“I can tell you that if you’re able to figure out what they have left undone, I can help them cross over.”
“Alright. Eric, Joseph, and King take Morgan Segal. Adam, Ben, and Cam will take Edie Rose. Griff, Milo, and I will take Clementine Pucci and Hex, Torro and Chase will handle Casimir Costello.”
“What if we get more?” asked Cam.
“Don’t even breathe those words. Don’t think them. Don’t speak them.” Luke shook his head and then let out a slow breath. “If we get more, we’ll handle it. What else can we do?”
“You could look away,” smiled his wife, “but I know that you won’t. These people were obviously in so much pain they couldn’t handle it any longer. What you’re doing is the right thing.” Luke nodded, staring at his friends.
“I think we need to meet with Ashley, Bree, Calla, and – what’s his name? The new guy?” Ajei frowned at her husband, shaking her head.
“Well, the staff calls him Dr. Hot Pants behind his back but to his face, his name is Shepherd Wilde.” Luke smirked at her, knowing she was trying to get his goat.
“Right. Shep. I remember him now. Came to us from the Army right?”
“Yep. Highly recommended. He was a therapist and counselor in the field, as well as at the base hospitals.”
“Okay, I’ll set up some time with him and the others to get some background on suicide, suicidal tendencies, depression, all of it I guess.”
“Luke, we need to be careful here of our own mental health,” said Eric. Luke stared at his friend and nodded. “Something with these people might trigger something within us.”
“You’re right. We’ll be cautious. Let’s see if we can see the docs.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Dr. Shepherd Wilde, Shep to his friends, was done. He’d had enough with the VA bullshit, tacked onto the military and government bullshit. Too many men and women weren’t getting the care, meds, and services they needed.
He’d spent four years at Walter Reed, then requested active duty and was sent into active combat zones. Soldiers, sailors, and marines returning from the field were often too amped up from adrenalin to speak with him.
But when the adrenalin wore off and their minds started wandering back to those moments of gunfire, death, and the loss of innocent lives, he was ready for them. Even then, he felt as though he were spinning his wheels in the wrong direction.
He tried private practice for six months but listening to housewives who felt underappreciated because their husbands wouldn’t let them buy whatever they wanted, or worse, theywereunderappreciated and telling stories of infidelity, wasn’t satisfying at all.
Then he ran into an old friend, Duncan Adams. Dunc was several years older than Shep, but they’d forged a friendship many years before. It was odd that they ran into one another. Shep was in San Diego taking a week off before deciding what he was going to do next. Dunc was there working on a case with the rest of the guys. Odd.
“Morning,” he said stepping into the conference room. “Nice to see you again.”
“Nice to see you, Shep,” said Luke. “Thanks for taking the time to see me. Everything going okay? Are you settling in alright?”
“Uh, yeah. I mean, you guys and this place are amazing. The staff at the hospital is the best I’ve ever seen, the food is Michelin star quality, and my cottage feels like a movie,” he said nodding at him. Then he felt his own anxiety rise. “Have I done something wrong?”
“No. Oh, shit. No,” said Luke raising his hands. “I wanted to ask you for some help. Shep, you know that here at Belle Fleur we have unusual things happening.” Shep smirked at the man and nodded.
“Yes, I reprimanded your little ghost, Claudette, for watching me swim in the pond the other day. She’s quiet precocious.”
“She is,” he chuckled. “We thought we got her to stop that but I guess we forget that although she’s over two-hundred, she’s really just a teenager.”
“It’s okay. She was sorry and embarrassed. Who knew ghosts could be embarrassed?”
“You learn a lot of interesting things here at Belle Fleur,” he laughed. “And I’m here to learn from you.”
“Oh? How can I help?” he frowned.
“Suicide.”
“Suicide? Luke are you…”
“No. No, no, not me. I promise I’ve never once thought of taking my own life. I’ve contemplated killing my three brothers from time to time but grandma would have been upset, so that was a no-go.
