Learning To Trust Again

And as it happened, she had no time to think about the return trip anyway, because in a complete reversal of the day before, it was a busy shift. Nothing that day was simple. Everything seemed to take longer than it should  and she still had a waiting room full of people when her shift was over, not to mention having every room full. This meant, the hand over took longer than usual and therefore she was later than normal leaving. The lack of sleep was really starting to catch up with her too. But finally done she collected her bag and after she had said her good byes to those she knew working the next shift she made her way to the front doors. Despite telling herself there was nothing to fear she could feel the tension in her body starting to rise as she contemplated the trip ahead of her. However in a rare moment of stubbornness she was determined not to let an irrational fear stop her. Telling herself there was no reason to think it would happen again, she took a deep breath and kept going.

But despite her brave assertions, as Rebecca neared the hospital entrance and saw the darkness beyond the doors, she felt a need to arm herself with something. Digging in her bag to try to find her keys, thinking that they were the best she could do, she walked out through the automatic doors and stepped onto the footpath. The area immediately outside the hospital was well lit but that only served to make the night beyond all the blacker. Her eyes down, still searching her bag, she didn’t notice the man, who had been sitting on the bench facing the street, rise and stroll towards her. It was not until he spoke that she realised he was there.

‘I thought you were going to drive’ he said.

Startled by the unexpected question, as unwelcome memories of the men from last night invaded her mind, Rebecca jumped, and her eyes wide, she stared in the direction of the voice. Her heart was beating so fast it felt like it would break out of her chest. But as the man stepped further into the light and she saw who was speaking she released the breath she had been holding. Using anger to mask the fright he’d given her, she corrected him in a terse tone ‘no you said I should drive, I said I’d think about it and I did and then decided it was a waste of time.’

Jake moved closer and in a low growl, he asked ‘your safety is a waste of time?’

She glared at him. The fact that, when he put it that way his question was valid, only served to make her angrier. Her voice was hard as she said ‘well the only thing making me feel unsafe at the moment is the fact that you are sitting here waiting for me. Doesn’t that count as stalking?’