Stolen Rainbow by Susan D Peters

Author:Susan D Peters
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sunrise Consulting

Chapter 9

Captain Jewel Dubuclet was in the waiting area of the physical therapy department when Dr. Scott West arrived, shortly before 0900 hours. He thought she must have decided to be his first physical therapy patient of the day.

His morning routine was to make himself a cup of coffee to sip as he poured over the charts of his daily patient load. He was annoyed at having his routine changed and his expression must have showed it when she said tentatively, “I’m here Dr. West.”

“Call me Scott. Before we’re done, it’s very likely you’ll call me other names.”

Jewel stared straight into his face and gave a simple nod.

Were you trying to avoid the morning rush?”

Scott was instantly sorry for his sarcasm. Clearly his patient was struggling.

“Excuse me?” said Jewel. Her hands gripped the wheels on her chair and rolled a quarter turn backwards.

He noticed that the ragged braids she had worn at their first meeting had been freshly redone. Now the braided sections of her scalp were sharp and shiny. With her hair braids drawn back neatly into a chignon at the nape of her neck, he could see that she had huge black eyes framed with long, dark eyelashes. Her skin was no longer ashen and there was a hint of pink lip gloss on her lips. She wore a black T-shirt bearing the Marine insignia and the words “first to fight, last to leave” tucked into well-ironed fatigues. The excess cloth on the right leg was neatly rolled up to the stump, folded and securely safety pinned.

Scott acknowledged that besides the level of intelligence and mental toughness it took to lead soldiers, the woman in the chair was the kind of beauty that turned heads. He found himself drawn into her large, almost hypnotic eyes.

Catching himself he mumbled, “I’m a little dense before coffee. Want a cup?” He moved over to the single-cup coffee maker sitting on a small wooden cabinet that housed creamer, stirrers, and an assortment of coffee and tea options.

“No thanks. I’m caffeinated already.”

“Well, you look ready to work,” he sighed. “Good sign.”

Scott got his coffee, put on his monogrammed lab jacket, and directed his newest patient into the center of the state-of-the-art gym.

“Uncle Sam has spared no expense, Captain.”

“I see,” said Jewel, marveling at facilities that eclipsed any gymnasium or physical therapy equipment the former college athlete had ever seen.

“Let’s get you started. This is your new theater of battle. I’ll show you around, and you ask me any questions.” He knelt beside her so that they were eye level. “I know this is all new, and I’ll say it, so you don’t have to. This is the terrifying part of your recovery. I can’t take away the fear, but I promise to be here for you. This is your time, no distractions. We play music like they do in most gyms. Helps some patients push harder.” He stood again, “But if you need it quiet, I can shut the music off.”

“Music is OK,” said Jewel.

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