN TO HIM WHILE HE'S IN THIS STATE, HE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO REACT QUICKLY,

BUT THE TERRIFYING MEMORY WOULD STAY WITH HIM.

WHAT? IS THAT TRUE?

HE'LL BE CONSCIOUS BUT UNABLE TO REACT?

IT'S LIKE BEING TRAPPED IN A WAKING NIGHTMARE.

DOMINANT ALPHA BRAINS ARE FASCINATING.

...HUH?

JUST THE OPINION OF A DOCTOR AND RESEARCHER.

BY THE WAY, WHAT ROUTE ARE YOU TAKING TO GET BACK? ROUTE 24?

YES, IT'S ABOUT A THREE-HOUR DRIVE.

I SEE. I HEARD COYOTES SHOW UP ALONG THAT ROAD OFTEN.

WELL, WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH US?

RIGHT, IT'S OF NO IMPORTANCE TO YOU.

HAVE A SAFE TRIP.

A WILDFIRE HAS BROKEN OUT IN THE MOUNTAINS NORTH OF ROUTE 24.

FM 96.01

DRIVERS ARE ADVISED TO EXERCISE CAUTION.

ANOTHER WILDFIRE?

LOOKS LIKE WE'LL HAVE TO TAKE A DETOUR.

THERE HASN'T BEEN A SINGLE DAY WITHOUT ONE LATELY.

ALL WE CAN DO IS CHANGE OUR ROUTE.

YES, UNDERSTOOD.

MARK, I THINK THERE'S BEEN AN ACCIDENT AHEAD.

SOMEONE'S OUT ON THE ROAD.

JUST IGNORE THEM AND CALL 911.

I WOULD, BUT THEIR CAR'S BLOCKING THE ROAD.

WE'D ONLY GET PAST THEM IF WE RAMMED RIGHT THROUGH.

THERE'S NO CHOICE, THEN. LET'S STOP AND HELP CLEAR IT.

SETH, GET OUT AND ASSESS THE SITUATION.

WHAT SEEMS TO BE THE PROBLEM?

OUR CAR SUDDENLY BROKE DOWN.

COULD YOU GIVE US A HAND?

JOSH, WHAT'S UP WITH THAT CAR JUST AHEAD?

SOME COUPLE IS BLOCKING THE ROAD. THEY SAID THEIR CAR BROKE DOWN.

IS THAT SO? NOTHING ELSE UNUSUAL?

...SOMETHING'S OFF. WHY DOES THIS FEEL SO WRONG?

THERE'S THE CAR BLOCKING THE ROAD, THE STRANDED WOMAN,

THE MAN-WHO HASN'T SAID A WORD TO US-FIXING IT,

AND THE TRUCK THAT'S PARKED JUST A BIT TOO CLOSE...!

SETH!!

GET IN THE CAR! NOW!!