out the front window. So, the machete guy has found me.
“Do you know who he is?” Juliana said.
“Yes. Let me know if you see him again.” Aaron turned and walked away.
Aaron motioned to Stella in the hallway. “I’ve noticed we get really warm in here in the afternoons. Do you feel it?”
“Oh, yeah. I think every time the front door opens, cool air rushes out. I’ll pay more attention to the AC settings.”
After glancing at the registration information, Aaron walked into a patient room. A young man with a prominent jaw sat on the examination table. He stared over Aaron’s shoulder with a faraway look in his eyes.
“Daniel, how can I help you today?” Aaron said.
Daniel brought his eyes into focus on Aaron and took a deep breath. “I’m having trouble getting my life together, sir.”
“You’re having emotional problems?”
Daniel was quiet for several seconds. “I’m in the Army. I got back from a tour of duty six months ago.” He struggled to speak. “I can’t seem to straighten myself out.”
“Has this ever happened before?”
Daniel’s eyes filled with tears. “A friend of mine was shot dead by a sniper.” He put his hand to his eyes. “He was right next to me. I carried him to shelter and tried to help him.”
“I’m sorry. I’m sure you did what you could.” Aaron handed a tissue to Daniel.
“I can’t sleep.” Daniel blotted his eyes with the tissue. “I keep reliving that scene, with his blood splattering all over me, and the way his eyes looked at me before he died.” Daniel had that faraway look in his eyes again.
“Have you seen a counselor or psychiatrist?”
Daniel focused his eyes on Aaron again. “Sure. They told me I had PTSD.”
“We have ways of treating that.”
“I know, sir, but my problem today is, I think I’m really short of sleep. Can you give me something to help me sleep?”
“No problem.” Aaron examined his heart, lungs and pupils, and printed him a prescription. “Keep up your counseling sessions.”
Daniel nodded.
Aaron touched his shoulder. “I appreciate you. We all appreciate your service.”
Daniel sighed and walked out.
Aaron studied his surroundings after he walked out of the clinic after work. He watched his rearview mirror as he drove to a cafe for dinner, and he looked over the diners inside the cafe before he checked in to be seated. At his table, he sat with his back to the wall. He forced himself to eat his appetizer crab cakes as he surveyed the dining room every few minutes, and between bites, he scrutinized all newcomers at the check-in area.
Back at his home, he checked the yard, all the doors and windows, the closets and even under the bed, and then he armed his house alarm system.
I probably won’t sleep well tonight. He sighed. But that’s nothing unusual lately.
Chapter 13
Late that evening, Race Taggett stood in the trees outside a crowded lounge. His body was still as he watched, except his long hair, which swayed at times in the breeze. At one point, he slid over to another tree, and a crow screeched as it flapped away.
Race was close to a particular car in the parking lot, which was about half-full with trucks and cars. People came and went through the entrance door of the lounge, and some folks wobbled or needed support to make it to their vehicles.
After an hour or so, two young women walked out to the parking area. They stopped and talked with each other for several minutes and then separated to their respective cars. As the shorter woman approached her car at the rear of the lot, she reached into her purse, looking for her keys.
Race held up a long, round bat-shaped object and swung it against the woman’s temple, the impact causing a hollow
“Do you know who he is?” Juliana said.
“Yes. Let me know if you see him again.” Aaron turned and walked away.
Aaron motioned to Stella in the hallway. “I’ve noticed we get really warm in here in the afternoons. Do you feel it?”
“Oh, yeah. I think every time the front door opens, cool air rushes out. I’ll pay more attention to the AC settings.”
After glancing at the registration information, Aaron walked into a patient room. A young man with a prominent jaw sat on the examination table. He stared over Aaron’s shoulder with a faraway look in his eyes.
“Daniel, how can I help you today?” Aaron said.
Daniel brought his eyes into focus on Aaron and took a deep breath. “I’m having trouble getting my life together, sir.”
“You’re having emotional problems?”
Daniel was quiet for several seconds. “I’m in the Army. I got back from a tour of duty six months ago.” He struggled to speak. “I can’t seem to straighten myself out.”
“Has this ever happened before?”
Daniel’s eyes filled with tears. “A friend of mine was shot dead by a sniper.” He put his hand to his eyes. “He was right next to me. I carried him to shelter and tried to help him.”
“I’m sorry. I’m sure you did what you could.” Aaron handed a tissue to Daniel.
“I can’t sleep.” Daniel blotted his eyes with the tissue. “I keep reliving that scene, with his blood splattering all over me, and the way his eyes looked at me before he died.” Daniel had that faraway look in his eyes again.
“Have you seen a counselor or psychiatrist?”
Daniel focused his eyes on Aaron again. “Sure. They told me I had PTSD.”
“We have ways of treating that.”
“I know, sir, but my problem today is, I think I’m really short of sleep. Can you give me something to help me sleep?”
“No problem.” Aaron examined his heart, lungs and pupils, and printed him a prescription. “Keep up your counseling sessions.”
Daniel nodded.
Aaron touched his shoulder. “I appreciate you. We all appreciate your service.”
Daniel sighed and walked out.
Aaron studied his surroundings after he walked out of the clinic after work. He watched his rearview mirror as he drove to a cafe for dinner, and he looked over the diners inside the cafe before he checked in to be seated. At his table, he sat with his back to the wall. He forced himself to eat his appetizer crab cakes as he surveyed the dining room every few minutes, and between bites, he scrutinized all newcomers at the check-in area.
Back at his home, he checked the yard, all the doors and windows, the closets and even under the bed, and then he armed his house alarm system.
I probably won’t sleep well tonight. He sighed. But that’s nothing unusual lately.
Chapter 13
Late that evening, Race Taggett stood in the trees outside a crowded lounge. His body was still as he watched, except his long hair, which swayed at times in the breeze. At one point, he slid over to another tree, and a crow screeched as it flapped away.
Race was close to a particular car in the parking lot, which was about half-full with trucks and cars. People came and went through the entrance door of the lounge, and some folks wobbled or needed support to make it to their vehicles.
After an hour or so, two young women walked out to the parking area. They stopped and talked with each other for several minutes and then separated to their respective cars. As the shorter woman approached her car at the rear of the lot, she reached into her purse, looking for her keys.
Race held up a long, round bat-shaped object and swung it against the woman’s temple, the impact causing a hollow
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