Chapter 1 – Home for Christmas

Jessica:

College has been challenging, new, exciting, fun but most of all exhausting. I have been having trouble keeping up with assignments, especially the papers that I have to write. I've gotten myself in a little bit of trouble by attending too many college parties. I don't drink at the parties, well, maybe a little, but after the last time I got in trouble back home with Dr. Cullen, I try to stay away from alcohol. My problem is I stay too late at the parties and then I am too tired to work on my papers that are due. I have an English Lit paper due by the time I get back to college after the Christmas break, but I have barely started on it.

I met up with Angela and Mike and we are taking the train home to Forks for our Christmas break. It was good to see them again. Mike and I attend the same college, so I see him now and then. He has been at the parties too. I don't know how far behind he is, but I am really lacking. I am working on my paper on my laptop on the way home. I have to at least get started. I never had this problem before, but being on my own for the first time, I have let my usually excellent study habits go awry. One thing that does help are the power drinks with the jolt of caffeine in them and I also have been taking 'NoDoz' to help keep me up, along with coffee and anything else with caffeine. I have to do something.

"What are you working on, Jess?" Angela asked me.

"My English Lit paper, I have to start it. It's due when I get back," I explained.

"You never let your papers go like that? What happened?" Angela asked again.

"I know, but I have been going to a few parties and I stayed too late and now I am behind. I was too exhausted to work on them back at the dorm." I informed her.

"A few parties, she goes to as many as she is invited to," Mike interjected.

"Oh hush, Mike! You go to the same ones," I pointed out.

"Not like you do Jess! You're like the life of the parties on campus! She barely drinks, but she is usually strung out on caffeine products and she can dance, talk, play games, you name it, endlessly," Mike said.

"Jess, you better be careful with those caffeine products, you could get sick or something," Angela warned.

"Oh Angela, don't worry about it, I'm fine," I told her getting back to my paper.

We finally arrived in town and our parents were at the train station to greet us. We all made plans to meet up again soon before we have to head back. I wanted to get home and relax a little. Upon arriving at home, I entered our house and nothing had changed. It was the same as when I left it. I went to my all too familiar room and threw my stuff on the bed. I got my clothes out and threw them in the washer. It's so nice to have the washer and dryer right at your fingertips. I'll never complain about having to do laundry again at home. I went back to my room and collapsed on the bed. I soon drifted off to sleep.

A few days later, Angela was coming over to my house to spend the night. My parents were going out to dinner, a movie and late nite cap with some friends. They would not be home until late into the night. I was excited to see Angela again. We thought of calling Bella over, but since she is now married, we didn't know how that would go. So for now we are keeping it just us. I was still working on my paper. I hadn't touched it since I got home. I decided to take a few "NoDoz" and an energy shot to keep myself alert and give me a push start. My parents had already left and I was waiting for Angela. I began working and got one whole page done. I started to lose interest so I decided to take another energy shot and was drinking a diet soda. I was hoping the energy shot would kick in soon. I heard the doorbell ring. Good, that means Angela is here.

I answered the door and Angela was her usual happy self. We got settled onto the couch and started talking and going over old times. She was telling me about her adventures in college. She was a good student too. We were comparing the two different colleges and all the term papers that are expected. I started explaining mine and then we got talking about something else.

"Jess, are you alright?" Angela asked me.

"Yeah, sure, why?" I replied.

"You're talking awful fast and your eyes seem like they are ready to pop out and you are shaking a little," Angela said.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I just took an energy shot to get me going on my report. You know how it is with these reports, they just keep coming and coming and coming until you are practically buried in them. These professors must stay up nights thinking of more things for us to write about. I for one am sick of them, I wish they would have us do something else. You want a soda? I have fallen behind with this report so I have to get cranking on it. Are you sure you don't want a coffee or a soda? I need to get this one done before I get back to school. Want some popcorn or something?…"

"Ah, Jess, you are talking a mile a minute. How about you sit on the couch and calm down. You don't look so good," Angela said.

"Oh I'm okay, just a little hyper with this report and all…" Jessica chattered.

"A little hyper! You're like in fast motion! You better stop taking that stuff," Angela said.

"I'm fine, what do you want to do now?" Jess asked.

"What do you mean do now? You said you were working on your report?" Angela said.

"What report? I want to party and eat. Let's call Mike and go get something to eat," Jess said.

"Yeah, I think I'll call Mike," Angela said. Getting her phone out, Angela called Mike and asked him to come over. He arrived in no time flat. Angela opened the door. By this time, Jessica was like an out of control robot talking and getting up, sitting down, losing her trend of thought, etc.

"Wow, this is worse than at school," Mike said. "She really went overboard this time. I told her to stop taking that stuff. It can't be good for her. She takes this stuff and forgets to eat and then she gets all hyper like this. I've never seen it this bad."

"I'm worried, she's not making sense with some of the things she is saying. I think we should take her to the hospital." Angela suggested.

"Hospital? Me? What for? I'm fine, besides, I don't want to run into Dr. Cullen. He wouldn't like that I took an energy drink. That would be suicide to go to the hospital and have him take care of me, he would be mad and I would get in trouble…" Jessica said, going on and on.

Mike and I just looked at each other, "She's right, but I'm willing to take the chance. He may not be working. Let's take her. We'll say we are going to dinner," Angela said.

"Okay, let's go," Mike agreed. Arriving at the hospital, Jessica's breathing was worse and she was still talking incessantly. The walked her into the hospital and she finally realized where she was.

"No, I don't want to be here. Take me home," she yelled to us.

I walked to the person behind the desk, "Excuse me, is Dr. Cullen working this evening?"

"No, I'm sorry he is off this evening, is there something we can help you with?" The girl asked.

"Yes, my friend is acting strangely and I think she needs to be seen. She took some energy shots to stay awake and we think she took too many. She is talking incessantly and sometimes does not make any sense. We were scared and brought her here," I informed her.

"Sure thing, take a seat and we will check her out." The girl told me.

I walked back and a told Jessica the good news. "Jess, Dr. Cullen is off tonight so we got lucky. They are going to call you back in a minute or two."

Not too long after that they called Jessica in. They said we needed to wait out here until the doctor saw her and then we could go back. We sat down to wait again.

In the exam room, Jessica was laying on the gurney. The ER doctor came in: "Hello, I'm Dr. Mark Jansen, I will be looking you over tonight. What seems to be the problem?" He asked.

"I can't seem to catch my breath and I am very hyper. I took an energy shot and I got like this about a half hour after taking it," Jess told him.

"Okay, we will run some tests. We will take your blood pressure and draw blood, I will need a urine sample too. The nurse will help you with this and I will be back later. I heard you asked for Dr. Cullen, he is off this evening. I hope I am a good substitute for him. Is he a friend of yours," Dr. Jansen asked.

"Well, yes, I am friends with his new daughter-in-law and stayed at their house for an overnight with our friends. But that's okay, I am happy to have you. I don't want to bother him," Jessica told him.

If he only knew how happy she was that he was off tonight. The doctor left and the nurse began checking her blood pressure and it was running very high. She then gave her a cup and told her to give a urine specimen. She helped her in the bathroom. Next she drew blood and sent it down to the lab. She said she would send her friends in and asked if she wanted to inform her parents. She told her they were out of town and she would inform them later.

A few minutes later, Angela and Mike came in the room. They sat down by her. She told them what was going on and they sat and waited with her for the doctor to come back with results.

To Be Continued – Please Review.