***
The bell hanging over the door rang, announcing that somebody had arrived.
“Want me to see who it is?” Jace asked.
Dr. Masterson nodded. “Yes, please.”
Jace rushed out of the consultation room, leaving Dr. Masterson to finish treating the woman and her son.
Standing in the middle of the front office was none other than Blade.
“Is everything okay?” Jace asked, skipping the pleasantries. Blade worked with Sheriff Wolfe, and if there was an emergency, there wasn’t time for small talk.
“Yes,” Blade replied. “Just need to speak to Dr. Masterson.”
Jace could feel his body relax. He was still getting used to treating real people. “He’s busy with a patient, but it shouldn’t take too long.” Jace wasn’t sure whether he should act professional or casual around Blade. “Is there anything I can assist with while you wait?” Jace asked, settling for professional.
Blade shook his head. “No. I’ll just wait for him.”
“All right,” Jace agreed. “I’ll tell him you’re here.”
Jace quickly delivered the message and then returned to the front office, feeling like he had to keep Blade company. The young man looked distracted, though, and didn’t even try to make conversation.
Usually, Jace felt very comfortable around people, but Blade’s presence made him a little nervous. Maybe it was because he was so young and already working for the sheriff. Or maybe it was the assortment of weapons that visibly decorated his body.
He couldn’t possibly have been older than Jace, who had only turned twenty-one a couple of months ago, but his eyes were those of a man who had seen things he shouldn’t have. Jace’s keen eyes detected a scar on Blade’s forehead, proving his theory that Blade had been through a lot for his age. The scar was mostly hidden under the young man’s shaggy blond hair, but it was definitely there.
“We’re all done,” Dr. Masterson said as he walked the woman and her son to the door. “Blade, how can I help you?”
Blade shuffled on his feet, looking uncomfortable. “Can we maybe speak in private? It’s about Millie.”
The expression on Dr. Masterson’s face changed at the mention of Millie. “Of course,” he agreed. “Follow me.”
Jace had no idea who Millie was, but because of Dr. Masterson’s reaction, he found himself feeling curious. With no patients to treat, Jace patiently waited in the front office. He could hear Dr. Masterson’s and Blade’s voices, but he could not make out what they were saying. They were in Dr. Masterson’s office for quite a while before the door finally opened.
“Jace, join us for a moment, won’t you?”
Intrigued, Jace quickly made his way into the office.
“Blade is going away for a while and came to ask for help with his sister, Millie,” Dr. Masterson said, looking between the two of them. “I’ve been Millie’s doctor all her life. She’s a sweet girl but has a rather uncommon condition.”
“Oh, all right,” Jace said, unable to keep quiet for too long. He tended to talk a lot when he got nervous, excited, or just in general, actually.
“She’s been mute for the last seven years. Hasn’t said a word.”
Jace had heard of mutism but had never met anybody with it. “That’s a long time.”
“It is,” Dr. Masterson agreed. “She’s healthy otherwise but gets scared pretty fast. She also suffers from warrior heart and has episodes where she gets stuck in the past.”
Something horrible must have happened to her. Those conditions were usually related to a traumatic event. It was mostly soldiers who suffered from warrior heart after fighting in a war. “That’s awful,” Jace stated, filling the silence. “I’m so sorry.”
Blade nodded in acknowledgment but didn’t reply.
“I agreed that I would check in on Millie to make sure she is all right while Blade is gone, but I can’t go see her every day.I have patients to care for, and I need to be here in case there is an emergency.”
Jace’s heartbeat sped up a little. He knew where the conversation was heading, and he was both terrified and excited.
“My suggestion is that you”—Dr. Masterson pointed at Jace—“go visit her every day. It will be good for everybody involved. Blade can rest assured that his sister is being taken care of. Millie will be exposed to a new person, which I believe might actually help her, and you will learn more about mutism and warrior heart than any book could ever teach you.”
