That could work, she said. But we have so little information. It would hard to know where to start.

She hit the blender and they both watched the blueberries, strawberries, and bananas turn into a purple mush. When Jessie shut it off, Hannah spoke up.

Well, Ill keep my eyes open at school tomorrow. If I see any sketchy-looking older dudes on campus handing out business cards, looking for sex slaves, Ill let you know.

Thanks, Jessie said, smiling bitterly. Thats probably as effective as anything I could do right now.

*

Ryan breathed.

As he repeated the process, in and out, keeping it slow, he focused on pushing out his frustrations and inhaling positivity. Hed never gone in for meditation before the attack. But in the hospital, his respiratory therapist, a retired cop whod taken up the gig to keep from getting bored, had convinced him that it helped.

And when he could quiet his mind enough to try it, it did. The problem for Ryan Hernandez was that his mind was usually a series of bouncing, disconnected thoughts and fears that he couldnt control, much less verbalize.

Would he ever rejoin the force? Would he ever walk again? Would he ever inhale without that brief, painful twinge so far back in his chest that it felt like a splinter had lodged there? Would Jessie grow weary of playing nursemaid and dump him once shed given it the old college try? He couldnt quiet his mind back when he led a life of non-stop activity. How was he supposed to do it when he was trapped in this shell of a body with no outlet for his anxieties?

Still, as he sat propped up against the pillows of the hospital bed theyd had brought in, he tried to calm his thoughts. He tried to let go of the guilt he felt for lashing out at Jessie, who was only trying to help him. He tried to forget the fear hed seen in Hannahs eyes when she walked into the room and found him sprawled out, helpless, on the floor. He tried to block out the memory of Jessies ex-husband plunging a knife into his chest while he lay frozen in place, paralyzed by a drug that kept him awake and able to feel pain, but powerless to move.

He heard the blender in the next room and knew Jessie would be returning soon. He had to get a grip before then. He had to let her know he was sorry, that he appreciated what she was doing. He had to let her know that he understood that he couldnt do this again.