Kelly, in fact, was feeling tremendously guilty about what might be in store for her sister on top of being frightened. She tarried a bit after everyone had left.
“Mr. Olson?”
“Please call me Chris. Only the people I’m prosecuting call me Mr. Olson more than once or twice. What’s on your mind, Kelly?”
“Chris…I was stupid. My breasts started giving off milk just a day after we went to the nurse’s office. I…actually thought it was pretty cool. I mean, I’m a seventeen-year old girl who’s never been pregnant…and I’m passing milk like a cow.”
“OK,” said Olson, not quite following.
“Anyway, I wanted to save it, so I put it in gallon jugs. It tasted really good you see? Of course I didn’t want Lindsey to drink any of it, so I got her some milk and asked that she use that. I labeled my own jugs…my own milk jugs…my own plastic milk jugs bright red so she wouldn’t confuse them. I told Lisa and Jennifer about this, they advised me to throw it away because of the hormones. I didn’t because of the taste; they came back earlier this week. They showed Lindsey and I what was happening to them and how it could happen to anyone that drank the milk. Lindsey and I got really scared. Lindsey told me that she’d been drinking my milk for the past week and replacing it with her own.”
Kelly bit her lip and went on
“Basically, I want to know if it could affect the criminal case against Cromarte or the civil suit.”
“Hmm,” said Olson. “Question I have…is why would your sister have developed a taste for your milk in the first place?”
Kelly was silent for several moments…”i let her try some.”
“OK, no problem. You let her try some and she developed a taste for it so strong that she decided to deceive you…but other than that, your story is completely true, correct?”
“yes.”
“Fine. You didn’t know that your milk was filled with hormones when you let your sister try it, and you made a reasonable effort when you did find out to ensure that your sister didn’t try it again. It’s not your fault that she jumped the fence. The point that I want to impress on you, Kelly is that when you are under oath, the standard you are held to is “the truth, the WHOLE truth and nothing but the truth.” Otherwise it’s perjury, and it has gotten presidents impeached, and common citizens like you and me in jail.”
Seeing that his point was made, Chris reassured her. “This will do nothing to hinder the case against Cromarte. If, God forbid, Lindsey is affected, we wouldn’t be able to use her against her…but I’m assuming that to be an issue you’d rather not bring up. Nor is there any chance of you being prosecuted. Nobody can provide any evidence that you didn’t take reasonable steps after you knew how potent the milk was. Same thing with the civil suit, YOU are suing her…Lindsey isn’t.”
Wholeheartedly relieved, Kelly walked out the door to pick up Lindsey…and a more intense anxiety filled her as she realized why they were both going to the doctor.
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They hadn’t actually been to the doctor is over nine months, so Dr. Perkins gave Kelly and Lindsey complete physicals. All systems appeared normal.
“I’m glad you decided to come in Kelly. We know you’re experiencing the effects of BHGHC-12, the only question is whether you’re producing it naturally, if you are, the effects you’ll experience will be…well, severe, life changing, and progressive. If you aren’t they may still be severe and life-altering, they just wont be progressive, there may even reverse to an extent. But I’ll need a blood sample for testing.”
“You’ll”…ashamed, Kelly hesitated. “My sister drank some of my milk this past week, you need to get her tested as well.”
Dr. Perkins exhaled, his arms folded over his chest. “Yes, I definitely think I should…Lindsey, I need you to remember: how much of Kelly’s milk did you drink this past week?”
Lindsey’s eyes widened…”i think…like two or three glasses a day.”
“And how big a glass did you use?” Lindsey’s hand gestures described a glass about a pint in size. “And did you use it on cereal as well?”
“Sometimes…whenkellywasntlooking,” she mumbled
“She’ll may very well be affected, Kelly. I doubt she’ll be producing…but…with that much…with her size…in such a short period of time, there is a distinct possibility.”
With a wince from Kelly and a few brave tears from Lindsey, Dr. Perkins withdrew samples of blood from both of them.
“I’m going to go ahead and expedite this-priority treatment. We should know for sure by tomorrow evening.” He patted Lindsey on her knee. “Don’t worry if you notice anything different over the next few hours, you’re at the age when things are happening anyway.” He turned to Kelly. “You two keep close, I’ll let you know as soon as I hear anything.”