How to Date a Dragon by Ashlyn Chase Page B

definitely.”
    She grinned. “Go ahead and tell me, if you can.”
    He took her hand in his and rubbed the pad of his thumb over her soft skin. “Blish, I’m a dragon.”
    “Yeah, I know. Medication will do that to you. It really makes you feel like it’s dragging you down.”
    “No.” He shook his head, and tried to enunciate. “I’m. A. Dragon.” Then he remembered the card he was still holding. He pointed to the cute dragon on the front of it.
    She laughed. “Sure you are…”
    He needed to be clearer, but how? His brain was so muddled, he couldn’t think of any other way but to insist she believe him.
    “It’s true. I am a dragon.”
    She frowned. “I know the medication is strong, but I didn’t think it would give you delusions.” Then she gasped. “Oh, my God. What if you’re having an adverse side effect? I’ve got to call a doctor.”
    “No! No doctor! Promish me, Blish, you won’ call a doctor.”
    She bit her lip. “I have to check the side effects on my computer.”
    She rose, but he grabbed her hand before she could walk off. “Promish!”
    After a charged pause, she finally agreed.
    The last thing he remembered was her gently placing a soft blanket over him and saying, “Close your eyes and rest. Just rest.”
    Then for the second time that day, he drifted off into unconsciousness.
    ***
    Bliss brought her laptop to the living room so she could keep an eye on Drake. She was never so relieved as when the bathroom door clicked open and Angie reappeared from her bath in her pink terry-cloth robe.
    “Oh, Angie. I’m in such a mess. Thank goodness you’re here. I don’t know what to do.”
    “Whoa, slow down. What’s going on?”
    “It’s Drake. I gave him some pain medicine and he started talking crazy. He made me promise not to call a doctor, but I’m afraid he could be having an adverse side effect. What should I do?”
    Angie reared back and stared at her. “Why did you promise not to call a doctor? It sounds like he needs one.”
    “I—I know, but he was so adamant… and we just had this big conversation about being honest and respectful of each other’s needs and blah, blah, blah.” Bliss opened her laptop and slipped on her glasses. “I looked up the medication I gave him on the Internet. Here’s what it says: ‘All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most common side effects persist or become bothersome.’” She waved away the useless information and continued. “That’s not the part that upset me. Here’s where it gets scary.
    “‘Seek medical attention right away if any of these severe side effects occur: Allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue).’ He seems to be okay there, so maybe he’s not allergic, but listen to the rest of these: ‘abnormal snoring or sighing; confusion; difficulty urinating; fainting; fast, slow, or irregular heartbeat; hallucinations; mental or mood changes; seizures; severe dizziness, drowsiness, or light-headedness; severe or persistent stomach pain, nausea, or constipation; shortness of breath; slow or shallow breathing; tremor; vision changes.’”
    Just then, Drake started to snore.
    “Oh, no! He’s snoring. I’m afraid for him, Angie.”
    “Does the Internet say what you should do about it?”
    “At the bottom here it says, ‘If you have any questions about these side effects, contact your health-care provider.’”
    Angie opened her purse and dug out her cell phone. “Well, I didn’t promise not to call someone. I’ve heard of a hotline called Ask a Nurse. It may be a matter of semantics, but he didn’t say anything about nurses, did he?”
    “No, he didn’t. Angie, you’re brilliant.”
    She smiled. “I know.”
    She punched a few buttons and spoke with the information operator, who connected her to the hotline.
    ***
    Anthony let