“Of course, man. And you should stay with your sister until she gets a bed. I'm going to let Joaquin know what's going on.”
“Shit. I gotta get the horses ready for delivery to the Wills ranch.”
“Don’t worry about it. Me, Sparrow, and Joaquin can start the process.”
“Thanks, Wick.”
* * *
I’ve been hereabout a day and a half when the number for the facility comes up on my phone. Nervous, I nearly hang up before I can even answer the call.
“Mr. Andrich, we have an open bed for your sister if you can get over here this afternoon.”
“We’re packed and ready to go. We can get to your address in thirty minutes if traffic isn’t a nightmare.”
I give Destry a thumbs-up. She grabs my hand, squeezing it so tight. “It's going to be okay,” I say, hugging her.
We get her things into the car and make our way across town surprisingly quickly.
The intake process is, of course, long and arduous. However, when it comes to the insurance, which Destry doesn't have, and the payment, which will bleed out my credit card, the woman holds up her hand.
“No, sir. This has already been paid for.”
“Who paid for it?”
“Says here, Luke McCall. Ha, like the bull rider. Interesting.”
“Actually, he's a saddle bronc rider, or was. And he’s a very good friend.”
A very good friend who I am going to yell at. Appreciatively.
We finalize the check-in, and it's time for me to say goodbye to Destry. She's a little weepy and a little embarrassed, but I remind her that it takes strength to recover again and again.
After watching her go through the brightly colored double doors, I turn to leave and run straight into Jason Jennings. I’m guessing we both look a little surprised to see each other.
“You work here?” I ask, puzzling at the pair of scrubs with his name embroidered on the top.
He shakes his head. “I volunteer. They did so much for me and my brother, so I come in for a couple of second shifts and overnights every month.”
“That sounds intense.”
Rubbing the back of his neck, he nods in agreement. “It can be. Overnight is either dead quiet or complete chaos. There is no in-between.”
“I bet,” I say, as though I could possibly understand. “Well, I’m glad I ran into you. I just dropped off my sister. Her name is Destry Phillips.”
He grips my arm. “She's in good hands.”
I nod. “I hope it sticks this time.”
His smile is patient, and I have a feeling I've said the wrong thing.
“Sometimes it's better to understand that she is going to need refreshment from time to time. It doesn't always have to be an in-patient stay, but one of the things we learned with Justin is that we’re not aiming for perfection. Honestly, I think one of the most helpful things they taught us was to identify the signs of needing extra help.”
“Yeah? Is there something particular I can look out for?”
“Sure. I’ll give you an example. A few weeks ago, Justin was starting to struggle. He was having bad brain days. He was missing meetings and having a hard time getting out of bed. So instead of waiting for him to relapse, I helped him set up a couple of day passes, and it was a good way for him to recharge. It’s not just about maintaining sobriety—depressed and sober is just as dangerous.”
I nod, grateful for that insight. “Yeah, I guess there's a lot I don't understand. Even when I read the words, there’s a lot about her mental health issues that don't make any sense to my brain. But what you just said is helpful. Maybe she won’t ever fully recover, but we can stay on top of it.”
