Never Alone

Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

The next day we all showed up in the conference room as before, but everything was still hidden away. Any evidence of what had happened in that room yesterday was gone. We each grabbed a chair and pulled it to the center of the room, anticipating the next session of group therapy with Dr. Crimm. We all looked tired from the night before. I was still struggling to fall asleep and stay asleep with the fear that I wasn't in control of who could enter my room. I'd ended up on the floor again after deciding a punishment would be worth the peace of mind I'd have knowing no one could enter without me waking up.

Lorelei had been our night nurse. She didn't scold me or shame me for my need to control at least that aspect of my life. She simply stepped over me and checked on Aideen, who was doing much better, and then on Shima's wounds. She'd offered me an extra pillow before stepping past me again. It felt as if we had an unspoken agreement that I was going to stay on the floor pressed up against the door, and she was going to ignore it.

We could hear Dr. Crimm outside the meeting room as she approached, talking on her phone. "No. That's not what it is for. I've been with this company for eleven years now, and I've worked hard on this. We don't need it sensationalized in the media and risk losing any public support we might have for when we launch it to help teens that are struggling." Her voice died off and yet she didn't make a move to step inside.

We watched through the glass as she paced in the hallway. Finally she said, "I think you are making a big mistake going public with this too soon. I won't lie about what happens in session and if it goes in a negative direction, it's going to look bad for R2L. I'm invested with you, too, and would hate to see that happen." She tapped her screen and ended the call.

"Good morning," Dr. Crimm said cheerfully as she stepped through the door and then pulled the door shut behind her. She had her tablet like always—it seemed to be an extension of her arm at this point—but her white medical jacket was notably absent. Instead she was wearing jeans and an old, faded T-shirt. Her long hair was twirled up and secured in a knot with a black elastic band, and her cute shoes were more purposeful now, having been replaced with a pair of hiking boots.

The room filled with mumbles of "Good morning," and then she took her seat in a chair that Shima had thought to bring to the circle. She looked up from her tablet and smiled at us.

"Today we're leaving the building." Her news came as a surprise to us. We'd only been here for one full day and already we were leaving. It seemed like the oddest plan. She didn't wait for us to ask questions before she launched into the day's agenda. "There is someone I want you to meet. He is currently on a ranch just outside the city. It's a day's drive. I know you've had breakfast, and we'll grab lunch on the road, and dinner once we get to our destination." She was smiling brightly like she held the answer to a great mystery. I had no idea where we were going, but something about the place lit the doctor up. I was intrigued.

"That sounds like a long ride in the SUV." Ken sounded concerned. I couldn't help but look at his bright white cast sticking out from beneath his worn workout pants. The leg had been cut to allow the cast through.

"We won't be taking the SUV," Dr. Crimm said casually. We waited for her to elaborate, but she didn't. "Meet me up front in thirty minutes." She stood and walked to the door, stepping out into the hallway.  We all sat there for a minute, watching her as she walked down the hall and out of sight.

"I don't know if I can make it through that crowd again," Shima said quietly. Marco stood and headed over to the windows. He had to stand on his tiptoes to see out of them; their purpose was clearly just to let in the natural light rather than offer a pleasing view.