***Willow Pond***

It's been almost a month since Max left the Hart's. He hasn't called and they are very hurt. The Manley's are still very much running the house, even though Jennifer and Jonathan don't want them too.

Jennifer keeps having headaches, and the only thing that really makes them go away is the tea that Mrs. Manley makes her to drink. She is sleeping at all hours, she's moody, emotional, unpredictable and she keeps having pains in her legs. The pains usually strike in the middle of the night and also when she walks.

Jonathan's business troubles are still going on, and the board members are constantly arguing with him over business matters, and business decisions that he has done 10000 times without any issue. However, for some reason, now, it's an issue.

It's Sunday. Jonathan and Jennifer typically read the paper in bed and have breakfast in bed on Sundays. However, Mr. Manley refused to make them breakfast and refused to let Jonathan make breakfast for them. Jonathan ended up getting in the car and going into town, and picking up breakfast for him and Jennifer from a restaurant and bringing it back.

Mr. Manley huffed at Jonathan when he saw him bring it in, but Jonathan didn't care.

Unfortunately, he wasn't able to fire them, because of their contract that they had both signed when they were hired.

The only way he could fire them was if he caught them stealing, or physically attacking Jennifer or himself. And the chances of that were very slim.

Jennifer was lying in bed with her eyes closed when Jonathan got back with breakfast.

"Oh darling, I'm starved".

"Picked up your favorite, darling. Just for you, and because I can't stand the Manley's. And I called my lawyer, and he said that rudeness and disrespect aren't enough for me to fire them according to our contract. If they steal from us, or they get physical with you and me, that will be, but this isn't".

"Well, shit".

Jonathan chuckled. Jennifer rarely cussed, so when she did, she must be really upset.

They ate breakfast and then laid around reading the paper, and Jonathan called the Manley's on the phone and asked them to bring Jennifer some hot tea, after she got another headache.

As soon as she drank it, she fell asleep. He decided to take a nap with her, and they napped for at least 3 hours.

Jennifer woke up with a start, and was very confused. She didn't know what was going on, but she felt very out of place.

She started to wake Jonathan, and after the third shake, he was finally awake.

"Darling…"

"Yes?"

"Can you get me a glass of water?"

"Sure".

He got her a glass of water and brought it to her. She drank it and started to cry.

"What's the matter?"

"I wanted ice water".

"Well, why didn't you say something?"

"I just did!"

"Ok, I will go get you ice water."

He started towards the door.

"Not now, I already drank it".

He turned and headed back towards the bed, and climbed in. He wrapped his arms around her. He reached up to see if she had a fever.

"Darling, are you feeling ok?"

"I guess, why?"

"Just checking".

She closed her eyes for about another 10 minutes, and then she sat up again.

"Jonathan! I asked you to get me some water!"

She was practically shouting at him.

"Ok, I will go get you some ice water".

He grabbed the glass and was out the door before she could change her mind.

When he came back with it, she was fast asleep.

He set it on the nightstand and covered her with a blanket, and then went downstairs to the study to get some work done.

He started making a timeline of things he thought were strange, and saved it on his computer.

He got to work on a few business proposals, and before he knew it, a few hours had gone by.

The house phone started ringing, so he answered it. It was Jennifer, from the upstairs phone.

"Darling, can you come up here? It's an emergency".

He hung up and took off up the stairs.

He walked into the bedroom to find her on the bed.

"Darling….I can't move my legs."

"You can't move your legs? Why not?"

"I have no idea. But I cannot".

He helped her swing her legs around, and then he pulled her to the standing position, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He felt her legs buckle underneath her.

"Ok, what would you like to put on?"

"Why?"

"Because I am taking you to the hospital".

She directed him and he helped her get dressed, and then he scooped her up and carried her to the bathroom, so that she could do her hair and makeup. After she was finished, he scooped her up again and took her downstairs and out to the car. He came back in and got her purse, and then shut down his computer. He went into the kitchen to tell the Manley's that they wouldn't be home for dinner. He grabbed the teapot and poured her some into a travel mug.

"Sir, we have already prepared the meal for tonight. You two not showing up would be totally unacceptable."

"I don't give a damn. We aren't going to be here and that's that".

He turned around and walked out the door.

***Bel Air Community Hospital***

Jennifer begged Jonathan to get her a bottled water, so they stopped at a convenience store and he ran in and got her two big bottles. She was so thirsty all the time.

He helped her into a wheelchair, and wheeled her inside.

They got her checked in, and started running some tests.

They put her in a room, so they could wait for the doctor.

She drank some tea, and fell asleep.

Jonathan grabbed some paper and a pen from the nurse's station and started writing down a timeline to give the doctors.

She was fast asleep when they came in and did more tests, and checked her vitals.

The doctor started asking him some questions.

"Can you tell me the whole picture, from beginning to end?"

"We hired new help for the house about a month ago. We also had our bedroom and bathroom painted at that time. Right around that time, I started having some serious business issues, and then it seems like a few days later, my wife started having horrible headaches. They get her off balance, her legs ache, she's emotional, unpredictable, moody, she sleeps all the time. The only thing that makes her feel better is the tea she has fallen in love with. This isn't like my wife, and today, she woke up from a nap after a very emotional episode, and told me that her legs didn't work. I picked her up and could feel her legs buckle underneath me. She's not making this up, something is wrong".

"Ok, so do you have any of the tea with you? We can send it to the lab and have it analyzed. Also, what kind of paint did you use? Some of the newer additive based ones can cause headaches. I am going to start her on a saline drip to flush out whatever is in her system".

"Yes, the tea is in her travel mug right here".

The doctor had the nurse take it and pour it into a specimen cup, and take it to the lab. Another nurse started her a saline drip IV, and then they put a catheter in her so that she wouldn't have to get up. Jonathan felt so helpless seeing her lying there in the bed.

It was at least a couple hours before the doctor came back by.

"Her vitals look good, and her color is starting to return. I think I am going to start her on IV nutrition, so that she doesn't lose nourishment".

Jonathan nodded.

He placed a call to his secretary, and told her that she needed to call the board members and postpone all meetings for the next several days.

"Is there anything wrong?"

"Jennifer is ill, and I cannot leave her alone".

"Give her my best, Mr. Hart. I will make the phone calls right now".

They hung up the phone and he moved his chair over closer to her hospital bed. He laced his fingers through hers, and sat there holding her hand all night long. She still hadn't woken up by midnight. Her breathing was low, but steady. Her heartbeat was strong.

Jonathan was very worried, but he was choosing to trust the doctors, because he didn't have any other choice.

He called his private investigator and asked him for a favor.

"Name it, Mr. Hart".

"Will you please see if you can find a guy named Max Brennamen? He just moved a month ago to San Francisco, and is living with a lady named Anna. I don't know her last name. Please find him, and when you do, have him call me".

"Will do".

They hung up, and he leaned over and kissed Jennifer's forehead.

He whispered in her ear. "I love you, and I am right here with you, and I am never leaving you".

The nurse came and checked her vitals again, and he asked for a bed. They brought him one, and he rolled it right next to hers. He lowered his left bedrail and her right one, and climbed in beside her. He snuggled up to her and fell asleep with her.

***A couple hours later***

He heard the doctor walk in, and woke up. He immediately looked at Jennifer. She was still asleep.

"Mr. Hart, I received the results back from the lab on the tea. How long did you say your wife has been drinking it?"

"At least once a day for about a month".

"And it makes her sleep every time after she drinks it?"

"Yes".

"Mr. Hart, I don't know how to tell you this….I believe your wife is being poisoned".

"Poisoned?!"

"Yes, sir. I would like to draw some blood to check for what I think it is, in her blood".

"Sure, go ahead".

The nurse drew a few vials of blood. Jonathan was grateful that Jennifer wasn't awake for it, as she hated needles.

He fell back asleep while he waited for the doctor to come back.

He finally came back around 5.

"Mr. Hart, it was just as I suspected. Your wife is being poisoned with Ketamine. There were high doses of it in her blood stream, and also in the tea that you gave us. You will want to have your home tested too, in case it also is in your house somewhere".

"Can she recover from this?"

"I believe so. There is an anti-dote, and we are going to give her lots of it. She's going to have to stay here a few days, though".

"Whatever it takes".

"Do you know how she would have gotten this?"

"Well, we just hired new household help, and they are the only ones who make the tea, so it had to be them".

"I will notify the police, and have them come speak with you".

"Thank you".

He curled back up with her, and kissed her cheek, and fell back asleep.

***A few hours later***

Jennifer woke up around 8, and saw that Jonathan was sleeping next to her. She had a killer headache. She tried to move her legs. She could do it, but they felt very heavy.

She sat up, and instantly regretted it. Her head was killing her. She looked down at her hands, and saw the IV.

She reached for one of her water bottles, and drank some. She laid back down and grabbed Jonathan's hand.

She hit the button for the nurse, and waited till she came in.

They were glad to see she was awake. They went ahead and took her vitals.

"Can I please have something for this horrible headache?"

"Yes ma'am. Right away".

"Thank you".

Jonathan woke up a little while later.

"Hey, darling, how are you feeling?"

"I have a splitting headache. What I wouldn't give for some of Mrs. Manley's tea right now".

"Darling, that's why you are here. They have been poisoning you, with the tea".

She looked at him like he was crazy.

"You can't be serious. Jonathan, it's the only thing that makes me feel better. Without it, I will lose my mind".

"Darling, I had the doctor test it. He confirmed that you were being poisoned. They are the only ones who made the tea, so it has to be them".

"What are you suggesting they poisoned me with?"

"I am not suggesting anything. The test results clearly stated that you have a high concentration of Ketamine in your system, and there was also a high concentration of Ketamine in the tea".

"I don't care what was in it. I want some more of it. It's the only thing that makes me feel better".

"Try and get some rest, darling. We will figure out a safe tea for you to drink, I promise".

She glared at him, and didn't say a word.

***A few hours later***

Jennifer was napping, finally. She had insisted on having more tea till she fell asleep. Jonathan poured the rest of it into a specimen cup, put the lid on and was going to give it to the police. Lt. Grey had called and said he would be out this afternoon.

"Darling, you are going to have to stay here at least one more night, so I am going to run home and shower and change. Do you need me to get you anything?"

"Tea".

"Besides that, darling".

"Just the usual. Robes, slippers, hygiene stuff".

"Darling, tell me something. What did the tea taste like?"

"Magical. It was fruity, but not overly fruity. It tasted like spice, but not overly like spice. It was the perfect blend of sweet and tea".

The doctor came in then to check on her.

"Doctor, do you have the results of the toxicology on the tea?"

"Yes, right here". He handed them to Jonathan.

The breakdown was a fruit tea with fruits such as pineapples, blueberries, and apple, spice tea with cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange, a very high amount of sugar, and a very high amount of ketamine.

"Darling, this tea was very high in sugar. Almost 4 cups per pitcher".

"That's strange. I never tasted the sugar."

"The other stuff covered it up".

She grimaced. She was not ready to give up her tea.

She looked at the doctor.

"What does Ketamine poisoning do?"

"It can do a lot of things. Emotional reactions, headaches, body aches, dizziness, nerve pain, excessive fatigue, confusion. You can also become addicted to it, like a narcotic."

Lt. Grey walked in then, and Jonathan filled him in.

"We are positive it was the Manley's. Can you get a search warrant for my house and come search the kitchen, and test the paint in our bedroom, and bathroom?"

After getting confirmation from the doctor, Lt. Grey agreed with Jonathan. He put a uniform outside the room with Jennifer and sent one with Jonathan to the house.

Jonathan leaned down close to Jennifer.

"I love you, and I will be back in a little bit."

He kissed her.

"I love you, too. I want some tea".

"I'll see what I can do".

He kissed her again, and left.

***Willow Pond***

Jonathan and the officer came inside the house. He headed straight for the kitchen.

He found their tea bags in the cupboard. Apparently, there were two bags of tea mix that Mrs. Manley had purchased. On the inside of the cupboard, she had the recipe taped to the inside of the cabinet. He took it down, and copied it on to a pad.

He handed it to the officer as evidence.

He started some water in a different tea kettle, and he followed the recipe except he left out the poison, of course. As soon as it was ready, he was going to put it in a travel mug for Jennifer and take it to her.

He and the officer went upstairs, and Jonathan started packing a bag for himself and Jennifer.

He looked out the window and saw that the Manley's were using the pool.

After he was finished packing their bags, he and the uniformed officer went downstairs to wait for Lt. Grey. He had a hunch, and went to the kitchen, and opened the refrigerator.

Sure enough, at the back on the top shelf, he found boxes of Ketamine bottles. The officer pulled them out of the fridge, and put them in a box.

Lt. Grey arrived just then.

"Lt., I found this recipe taped to the inside of the cabinet. Its' the recipe for the tea that made my wife sick. And in the fridge, we found these bottles of the poison. I think you might want to test the paint in all of the rooms, and see if they poisoned that as well".

"Why would they do that?"

"Because they were the ones who painted our room and bedroom. I suspect that it has to do with my business problems, I just don't know what the link is yet".

"Well, here is the search warrant. We will test the paint in all of the rooms, and we are going to search their room. Where is it?"

"Right in there". He pointed to the other side of the kitchen.

"Where are they?"

"At the pool, out back".

"Perfect". He put a uniform by each back door.

Jonathan called for Freeway, and found that they had locked him in the study.

"Poor little guy, Momma will be back soon. I promise".

Lt. Grey asked Jonathan to stay in the living room, while they searched the Manley's room.

***About an hour later***

The search was complete. They turned up several more bottles of the poison, the paint cans from when they painted upstairs, labeled "+ poison", and a list of phone numbers and how they were connected to the Harts.