The World's Most Eligible Bachelor

Week 6: Overdosed and Undermined

*HARPER'S Point of View*

My fingers and toes were moving on my command, so that brought me peace. Despite what my father had told me, I had feared that I was actually paralyzed, but the evidence to the contrary was reassuring. 

I kept closing my eyes, desperately trying to absorb the information my father was telling me. My mouth was dry and my head felt like it was splitting with pain. I had only processed a few words - something about an overdose. Soon, tears slipped down my cheeks, and as confused as I was, I was relieved that I could feel their warmth. 

"I...don't..." I kept shaking my head, trying to make the words come out. The more agitated I got, the more my father tried to calm me. Finally, the nurse asked him something that I didn't understand. He nodded and shortly after she fiddled with my IV, I slipped into unconsciousness. 

When I woke again, I could feel and move everything. The headache was getting better, but still lingering. But I was exhausted, kind of like I was recovering from the flu - my body was weak and I was tired and thirsty. 

"Dad?" I said, trying to wake him. He had fallen asleep in the recliner next to my bed. His eyes opened and he was immediately at my side. "I'm feeling better," I said and his eyes brimmed with grateful tears. "Can you tell me what happened again? I don't remember much. Are we still in London? Where's Harry?" 

He stroked my hair as he spoke. "Sweetie, you're back in Sacramento, at Mercy General. You were on a private jet that arrived from London. A staff member from the show called me because they found you unconscious on the plane."

The plane. I had a vague memory of flying, but I knew I wasn't alone. "Alex?" 

"Alex who?" Dad asked.

"I don't really know. I just remember his name, and he was a big guy. I don't know why...I can't remember why he was on my flight." I shook my head. "Why didn't Harry come with me?" 

The look on his face made me want to cry. I knew I wasn't going to like what he had to say. "I spoke with a producer named Ricardo. He said that you had been eliminated and you were traveling home on that plane. The doctors found a rather large amount of a sedative in your blood. They thought maybe you overdosed. Because you...uh, because you were upset that Harry sent you home." His voice trembled as he held back tears.

What the hell was going on?

They thought I had tried to kill myself? 

"No, Dad," I said, frantically trying to sit up, but I was too weak. "Where are the controls for this thing?" I huffed fumbling to try to sit my bed up a little. 

"Honey, maybe you should get some more rest. You're obviously still very upset and disoriented. We can talk when you're feeling better," he said gently.

"No!" I insisted. "None of that is true! I need to tell you what really happened." I finally found the bed controls and sat myself up. I took a deep breath and said, "Please, just let me talk. But can you get me some water first? I'm dying of thirst." 

"Sure thing, sweetie," he said, pushing the nurse call button. A nurse arrived moments later and dad relayed my request to her. She came back with a cup of ice water, with a straw sticking out of the top. Dad asked her to have the doctor come by when he had a chance since Harper was awake now.

After chugging most of the water, I sighed deeply. "To be honest, I don't remember anything that happened on the plane. I mean...I remember Alex. I could have sworn he said he was my bodyguard. Why would I need a bodyguard if I was eliminated?" I lifted my hands to rub over my face and wake myself up a little more. I felt the IV pull at my left hand as I did so. "I don't exactly remember how or why I was on the plane, but I know I Harry didn't send me home. In fact, the last thing I clearly remember was...." I trailed off, feeling both pleased and embarrassed as I realized what I was about to say to my father.

"It's okay if you don't remember, sweetie, it will come back to you," he encouraged. 

"No, Dad," I said, laughing as I felt a little bit self-conscious. "It's not that. The last thing I do remember clearly is being...um...in bed with Harry." I covered my face as another nervous laugh escaped.

"Well," he chuckled, "I don't doubt your memory on that one."

"He chose me, Dad. I know he did, and I knew he was going to. He came to my room later in the night, after the Candle Ceremony, because he missed me," I said, wondering how I could make that sound less sexual when it was indeed a sexual visit. "When we were in Dublin, on an overnight date, he told me he loved me."

"Dublin?" My father asked, his eyes widening slightly.

Shit! Dublin. Oh my god, he didn't know anything about Dublin or me seeing Mom yet.

"Yeah," I said, my voice going hoarse. "He told me I was the one, even though he wasn't technically supposed to tell me yet." I paused, trying to decide if this was the time to tell him about Mom or if I should wait until he was convinced that I wasn't suicidal. "Something else happened in Dublin, Dad-"

A doctor entered just then. "Good morning, Harper. I'm Dr. Rosewin." He reached out and I feebly shook his hand. He pulled up a chair next to my bed. "Why don't you tell me what you remember? And just so we're clear, everything you say to me is confidential, except for a few things I've already shared with your father, while we were waiting for you to wake up."

"Wait!" I gasped. "What day is it?" 

"It's Wednesday," he answered calmly.

"What?!" I cried. "No! No, no, no. I have to get back to London. Why isn't Harry here? Why hasn't he come for me yet? I wasn't even supposed to leave. I don't even know how I got here."

"Calm down and let the doctor speak," Dad said. "And then we'll figure out what to do next." 

Dr. Rosewin took over. "That's an unfortunate side effect of the medication you took. You probably won't remember much of what happened after you took it."

"What medication?" I asked, feeling a lump of panic ready to explode in my chest. "I didn't take anything." 

The doctor hesitated and then told me, "You had about four times the normal dose of Rohypnol in your system." He paused again, letting the information sink in. 

I closed my eyes, feeling sick as I recognized the name of the drug. "Roofies?" I asked weakly. "What the hell? I wouldn't even know where to get that stuff. Aren't they illegal?" 

The doctor nodded solemnly. "They are illegal in the US," he agreed. "But they're available as a sleeping pill by prescription in the UK."

"I never saw a doctor the whole time we were...." A feeling of hot and cold rushed through my body as the realization sunk in. 

Dr. Rosewin's thoughts went to exactly the same place. "Harper, if you're absolutely sure you didn't take this medication on your own, there's a good chance someone drugged you." 

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2nd of double update for tonight. More coming this week!

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