Katie presses for more details

Molly looked back at the screen and asked about the message, “what does it mean ‘commands cached for replay’?”

Nico and Xane both shook their heads in ignorance. “No idea,” Xane explained, “this is our first interaction with a Gadget.”

Molly knew someone with more experience with Gadgets, but she didn’t feel like waking him to discuss this at the moment.

Katie could see the discomfort and questioning look on her friend's face, so she felt now was a good time to get back on track with the original discussion. “Nico, you said the voice change & the inhalant stopped working after a week was the ‘worst’ side effect. What other side effects are there?”

She could see color drain from both Xane’s and Nico’s faces as their faces took on the look of a guilty child caught after the fact. Nico tried to dance around it, “well, keep in mind that this is an experimental **** that didn’t go to market and its use is even off label of what was intended...”

Katie could tell he was leaving plenty off, “uh-huh....”

Nico swallowed as he continued, “technically, the voice changing is a side effect in of itself, so almost anything else that results is a side effect too” Nico nervously chuckled “so its just all part of the experience, am I right?”

Katie could see the worried look on Molly’s face. She was sure the effects weren’t deadly or highly damaging or these guys wouldn’t touch it, but she was sure that was where Molly’s mind was probably heading right now.

“Come on, Nico, spill it. What else does this thing do??”

“Well...” Nico said wincing, “you know how it kind of restricts the vocal cords and air way to get the voice higher?”

“Yeeees?” Katie said trying to egg him on.

Xane was even getting frustrated with Nico dancing around it, so he jumped in, “while the inhalant didn’t restrict the alveoli enough for the researchers’ goals, it did restrict them some.” Xane was getting a little nervous himself, but continued on, “Its not drastic, but it does tend to reduce the blood oxygen content over time. Not enough to incapacitate someone.”

“Blood oxygen is reduced?!?” Katie asked as that sound dangerous.

“Only be a small amount; not enough to cause damage,” Xane explained.

Katie was not enjoying this run around, “so what does that do??”

“Well, the brain needs oxygen to do its thing just like all the rest of the body, and it short of impairs some mental faculties.”

“WHAT?!?” Katie and Molly ask in unison.

“It's really not as bad as it sounds,” Nico jumps in. “It's mild. It's like being buzzed on ****. You’re a little bit more relaxed, your judgement isn't quite as sharp, inhibitions drop a bit and reaction time is a little slower.” Nico nervously smiled as he tried to soften the blow.

“So it makes him a little drunk?” Katie asked for them. “That’s really it?”

“Welllllll.....” Nico whined knowing where they were heading with this.

Xane could see them getting frustrated, “like any ****, there can be interaction issues.” Xane tried to explain in straight terms, “as Nico mentioned, its like being buzzed. But if you were to drink ****, you’d get to the level of being drunk faster because you have both effects at once.” Molly and Katie nodded as that did make sense. Molly knew Paul drank some, but he was never a heavy drinker and avoided it whenever he was taking pain meds and stuff, so she figured he would be smart enough not to.

Nico seeing them understanding added in, “also, we’ve had some clients that did ummm... recreational ****.. mention how it would amplify the effects some. X got them wilder, marijuana made them more mellow & accepting, peyote caused some wild trips apparently.’

Molly was sure that wouldn’t be an issue with Paul. “Oh, Paul doesn’t do **** so we’re good there. Just daily vitamins and the odd Tylenol; unless a doctor prescribes something.”

The group looked happy about that at least.

“Well,” everyone in the group chat tensed up and looked to Molly, “except for the odd homeopathic thing, but that wouldn’t really be affected by this would it?”

Katie knew this was going to be bad, “what homeopathic thing, Molly?”

Molly suddenly felt defensive after everyone was looking at her, “Paul was seeming really stressed and the store had some homeopathic suckers that were supposed to relax you.” Molly continued her defense, “There probably just sugar and some flavoring herbs. Doubt it even does much.”

“Did he eat the sucker?” Katie asked incredulously.

“Just two,” replied Molly defiantly.

“Do you have any more of them we can look at?” asked Katie trying to nail down what this really is.

“No,” said Molly dejectedly, but then remembered, “but I might still have a wrapper in my purse!” As she shot up, stumbling a bit to find her purse. Digging out a wad of plastic she triumphantly sounds, “found it!” as she holds up her prize and traipses back to the couch.

Handing the crinkled up, sticky wrapper to Katie, Molly responds, “see its nothing.”

Katie slowly pulls apart the plastic but then her eyes go wide as she reads the contents of it.

Molly is surprised by Katie’s expression and prods her, “what? What is it?”

Katie looks at Molly asks her, “The Hill Country?”

“Oh ya! It's this great little boutique brand around here! They make some of the most amaaaaazing stuff!!” Molly shivers thinking about the sweet body oil Paul got from the salon that they had incorporated into so many of their sessions.

“You have other stuff from them?” Katie asks perplexed by her friend’s interest in this stuff.

“Really just this body oil but it makes your skin feel so good,” Molly can’t hold back a giggle, “and its edible, too. Really sweet taste.” She emphasizes with a wink.

“Got any of it around?”

“Ummm, I think....” Molly looks around before getting up. Finally finding the large jug under the bathroom sink, “here it is!” bringing it back triumphantly.

Katie looks at the label and while the company name is consistent, there are several other corresponding details between these. She is sure her friend is not that naive and knows what this stuff is; right? “Molly, hun, you know what this stuff is right?”

“Homeopathic herbal remedies,” Molly responds nervously. “I know it’s mostly just sugar and flavoring, but still tastes good.” Molly sees Katie shaking her head and gets worried, “what is it??”

“’The Hill Country’?” Katie asks trying to point at the words on the label as she says them for emphasis. “’Cherry Berry Delight’?”

Nico’s eyes get wide as he figures it out.

Katie sees Molly is still confused and holds up the candy wrapper “’Cock Based Dreams’??”

Molly giggles nervously, “oh, that was just the novelty gag. I thought it would be funny to see his reaction to it.”

“You really don’t see it?” Katie asked amazed at her ignorance.

Molly really doesn’t see what her friend is getting after.

Katie breaks down and spells it out frustrated: “’The Hill Country’ - T - H - C.” Picking up the wrapper “’Cock Based Dreams’, ‘Cherry Berry Delight’, - C - B - D.” Katie can tell Molly is really not letting her brain put the pieces together and flat out says, “Molly, hun, these aren’t just edible. They are edibleS.” Seeing Molly shake her head in defiance, Katie refutes, “sweety, these are laced with marijuana. That’s why they felt so good.”

Molly was shocked. Sure, she’d smoked a little in her youth and knew plenty of people that did some recreationally, but they’d been using this stuff weekly and for....

“Hold on!” Molly grabbed the phone and looked directly at Nico who was dancing around stuff, “you said people had done marijuana with the inhalant at the same time; what happened?”

Nico face went from laughter to shock at the sudden accusatory tone, “they got like really chill. But also like.... amorous.” Nico said trying to soften it a bit.

“Amorous?!?” Molly nearly shouted, “you mean horny??”

“Well, they were kind of promiscuous before so it's hard to tell how much was the meds, the ****, and just them,” Nico said defiantly. “It's not like it's an exhaustive study or anything.”

Molly fell back on the couch and then covered her face as she moaned. Katie tried to comfort her friend. “It's okay, Molly. I’m sure it's nothing. Just had a wild weekend tripping on ****; not like he’s the first.” Katie continued to rub her friend’s side as she seemed to start crying, “he’s probably fine. This sounds mostly harmless,” Katie said reassuringly.

However, as the sound continued from Molly, it seemed to be distinguishable from crying as her arm fell away. It was clear she had broken into laughter. Katie would normally be glad she wasn’t in a crying fit, but she was worried Molly had broken somehow. “Sweety, what’s so funny?” Katie asked trying to stifle an infectious giggle.

Molly finally got out between laughs, “he really did it.”

“He did what?” Katie asked.

“The sexy dress, the big tits, the high heels, the red hair, the sexy voice, the ****,” Molly giggled. “I told him to act the best sexy girl he could, and Paul went and became his ideal bimbo slut!” Molly laughed a bit more before getting out, “the fucking over achiever!”

The last crack cracked up the group as the stress from the possibilities seemed to evaporate with the laughter.

Feeling the tension released in the mutually laughing fit, Xane let slip, “just be glad he wasn’t double dosing the spray.”

Molly wasn’t sure she heard him right and was surprised to see Nico waving frantically on the screen, “sorry, what was that, Xane?” Molly said still giggling.

“I just said to be glad he wasn’t double dosing,” Xane replied.

Molly’s expression blanched at that comment, but her attention was quickly grabbed by her phone chiming as she read a message from the Gadget app.