Page 13 of Rescuing Ryder

“What do you mean?” Tex eyed him warily.

“They dropped us off last night and you haven’t started in on me about trying or giving this a real shot,” he stated as he scooped up a bite of the eggs.

“You gave me your word. This time, deciding if you want this comes down to you. This place feels special. But it’ll onlywork if you allow it to help you. I’ll take you up to the Winters Foundation and we’ll get you checked in before I leave for home.” He sipped his coffee.

“That’s it?”

“Ryder, you asked me to stop pestering. I don’t have an ulterior motive. I want you to receive the help you need to heal.”

They finished their meal in silence, gazing over the serene landscape. When Tex finished, he didn’t speak as he took his dishes inside. Ryder stuffed the last of the muffin in his mouth and chewed. Grabbing his items, he brought them to the dishwasher and went to shower and dress. Today started like one of many he experienced over the last eighteen months. Nothing rid him of the shame or guilt he felt inside. He let his team down.

Tex drovethe golf cart along the path to the hospital. Neither spoke, and once they parked, Ryder followed him up the stairs and inside the building.

Ryder’s eyes widened as he gazed down at the halls and the homey living room in front of them. A teen walked up to his friend.

“Hi, Tex. Miss Kassie asked us to take you to the conference room. Can we get you anything to drink?” The teen bounced on her toes while she waited for his reply.

“Can I have a water? Ryder, meet Zuri. She helps run the front desk.”

“Hi, Ryder. Can I get you anything?”

“I’m fine,” he replied as he watched the young woman run back to the area and pull a bottle of water from a fridge. She handed it to Tex before leading them down the hall.

Zuri opened the door and stepped aside to let them in. The trio from the video call sat in chairs around the circular table. The irritating blonde doctor who raided his thoughts the evening before wrote on the whiteboard behind her.

“Good morning. Come in and have a seat, Ryder. Did you want Tex to stay a while before he meets with PT?” Dr. Meyers asked.

Yes. No. Maybe. Fuck, he didn’t know.

“No. I don’t need a babysitter, Doc,” he muttered to her as he sat at the table, leaving a seat empty on either side of him.

“I’m Claire. Doc refers to Chase. Are you ready to get started? I believe I have fifty-eight minutes to present you with a care plan. The clock is ticking.”

Wow, he’d give it to her. She held some spunk. “Bring it.”

“Ryder,” Tex growled in warning.

“What? Like she’ll take only sixty minutes, give me a fucking break,” he replied.

His friend sighed heavily. The frustration came off in vibes. The room stayed silent.

Sighing loudly, he turned to face his blonde nemesis. “You can go, Tex. I’ll even tack on an extra two minutes for her.”

Chase nodded to Tex who shut the door.

Claire turned to the whiteboard.

“I went over the list of all your medications. Can you tell me if anything on the board appears incorrect?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

“Which ones?” she asked as she grabbed the eraser, prepared to change the list.

“All of them,” he admitted to her as he met her gaze.

“How long ago did you stop them?” She didn’t miss a beat.

“I stopped the day I returned from the last hospital stint,” he announced, expecting them to show surprise or shock. Instead, he was met with acceptance.

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