quickly grown accustomed to all of the rest. Still, when sleepiness didn’t rise up like a tide, she started to see it as the blessing that it was.
The more she thought about it, the more she realized she was growing kind of restless. She slowly pushed herself up to a sitting position and stretched delicately from side to side.
The muscles of her back ached from inactivity and were reluctant to stretch. After a bit of movement, however, they loosened. She’d be glad for some exercise.
Despite having eaten breakfast, there was almost no light in the room. The same dim lamps burned from sconces in the walls, decorating the room like some old French castle.
It was just enough light to see her food and eat, but was easily ignored whenever she closed her eyes to sleep.
Just as she started wondering how long she’d have to sit there in the dark until Ben came to change out her food, there was a soft knock on the door.
“Come in,” she called, grateful to see his face.
“Ah,” he said in a happy tone and opened the door.
“You’re awake. Excellent. Feeling better?”
“Much,” she said. “It still hurts everywhere, but I’m awake now.”
“That’s wonderful news.” He came beside her bed and picked up the tray.
“Would it be possible to talk? Maybe open a window, or something?”
“Oh, of course.” Ben set the tray down again and walked to the wall directly across from the foot of her bed.
Reaching up, he grabbed ahold and split the curtains. Kathleen hadn’t realized a window was right there.
“Cover your eyes, it’ll be bright,” he said, and walked one side of the curtains away.
The window went from floor to twelve foot high ceiling. The deep maroon curtains flowed like wine as he pulled open one side, and then the other, bathing the room in crisp early morning sunlight.
Kathleen tilted her head back and felt the warmth of it on her face. For a moment she just sat, her arms out to her sides, and soaked up the sensation of it all.
“It’s a beautiful day,” he said, and when she opened her eyes, she saw him staring at her with a smile on his face.
“Thank you again,” she said.
Ben shrugged. “I don’t think I did something anyone else wouldn’t have.”
“You’re wrong,” she said.
He walked to the wall again and pulled the chair up to her bedside. “That so?”
She shook her head, remembering all of the men in the bar. “It’s a terrible town.”
“I don’t mean to insult where you live, but since you’ve said it, I’ll politely agree.” Ben sniffed and picked a piece of lint free of his navy blue slacks.
“In my time here so far, I’ve yet to see anything redeemable about that place.”
“So you’re still going out?”
“Of course. As I said, I have a mission.”
Kathleen shrugged and played with the stitching of her comforter.
“You just seem to always have my needs taken care of. It can’t be easy.”
He gave a thoughtful frown and shook his head. “It’s not as difficult as one might think.”
She laughed.
“You seem so easy about it.”
He smiled, and then chortled.
“I don’t understand what you find so surprising. To me, this is normal behavior. I don’t know, I’m not thinking about it. It’s not extra effort.”
All she wanted to do was lavish him with compliments, but she could tell he wasn’t used to the praise, so she decided to change the subject. The last thing she wanted was to make him so uncomfortable that he left.
She was awake, and she wanted to talk to someone, damnit!
“So, this house is yours?”
“Sort of,” he said.
“It’s owned by the military. It’s my base of operations at the moment. When I’m done here, I’ll take my things and go, and they’ll station someone else here that needs to use it.”
“When will you go?” she asked, filled with a
The more she thought about it, the more she realized she was growing kind of restless. She slowly pushed herself up to a sitting position and stretched delicately from side to side.
The muscles of her back ached from inactivity and were reluctant to stretch. After a bit of movement, however, they loosened. She’d be glad for some exercise.
Despite having eaten breakfast, there was almost no light in the room. The same dim lamps burned from sconces in the walls, decorating the room like some old French castle.
It was just enough light to see her food and eat, but was easily ignored whenever she closed her eyes to sleep.
Just as she started wondering how long she’d have to sit there in the dark until Ben came to change out her food, there was a soft knock on the door.
“Come in,” she called, grateful to see his face.
“Ah,” he said in a happy tone and opened the door.
“You’re awake. Excellent. Feeling better?”
“Much,” she said. “It still hurts everywhere, but I’m awake now.”
“That’s wonderful news.” He came beside her bed and picked up the tray.
“Would it be possible to talk? Maybe open a window, or something?”
“Oh, of course.” Ben set the tray down again and walked to the wall directly across from the foot of her bed.
Reaching up, he grabbed ahold and split the curtains. Kathleen hadn’t realized a window was right there.
“Cover your eyes, it’ll be bright,” he said, and walked one side of the curtains away.
The window went from floor to twelve foot high ceiling. The deep maroon curtains flowed like wine as he pulled open one side, and then the other, bathing the room in crisp early morning sunlight.
Kathleen tilted her head back and felt the warmth of it on her face. For a moment she just sat, her arms out to her sides, and soaked up the sensation of it all.
“It’s a beautiful day,” he said, and when she opened her eyes, she saw him staring at her with a smile on his face.
“Thank you again,” she said.
Ben shrugged. “I don’t think I did something anyone else wouldn’t have.”
“You’re wrong,” she said.
He walked to the wall again and pulled the chair up to her bedside. “That so?”
She shook her head, remembering all of the men in the bar. “It’s a terrible town.”
“I don’t mean to insult where you live, but since you’ve said it, I’ll politely agree.” Ben sniffed and picked a piece of lint free of his navy blue slacks.
“In my time here so far, I’ve yet to see anything redeemable about that place.”
“So you’re still going out?”
“Of course. As I said, I have a mission.”
Kathleen shrugged and played with the stitching of her comforter.
“You just seem to always have my needs taken care of. It can’t be easy.”
He gave a thoughtful frown and shook his head. “It’s not as difficult as one might think.”
She laughed.
“You seem so easy about it.”
He smiled, and then chortled.
“I don’t understand what you find so surprising. To me, this is normal behavior. I don’t know, I’m not thinking about it. It’s not extra effort.”
All she wanted to do was lavish him with compliments, but she could tell he wasn’t used to the praise, so she decided to change the subject. The last thing she wanted was to make him so uncomfortable that he left.
She was awake, and she wanted to talk to someone, damnit!
“So, this house is yours?”
“Sort of,” he said.
“It’s owned by the military. It’s my base of operations at the moment. When I’m done here, I’ll take my things and go, and they’ll station someone else here that needs to use it.”
“When will you go?” she asked, filled with a
Similar Books
