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“Go put something else on and we’ll take everything outside. Maybe you can try your hand at reading to me today?”
She looks uncertain but nods after a minute. Getting up from the bed, she stops by the bag Mindy packed for her, picks something out, and then walks to the bathroom.
Once the door closes, I sit on the edge of her bed and blow out a breath. These visits started out as a way to gain Doe’s trust to find out why she was breaking into my property, but they’ve become so much more. I find I enjoy being in her company. She soothes something dark inside me when I’m around her.
I think back to what the doctor said outside her room.
She’s almost ready to be released, but we don’t have anyone to release her to.
As soon as that thought leaves my mind, another takes its place. A ludicrous thought. One that I should wipe from my head immediately. But I don’t. No, I can’t. It’s taken root and isn’t going anywhere. Not until I talk it over with Doe and get her take on it.
The door opening has me getting up from the bed. I look over as Doe walks out of the bathroom. A pair of long black linen pants and soft pink V-neck shirt with sleeves that come to her elbows have replaced her gown. Her hair is still in a thick braid and drapes over her shoulder, the end almost coming to her waist.
She stands in the doorway, her hands twisted together in front of her. She looks nervous for some reason. I turn and grab the bag of food, tuck the book under my arm, and pick up the drink carrier.
Turning back, I ask, “You ready?”
She nods. “Yes.”
I gesture at the door with my head. “Let’s go get some fresh air then.”
She slips on a pair of flip-flops, something else Mindy packed, and I follow her to the door. She stops in the doorway and turns to face me.
“Could you…?” She stops for a moment then begins again. “Could you go before me?” Her voice is so damn small; it rips my heart in two.
I take a step toward her, and I’m glad to see she doesn’t flinch away. She’s gotten better with me being close to her. Touch is still an issue, understandably, but she’s gotten better with being near people. Or with me anyway. I’m not sure about the doctors and nurses.
“You’re safe, Doe,” I tell her softly. “Nothing can get you here, especially not when I’m around.”
She nods, but I can still see the fear lurking behind her eyes. Unable to bear seeing the look on her face, I step past her. Her sigh of relief reaches my ears. I walk out the door and turn my head to make sure she’s following. We stop by the nurse’s station to let them know where we’ll be. They kindly detach her IV to make our adventure easier, and we make our way to the elevator.
The sun is bright when we step through the doors. I come to a stop, and Doe walks up beside me. Her eyes squint against the brightness. I pull my sunglasses from the collar of my shirt and hand them over. She looks down at them quizzically.
“Wear them until you get used to the sun.”
Tentatively, she reaches out, grabs them, and then slides them up her nose. She looks cute in my glasses.
I lead us over to a grassy area away from the parking lot where a picnic table sits underneath a tree with white blossoms. After I set our stuff down, I sit on one side, and she sits on the other. I can’t see her eyes from the reflective lenses of the sunglasses, but I can tell she’s taking in everything around her when she’s turning her head from side to side. She’s clenched her hands tightly together on the table. She appears both nervous and tense.
I pull one of the shakes from the carrier and stick a straw in it. “Here.” I slide the drink across the table, hoping to distract her enough to relax. “Drink it before it melts.”
Her eyes land on the shake, and she takes the bait, grabbing it and sucking on the straw. I chuckle when she doesn’t release the straw for a full minute.
“You’re going to get a brain freeze,” I warn.
We’re in the shade now, so she pulls the glasses off and sets them on the table. After looking longingly at the drink for a moment, she pushes it away.
I laugh. “I got you the largest they had. It’ll last you a while.”
Her mouth drops down into a frown. “They don’t make them any bigger?”
“Nope,” I say then promise, “But the next time I come, I’ll bring you another one. Want to try strawberry next time?”
I pull the wrapped burgers out of the bag and set them on the table. Next, I put one napkin in front of her and one in front of me before placing our fries on top of them. She immediately snatches one of her fries and stuffs it into her mouth as if she’s starving.
“Yeah. I think I’d like to try strawberry.”
We sit in silence for a few moments while we eat. Before she finishes her fries, I tell her to take the lid off her shake.
