Talon laughed. “Not in a town this small, Doc.”
I returned his laughter. “How are you feeling otherwise? Are you still having dreams?”
“Yeah. About once a week. I try not to let them bother me, though. I’ve kind of trained myself to wake up before the dream gets bad. I lie there for a few minutes, listening to Jade breathe beside me, and then I’m able to go back to sleep.”
“Good.”
“Do you think they’ll ever stop altogether?”
“They may. And they may not. The important thing is to handle them well, which you seem to be doing.”
“This is never really going to go away, is it?”
I sighed. “Therapy can’t erase what happened to you, Talon. I only wish that it could. The best therapy can do is help you heal, help you deal with the fact that it did happen, help you accept that it wasn’t your fault and that it doesn’t change who you, as a person, are. You’ve come a long way. You’re definitely one of my biggest
success stories.”
“I suppose. I know I want to live now. I look forward to every new day, and for a long time I never thought that was possible.” He cleared his throat. “I’m really sorry about your other patient. The girl.”
“Every therapist—every doctor, whatever his specialty—has patients who don’t make it.” I tried to sound nonchalant.
“I’m sure,” he said. “That doesn’t make it easier, though.”
“No, it does not. But let’s get back to you.”
“Okay. Sorry.”
“No problem. Are you ready?”
“Yes. I need to figure out if I can remember anything at all that might help us catch the other two guys.”
“All right.” I flipped the speakers on from my laptop and started playing the ocean sounds.
“Close your eyes. You’re on a lounging chair on the beach. I want you to scrunch your toes up and then relax them. Feel the tingle. Feel the sun shining on you, as you hear the waves rolling in. The birds chirping here and there. Now tense up your calves, and then relax them. Feel the tingling and relaxing sensation from your knees out to your toes. The sun is shining its warmth on your face, a tiny breeze blows over you, and you welcome the coolness of it…”
* * *
Look around. Do you see anything on the walls?
The walls… They’re caving in on me. It’s dark… I am shivering. And so cold. Always cold.
Warm yourself. You have woolen gloves on your hands. You’re wearing a warm fleece jacket and fleece pants. Snuggly slippers on your feet.
So, so cold.
You have mittens, fleece. You’re not cold.
The walls are caving in. So frightened.
You know the walls can’t move. They’re inanimate objects.
The bird. The bird with flames for wings. It’s on the wall, staring at me, taunting me.
That’s your imagination. You know it’s your imagination. Now look around the room.
Just gray walls. Gray concrete floor. Never any light except when they open the door up the stairs.
There are no windows in the place?