I now know
A lot has been learned in the years since about the effects of Ambien. In a percentage of the population is can cause a form of temporal amnesia, even damaging short-term memories. Many people experience a catatonic state. Even if wakened, they are unlikely to remember anything about the time period. Although still prescribed, such effects are now much more closely monitored and the medication is stopped if there is evidence of this side-effect.
This was not the case in 2011. And although I did not know what I know now, I was able to find studies online that suggested these side-effects may be more prominent then most knew at the time. Concerned, I actually brought the information to Jen's attention. She did not seem concerned, even stating that if she was going to take something to relax it had better work. Being a medical professional herself, she pointed out that she probably knew more about the medication then I. Fair point.
Randy and I joked that this could be useful the next time she fell asleep on the couch.
Watching her sleep a few days later, however, has more stressful then I had anticipated. Was she really in a "catatonic" state? Randy and I looked like kids over forbidden fruit, each waiting for the other to do something or make a move. Jen lay on the couch on her side, partially curled up as she breathed rhythmically. My modest attempts to wake her had seemingly done nothing. I was overcome with a sense that she was setting me up... waiting for me to do something stupid. On the table was her wine glass; about an inch of the light liquid left in the bottom. I picked it up and poured it on her.
Randy and I chugged big swallows of our beer and looked from each other back to Jen, laying on the couch with wine running across her neck and soaking the front of her shirt. She had not budged. She was _out_. I think we giggled like kids, wondering what we dared to do next.
I gained confidence that Jen was really not going to wake as Randy steadied her and I removed the wet shirt. He grabbed a towel, I removed her bra, and told Randy to dry her off. He hesitated, but by now I was getting very confidant that Jen was not going to wake up and told him so. After carefully drying Jen's big, floppy tits and slim torso, he stood back as if not sure what to do next. My classy wife was now laying on her back on the couch, bare from the waist up exposed to her brother-in-law. The thrill was intense, and I did not want it to end. "Well", I observed, "the movie is not over", and I sat down and pretended to re-focus on the TV. As I had hoped he would, Randy sat on the couch next to Jen. He ran his hands over her bare torso and breasts, and even tasted her nipples. After a few minutes he seemed overcome with nerves, and mentioned something about getting clear before she woke. He stumbled off to bed, I was sure to beat off to the memory of the experience. I got Jen to bed, and put her wine soaked shirt in the laundry.
The next day I asked Jen if she remembered what had happened the night before. I was still having a difficult time reconciling the fact that she did not know what had happened. She seemed annoyed with the question, so I told her she had fallen asleep with the wine glass in her hand and spilled it on herself. Did she not not remember that I had to dry her off? She did not, and for the first time appeared concerned at not being able to remember. She commented that she should probably ease off the wine when taking something to sleep.
I hoped she would not.
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