Ch 1
Even before Dillon opened his eyes, he felt pain. He'd slept, barely,
fitfully. All through the night, he'd woken up to attacks of nausea and
cold sweats. Georgie's angry, hurt eyes burned in his brain. She hated him
and she had every right to. A wave of nausea rolled harshly over him.
Dillon lay perfectly still, trying to breathe, waiting for it to pass.
When he was convinced that the contents of his stomach were going to stay
put, Dillon opened his eyes, sitting up slowly.
"Oh God," he groaned. His head felt like it weighed seven tons, his body
ached in ways it never had before, and he was positive he had a fever. Any
other day, he would have stayed in bed and nursed himself back to health,
but today he forced himself up. If these were the consequences of his
actions, they were meager.
Dragging on clothes, Dillon's eyes fell on the framed photo of Georgie on
his bedside table. She smiled at him from the frame, her eyes bright and
loving.
"God, what was I thinking?" he prayed out loud. "Just let her be happy. Do
whatever you want to me, just don't let Georgie be hurt anymore."
Walking out the door, Dillon went downstairs and into the living room. The
smell of breakfast turned his stomach. He turned to leave.
"Good morning, darling," Tracy greeted him, coming in from the terrace.
Dillon perceived a twinkle in her eye, but he felt too sick to care.
"Morning," he mumbled, flopping down on the couch. Tracy came over.
"Is that any way to greet your loving mother?" she asked him. "Have some
salmon mousse." She brought the plate close to his face.
"Oh god," Dillon groaned, bolting from the room.
"Hey, where's the fire?" Ned came into the front hall as Dillon rushed from
the living room and toward the front door. Concerned, Ned followed his
brother outside. Dillon sat on the front stoop, his head between his knees,
trying to breathe steadily so as to keep from retching.
"Hey, you okay?" Ned asked, sitting down next to Dillon.
Dillon took a couple more breaths and raised his head slowly, looking at
Ned.
"Oh god," Ned said, alarm in his voice as he observed Dillon's slack jaw
and bloodshot eyes. "You look like hell."
"Yeah," Dillon groaned, "I know."
Ned put a hand on Dillon's shoulder. "I'm taking you to General Hospital,"
he informed his younger brother. "Come on."
Dillon shook his head. "No."
"Dillon," Ned said gently but impatiently, "it's probably just the flu, but
you could be really sick. It's a precaution, come on."
Again, Dillon shook his head. His body trembled with nausea and truth.
"It's not the flu," he told Ned, "it's karma." He held his head in his
hands
as Ned looked at him oddly.
"Karma?" Ned asked, confused. "Dillon, what the hell are you talking
about?"
Dillon looked at Ned, fighting with his eyes to stay open and his stomach
to keep from reversing. "I lost my virginity last night," he said dully.
"Wow," Ned was startled. That was definitely not what he'd expected Dillon
to say. "Wait," he said, perplexed, "isn't that a good-"
"Not to Georgie," Dillon finished, "to Sage."
"Oh." Ned understood a little better now. "You think this is happening to
you because you cheated on Georgie?"
"Technically," Dillon groaned, "I didn't. She broke up with me. And then I
turned around and had misery sex with Sage. And Georgie walked in on us."
"But I thought she-" Ned began.
"I don't know why she came back," Dillon shook his head. He dropped his
head again, taking deep breaths, figuring that it wasn't fair to Ned if he
were to get sick right in front of him. "It doesn't matter." He raised his
head, looking at his older brother. "Ned, I had the most amazing, sweet,
smart, funny, perfect, beautiful girl and I just went to bed with an
obnoxious, spoiled nymphomaniacal brat who is everything I've always wanted
to stay away from. Georgie is never going to forgive me, and I can never
take back what happened. This is God punishing me. And believe me, he's
being very lenient."
Ned shook his head. "Dillon, I know you think you're being punished for
what you did, but believe me, that's not the case." He stood up. "Look, I'm
going to go pull the car around. I'm taking you to the hospital."
Dillon didn't have the energy to argue. He sat on the steps, welcoming the
pain and sickness.
Ned guided Dillon to the couch in the waiting area.
"Sit here," he instructed. "I'm going to go find Alan." He walked off.
Dillon dropped his pounding head into his hands. He was sweating, but he
felt freezing. The nausea came in waves. His skin felt raw from the
scalding hot shower he'd taken the night before - for two hours he'd
scrubbed at his body, the water burning his skin and the tears burning his
eyes, replaying the moment in his head when Georgie had entered the room
and realized what Sage was doing there. The sick feeling increased.
"Dillon." Dillon looked up. Ned was coming toward him, followed by Alan. As
he looked toward them, Dillon's gaze fell upon a pair of angry, pain-filled
brown eyes. She stared at him, her gaze a combination of misery, hatred,
and wonderment. As he kept looking at her, knowing he deserved her
contempt, Maxie appeared behind Georgie.
"Come on, Georgie," she coaxed, putting her hands on Georgie's shoulders.
"Just walk away. He's not worth it." She shot Dillon a blazing, hateful
look.
As Ned and Alan came toward Dillon, Georgie stood frozen, staring at him,
shaking. Tears spilled over in her eyes, her pain hitting Dillon in the gut
like a wrecking ball.
"Come on," Maxie urged, rushing a weeping Georgie away. Dillon's body
attacked him at the sight of Georgie's misery. About to be violently ill,
he bolted up from the sofa, pushing past Ned and Alan, racing toward the
washroom.
"I don't see why I have to wait for blood tests," Dillon complained
impatiently, lying on an exam table. He shivered under a blanket, sweat
pouring down his face. "There's nothing wrong with me."
"Dillon," Ned said pointedly, "you have a fever, you're shaking, you just
told Alan you've been throwing up all night and your eyes are completely
red."
Dillon pulled the blanket tighter. "I told you," he insisted. "It's karma."
Ned walked closer, putting a comforting hand on Dillon's shoulder. "I know
you feel horrible about what happened," he said softly. "I know you do. But
this cannot all be psychosomatic."
Dillon took a deep breath. "Ned, Georgie and I wanted to be together. So
badly. But we decided to wait until it was right, until it was perfect, you
know?" Ned nodded. Dillon swallowed. "I promised, okay? I promised I would
never hurt Georgie, and I had sex with Sage. Okay? I'm getting everything I
deserve. No, actually, I'm barely getting what I deserve." Dillon paused,
staying still, fighting back another wave of nausea. Ned waited. After a
moment, Dillon sighed. "Okay," he whispered.
"You said Georgie broke up with you," Ned said quietly. "It must have been
complicated."
Dillon shook his head miserably. "Actually, it really isn't," he groaned.
"It's actually quite simple." He looked up at Ned, the effort of moving his
head making him wince. "I took her for granted," Dillon finished sadly.
Ned took in Dillon's pain, watching him silently, not knowing what to say.
The door opened.
"We got the results of your blood test, Dillon," Alan informed him, coming
back into the room.
"I told you," Dillon insisted weakly, "you didn't have to do a blood test.
This is punishment. I hurt Georgie. I deserve pain."
Alan and Ned exchanged glances.
"Dillon," Alan said quietly. "We ran a tox screen. The lab reports show a
high volume of rohyphnol in your blood."
Dillon's eyes flew open. "What?" he demanded.
"Wait a minute, Alan," Ned asked. "That's-"
Alan nodded. He spoke gravely. "Commonly known as the date rape drug."
Even before Dillon opened his eyes, he felt pain. He'd slept, barely,
fitfully. All through the night, he'd woken up to attacks of nausea and
cold sweats. Georgie's angry, hurt eyes burned in his brain. She hated him
and she had every right to. A wave of nausea rolled harshly over him.
Dillon lay perfectly still, trying to breathe, waiting for it to pass.
When he was convinced that the contents of his stomach were going to stay
put, Dillon opened his eyes, sitting up slowly.
"Oh God," he groaned. His head felt like it weighed seven tons, his body
ached in ways it never had before, and he was positive he had a fever. Any
other day, he would have stayed in bed and nursed himself back to health,
but today he forced himself up. If these were the consequences of his
actions, they were meager.
Dragging on clothes, Dillon's eyes fell on the framed photo of Georgie on
his bedside table. She smiled at him from the frame, her eyes bright and
loving.
"God, what was I thinking?" he prayed out loud. "Just let her be happy. Do
whatever you want to me, just don't let Georgie be hurt anymore."
Walking out the door, Dillon went downstairs and into the living room. The
smell of breakfast turned his stomach. He turned to leave.
"Good morning, darling," Tracy greeted him, coming in from the terrace.
Dillon perceived a twinkle in her eye, but he felt too sick to care.
"Morning," he mumbled, flopping down on the couch. Tracy came over.
"Is that any way to greet your loving mother?" she asked him. "Have some
salmon mousse." She brought the plate close to his face.
"Oh god," Dillon groaned, bolting from the room.
"Hey, where's the fire?" Ned came into the front hall as Dillon rushed from
the living room and toward the front door. Concerned, Ned followed his
brother outside. Dillon sat on the front stoop, his head between his knees,
trying to breathe steadily so as to keep from retching.
"Hey, you okay?" Ned asked, sitting down next to Dillon.
Dillon took a couple more breaths and raised his head slowly, looking at
Ned.
"Oh god," Ned said, alarm in his voice as he observed Dillon's slack jaw
and bloodshot eyes. "You look like hell."
"Yeah," Dillon groaned, "I know."
Ned put a hand on Dillon's shoulder. "I'm taking you to General Hospital,"
he informed his younger brother. "Come on."
Dillon shook his head. "No."
"Dillon," Ned said gently but impatiently, "it's probably just the flu, but
you could be really sick. It's a precaution, come on."
Again, Dillon shook his head. His body trembled with nausea and truth.
"It's not the flu," he told Ned, "it's karma." He held his head in his
hands
as Ned looked at him oddly.
"Karma?" Ned asked, confused. "Dillon, what the hell are you talking
about?"
Dillon looked at Ned, fighting with his eyes to stay open and his stomach
to keep from reversing. "I lost my virginity last night," he said dully.
"Wow," Ned was startled. That was definitely not what he'd expected Dillon
to say. "Wait," he said, perplexed, "isn't that a good-"
"Not to Georgie," Dillon finished, "to Sage."
"Oh." Ned understood a little better now. "You think this is happening to
you because you cheated on Georgie?"
"Technically," Dillon groaned, "I didn't. She broke up with me. And then I
turned around and had misery sex with Sage. And Georgie walked in on us."
"But I thought she-" Ned began.
"I don't know why she came back," Dillon shook his head. He dropped his
head again, taking deep breaths, figuring that it wasn't fair to Ned if he
were to get sick right in front of him. "It doesn't matter." He raised his
head, looking at his older brother. "Ned, I had the most amazing, sweet,
smart, funny, perfect, beautiful girl and I just went to bed with an
obnoxious, spoiled nymphomaniacal brat who is everything I've always wanted
to stay away from. Georgie is never going to forgive me, and I can never
take back what happened. This is God punishing me. And believe me, he's
being very lenient."
Ned shook his head. "Dillon, I know you think you're being punished for
what you did, but believe me, that's not the case." He stood up. "Look, I'm
going to go pull the car around. I'm taking you to the hospital."
Dillon didn't have the energy to argue. He sat on the steps, welcoming the
pain and sickness.
Ned guided Dillon to the couch in the waiting area.
"Sit here," he instructed. "I'm going to go find Alan." He walked off.
Dillon dropped his pounding head into his hands. He was sweating, but he
felt freezing. The nausea came in waves. His skin felt raw from the
scalding hot shower he'd taken the night before - for two hours he'd
scrubbed at his body, the water burning his skin and the tears burning his
eyes, replaying the moment in his head when Georgie had entered the room
and realized what Sage was doing there. The sick feeling increased.
"Dillon." Dillon looked up. Ned was coming toward him, followed by Alan. As
he looked toward them, Dillon's gaze fell upon a pair of angry, pain-filled
brown eyes. She stared at him, her gaze a combination of misery, hatred,
and wonderment. As he kept looking at her, knowing he deserved her
contempt, Maxie appeared behind Georgie.
"Come on, Georgie," she coaxed, putting her hands on Georgie's shoulders.
"Just walk away. He's not worth it." She shot Dillon a blazing, hateful
look.
As Ned and Alan came toward Dillon, Georgie stood frozen, staring at him,
shaking. Tears spilled over in her eyes, her pain hitting Dillon in the gut
like a wrecking ball.
"Come on," Maxie urged, rushing a weeping Georgie away. Dillon's body
attacked him at the sight of Georgie's misery. About to be violently ill,
he bolted up from the sofa, pushing past Ned and Alan, racing toward the
washroom.
"I don't see why I have to wait for blood tests," Dillon complained
impatiently, lying on an exam table. He shivered under a blanket, sweat
pouring down his face. "There's nothing wrong with me."
"Dillon," Ned said pointedly, "you have a fever, you're shaking, you just
told Alan you've been throwing up all night and your eyes are completely
red."
Dillon pulled the blanket tighter. "I told you," he insisted. "It's karma."
Ned walked closer, putting a comforting hand on Dillon's shoulder. "I know
you feel horrible about what happened," he said softly. "I know you do. But
this cannot all be psychosomatic."
Dillon took a deep breath. "Ned, Georgie and I wanted to be together. So
badly. But we decided to wait until it was right, until it was perfect, you
know?" Ned nodded. Dillon swallowed. "I promised, okay? I promised I would
never hurt Georgie, and I had sex with Sage. Okay? I'm getting everything I
deserve. No, actually, I'm barely getting what I deserve." Dillon paused,
staying still, fighting back another wave of nausea. Ned waited. After a
moment, Dillon sighed. "Okay," he whispered.
"You said Georgie broke up with you," Ned said quietly. "It must have been
complicated."
Dillon shook his head miserably. "Actually, it really isn't," he groaned.
"It's actually quite simple." He looked up at Ned, the effort of moving his
head making him wince. "I took her for granted," Dillon finished sadly.
Ned took in Dillon's pain, watching him silently, not knowing what to say.
The door opened.
"We got the results of your blood test, Dillon," Alan informed him, coming
back into the room.
"I told you," Dillon insisted weakly, "you didn't have to do a blood test.
This is punishment. I hurt Georgie. I deserve pain."
Alan and Ned exchanged glances.
"Dillon," Alan said quietly. "We ran a tox screen. The lab reports show a
high volume of rohyphnol in your blood."
Dillon's eyes flew open. "What?" he demanded.
"Wait a minute, Alan," Ned asked. "That's-"
Alan nodded. He spoke gravely. "Commonly known as the date rape drug."