while she wasn't listening to him to calmly and quietly respond, “Thank you two for your help. You did exactly the right thing. I'm a doctor, and I'll take care of her now.”
The two looked relieved as they said, “Sure, no problem. I'm glad you're here.” They left, leaving Heath and Sara. They ran out of the alley, and their running seemed to trigger something in Sara, who tensed and tried to pull away.
Heath gently held her hand, pulling her a bit closer to him, and quietly assured her, “It's okay, Sara. Those two just wanted to make sure you're okay. Since you are, they're going home for dinner now.” She looked at him and seemed to calm a bit. He continued, “How about you; are you ready to go get some dinner, too?” He waited a few moments, and asked, “Would you rather we go back to the restaurant we ate at last night and have more stuffed flounder, or would you like to go back to my condo and I'll make us some dinner?”
She looked like she was starting to hear what he was saying, so he continued. “We can call and see if Phil and Heather want to have dinner with us if you'd like.” He headed them slowly back in the direction of her motel so he could get his car, while he kept talking softly, mentioning everything he could think of that might jar her back to him. He could tell he was making a little progress, so he persisted in what he was doing.
They were about two blocks from her motel when two high-school age boys ran across the street, toward them. She reflexively cringed, and turned into Heath's shoulder, grabbing his shirt. He immediately put his arms around her. “What's wrong, Sweetheart? You're okay.” He kept assuring her softly, and kept his arms tightly around her. The boys ran past them, and Heath felt Sara relax.
He gave her a few moments to collect herself, but before he had a chance to say anything to her, she looked up at him with a confused look on her face. “Heath?” She started to panic, looking around them. “Where are we? What happened?”
Heath knew instantly that his Sara was back, but confused and scared. He kept his arms around her as he quietly explained, “It's okay, Sara. You're going to be okay now. Let's go to my condo and we'll talk. I'll explain everything to you. Can you trust me for just a few minutes while we go back to my car? I promise I'll tell you everything.”
She nodded her head, obviously still confused, but Heath was glad to see that she seemed to trust him. That would be very helpful this evening when they talked. He kept his arm tightly around her shoulder while he led them back to his car. When they got to her motel she tensed again. “Heath, this is my motel. I don't want to go back in there right now. Please.”
She had her face buried in his shoulder again and was holding onto him tightly. He quickly assured her, “We're not going in there, Honey. My car's right here, we'll go to my condo so we can talk, okay?”
She nodded her head, but kept her face buried in his shirt. He kept his arms around her, rubbing her back and letting her decide when she was ready to look up. He gradually felt her relax, and when she looked up at him and let go of his shirt he calmly asked, “Are you ready to go to my condo?” She again nodded, and he led her over and helped her into his car.
He quickly got in the driver's seat and asked, “Are you going to be okay for a few minutes, Honey, while I drive us to my condo, or do you want to talk a minute first?”
She considered his question a few moments, and said, “I'm just really confused. I don't know what happened, or why.”
He smiled and patted her hand. “I think I may have an idea what happened, Honey, and I'll give you my theory and we'll talk about it, but I'd rather do that at my condo so we won't be interrupted and I don't have to concentrate on driving, if you're okay waiting a few more minutes.”
“
The two looked relieved as they said, “Sure, no problem. I'm glad you're here.” They left, leaving Heath and Sara. They ran out of the alley, and their running seemed to trigger something in Sara, who tensed and tried to pull away.
Heath gently held her hand, pulling her a bit closer to him, and quietly assured her, “It's okay, Sara. Those two just wanted to make sure you're okay. Since you are, they're going home for dinner now.” She looked at him and seemed to calm a bit. He continued, “How about you; are you ready to go get some dinner, too?” He waited a few moments, and asked, “Would you rather we go back to the restaurant we ate at last night and have more stuffed flounder, or would you like to go back to my condo and I'll make us some dinner?”
She looked like she was starting to hear what he was saying, so he continued. “We can call and see if Phil and Heather want to have dinner with us if you'd like.” He headed them slowly back in the direction of her motel so he could get his car, while he kept talking softly, mentioning everything he could think of that might jar her back to him. He could tell he was making a little progress, so he persisted in what he was doing.
They were about two blocks from her motel when two high-school age boys ran across the street, toward them. She reflexively cringed, and turned into Heath's shoulder, grabbing his shirt. He immediately put his arms around her. “What's wrong, Sweetheart? You're okay.” He kept assuring her softly, and kept his arms tightly around her. The boys ran past them, and Heath felt Sara relax.
He gave her a few moments to collect herself, but before he had a chance to say anything to her, she looked up at him with a confused look on her face. “Heath?” She started to panic, looking around them. “Where are we? What happened?”
Heath knew instantly that his Sara was back, but confused and scared. He kept his arms around her as he quietly explained, “It's okay, Sara. You're going to be okay now. Let's go to my condo and we'll talk. I'll explain everything to you. Can you trust me for just a few minutes while we go back to my car? I promise I'll tell you everything.”
She nodded her head, obviously still confused, but Heath was glad to see that she seemed to trust him. That would be very helpful this evening when they talked. He kept his arm tightly around her shoulder while he led them back to his car. When they got to her motel she tensed again. “Heath, this is my motel. I don't want to go back in there right now. Please.”
She had her face buried in his shoulder again and was holding onto him tightly. He quickly assured her, “We're not going in there, Honey. My car's right here, we'll go to my condo so we can talk, okay?”
She nodded her head, but kept her face buried in his shirt. He kept his arms around her, rubbing her back and letting her decide when she was ready to look up. He gradually felt her relax, and when she looked up at him and let go of his shirt he calmly asked, “Are you ready to go to my condo?” She again nodded, and he led her over and helped her into his car.
He quickly got in the driver's seat and asked, “Are you going to be okay for a few minutes, Honey, while I drive us to my condo, or do you want to talk a minute first?”
She considered his question a few moments, and said, “I'm just really confused. I don't know what happened, or why.”
He smiled and patted her hand. “I think I may have an idea what happened, Honey, and I'll give you my theory and we'll talk about it, but I'd rather do that at my condo so we won't be interrupted and I don't have to concentrate on driving, if you're okay waiting a few more minutes.”
“
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