Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 85167 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85167 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
“It...it wasn’t your fault.” Lirim’s jaw clenched and he gently extracted his hand from Z’s hold.
“If you plan on lying to your doctors like that, you might want to be more convincing.” Z stood. “I look forward to the day when you can say that while looking me in the eye.” He stalked across the room to stare out the window even though the view was blocked by hedges.
“Is there anything we can do to help with your rehabilitation?” Tam asked.
A slow, somber shake of his head was all the answer Lirim gave.
“You’ve got this. Life is tough but so are you, right?” Ansel said with a soft smile. “Isn’t that what you told me once not too long ago?”
“Not sure how tough I am anymore.”
They spent the next ten minutes telling a barely responsive Lirim about everything they’d been up to since he was sentenced. Mostly Ansel rambled on and on about ridiculous things while Z cut in with his standard snarky comments, and Tam softened it all as best he could. Business as usual, except they were sitting in a sterile room instead of backstage getting ready for a gig or at Ansel’s for dinner.
The normality of it must have helped because slowly Lirim’s body language opened up. Instead of sitting stiffly, he relaxed enough to cross his legs and fold his hands in his lap. Once or twice Tam had caught a twitch of his lips at one of Ansel’s anecdotes. And occasionally he even lifted his gaze off the floor.
Progress. It’d be slow. Lirim had a lot of work to do, but Ansel was right. He didn’t have to do it all alone. They’d stand behind him, no matter what.
“Do they let you have any fun at all in this place?” Z asked.
“Sure,” Lirim said. From the sudden quiet, Tam guessed the others hadn’t actually expected an answer. They all looked at Lirim, who rolled his eyes. “We get to play board games and meditate on our recovery. It’s a blast.”
Ansel shuddered dramatically. “At least tell me you have hot male nurses to ogle.”
Lirim smiled then. Sure, it was small and tentative, hardly there at all, but it was something. A breakthrough. “One or two, but they’re straight.”
Ansel waved him off. “All you need is the visual stimulation anyway.”
“And I have a roommate.”
“Oh.”
“She’s not so bad, but it does mean no privacy for extra-curriculars.”
An orderly came into the room holding a clipboard. “Mr. Savage, your visiting hour is up. It’s time for your counseling session with Dr. Hill.”
Lirim nodded, and the hulking man in pale green scrubs waited near the door. They rose as a group and gathered around Lirim.
“Stay strong,” Ansel whispered.
“We’re waiting for you.” Z’s voice was gruff.
“And if you need anything...” Tam added.
“Bye.” Lirim’s hug was perfunctory. Nothing like the hugs he used to give. And as he walked away, tension kept his shoulders high and tight around his ears.
Things might never be back to normal. Tam wasn’t even sure if he knew what normal was anymore.
Chapter Thirteen
“How did the Saturday visitation go?” Dr. Lee asked when he arrived for another session.
Tam rested his head on the back of the couch and stared at the ceiling. Monday mornings always sucked but after the weekend he’d had, he was totally drained.
It was warm in her office, comfortable as always as he shrugged out of his jacket and pulled off his scarf. She’d decorated with pastels and lots of plants that she kept alive even in winter. Tam especially liked the orchids. She tended not to use the overhead lights, preferring instead a few standing lamps in the corners and a cheap brass one on her desk. Each one specifically placed to create zones in the space.
Without her fine touches, the room would have been too clinical with its white tile floor, stark white paint and tiny window. More like a hospital room, definitely not a place people would feel comfortable spilling all their secrets. Specifically, forgotten screwed-up teenagers with grudges as wide as the Grand Canyon and issues just as deep.
“Fine, I guess. It was good to see him,” he said after a while. After leaving the rehab center they’d all hung their heads and hadn’t spoken during the whole four-hour drive home. Tam figured they were all feeling a little down about the situation. Then the next day, Ansel had canceled their traditional Sunday dinner, saying he wasn’t up for company after seeing Lirim.
“But?”
“I don’t know. He talked about how everything has changed and it kind of stuck with me. He’s right. I miss the way life used to be. I know there were dark times but we were together, tight-knit. Now Ansel and Z are in happy relationships, but things with the group are up in the air. I’m afraid we’re falling apart.”