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“His truck just pulled in. If you hurry, you can catch him before his first session starts.”
“Yeah. Thanks.” Connelly headed toward the door. Whatever else Zak wanted to say could wait.
Inside the community center, he found Rylan’s office tucked away in a quiet hallway. The door was slightly ajar, and soft music drifted out. He knocked lightly before entering.
Rylan looked up from his desk, his warm hazel eyes filled with a mixture of curiosity and kindness. “Connelly. Good to see you. How can I help you today?”
“Do you have a few minutes to talk? It’s... about Veronica.”
“Absolutely. Have a seat.” He gestured to the comfortable chairs arranged in one corner of the room as he rose from his desk and walked over to the coffee bar on the opposite wall. He wore jeans, Nikes, and a US Navy T-shirt that had seen better days. His left arm was covered in bright tattoos from shoulder to wrist. His right arm was missing, replaced with a black and silver prosthesis that looked like something from a sci-fi movie. “Can I get you anything to drink? Coffee, water, soda?”
“No, I’m good. Thanks.”
“Okay, give me a minute. I haven’t had enough caffeine yet today.” He measured out the coffee and started the pot, then grabbed a mug from the cabinet with his prosthesis. The way he moved was seamless, like he wasn’t missing a limb. It was fascinating.
“That’s new since I last saw you,” Connelly said.
While the coffee brewed, Rylan turned and leaned against the counter. “What, my Terminator arm? It’s not actually new. I’ve had it for a while, but only started using it regularly over my plain old plastic prosthesis. There was a bit of a learning curve.”
“Is it rude to ask how that works?”
He lifted his hand in a wave and the robotic fingers opened and closed. Then he grinned. “It’s mind control.”
“Really?”
“Well, there’s a bit more to it than that, but... yeah. Essentially. It’s a myoelectric prosthesis. It’s controlled by the residual muscle signals in my arm. So I just have to think about the intended movement...” He opened a drawer and picked out a spoon, the robotic fingers pinching the handle with almost the same precision as real fingers. He held it up. “And my brain sends signals to my stump, which activates the right muscles, and the sensors in the prosthetic translate it into movement in the hand. Pretty cool, huh? It took a while to learn to use it effectively, but now I don’t even think about it. It’s second nature.”
Connelly whistled softly. “That’s gotta be a pricey piece of equipment.”
“It is. This one is the most advanced model available, made by QuenTech Bionics and, right now, costs as much as a new car. I was lucky to get in on a beta test because I know a guy who knows a guy who has an in with Tucker Quentin, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to afford it. And God knows the VA would never spring for one. QuenTech’s ultimate goal is to make these babies affordable, but that’s still a few years out.” He poured himself a cup of coffee, stirred in a spoonful of sugar, then joined Connelly in the seating area.
“So,” he said as he settled into one of the chairs. “How is Veronica?”
Connelly sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. He hadn’t shaved in a few days and probably looked as ragged as he felt. “She still won’t talk to me. I don’t know how to reach her, but I was thinking a dog might help her feel more secure. She’s always loved dogs, and Zak just mentioned she had a deep connection with Dr. Firestone’s therapy dog.”
Rylan took a sip of his coffee, his brow furrowing in thought. “Okay, I need to caveat this by saying I haven’t seen Veronica as a patient, so I can’t give you specific advice on her condition.”
“I understand that. I’m just looking for some kind of guidance with the hope that I can get her to come back to therapy. She was doing well until...”
“Dr. Firestone’s murder,” Rylan finished for him and nodded. “It’s not uncommon for trauma survivors to regress or shut down in the face of triggering events, especially when they lose someone they trusted and relied on. But introducing a therapy dog could be a step in the right direction. Dogs have a unique ability to provide comfort and companionship, and they can also help regulate emotions and reduce anxiety. They are incredibly intuitive creatures. They can sense when someone is hurting, and they often have an uncanny ability to provide exactly what that person needs even before they know they need it. I’ve seen it time and again since I started working here. What Zak and Anna and the rest of the team are doing is amazing. As far as I’m concerned, they’re working miracles here.”
“Veronica could use a miracle.”
“Ask me, she already has one.” When Connelly just stared at him blankly, he nodded. “You.”
“What?”
“You cared enough about her to leave your life in Seattle and move here to help her. Not many friends would do that.”
“But I don’t know how to help her.”
“But you’re here, trying to figure it out. A lot of people don’t have that kind of support behind them, so she’s already one step ahead. You may not have all the answers, but your presence alone speaks volumes.”
Rylan’s words hit Connelly like a punch to the gut, and he sat back in his seat. “And what’s it saying?”
“That you love her.”
“Shit. Is it that obvious?”
