hide the
tears in her eyes. “It’s hard,” Sara whispered. “I never used to be
afraid. Now…,” she glanced toward the men when she realized they
had stopped talking and were watching them. “Now, I don’t like
being around other… people. I can understand where Emma is coming
from.” Sara bowed her head, ashamed to admit to Audrey she was
scared of being around people, especially men.
Audrey touched Sara’s arm. “Sara, you and
Emma have been through a very traumatic experience. I wouldn’t be
surprised if you both weren’t suffering from some form of PTSD.
There is nothing to be ashamed of,” Audrey assured her.
“What is PTSD?” Jaguin growled. “You said
you were fine! I thought my symbiot healed your wounds,” he bit
out, glaring at the huge golden shape laying at Sara’s feet.
“Do you mind?” Sara snapped out. “I was
having a private conversation and you were not invited to
participate!”
Jaguin ignored Sara’s retort and turned to
glare at Audrey. “Do you know how to heal this PTSD?” He
demanded.
Audrey folded her arms across her chest and
looked pointedly at Jaguin. “This is a private conversation between
myself and Sara but I will explain what PTSD is. It stands for Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder. It often occurs after an individual has
suffered a terrifying ordeal, often from physical harm or the
threat of physical harm. What Emma and Sara went through would
definitely classify as such an ordeal.”
“Audrey,” Sara whispered in a strained
voice. “I don’t want to talk about it. Especially with him
here.”
“I was there, Sara,” Jaguin said tightly. “I
saw what was done to you.”
Sara’s eyes darkened in distress and she let
out a low, wounded cry before turning and rushing from the room.
Jaguin took a step to follow her but Audrey put her hand on his
chest and scowled up at him.
“Enough!” She said in an authoritative
voice. “I’ll go to her. You two… just stay here and make sure no
one takes the silverware,” she ordered before turning to follow
Sara.
Gunner walked over to where Jaguin stood
near the couch. He laid his hand on his friend’s shoulder and
squeezed it in support. His own eyes followed the figure walking
stiffly down the hallway, a golden symbiot by her side.
“Give her time,” Gunner said quietly. “You
were there. You know what was done to her.”
“But not everything,” Jaguin said, a muscle
throbbing in his jaw as he gritted his teeth in frustration. “I
don’t know everything that was done to her.”
Gunner looked at his friend’s tortured
expression. “You may never know,” he responded. “Just accept and
support her. That is all you can do.”
Jaguin nodded stiffly. “I will be there for
her, even if she refuses to accept me.”
Gunner grinned and smacked Jaguin hard on
the shoulder. “Since when have you ever accepted defeat?” He asked.
“You have a challenge, my friend, to get her to accept you. Now,
you must think of the best way to break down her barriers.”
Jaguin’s eyes narrowed for a moment before a
slow smile curved his lips. “You are right, Gunner. I think it is
time I took this challenge to more familiar ground. Somewhere I
know and somewhere that she won’t be able to resist going.”
Gunner’s eyebrow rose. “How do you plan to
do that?”
“She loves unusual plants,” Jaguin said,
looking at Gunner with a devious smile. “I know a place where there
are all kinds of unusual ones.”
Gunner stared into Jaguin’s cunning eyes and
saw the determination in them. His friend had a plan. He grinned
and laughed.
“You are too cunning for your own good
sometimes,” Gunner said. “Now, what do you think my mate meant when
she told us to make sure no one took the silverware?”
*.*.*
Emma glanced over as Sara entered her
bedroom two days later. She sat at the small table looking out over
the garden. She was replaying the unusual meeting with the huge
warrior once again. It was like a
tears in her eyes. “It’s hard,” Sara whispered. “I never used to be
afraid. Now…,” she glanced toward the men when she realized they
had stopped talking and were watching them. “Now, I don’t like
being around other… people. I can understand where Emma is coming
from.” Sara bowed her head, ashamed to admit to Audrey she was
scared of being around people, especially men.
Audrey touched Sara’s arm. “Sara, you and
Emma have been through a very traumatic experience. I wouldn’t be
surprised if you both weren’t suffering from some form of PTSD.
There is nothing to be ashamed of,” Audrey assured her.
“What is PTSD?” Jaguin growled. “You said
you were fine! I thought my symbiot healed your wounds,” he bit
out, glaring at the huge golden shape laying at Sara’s feet.
“Do you mind?” Sara snapped out. “I was
having a private conversation and you were not invited to
participate!”
Jaguin ignored Sara’s retort and turned to
glare at Audrey. “Do you know how to heal this PTSD?” He
demanded.
Audrey folded her arms across her chest and
looked pointedly at Jaguin. “This is a private conversation between
myself and Sara but I will explain what PTSD is. It stands for Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder. It often occurs after an individual has
suffered a terrifying ordeal, often from physical harm or the
threat of physical harm. What Emma and Sara went through would
definitely classify as such an ordeal.”
“Audrey,” Sara whispered in a strained
voice. “I don’t want to talk about it. Especially with him
here.”
“I was there, Sara,” Jaguin said tightly. “I
saw what was done to you.”
Sara’s eyes darkened in distress and she let
out a low, wounded cry before turning and rushing from the room.
Jaguin took a step to follow her but Audrey put her hand on his
chest and scowled up at him.
“Enough!” She said in an authoritative
voice. “I’ll go to her. You two… just stay here and make sure no
one takes the silverware,” she ordered before turning to follow
Sara.
Gunner walked over to where Jaguin stood
near the couch. He laid his hand on his friend’s shoulder and
squeezed it in support. His own eyes followed the figure walking
stiffly down the hallway, a golden symbiot by her side.
“Give her time,” Gunner said quietly. “You
were there. You know what was done to her.”
“But not everything,” Jaguin said, a muscle
throbbing in his jaw as he gritted his teeth in frustration. “I
don’t know everything that was done to her.”
Gunner looked at his friend’s tortured
expression. “You may never know,” he responded. “Just accept and
support her. That is all you can do.”
Jaguin nodded stiffly. “I will be there for
her, even if she refuses to accept me.”
Gunner grinned and smacked Jaguin hard on
the shoulder. “Since when have you ever accepted defeat?” He asked.
“You have a challenge, my friend, to get her to accept you. Now,
you must think of the best way to break down her barriers.”
Jaguin’s eyes narrowed for a moment before a
slow smile curved his lips. “You are right, Gunner. I think it is
time I took this challenge to more familiar ground. Somewhere I
know and somewhere that she won’t be able to resist going.”
Gunner’s eyebrow rose. “How do you plan to
do that?”
“She loves unusual plants,” Jaguin said,
looking at Gunner with a devious smile. “I know a place where there
are all kinds of unusual ones.”
Gunner stared into Jaguin’s cunning eyes and
saw the determination in them. His friend had a plan. He grinned
and laughed.
“You are too cunning for your own good
sometimes,” Gunner said. “Now, what do you think my mate meant when
she told us to make sure no one took the silverware?”
*.*.*
Emma glanced over as Sara entered her
bedroom two days later. She sat at the small table looking out over
the garden. She was replaying the unusual meeting with the huge
warrior once again. It was like a
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