Chapter 23 #2
Kassie turned her startled eyes toward him. “I did forget. Because these men have represented safety to me from the moment they rescued me. Claire felt the same way.”
“Not for Hannah. Their size makes her uneasy. You trusted me enough to take her on a tour of the facility and visit her in the evenings, but I’m not good enough to make her feel safe,” he said sarcastically. “Patch, you saw what happened back there. Did it appear as if Hannah feared me?”
A vehicle’s lights shone through the windows, and a second later, Doc rushed in. His eyes searched the room until they landed on Kassie. In seconds, he wrapped her in his embrace. His lips murmured something in her ear and she nodded.
“Stay with Leo while I talk to Hannah,” Doc directed, passing her off to his best friend.
“PITA, I know what’s going on in that stubborn, red head of yours. Maybe Cole has a point. Yeah, he’s fucked up, but you still love me, and I do it daily,” he teased, attempting to change the mood in the room.
“Hannah’s worried her father will make her leave here,” Cole informed them. “She’s an adult. He can’t make her, can he?”
Kassie sighed. “There’s a thin medical line here, Cole and I can’t cross it. Because of Hannah’s previous state, they’re her legal guardians.”
“But she’s better,” he insisted.
“No, Cole. She experienced a breakthrough. Hannah has a long way to go,” Kassie explained. “Everyone’s journey takes a different amount of time.”
“Then, why can’t I help her? She responds to Brody and me. I spent Thanksgiving Day with her, and you saw for yourself how she interacted with me. She trusted me enough to tour the facility alone,” he pleaded.
“He’s got a point, Kassie,” Leo said softly. “You, of all people, know how one person can make a difference.”
“We’re not talking about me. She’s my patient,” she insisted. “I can’t take chances.”
“Doc took a chance when he brought you back here,” Leo reminded her. “Don’t you always say the mountain has a way of healing your soul? Why don’t you talk to Hannah and see what she wants to do?”
Kassie sighed. “I have a feeling we’re on a limited amount of time. Cole doesn’t have any experience. What if something goes wrong?”
“Like it did tonight? I’ll call for backup, exactly like Patch did. He tried Sparky first and then me. I got here and took the knife away before you even arrived. It’s gotta show she has some trust in me,” he argued.
Kassie stared at him. Her mouth firmed as she sized him up. “Patch. Call Claire and have her come to the cabin. We’ll talk to Hannah alone and decide on how to proceed. I’m warning you, Cole. She’s not a pet project. When you must work, she’ll need to stay with us at the hospital.”
“She mentioned she wanted to watch me train the dogs. Can’t she go with me?” he asked.
“Let’s see what Claire says before we make any decisions,” Kassie hedged. “I’ll go and check on her now,” she said, heading toward the bedroom.
“Why do I feel like she’s acting way more protective of Hannah compared to her other patients?” Cole asked Leo.
“Because Kassie went through something similar,” Leo said, rubbing the back of his neck.
“It’s no secret, but Hannah never would’ve stayed here this long if Kassie didn’t advocate for her.
She wants her to heal as much as you do.
You’re new and she doesn’t know you. It’s the difference between our situations.
With Patch, Kassie knew him as a patient and a person.
Doc and Kassie loved each other way before the incident and it gave her a reason to fight.
If she agrees to this, you follow every rule to the letter, or I’ll sic Victoria on your ass.
Your ass will end up on our table as the Christmas ham or in Siberia with Ivan’s men. ”
“I’ll do whatever it takes,” he vowed. “Brody and I won’t let her down.”
Kassie entered the bedroom and sat on the opposite side of the bed as Hannah with Brody in the middle. His head lay in her lap as she gently stroked him.
“How do you feel?” she asked, watching Hannah interact with the dog.
“A bit shaky,” Hannah admitted.
“It’s perfectly normal. Can you tell me what made you go into the closet?” Kassie asked gently.
“My father called. He’s arranging a flight home for me tomorrow. I don’t want to go, and he refused to listen. Then I went into the kitchen to make some soup. Something’s wrong with me,” she whispered. “I thought they came for me. They didn’t, did they?”
“No, Hannah. No one will harm you here. It doesn’t mean anything’s wrong with you. Your brain processes things differently. Claire can explain it better than I.”
“It seems I came at the right time,” Claire said cheerfully as she sat on the corner of the bed.
“Hannah fought with her father and then thought she heard the rebels,” Kassie explained.
“Ahhh,” Claire said as she smiled. “It’s part of your fight or flight reflex. Your brain mixed up the messages and your nervous system took over.”
“I don’t want to go back to my room at the hospital,” she pleaded. “I know what you’re thinking. I didn’t even make it a whole day.”
“Everyone has setbacks now and again,” Kassie consoled her. “Why do you think we have buttons in the closet?”
“I felt like I lived in a nightmare. It’s as if I never came home from Afghanistan,” she murmured.
“Remember our discussions about PTSD?” Claire reminded her.
“Yeah. It felt so real. My heart kept pounding, and I struggled to think straight,” she said, describing her feelings. “I’m sorry to create such a fuss. Leo and his men must think I’m coo coo.”
“Stop,” Kassie admonished. “Patch mans the board some nights in case someone pushes the button. Do you think you’re the only one who has ever pressed it? We have a response team in place to help the people who need it.”
“Tell me how you feel now, Hannah,” Claire said. “We have some medications we can try to help with your anxiety and other symptoms. If you don’t want to return to the hospital, what did you have in mind?”
Hannah shrugged. “I know I need help. I guess staying in the cabin seems out of the question after this.”
“What about staying with someone? Do you feel safe with Scarlett?” Claire asked.
“Yes, but she’s recently married. I’m not imposing on her and Ty. They’re still in the honeymoon stage,” she refused.
Claire turned to Kassie. “Do we have another vet we can pair her with?”
“No. I have three returning home and the two transferring to the cabins requested to stay as roommates,” Kassie reported. “I have one veteran who might be ready in about two weeks.”
“I’m afraid we can’t leave you alone for two weeks. We planned to go with you tomorrow to introduce you slowly to the community,” Claire said, attempting to come up with another idea.
“What about Cole and Brody? Do you feel safe with him?” Kassie asked.
Hannah smiled slightly as she scratched her four-legged friend behind the ears. “Yeah, I do. He doesn’t mind if I don’t talk. Cole treats me like I’m… normal.”
“No one truly is. Don’t work toward perfection,” Kassie warned. “How do you feel about staying with him? What if you attended therapy and we work on getting you out and about while he’s working with the dogs? When you’re not, you can help him at the training facility,” Kassie suggested.
“I don’t know. It’s one thing for him to visit me at the hospital but quite another for him to babysit me,” Hannah said, shaking her head.
“He already offered. Cole seems determined to help you. We can try it and if it doesn’t work out, we’ll come up with another alternative. I need you to tell me honestly, do you feel comfortable enough to try?”
Brody raised his head to stare at Hannah as if willing her to take the chance.
Her stomach flip-flopped as she debated her options.
Stay with Cole here on the mountain or go home to her parents with her tail between her legs.
A mixture of anger, determination, and pure spite to prove her father wrong filled her.
“May I speak with Cole?” she asked.
Kassie and Claire rose and left the room. A minute later, Cole entered and closed the door to give them some privacy.
“What’s up, Hannah?” he asked, sitting on the bed’s edge.
“They told me you offered for me to stay with you. Did you ask me out of pity?” she said, cutting to the chase.
“Absolutely not. Brody and I enjoy our time with you. In fact, I debated on bringing Nine to the cabin for a bit more work on his manners,” Cole explained.
“If I stay, will I cramp your style?” she asked.
“I haven’t lived here long enough to have one. I say you’re coming at a good time,” he said, smiling.
“I don’t want to go home. But it’s not the reason I want to stay with you. Scarlett’s newly married and I refuse to impose on them. As soon as I start feeling better, I’ll ask Kassie to move me back. Maybe I need a little time to adjust to everything.”
“You can take as long as you need. Shall I grab your suitcase and help you pack your things?” he asked.
“No. I need to clean up the kitchen. I dropped my bowl of soup,” she admitted.
“It’s already done. How about we work on getting you home? Brody and I haven’t eaten dinner. I picked up some sides at the grocery store. I believe there’s a container of mac and cheese,” he teased.
“You know me, it’s all about the sides,” she quipped as she slid Brody off her and stood. “Can you give me fifteen minutes?”
“Sure, I’ll let them know,” he said, signaling for his dog to follow.
Hannah walked to the closet and pulled out her luggage.
It took her five minutes to throw everything inside and grab her toiletries.
She walked down the hall, aware they watched her every move.
It didn’t matter. Her eyes landed on the one person who mattered most. Cole sent her a reassuring grin as he took her bag.
“Call if you need anything,” Kassie reminded her.
She nodded and walked outside. Cole helped her into the truck and secured Brody before walking to the driver’s side.
She inhaled deeply and let it out. It seemed weird for her to trust a man this completely, but somehow Cole calmed her fears.
He pulled out of the parking lot and drove toward his cabin.
Brody’s paw touched her shoulder as if telling her to have courage.
She reached back to caress his paw and she glanced at Cole.
His eyes stayed on the road, and the dim light caught his features.
A slight smile played on his lips and his hand glided over to hold hers.
She glanced out at the night sky, seeing the stars, and noticed the moon shone down on him.
Everything fell into place. Like before, Cole brought her the moon when she couldn’t see the stars and it felt right.