Daniel stared at her. “He said what?”
“He kept saying, ‘You’re going to die if you stay here.’ Then he started yelling at me to get out.”
Daniel looked back at the bottle.
Jenna said, “I simply thought it was hallucinations because he went back to sleep.”
“You should have woken me up.”
“You had just fallen asleep. Plus, I didn’t see what you could do. You’re just an aide.”
Walter had never experienced hallucinations in our presence.
Daniel turned the bottle in his hand.
There was no pharmacy sticker and no doctor’s name.
There was only a handwritten number.
He stared at it and wondered why it was so familiar.
He removed his phone and scrolled down to the name Stephen. It was his brother’s phone number.
Daniel and Stephen had not spoken in almost 10 years.
Stephen was estranged from the family.
He had dropped out of college in his 20s after he started abusing drugs.
Soon after, he started dealing them.
Walter had paid for his rehab twice.
The second time, Stephen left after four days.
The final break came when police arrested him with enough drugs packaged for sale.
After that, Walter couldn’t keep telling himself his son only had a drug problem.
He acknowledged that he was now running an illegal business.
Walter told him never to come back.
Daniel had agreed and also cut contact with his brother.
Stephen disappeared from their lives. But Daniel never deleted his number.
He texted me immediately: “Call the police. Don’t call Dad.”
I called him back because I couldn’t even understand what was happening.
That’s when Daniel told me what had happened and who he suspected was behind everything.
I immediately called the dispatcher after hanging up.
I told them an elderly man might be receiving an unknown substance without his knowledge.
Police and paramedics arrived at Walter’s house within 20 minutes. I drove over too.
By the time I got to the house, two patrol cars and an ambulance were outside.
Walter was sitting in his living room in pajama pants and a cardigan, furious.
“What is going on?”
Daniel stood near the fireplace. His cap was off, and his mask was gone.
Walter stared at him, and his eyes widened. “Daniel?”
“Yeah, it’s me, Dad.”
Walter looked from him to me. “You’ve been spying on me?”
Daniel held up the bottle. “Someone has been drugging you.”
Walter’s face hardened. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
A paramedic stepped forward.
“Walter, we’d like to take you to the hospital and run some tests.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
Daniel showed him the handwritten number. “This is Stephen’s number, Dad.”
Walter blinked in recognition and then remained stoic.
“So you recognize it too.”
Walter looked away. “Dad, have you been talking to him?”
He didn’t reply. He just stared ahead.
Daniel groaned in frustration. “Is he back, Dad?”
Walter’s shoulders dropped. He seemed unconcerned with the questions.
“Dad, please tell him you didn’t let him back into your life.”
Walter snapped, “He is my son.”
Daniel laughed bitterly. “So that’s a yes.”
Walter stood. “Don’t talk to me like that.”
“How long have you been in contact?”
“Sit down, Walter. You haven’t stabilized yet,” the paramedic said.
Walter ignored him.
Daniel stepped closer. “How long has Stephen been coming here?”
Walter looked suddenly tired. “Six months.”
Daniel closed his eyes. “Six months and you haven’t told me.”
“He came to apologize. He is sorry.”
“He always comes to apologize. He always goes back to doing whatever he wants.”
“He said he’d changed.”
“And you believed him.”
Walter’s voice sharpened. “I wanted to. He is my son.”
That shut Daniel up for a moment.
Walter explained that Stephen had appeared at the house one afternoon.
He had clean clothes and clear eyes. He said he’d been sober for two years.
He said he had a job loading freight.
At first, Walter refused to let him inside.
Then Stephen stood on the porch and said, “I’m not asking for money. I just want my father to know I’m alive.”
Walter let him in.
Once became twice. Twice became weekly visits.
Stephen started bringing groceries and fixed a cabinet hinge.
He changed a light bulb Walter couldn’t reach.
He helped around the house, kept Dad company, and was always kind and polite.
Eventually, Walter was convinced his son had changed, so he gave him a spare key.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Daniel asked.
Walter looked at him. “Because I knew what you’d say.”
“Why would you fear my opinion if I wasn’t right?”
“You would say he hadn’t changed, and I feared you would be right.”
“So, has he changed? Because he seems to be drugging you.”
Walter’s mouth trembled. “No, clearly, he hasn’t.”
The hospital tests came back the next afternoon.
A toxicologist explained that the liquid contained a prescription sedative.
Its concentration was unsafe for Walter, especially combined with his other medications.
It could cause confusion, hallucinations, paranoia, agitation, and memory gaps.
Sometimes, it could cause extreme drowsiness.
The doctor said Walter’s reaction could vary depending on whether he’d eaten.
How hydrated he was and what other medication was in his system.
Suddenly the six nurses made sense.
Some had lasted several days before anything happened.
Others had seen him change within hours.
Walter became rude, threatening, and terrified.
One nurse later told the agency he’d stared at the hallway and whispered, “She’s back.”
Another said he’d grabbed her wrist and said, “You’re going to die too.”
Walter remembered almost none of it.
He sat in the hospital bed while Daniel explained.
“I said those things?”
Daniel nodded.
Walter looked horrified. “To all of them?”
“We don’t know.”
He covered his face. “I thought I was dreaming.”
Then his hands dropped. “I saw your mother.”
“What?”
Walter stared at the blanket over his legs.
“Sometimes she’d be standing near the stairs.”
