“A friend who’s a what?” I asked.
“A mycologist,” Gabby said. “A person who studies fungi, which is what mushrooms are.”
“Why is he calling a mushroom specialist?” I asked, sounding somewhat panicked.
Gabby grimaced. “There are some mushrooms that are very toxic if ingested. Some can even be lethal, but the main component of successful treatment is early intervention. You came to the hospital within a few hours of ingestion, and you’ve already had a dose of charcoal. I know this all sounds terrifying, but we’re on the right track. I’m going to go check on your labs and see if Patch has any new orders for you. I’ll be right back.” She took my hand and gently squeezed it. “You’re going to be okay.”
I looked at Dice and burst into tears. He was instantly at my side, trying to soothe me. “I didn’t want to believe it,” I cried, “but someone really is trying to kill me. I mean, I know someone has been harassing me and doing things that would hurt me, but I didn’t think they were actually trying to kill me until now.”
“We’re not going to let that happen,” he promised.
“You can’t—” I started, but he cut me off.
“Yes, I can. You mean the world to me, Daphne, and I will not let anyone hurt you.”
Rationally, I knew he was making a promise he couldn’t guarantee, but I chose to relish in the comfort his words provided.
I had almost dozed off when Patch came back into the room. “I spoke to my friend,” he said.
“The mushroom lady?” I interrupted.
He smiled. “Yes, the mushroom lady. She’s on her way here to get a sample of the cookies for testing. Normally, we’d have to send your blood to a special lab for testing, and it would take days to get results, but she can test the cookies and have an answer for us tonight. In the meantime, we’re going to admit you to the hospital and get you moved upstairs. If it is amatoxin poisoning, you’ll be in the hospital for several days.”
“Ama-what?” I asked.
“Sorry, amatoxin. That’s the name of a toxin found in some poisonous mushrooms. There are many kinds of mushroom toxins, but amatoxin is the one we’re concerned about in your case.”
“Why do you think it’s that one?”
“Your symptoms align with amatoxin poisoning, and mushrooms in the Amanita family are the most common type of poisonous mushroom in our area.”
“If it is what you said, what’s the prognosis?” I asked.
“Amatoxin poisoning can be fatal. It can also result in liver and kidney failure. The key to treatment is early intervention. There isn’t a specific antidote for amatoxin, but there are some experimental options we can try once it’s confirmed. Until then, the recommended treatment is activated charcoal, intravenous fluids, anti-nausea medications, and monitoring lab results,all of which we’re doing,” he explained. “Do you have any questions?”
“I can’t think of any right now.”
“I know it’s a lot to process. If you do think of one, don’t hesitate to ask for me or Gabby. Neither one of us is going anywhere any time soon.”
“Thank you. I really appreciate everything you’re doing.”
He smiled kindly. “I’m just glad you came to the hospital when you did. I’ll check on you in a little bit.”
“If I’m going to be here for a few days, I need somebody to take care of Diablo. I also need to call my dad, and I need to let my boss know what’s going on. Can you hand me my phone?”
Dice shook his head. “You rest. I’ll take care of everything else. Are you okay with Diablo staying with Ember?”
“That’s fine, if she doesn’t mind.”
“She won’t mind,” he assured me. “Seriously, close your eyes and rest. I’ll be right here.”
“Okay,” I agreed and did what he said.
20
DICE
Ipicked up my phone and called Ember first.