Chapter 12
Hannah glanced out the window, watching the leaves fall from the tree.
Cole and his dog never came in to see her, making her believe she dreamed them.
The days passed with visits from Kassie, Dr. Meyers, and Scarlett, and she wanted to ask where the handsome man with the blue eyes and his dog went.
But her body refused to cooperate. It refused to let her beg for anything.
She screamed and pleaded with her captors as they tortured and raped her.
When she realized they got off on hearing her cries, she went silent.
The longer she stayed, the more her body built concrete walls around her heart, mind, and soul.
“Hello, Hannah,” Kassie greeted her. “The nurses says you’re not eating again. Can I get you something else?”
Hannah didn’t reply. She drifted back to her dreary world.
“We’re celebrating Thanksgiving next Thursday.
How about we get you out of this room and you join us for dinner?
” she asked. “I won’t be here over the next few days.
We’re taking the kids and the grans on a little trip.
We want to spend Thanksgiving Day here with everyone.
Your mom called and asked if you needed anything.
She’s planning their trip to visit you.”
Hannah continued to watch the trees. She missed them when she stayed in the desert. Fall always brought color and beauty. Now, she wished to become like one of the remaining leaves on the trees and drift away with the winter wind.
A whine caught her attention and Cole’s dog pressed against her hand. Her fingers attempted to curl and scratch his head. He must not have felt it as he let out a series of groans and growls, trying to get her attention. His sweet head lay in her lap as his big, soft brown eyes stared at her.
Then Cole entered, appearing flustered. He said something, but she didn’t hear him. Hannah struggled to grasp Brody’s fur. She wanted, no, needed to feel something. Then, he tugged the beautiful animal away from her.
She watched as they left the room. Kassie picked up the brush and removed the hairband. She brushed through Hannah’s thick, brown mass. “Your hair needs a trim. If you don’t mind, I can ask Samantha, a friend of mine, to come do it for you.”
Hannah stared at the door. Wanting the dog to return and perhaps even Cole, she tuned Kassie out.
“Dr. Meyers and Scarlett will be dropping in to check on you while I’m away.
Think about Thanksgiving. We can use an extra hand with all these teens running around.
Imagine your parents’ faces when they come to see you and you’re talking.
What a wonderful surprise. Have a great weekend, Hannah and I’ll see you when I return. ”
Kassie left her alone. It didn’t matter. Even when people entered her room, she felt the same way. Nothing seemed able to penetrate the rigid walls until she met Brody with his cute little pinecone gift. Did Cole throw it away?
An hour later, a nurse entered with her dinner. Hannah didn’t even lift the lid. In her mind, she dreamed of the creamy mac and cheese, recalling the taste on her tongue. Everything else reminded her of the stale, moldy bread, and dirty water they forced her to drink.
Another hour ticked slowly by and an aide picked up the tray and left.
Time ticked slowly by as Hannah breathed and watched the clock, knowing the nurse wouldn’t show for another two hours with her meds.
Then, two hours later, they’d return to help her to bed, making the nightmares in her head come to life in the dark.
The evening sky grew darker earlier, leaving her nothing to watch.
On the other side of the hospital, Kassie greeted Cole and Brody. She let him sit in her office while she examined his eye and sent for more ice.
“Thank you for seeing me. If it’s about earlier, I promise Brody meant no harm and I didn’t let him loose,” he said while she poked around the tender spots, making him wince.
“Who did this to you?” she demanded.
“Sparky,” he confessed.
Kassie grinned. “I’ll be damned. I owe Patch a twenty.”
“Hey, you bet against me?” he asked incredulously.
“I never bet against a sister. It’s not my story to tell, but Sparky went through a few things here. The men wanted her to feel stronger and more confident. Thanks for being a good sport about it.”
“Saying I’m a good sport implies I knew what I signed up for. Let’s agree to say I have a soft spot for Sparky. She cheered me up after I attacked Ivan. Do you know how he’s doing?” he asked.
“Ivan’s up and terrorizing his men. We’re taking a small vacation over the weekend. It’s why I called you. I’ll need someone to check in on Hannah.”
“Really? If getting beat up by the blind chick means you feel sorry for me, it’s totally worth it,” Cole said gleefully.
“Actually, it’s you. When Brody came into Hannah’s room, she seemed…
different. After the two of you left, she stared at the door as if wanting you to return,” Kassie explained.
“Maybe you can reach her where we can’t.
I want you to abide by the rules. I can’t discuss Hannah’s condition with you, but I expect you to respect her privacy.
If she becomes irritated with you, I insist you leave her room immediately. ”
“You have my word,” Cole promised.
“If you leave now, dinner will be done. She might like a visitor to keep her company. I don’t think she likes to stay alone all night.”
“Thanks, Kassie. Brody and I will run down and stay a while,” he said, rising.
“Take the ice pack with you and if you still have pain in the morning, have Patch give it a second glance,” she advised.
“I will,” he said, anxious to see Hannah.
Brody and he sprinted down the hall. As if the dog sensed where he planned to go, he ran slightly ahead and glanced behind him for his master.
When they got to her room, Cole paused and tapped the wall before walking in.
Hannah sat in the chair with her hands folded in her lap. Her head hung down and her long brown hair covered her face.
“Hi,” he said softly, not wanting to startle her.
Hannah slowly raised her gaze to meet his. Brody shoved Cole out of the way, heading straight for Hannah. He placed his paw on her knee and tapped it.
“Brody’s asking you to play ball with him. He got injured in Afghanistan and spent a lot of time in his crate while he healed. When he started to feel better, he started pawing at my knee to get me to play ball,” Cody explained patiently.
Hannah stared at Brody as if trying to tell him she didn’t have anything to give him. Recalling his afternoon with the new dogs, he reached into his pocket and pulled out one of the balls he used to demonstrate the commands to Archer and the two veterans.
He went behind Hannah and tossed the ball gently on the floor and Brody ran after it, bringing it back to her lap. Cole picked it up and threw it again. His furry friend dropped it on Hannah again. She didn’t say anything, but she watched, wholly engrossed in his dog.
“What do you like to do for fun?” he asked.
“Did you hear three of my dogs arrived today? The youngest one doesn’t have a name.
They called her Canine nine. What a stupid thing to call such a pretty dog.
She’s brown and black with a bit of white on his chest. It sounds more like a robot than an animal.
You’ll have to help me pick a good one for her. ”
Her gaze never left his. Cole struggled with how to keep the one-way conversation going.
His hand automatically went to his eye. “You’re probably wondering what happened to me.
The team has taught Scarlett how to defend herself.
She beat me up,” he whispered. “Don’t tell anyone. I’ll never live it down.”
Hannah’s mouth made a slight smirk, or at least he thought it did and he kept going.
“Patch and Kassie bet against me. Can you believe it? I’m sorry I haven’t come to visit you.
I started volunteering at the community kitchen and Kassie’s friend, Ivan came in to introduce himself.
Have you ever met him?” he asked. He stood and pushed out his chest. “He walked in like this and I saw he carried a gun. I ordered him to stop and he tried to take my weapon. I accidentally beat him up. Now that I think about it, did Kassie pay Scarlett to rough me up as payback?”
Brody whined and lay at Hannah’s feet as if offering her comfort. She watched the clock as Cole regarded her. Recalling Kassie’s statement, Hannah did appear different. She still didn’t speak, but her eyes grew larger and her hands moved anxiously. Hannah didn’t seem to notice.
“Tomorrow, after PT, I’m training the dogs.
Maybe one day, you’ll feel good enough to watch us.
I love working with them. My parents assumed I’d become a veterinarian when I grew up, but I wanted to serve my country.
Working with the animals sometimes kept me sane over there.
Mom always allowed us to keep pets as long as we cared for them. Did you ever have a dog?”
Hannah’s eyes never moved from the clock.
“When I finish with training, if you don’t mind, Brody and I will stop by,” he said, picking up the ball.
When she didn’t respond, Cole frowned. He didn’t expect her to speak but maybe give him some indication she wanted them to return. Reminding himself she didn’t know him, and coupled with Kassie’s warning, he needed to go slow.
“Goodnight, Hannah. We’ll see you tomorrow,” he said before he signaled to Brody to follow. His four-legged buddy stood on two paws and stared into Hannah’s eyes before kissing her cheek. Cole called to him and they left the room.
“We have to get her out of her shell,” he murmured to Brody. More determined than ever, Hannah became their mission.