After the Dawn by Stephanie Motes & Grace Moskola

Author:Stephanie Motes & Grace Moskola [Motes, Stephanie & Moskola, Grace]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Lesbian, Fiction
ISBN: 9781475147346
Google: Ph6bMQEACAAJ
Amazon: 1475147341
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Published: 2012-09-15T18:26:35+00:00

CHAPTER 9

Driving on the highway this early bothered Sammy, and making the drive down to the veteran’s hospital in Tampa to see the doctor and get her meds filled her with absolute dread. “Shrink day” always was uncomfortable, but looking over at Sara in the passenger seat next to her, somehow she felt much better than usual about it today.

Sammy still wasn’t sure why she had asked the woman to accompany her. It wasn’t like she ever really said anything to the shrink anyway. Although Sammy had been given the option to go to a closer VA, she liked how separate this seemed from her day-to-day life. It was a requirement to get the medicine she needed to feel halfway normal, but she’d never liked the cajoling of the psychiatrist to bare her soul, and she hated it more and more with every trip.

Thinking back to officer training school, she wondered what her C.O. would say about being at the mercy of pills, he had pushed her harder than anyone she had ever met, he said he saw potential in her and was going to make sure she was the best officer that he knew she could be. He had been her first true mentor. Sammy, however, quickly shook off the thought; she knew he wouldn’t say anything— he had been killed last year. Deciding not to dwell, she turned her focus back to Sara.

“Thanks for coming with me today.”

“Anytime,” Sara replied, giving her a reassuring glance.

“I’ve got to warn you. Sometimes the hospital can be brutal if you don’t know what to expect. There are a lot of hurt soldiers. Hell, it’s brutal even if you expect it.”

In response, Sara unbuckled her seatbelt and slid over to the middle of the bench seat, laying her head on Sammy’s shoulder. She could only hope that she had made the right decision by coming with her.

Leaning over slightly, Sammy kissed the top of Sara’s head. They could face this together.

∞

Walking into the hospital always felt surreal. Painted mostly white and tan, the campus was huge, housing three massive buildings. Everything a soldier would need in the recovery process was here. Sometimes, it seemed like just yesterday she had finally walked out. Other days, she couldn’t remember what it was like to be at the mercy of laying in the bed anymore. She had to admit that when they had tried again to get her to go to a closer hospital when she moved back to Oviedo, she had stayed here because of the connection she felt to this place.

Keeping pace with Sammy, Sara took in her surroundings as they went through the front doors of the main building. Doing her best not to stare at anyone, Sara felt very out of place among the broken soldiers. She locked eyes with a few of the soldiers, spotting the same hollowed, dull look that crossed Sammy’s face far too often. Some were missing arms, some legs, others nothing easily seen except for the life in their eyes.

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