He hadn’t seen her when he’d come in, and Dr.Shane was the only other person in the building that he could think of to ask where she was.
“Oh.”She perked up at that.Rob didn’t want her to get any ideas, but he didn’t want to share what had happened to June if Dr.Shane didn’t know about it.It wasn’t his place to tell her story.“Do you know where she is?I had a question for her.”
“Is there anything I should be concerned about?”she inquired pointedly without saying fully what she was asking.Dr.Shane didn’t know the full extent of their operation, but she knew enough.
“No.”
“Alright.”She nodded, not pressing him for more details.“She should be upstairs with one of her patients in the exercise room.If not, check her office which is the room next to it.”
“Thanks, Doc.”
“You’re welcome.”She waved him away, already dismissing him.
Rob took the elevator up to the next floor and went down the hall looking in every room, not sure where the exercise room was.He hadn’t thought to ask the doctor, and it was too late now.The building was only so big with three floors.It couldn’t be that hard to find.
“I told you, I can’t do it,” a male’s voice snapped, coming from the room up ahead.
“Yes, you can,” a calm, sweet voice responded.One Rob now knew: June.
Rob stopped when he saw a row of glass windows looking into the exercise room.June and the man were the only ones in there.The man was missing a leg and half of his arm.He had a prosthetic leg but no arm.
The man stood on a mat, surrounded by handrails, June stood right next to him ready to help if need be.The guy looked to be in his early twenties.He was tall and skinny, and he wore a grey shirt with the letters for Army spelled out across the chest.
Rob knew what the kid was going through.He had been older when he’d lost his hearing but remembered how devasting it had been when his career was cut short because of his injury.The guys had shared their stories about losing limbs and overcoming the pain and trials of walking again or using their arms.
“I told you, I fucking can’t,” the man barked at her.Her gentle, placating tone wasn’t having any effect on this guy.This kid was hurting and lashing out in anger.Sweet June didn’t deserve his ire.
Rob gritted his teeth and barreled into the room like a thundering storm cloud.After the trauma she’d had the last time he’d seen her, the last thing she needed was this man yelling at her.
“Soldier, did I just hear you being disrespectful to this woman?”Rob roared at the man like a drill sergeant.
The kid’s head snapped toward him.He took in Rob’s appearance.He may have been out of the army and didn’t wear the uniform anymore, but that didn’t mean he didn’t still command respect from fellow soldiers, especially when they were being disrespectful.
Rob could see June looking at him out of the corner of his eye, but he kept his focus on the kid.He hoped June wouldn’t get too upset about him taking over command.“Don’t make me repeat myself, soldier.”
The kid snapped to attention.“No, sir.”
“Didn’t sound like it to me.”
“Sorry, ma’am,” the kid said, staring straight ahead.
“No apology necessary,” she replied kindly.“As for you, leave.”She didn’t snap at him, but her tone of voice changed from sweet to hard—at him.Rob blinked, sure she wasn’t addressing him; he had just gotten the kid to apologize.Surely, she wasn’t dismissing him.She should be grateful, not angry.
“But—” He was struck speechless.
“I’m in the middle of a session.You can’t just barge in here and take over like that.”
True, but he’d saved her.Again.“I need to speak with you.”
“You’ll have to come back.I’m busy,” she stated primly.Nothing at all like the kind woman he had spoken to Friday evening.
“This won’t take long.”
“Then you can wait over there.”She tilted her chin toward the far corner away from them.“Or better yet, come back later.”
Once again, Rob was speechless.Even the kid looked back and forth between them.A mixture of shock and awe on his face.Rob could relate.Few stood up to him like this, and never a woman.“I’ll wait.”He had seen that she was fully recovered and could have just left, but for whatever reason, he wanted to stay and talk to her.
“Alright,” she nodded and turned her focus back to the kid, “Ready to try again?”Once again, her voice turned gentle.It wasn’t a condescending voice as if talking to a child.But it was calm and serene.Like the peaceful sound of a stream.
