The following day,Hannah’s gaze swept over her room. Dr. Meyers spent two hours with her explaining her options. They increased her therapy appointments, much to her disappointment. She knew logically anyone who refused to speak for two years probably needed guidance. Yet, after leaving the hospital for a short time, she needed to get out. She no longer wanted to hear the sounds of machines beeping, nurses interrupting her sleep to take her blood pressure, or having another meal brought to her on a tray.
Sighing, Hannah paced the room. When did it become small? It felt as if the boredom over the last two years refused to continue. Staring out her window no longer felt like her favorite pastime. It felt more like she wasted the last two years. The fear and paranoia remained and the nightmares haunted her. Her body may have shut down, but her mind went complacent. When she finally gave herself permission to think and feel, it forbade her to go back to hiding in her shell.
“Hi, Hannah,” Kassie said, smiling as she entered her room.
“I want to get out of here,” she blurted.
Kassie’s eyes flared wide before her expression turned neutral. “Where do you want to go?”
Hannah sat for a minute, undecided. “I don’t know. The noise bothers me now. I don’t like people coming into my room at night,” she confessed.
“We have a cabin subdivision where veterans transition before returning home. Of course, I’ll need to check with Dr. Meyers to ensure she’s onboard. If she approves, you’ll be responsible for getting your own groceries and getting around. We have a van to take people to town, and it runs on a schedule. Do you feel ready to take it on?” Kassie asked, regarding her closely.
“It makes me feel overwhelmed. But this room feels tiny, like the walls are closing in on me. I’m afraid to go outdoors, but I’m scared if I stay inside, I’ll lose my mind…again.”
“It’s understandable,” Kassie agreed. “How do you feel about a walk to check them out? I’ll see if Dr. Meyers can accompany us.”
“Doesn’t it seem weird to you to call her Claire one minute and Dr. Meyers the next?” she asked.
“We like to maintain a professional manner here at the hospital. Outside it, we’re friends,” she explained.
“I know. I saw how all of you interacted with one another. You trust those men,” Hannah said, biting her nail.
“I do, with my life. Leo and the team have saved a few of us on the mountain,” Kassie agreed.
“What’s the deal with him and all those socks? They have crates of them and how stupid he set up an auto shipment,” Hannah said, annoyed.
“What do you mean?”
“I worked in supply. Leo seems like a smart man. I don’t see him clicking all those buttons while on the phone with you. I’d love to get my hands on his computer to see what he did,” she said, as she imagined fixing the problem.
Kassie took out her phone and hit dial. “Hi, Leo. I’m in Hannah’s room. Did you know she worked in supply? She says she’d love to get her hands on your computer to figure out your ‘sock gate’ problem.” A second later, she placed her device in her pocket. “He’ll be here shortly. Leo says if you fix it, you can name your price.”
“Ha,” Hannah said. “Men say anything when they’re desperate.”
“Leo’s rarely desperate. Well, only when he’s in trouble with Catherine,” she joked.
Five minutes later, the man himself entered her room and placed his computer before her. “Do you want a job?”
Kassie gasped. “Leo, she’s a patient.”
“It’s not as if we haven’t hired others. Hell, Liam’s here,” Leo said, determined.
Hannah bit her lip as she turned the computer toward Leo. “I need your password.”
Leo typed it in and returned it to her. “The receipts are in the file marked shit show.”
Hannah clicked on the folder and compared the notes. She typed in the website and read the fine print. “How many orders did you accept?”
“Whiskey took the first one and they delivered the second,” Leo said grumpily.
“Hmmm.” She picked up her phone and dialed the number listed on the website. “Hi. May I speak with Eugene Parks, please?”
She waited while they transferred her.
“Eugene Parks, speaking. How can I help you today?”
“I’m the chief supply specialist for Serenity Securities. I’m calling concerning the invoices marked 10-429 and 12-429. I didn’t approve this last shipment. I’ve checked the paperworkand there’s not an auto shipment code listed anywhere. When can I expect you to pick up your error?”
