Page 4 of Rescuing Ryder

“Glad to hear it,” Tex replied as he watched a large man in a white medical coat approach them.

“I’m Dr. Chase Winters. I see you know Matthew,” he greeted.

“I’m Tex. I apologize for the hasty request. I hope I didn’t imposition you.”

“Not at all; I finished my rounds, and my wife will join us after dance class with our daughter. We can chat in my office and I’ll take you on a tour.”

“Do you live close by? We can catch up. My flight’s scheduled for late this evening,” Tex inquired of Matthew as Chase spoke briefly with the receptionist and waited for him to say goodbye to his friend.

“Doc can call me when you finish up. I’ll pick you up.” Matthew followed them to the hallway. “I’m not far from here.”

“Thanks, I’ll see you later then.”

Chase led him to his office and motioned to the chairs. Tex sat down, expecting Chase to move behind his desk. Instead, Chase pulled the chair next to him and faced him. “I imagine if you flew all the way here and asked for a visit at the last minute, it must be important. I can tell you all about the hospital, but you can read all about us on the website. Do you want to tell me about your friend?”

Tex grinned, liking the man across from him. He didn’t put on an air of self-importance or boast.

“My friend watched his unit die in front of him. He’s a corpsman. In eighteen months, he has endured hospitalization twice and prescribed numerous meds. None of which work for him. I came to you out of desperation. I heard about your facility and hoped you might offer something the other facilities couldn’t.”

“We operate differently in large part due to my wife. We employ an excellent staff. Nothing I’ll say will convince you. Let’s take a tour.” He glanced at his phone. “My head psychiatrist, Claire Meyers, can meet us if you give me a moment to call her.”

He nodded and waited until the physician finished.

“As you can see, we aren’t like a typical hospital.” Instead of taking him down the hall to the clinical rooms, Chase led him outside. “When we receive a referral, we do a team dive into the patient’s history and medical records, then decide their placement.” He indicated a golf cart stationed along the building and explained the process.

Chase turned the vehicle onto a paved path. “Sometimes, our patients don’t need hospitalization. They need time and space to decompress and reintegrate into society. We have a mini subdivision dedicated to giving them the time they need. It’s grown to such a success, my wife’s already planning anadditional one.” He stopped the cart and led him to one of the cabins. Chase punched in the code at the door.

“Each unit houses two veterans with a shared kitchen and two master suites. The closets come equipped with soundproof padding and a cot if they need to decompress from everything. The views of the mountain provide a peaceful environment in which to heal.” Chase explained as he walked him through the cabin. He led him to the deck outside.

Tex nodded as he took in the surroundings. “You put a lot of thought into this.”

Dr. Winters smiled. “My wife designed each cabin and built the hospital while I worked a mission and our helo crashed.”

They boarded the cart and returned to the facility. Chase stopped and pointed out the several trails.

“We encourage teens and veterans to hike along the trails. The teens walk in groups or with a veteran, and there’s a sign-up sheet for walking groups to encourage socialization. The veterans assign tasks to the teens and hold classes on everything from mechanics to cooking and carpentry. We work with advisors for those who want to pursue a career in the military. For veterans who fit the criteria, we have operators here on the mountain and if we find them a good fit, we offer employment or additional training to help them seek employment opportunities.” He drove the vehicle up to the side of the hospital and they returned inside.

A blonde lady wearing jeans and a T-shirt approached the men. “Hello, I’m Claire Meyers,” she introduced herself and shook Tex’s hand. “I understand you have some questions for me.”

They walked the halls of the main floor. The rooms appeared to be typical bedrooms, not the usual hospital design. The doors held signs which seemed to Velcro on and off.

Claire explained, “Some of our patients prefer company, and others require downtime. This alerts our staff, teens, and fellow veterans if someone needs time alone. If the staff doesn’t need anything pressing, we give the patient space with the understanding that we hold periodic check-ins. Their diagnosis and placement help determine their care plan. We encourage patients to participate and voice their concerns in their treatment goals. Obviously, if they aren’t aware of their needs, we start slowly until we can graduate them from each step. Our community allows them to participate in a gamut of programs. They can learn a new skill, seek help with education, all while reorientating themselves into society.”

“We hold several group therapy sessions. Veterans lead the meetings, including one-on-one therapy, small and large groups, while my therapy team supervises. We enjoy a daily activity calendar, a library, a quiet room, movie nights, and BBQs. I’m the head psychiatrist, and we recently hired a second one, Dr. Andrew Hill.”

They entered the physical therapy room. Chase took over the tour. “We offer several types of physical therapies and have our own prosthesis staff. We found we can make them faster on-site and fix any issues. In addition to the indoor facilities, we have an outdoor physical therapy area.” They descended the stairs to the lower level.

Tex surveyed the huge cafeteria area with an outdoor deck. Several seating areas, including rocking chairs, allowed patients to enjoy the peaceful view. Teens were setting up a large screen and arranged seating for an event. The kitchen area reminded him of a large family home. Checkered cloths covered the tables. Several teens and adults set out bins with dinnerware and bowls.

“Once a month, we have Serenity family dinner night. We try to grill out and serve everything family-style. In the winter, we have classic favorites of chicken pot pie, soups,and casseroles. Afterward, we enjoy a movie night with heaters placed strategically around the area. They vote for their movie, and we make popcorn. Bryanna Carter, our town baker, provides several desserts for our event. We also partner with businesses throughout our small town; some residents work at the bakery, hardware store, and grocery store. We believe in community,” Dr. Winters spoke with pride.

“I’m impressed. How long does it take for a patient to go through the admission process?” Tex asked as he viewed kids the same age as his daughter helping out and sitting at the tables enjoying themselves.

“It depends on the resident. We keep this big enough to help as many as possible but strive to keep their care individualized. We don’t have one lump therapy or medical process. We screen the individual and tailor their care plan to their needs. It changes as needed.”

Tex nodded while he wondered if Patch might consent to checking out the place. The peacefulness offered a place of healing and solace… something his buddy desperately needed. The regimented approach to healthcare didn’t work and this place didn’t resemble anything close to the norm.

“The other side of the hospital offers medical services for the community and our security team on the mountain. We’re fully equipped with operating rooms, radiology, and labs,” Dr. Winters explained. “As you noticed, we maintain a tight security protocol on the mountain. All visitors must set up a date and time with them.”

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