Chapter 26—Special K
Tank's POV
It was maybe twenty minutes before midnight and the girls had all trooped off together to the 'powder room.' I knew better than to make a snide comment, though Lester had to say something about their 'group pee.' The girls said they wanted to get ready for the New Year's countdown. What does that mean? Get ready? How long does it take to smear some red goo on your lips?
In the meantime, the men were speculating on which of us were going to get lucky tonight. All of us that is except for Ranger. He was making his way over to the band carefully weaving through the wildly dancing couples. He'd said something earlier about planning some special dance for Steph and himself.
As he reached the far end of the room, I saw him falter a few times and then crumple to the floor.
Adrenaline surged through me and I alerted the rest of the guys. Ram and Lester immediately scanned the room for perps and Bobby and I shoved our way through the crowd to Ranger. Bobby crouched by his side and started checking him. He was still alive!
When I saw it wasn't a gunshot or knife wound I was thinking heart attack and my own was pounding at the thought of losing my best friend.
Bobby did the ABC's—airway, breathing, circulation—and Ranger was breathing, though it was labored and Bobby said his pulse was racing. But he wasn't awake. I held my phone up and looked at Bobby. He nodded. I called 911.
The band had stopped playing and the dance crowd had pressed in on us wondering what was going on. And then the girls returned to the floor. Lester stopped Stephanie before she could make her way through the agitated throng. But one look at Lester's face and she shrugged him off, pushing her way over to us.
Seeing Ranger lying on his back, unconscious, did her in. She let out one sob and then dropped to her knees next to Bobby, her eyes never leaving Ranger's face. I think she stopped breathing for several minutes.
"What happened, Bobby? What's wrong with him?" she cried, her voice breaking.
"He just collapsed. I'm not sure why. His pulse was racing and now it's weak. He's breathing, though it's getting shallow. I don't see any blood. I need to examine him."
Rosie came over and told us we could use her office, if he could be moved. There were too many people crowding in on us. Bobby and I grabbed Ranger and carried him quickly off the dance floor. Steph, Josie and Lester followed close behind. The other guys were quietly checking out the rest of the patrons just in case this turned out to be foul play and not a health issue.
We laid Ranger on the floor of Rosie's office. Working together, Bobby and Josie took off Ranger's jacket and then his shirt. Josie kept track of Ranger's blood pressure, heart rate and breathing while Bobby examined him. When he checked Ranger's eyes, he nudged Josie and she rechecked them. The look between Bobby and Josie alarmed even me. I pulled Steph to me to get her out of Bobby's way and tried to keep her calm.
There was a sound at the office door and all three of us pulled our guns as the door opened. It was Ram. He moved over to me and held his fist out, dropping something in my hand.
"Found this near the area where he dropped," Ram said quietly.
I looked down at the small plastic and metal object in my hand and showed the projectile to Bobby and then Lester.
Bobby immediately started searching every square inch of Ranger's torso. He finally found a tiny puncture mark in Ranger's neck. He asked for the dart. Opening it, Bobby smelled, and then tasted it. He handed it to Josie and she did the same. Simultaneously, they said, "Special K."
Damn! That wasn't good.
Steph struggled to reach Ranger. "What is it? What did you find? What's a breakfast cereal got to do with Carlos?" she cried. She looked at Ram and then back to Bobby.
Bobby and I exchanged pained glances and then he settled his eyes on Steph. He held up the dart. "This is a tranquilizer dart. It was filled with an anesthetic."
"So…someone…drugged Carlos? Is it harmful?" she asked, her eyes darting from Bobby to Ranger's still form.
"I don't know yet, Tiger. I need more information myself." Bobby bent over Ranger and continued monitoring his vitals. He looked worried. So did Josie.
I stroked Steph's back as I rocked her side to side. I did not want to be the one to tell her that someone had shot Ranger with a tranq dart filled with Ketamine, but Bobby needed to focus on Ranger. I'd had firsthand experience with the drug while on a FUBAR mission. It wasn't pretty.
"Stephanie, look at me." She slowly tore her eyes from Ranger's face to look up at me.
"Ranger was shot with a tranquilizer dart. It was filled with a substance called Ketamine." I could see the term meant nothing to her.
"It's also called Special K. It's normally used as an anesthetic for animals, but humans use it to get high. It isn't usually fatal, unless you overdose."
At that remark, Steph looked terrified. I pulled her closer and kissed the top of her curly head. "We don't know much more than that. The dart was a large one. If it was completely filled, Ranger was given a huge dose."
A small sob escaped her lips and she buried her face in my chest. I could feel her tremble and then her body stilled. When she looked back up, her face was composed and determined. She pulled away from me.
In a demanding voice, Steph questioned, "Why hasn't the ambulance arrived yet?"
I cut my eyes to Ram and he dashed out the office door. For a moment, the loud music and laughing voices filled the room with the happy sounds of a New Year's celebration.
Steph dropped down to Ranger's side and stroked his brow. She leaned over and kissed his forehead and I could see her lips moving, but couldn't hear her words.
Bobby was moving calmly but efficiently over Ranger, constantly monitoring his breathing and pulse rate, which were now both dangerously slow and shallow. I watched as he and Josie prepared to start CPR if needed. They made Steph move away from his head and torso, but she refused to leave Ranger and transferred her gentle reassuring strokes to his legs. He just laid there, perfectly still, any rising and falling of his chest imperceptible.
Lester and I listened to Bobby and Josie discuss Ranger's condition and treatment possibilities depending on Ranger's changing body functions. Steph hung on every word they said, but her eyes never left Ranger's face. She was trying not to interfere and let Bobby do his job without distractions.
Finally, she touched Bobby's arm and asked, "Please tell me…What's going on? What could this Special K do to him?"
Bobby sat back on his heels and sighed. "Well, for one, it knocks you out. With low doses, your blood pressure, pulse rate and breathing increase. With high doses, it can suppress breathing functions and slow your heart rate."
Steph stared at Ranger's chest. "His breathing and heart rate are dangerously low, aren't they?" Bobby nodded.
"He could die from this?" she asked in a whisper. I closed my eyes, unable to bear the anguished look on her face.
Bobby tried to reassure her. "He's strong, Tiger. Stronger than any of us. This isn't the first time I've been worried about him. The one good thing about Ketamine is that it doesn't last long. If he's going to wake up, it'll be soon. And then its other effects kick in."
"What other effects? What else does he have to endure?" Steph cried.
"If he makes it through the anesthesia…" Bobby started.
"When…when he makes it…" Steph admonished.
Bobby stared at her for moment. "When Ranger wakes up, he will experience hallucinations. He's going to be on quite a trip for the next hour or two. If he's lucky, the trip will be a good one. If not, it can send him to hell and back. And then, when he comes out of it, he'll feel like shit for awhile, worse than if he had severe food poisoning. But that is better than the alternative."
Ram stuck his head in the room, giving me a slight shake of his head. The ambulance still wasn't here.
Several tense minutes passed with no change to Ranger's condition. When Ranger finally started moving his arms and legs, I could see relief fill Bobby's face. The anesthesia part was wearing off and his respiration had picked up. His eyes kept opening and closing, but they were unfocused and jerky.
Bobby immediately started reassuring Ranger he was alright. Ranger was so out of it, I doubted he was even aware of us. Stephanie moved back by his side, one hand always touching him.
Without taking her eyes off Ranger, Steph demanded more information. Josie gave her the quick version of Ketamine treatment 101 and then Steph asked again about getting him to the hospital. Bobby, Lester and I exchanged looks, communicating without saying a word. We'd been on too many missions together.
I left the room and made my way through the revelers celebrating the 'New Year's ball dropping.' I grabbed Ram and quickly updated him and asked him to see that all our dates got home using the limo. Then I asked him to bring back a couple of vehicles for us to use later, but to stay with the vehicles. This was not a night to get into an unattended car.
I met the ambulance just as it was pulling up out front. I explained we didn't need them and gave them a wad of cash for the wasted trip. One look at me and then my money and they didn't ask questions. I went back into the lounge and asked Rosie if we could stay in her office for an hour or two. She just kissed my cheek. Now I had to go in and explain it to a distraught Stephanie.
When I walked back into the office, Lester was perched on a chair behind Steph, massaging her neck and shoulders. Steph was sitting on the floor on one side of Ranger, holding his hand in her lap and stroking his forehead and hair with her other hand. She looked up at me, worried and questioning.
It was best to just say it. "Steph, I sent the ambulance away."
She rose up on her knees. "What? Why? He needs professional care." She was getting angry. I turned to Bobby.
Bobby tried to explain. "Tiger, Ranger's out of the worst of it. If I thought he was in serious danger still, I wouldn't hesitate, but I know Ranger. He would not want this on any hospital record if it could be helped. Remember, I'm a doctor and I've been treating Ranger for nearly thirty years now. And Josie's an ER nurse. We can handle this from now on. If he starts to show any signs of worsening, I'll drive him to the ER personally."
Steph looked over at Josie, who was looking aghast at Bobby. He looked at both women and sighed. "You're going to have to trust me on this one. Ranger would kill me if I didn't handle it this way."
Steph turned to look at each of us, searching our faces. To everyone's credit, we met her angry stare without blinking. Ranger would be mad enough at us for allowing Stephanie to stay here with him and not getting her immediately back to RangeMan. Bobby was right. Ranger would have a proverbial cow if we acquiesced to Steph's fears and took him to the hospital now.
Steph was ready to go on the attack, but Ranger began talking in a low voice. Her attention was immediately diverted.
He was mumbling nonsensical words. He sounded in awe of something. Good! Maybe he would get lucky and have a pleasant 'trip.' Not all K-holes were, and good or bad, all Ketamine trips were intense. If Ranger had been in his usual black mood, this could have been a real bummer of an experience for all of us. I credited Steph with his good mood and, so far, peaceful trip. He wasn't out of the woods yet, but at least his breathing was back to normal.
Bobby and Josie stayed huddled on Ranger's other side, monitoring his vitals. They looked relaxed. That told me all I needed to know for now. I darted back out to the main room and found Krishna just as Ram was escorting her out, along with his own date and Lester's. I apologized profusely for deserting her, but she just kissed me and told me to take care of my friend and Stephanie. Giving her another kiss, I held her close while we wished each other a Happy New Year. I told her I'd call her tomorrow morning and then I returned to the office.
I knew Ranger wouldn't want Stephanie here while he went potentially out of control, but short of carrying her out kicking and screaming, I didn't think I could get her to leave voluntarily. And with Josie being an ER nurse, she could help Bobby if things got out of hand. Lester and I were there to restrain Ranger in case he got violent or threatened to hurt himself. One good thing about Ketamine, it was a short acting drug and the worst of it should be over in less than two hours.
We all got comfortable to wait it out. We could hear the band play 'Auld Lang Syne' and the whoops and cheers start.
Into the silence of the office, Lester shouted, "Happy New Year!"
Bobby immediately hushed him. "Loud sounds and too much physical or visual stimulation can be overpowering when you're under the influence of K. We need to keep Ranger calm and quiet." The noisy racket in the lounge was a muffled din in the office.
Bobby was answering more of Steph's questions. "Steph, just keep reassuring him. He may talk to us, but he probably won't make much sense. He'll be experiencing hallucinations, hopefully pleasant ones. And, by the way, he won't remember anything that happened and he'll appreciate it if we don't either." He looked directly at Lester as he related the last sentence.
The noise outside the office increased dramatically. It was midnight. The crowd in the lounge was certainly a happy bunch. Bobby gave Josie a kiss and then whispered in her ear. She was smiling as she stroked his cheek. I missed Krishna already.
Steph leaned over Ranger's prone body and touched her lips to his. I could see her lips move, saying, 'Happy New Year' as she gently pressed her body to his in a tender hug.
Suddenly, Steph sat up. She stared at me. The look on her face was one of deadly anger.
"Who did this to him?" she uttered in a tight, low voice, obviously just realizing someone intentionally had tried to harm Ranger.
That had been one of the first things that had crossed my mind when I saw Ranger drop to the ground…who wanted to hurt Ranger? Steph and I lived in two very different worlds. Knowing there were innocents like Stephanie made what we did for a living seem just a little bit more noble…making the world a better place by apprehending or eliminating the bad guys. Looked like we had to get rid of one more bad guy.
"We don't know, Steph. Lester…did you find anything?" I knew he hadn't found a relevant clue, but Stephanie needed to hear it.
Lester shook his head. "It could have been anyone in the lounge. We don't know when Ranger was hit." He glanced over at Bobby. "Doesn't K take about thirty seconds to knock you out and that's only if you get a large dose?"
Bobby nodded, "He got a large dose. Too large. If he wasn't as big a guy and in as good a shape as he is, this would have been much more serious. He was lucky."
Steph piped up again, "But why? Why would someone drug Carlos? If they wanted to kill him, why not with a bullet? And why tonight, why here?"
"Those are all good questions, Tiger. I wish I had answers for you," I told her.
Ranger was becoming more vocal. He pulled Stephanie down to him and in a whisper said, "I'm flying. I can fly!"
He was waving an arm through the air and holding Steph tightly to him with the other. Bobby, Lester and I sent signals to each other to be ready to quickly pull Steph away if Ranger lost control.
Ranger's voice was low and a little breathy, unusual for him, to say the least. "Babe, fly with me. You can do it. It's beautiful. Can you feel it?" He had a smile and was gazing at Steph, but his eyes were jerking back and forth. He tried to sit up, but Bobby held his shoulders down until he relaxed again.
Steph whispered in his ear, "I'm here, Carlos. I'm right here by your side. You're safe." She rubbed her cheek against his, her mass of curls falling across his face.
Ranger lapsed into halting jumbled Spanish, most of which did not make much sense. "¡Dios! Es tan suave y huele muy bien. Como las nubes. Es evidente…tan claro. ¿Por qué no lo veo antes? Es la vida. La respuesta a todo. Estefania, eres tü. Tü lo son..mi vida…la luz. Es lo ünico bueno. Es tan claro. Eres tan hermosa. Te amo, Babe. Tü eres yo…yo te. Somos uno. ¿Puedes verlo? Vuela conmigo!"
[God! It is so soft and smells so good. Like clouds. It's clear…so clear. Why didn't I see it before? It's life. The answer to everything. Stephanie…it's you. You're it…my life…the light. It's the only good thing. It's so clear. You are so beautiful. I love you, Babe. You're me…I'm you. We're one. Can you see it? Fly with me!]
Steph took it all in stride, stroking his face, his arms, his chest, telling him it would be alright. She laid soft kisses on his forehead and ran her fingers through his hair. Almost made me wish I'd been drugged. And that I still had hair.
Ranger soon fell into a deep trance, lost in his hallucinations. At one point, he started thrashing around and Bobby pulled Steph away from him. He nearly overpowered Lester and I as we held him down so he wouldn't hurt himself. It got so bad, Bobby had to help us control him. Three to one…and this was a good trip!
He finally roused after fifty minutes or so complaining of a raging headache and nausea. Bobby gave him a pain killer with some water. Then we had to talk him into staying quiet for another hour or so to let as much of the drug wear off as possible before taking him home. He didn't put up much of a fight, which told me just how bad off he really was. He laid back, closed his eyes and didn't say another word. Stephanie cuddled up next to him, one arm cradling his head, the other resting lightly on his chest, directly over his heart.
We wanted to wait until Rosie closed up the lounge before taking Ranger out of there. I called Ram and asked him to scout out the surrounding locale to see if anyone was spying outside the lounge, waiting for us to leave. It didn't look like any of us got too lucky this New Year's Eve.
By 2:00 a.m. Ranger was lucid enough for us to tell him what had happened, again. He got real quiet. I watched him pull away from Stephanie and then watched as she withdrew within herself. I hoped the potential threat this posed didn't result in Ranger pushing Stephanie away from him in some noble effort to protect her.