Chapter 17
“Happy Thanksgiving, Hannah,” the nurse said as she brought her a breakfast tray.
“They’re having a huge feast in the cafeteria today.
Scarlett’s husband, Ty, arrived at daybreak and is cooking up a storm.
Dr. Winters and Kassie, Catherine, and Annabelle came in to relieve us while we enjoyed the feast. Do you want to try to go down? ”
Hannah didn’t respond. She missed Cole yesterday.
He told her in advance he planned to celebrate Thanksgiving with the team.
It made the day seem longer than all the others, and she struggled to put a finger on why.
Her body felt restless and food didn’t entice her.
The books Cole read to her sat in the corner of her bedside table and didn’t interest her.
She lay on the bed and flipped the switch to the machine, which showed her the stars.
They didn’t show with the light coming in the room.
She glanced at the clock, counting the hours until they’d show.
At one o’clock, Hannah listened as patients made their way to the dining room. Soon, the nurse would bring her a tray, and she’d mark the time until dinner. Her mind felt bored and unlike the other days, she became antsy.
A knock sounded on her door. She didn’t turn around to see who it was. A whine caught her attention and a paw touched her leg. She turned to find Nine jumping onto her bed while Brody waited to greet her. She scratched behind his ears, happy to see him.
“Happy Thanksgiving,” Cole murmured, leaning against the wall, watching her.
She nodded while the puppy bowled her over, kissing her face, her tail wagging.
“I brought you dinner. Do you mind if I join you?” he asked. “I’m still trying to figure out what your favorite food might be. I bet it’s mashed potatoes with gravy,” he guessed as he set the containers on her hospital tray.
She shook her head and slid off the bed. Hannah approached the tray opposite Cole and opened the containers. The scent drifted to her nose and for once, her mouth watered.
“Smells incredible, doesn’t it?” he said while he dished out the food.
He cleaned off the table between the two chairs and brought their plates over while Hannah carried two waters. She sat, and he passed her a napkin.
Cole hesitated and grinned. “Yesterday, I gathered with the team. Joe, Kassie’s godfather, gave thanks. Do you mind if we do it here? I think it’s a nice tradition,” he said, holding out his hand.
Hannah stared at his open palm for a moment before sliding hers to meet his.
“Today, I’m thankful for my new job, which brought me to Serenity. And I’m grateful to have met you,” he said softly, gazing into her eyes.
She smiled and ducked her head down, feeling shy at his words of gratitude.
Brody whined and pawed Cole’s leg. The puppy glanced up from her spot on the bed, hopeful for a bit of food.
“All right, I’m also blessed to have Brody at my side,” he said, rolling his eyes.
The dog grinned as if Cole made his day.
Hannah smiled.
“Do you have any siblings?” Cole asked as he dug into his mashed potatoes.
“I have a brother in the military and a sister who gave birth to my niece a few months back. My parents went nuts when they became grandparents. My sister convinced them to move near her. She even argued it’s cheaper for them to live near her rather than to mail things weekly. ”
He waited for Hannah to respond and she shook her head sadly.
“I don’t know what Ty did to these potatoes, but they don’t taste like any I have eaten before,” he exclaimed as he forked another mouthful. “Let’s see if I can guess your favorite food. What about pizza?”
Hannah started shaking her head, then shrugged.
“Hmmm. You like it, but it’s not your favorite. Am I close?” he asked.
Hannah felt the words on the tip of her tongue as her lips clamped tightly. The sensations of feeling the dogs and smelling the food seemed to make her more determined to break out of her body’s hold.
She struggled to form the words. After so long staying silent, she forced the words from her throat.
“Mac and cheese,” she said softly, fearful it sounded strange and unintelligible.
Cole’s stare became intense as he leaned over his food. “You spoke, Hannah,” he whispered, shocked by the sound of her voice. “Did you say mac and cheese?”
Hannah swallowed, hoping he understood her. “Yes. I love mac and cheese,” she said slowly.
Cole smiled with obvious pleasure. “Stay right here. No, come with me,” he said, rising and taking her hand, pulling her to her feet. He started toward the door and she gripped the wall, shaking her head wildly.
“No,” she said firmly, terrified he’d try to drag her from the safety of her room.
Cole stopped. He saw the haunted expression on her face and took a breath. “I’m sorry, Hannah. I got too excited. Will you stay here? I’ll be right back.”
She nodded, relieved he didn’t force her to go.
Cole sprinted down the hall and ran down the steps to the cafeteria. He ducked between people searching for the mac and cheese he saw on the kids’ buffet. He found the empty tray. Glancing around, Cole searched for Kassie and Sparky.
The two women stood at the end of the line. Scarlett handed out silverware while Kassie assisted with drinks.
“Excuse me, can I speak with you two for a moment?” he asked, feeling as if he might jump out of his skin.
Kassie regarded him closely before handing her and Scarlett’s duties to two teens. “What’s wrong?”
“Hannah spoke,” he announced quietly.
Kassie’s hand went to her mouth in shock while Sparky made a fist pump.
“Oh my gosh, I gotta go see her,” Sparky said, grabbing Ice’s harness.
“No. Stop,” Cole insisted. “She’s a bit scared and overwhelmed. She asked for mac and cheese. Do we have any more?” he asked. “Let her eat and come by later. It seemed to take a lot out of her.”
Kassie went into the kitchen, searching for the requested dish.
Sparky grabbed his arm and hugged him. “I’m thrilled. Tell her I’m coming up after we clean the kitchen. You did it, Cole. You got her to speak.”
“We did it,” he insisted. “Dr. Meyers, Kassie, you and me, we never gave up hope.”
“I bet you’re excited,” Scarlett said, grinning.
“Floored feels more like it. I’m damn proud of her,” he said, unable to keep the joy from his face.
Kassie returned with a hot, cheesy bowl of mac and cheese. “It’s only now come out of the oven. Remind her it’s hot. I’ll have Chase check in with her later. Congratulations,” she said, beaming.
Cole ran up the stairs two at a time. He didn’t even realize Brody stayed with Hannah until he made it back to her room.
Hannah sat on the bed, appearing completely lost.
“I brought your requested item, madam,” he teased as he showed her the oversized bowl of the good stuff.
Her eyes grew wide like saucers when she saw the food. He set it down, moving her plate of turkey and all its fixings.
“It’s hot. Be careful,” he warned her.
Hannah pierced the pasta and blew on it. She stared at it for a minute before gazing at Cole.
“Thank you,” she whispered before taking the bite. Her eyes closed and she chewed slowly, savoring the flavor. When she swallowed, she licked her lips and grinned.
“Does it taste as good as you remembered?” he asked, amazed by her.
“Yes,” she said hesitantly. She stared down at the pasta and waited.
Cole guessed what she must’ve gone through. “It’s yours, Hannah. You can eat as much of it as you want. I’m gonna stuff myself with Ty’s mashed potatoes and gravy. We make a pair. Everyone else wants the turkey, but the sides do it for me.”
“I like them, too,” she said, testing out her voice.
He pushed her plate closer and grinned. “Then, let’s get to it. There’s plenty more where this came from.”
She pierced her food one more time and glanced at him to ensure herself he didn’t plan to take it away.
It seemed silly in her head, but her body warned her against believing a nice man.
The last time she did, the assailant pretended to help her and then violated her.
She mulled over her new reality while she enjoyed her first taste of food that didn’t taste rotten or smell moldy.
Cole seemed… no, felt different than anyone she’d ever met.
The dogs adored him, and he never made her do anything she didn’t feel comfortable doing.
He made her feel… safe. After months, she felt like her body relaxed and let its guard down.
Still wary, she waited for the strike, but the man didn’t let her inability to speak daunt him.
In fact, he brought her the moon when she couldn’t see the stars.
Her thoughts drifted to her parents. They always ate dinner, and she and her mom always decorated the Christmas tree. Her father never participated. He must’ve believed it women’s work. Goodness knows, Hannah failed him by merely existing as a girl. She refused to let her mom down.
“What’s got you preoccupied over there?” Cole asked, interrupting her morose thoughts.
“I’m thinking about my parents,” she said softly.
“Why does it make you sad? Your expression went from happy to hurt,” he said. “Don’t let anything ruin today. You made a brave and scary step and I’m damn proud of you.”
Her eyes teared at his words. “Thank you. You’re very kind.”
Brody stood and put his head in her lap as if he felt her messy emotions.
“I have a ton of questions to ask you, but I’m afraid if I do, you’ll retreat and never speak to me again,” Cole confessed.
“No. I like talking to you,” she admitted.
“I hope you like speaking with Kassie, Doc, and Scarlett. They’ll be here after they help clean the kitchen,” he informed her. “I told them to let you enjoy your meal, but if you need more time, I’ll tell them to wait,” he assured her.
She petted Brody’s head. “No. They’re good to me. Scarlett snuck in when she was a patient. Sometimes she brought her Braille books.”