Status: It will soon be redone. This will be deleted in a few weeks.
Danger Line
Trunk
Karina’s Point of View
I shifted on the armchair uncomfortably. Mr. Thomas called me in after Matt was done with his part. I was able to convince Eli to stay, so he was out there with Matt, and I was inside feeling like I was going to throw up. Mr. Thomas said he was still taking notes from Matt’s session, and even though a minute had passed, it felt like ten minutes to me.
Mr. Thomas finally stopped and flipped his notebook to a brand new page. He smiled up at me kindly.
“Hello, Karina,” he greeted me.
“You may call me Kari,” I said softly.
He grinned. “All right, Kari, how are you feeling?”
“Hmm,” I said unsure if I should tell the truth, but he probably could tell by my body language. “I’m nervous, and anxious. I’m scared.”
“What are you scared of?” he asked.
I scratched under my chin. “I’m not sure. I’m not really comfortable with sharing what happened.”
“We’re not going there yet until you’re ready,” Mr. Thomas smiled warmly. “For now, I want to know how it feels to be back.”
“It feels… odd,” I said honestly. “For so long I thought I wasn’t going to see my husband and my son again, and when I saw them… I was just so grateful to God. I had prayed to give them strength to go on without me.”
“Matt told me how it was when they thought you were dead. Has he told you?”
I shook my head. “Not in much detail, but I asked… a friend, and she told me that it was bad in the beginning.”
“How did you meet Matt?”
I raised an eyebrow. “Is that important?”
“It is if I want to know just how strong your relationship is,” Mr. Thomas smirked.
I sighed. “I met him through my brother, Damien.”
“And he died during his service, right?” Mr. Thomas’ question was rhetorical.
I still answered. “Yes. I named my son after my brother. Matt and I were long time friends and I didn’t know he liked me until after the death of my brother. We got married young, and had Damien young too.”
“Do you ever think you missed out on life because you married young?” Mr. Thomas asked.
“No,” I laughed. “I don’t think I did. With friends like the ones I had, I didn’t think I did.”
“I meant in a more personal level, Kari,” he said. “I meant dating. Dating other men and having that kind of fun.”
I laughed again. “No, no. Matt was everything to me.”
“Was?” Mr. Thomas raised an eyebrow.
“Is!” I corrected. “Look, just because Matt and I have been together since high school doesn’t mean we didn’t have fights and break up. Before I went to the military, I broke up with Matt thinking it was the best for us. I had a boyfriend while we were separated. It didn’t last long. Matt and I got back together before I finished the military.”
“Matt told me you’ve been distant with him. It’s completely normal from someone who has PTSD.”
“I know I have PTSD,” I wanted to roll my eyes, but fought the urge. “I have reoccurring nightmares.”
“Want to tell me about them?” he asked.
I sighed and thought about Eli’s advice before I walked in. ‘Be honest. You’ll be cured faster if you’re just honest to yourself and to him.’
“Things that happened while I was captive,” I muttered. “The torture.”
“How long did they torture you?” he asked.
“Two years.”
“Weekly?”
“Not everyday, but when it happened… it was bad,” I started to get flashes of it and I flinched. “Shit,” I cursed and tried to put the memories back in the trunk. My body felt cold and it was rather warm in Mr. Thomas’ office when I walked in.
“Kari, take deep breaths,” Mr. Thomas said softly. “Count to ten backwards.”
I did, in my head.
“Sorry,” I said after it went away.
“No need to apologize, Kari,” he said. “It’s a safe place here. I am going to give you some pills to help you sleep deeply, so not even nightmares can take away your sleep, all right?”
I just nodded.
“I know you need the sleep. Matt tells me you don’t really sleep. Maybe three or four hours, and that’s not enough.”
I nodded again. After my little background, I didn’t want to speak anymore. Speaking meant opening the trunk, and I wanted it sealed for the rest of my life.
“Is that all?” I asked.
“For today? Yes. I’ll you next week, same day and same time.”
“Does Matt have to come again?”
“No, he doesn’t unless he wants to.”
I took the piece of paper that had prescription. I stood up and shook hands with Mr. Thomas. I walked back out and saw Matt and Eli engaged in a deep conversation about Modern Warfare 2. I smiled.
“Should I leave you two ladies alone?” I joked.
They looked up at me. Matt stood up and hugged me. “Hey baby, how was it?”
I shrugged. “It was okay. I got a prescription to go to sleep.”
“Me too,” Eli said and stood up and took out his. “I should go. You two have things to do.”
“We’re going to the studio,” I grinned. “I’m going to be surrounded by music again.”
Eli chuckled. “That’s great.”
“You can come if you want,” Matt spoke up.
Which surprised Eli and I.
“Are you sure?” Eli asked.
“Of course!” Matt said and chuckled. “Any friend of my wife is a friend of mine. Plus, you mean a lot to Kari.”
I hugged Matt tighter. I was glad he wasn’t letting his jealousy get in the way to get to know Eli better.
“All right, I’ll just follow you guys then,” Eli grinned. I could tell he was really excited. He really was a fan of the band, and I knew it would mean a lot to him.
“Thank you,” I pecked Matt’s cheek.
“All because I love you,” he whispered in my ear.
I shifted on the armchair uncomfortably. Mr. Thomas called me in after Matt was done with his part. I was able to convince Eli to stay, so he was out there with Matt, and I was inside feeling like I was going to throw up. Mr. Thomas said he was still taking notes from Matt’s session, and even though a minute had passed, it felt like ten minutes to me.
Mr. Thomas finally stopped and flipped his notebook to a brand new page. He smiled up at me kindly.
“Hello, Karina,” he greeted me.
“You may call me Kari,” I said softly.
He grinned. “All right, Kari, how are you feeling?”
“Hmm,” I said unsure if I should tell the truth, but he probably could tell by my body language. “I’m nervous, and anxious. I’m scared.”
“What are you scared of?” he asked.
I scratched under my chin. “I’m not sure. I’m not really comfortable with sharing what happened.”
“We’re not going there yet until you’re ready,” Mr. Thomas smiled warmly. “For now, I want to know how it feels to be back.”
“It feels… odd,” I said honestly. “For so long I thought I wasn’t going to see my husband and my son again, and when I saw them… I was just so grateful to God. I had prayed to give them strength to go on without me.”
“Matt told me how it was when they thought you were dead. Has he told you?”
I shook my head. “Not in much detail, but I asked… a friend, and she told me that it was bad in the beginning.”
“How did you meet Matt?”
I raised an eyebrow. “Is that important?”
“It is if I want to know just how strong your relationship is,” Mr. Thomas smirked.
I sighed. “I met him through my brother, Damien.”
“And he died during his service, right?” Mr. Thomas’ question was rhetorical.
I still answered. “Yes. I named my son after my brother. Matt and I were long time friends and I didn’t know he liked me until after the death of my brother. We got married young, and had Damien young too.”
“Do you ever think you missed out on life because you married young?” Mr. Thomas asked.
“No,” I laughed. “I don’t think I did. With friends like the ones I had, I didn’t think I did.”
“I meant in a more personal level, Kari,” he said. “I meant dating. Dating other men and having that kind of fun.”
I laughed again. “No, no. Matt was everything to me.”
“Was?” Mr. Thomas raised an eyebrow.
“Is!” I corrected. “Look, just because Matt and I have been together since high school doesn’t mean we didn’t have fights and break up. Before I went to the military, I broke up with Matt thinking it was the best for us. I had a boyfriend while we were separated. It didn’t last long. Matt and I got back together before I finished the military.”
“Matt told me you’ve been distant with him. It’s completely normal from someone who has PTSD.”
“I know I have PTSD,” I wanted to roll my eyes, but fought the urge. “I have reoccurring nightmares.”
“Want to tell me about them?” he asked.
I sighed and thought about Eli’s advice before I walked in. ‘Be honest. You’ll be cured faster if you’re just honest to yourself and to him.’
“Things that happened while I was captive,” I muttered. “The torture.”
“How long did they torture you?” he asked.
“Two years.”
“Weekly?”
“Not everyday, but when it happened… it was bad,” I started to get flashes of it and I flinched. “Shit,” I cursed and tried to put the memories back in the trunk. My body felt cold and it was rather warm in Mr. Thomas’ office when I walked in.
“Kari, take deep breaths,” Mr. Thomas said softly. “Count to ten backwards.”
I did, in my head.
“Sorry,” I said after it went away.
“No need to apologize, Kari,” he said. “It’s a safe place here. I am going to give you some pills to help you sleep deeply, so not even nightmares can take away your sleep, all right?”
I just nodded.
“I know you need the sleep. Matt tells me you don’t really sleep. Maybe three or four hours, and that’s not enough.”
I nodded again. After my little background, I didn’t want to speak anymore. Speaking meant opening the trunk, and I wanted it sealed for the rest of my life.
“Is that all?” I asked.
“For today? Yes. I’ll you next week, same day and same time.”
“Does Matt have to come again?”
“No, he doesn’t unless he wants to.”
I took the piece of paper that had prescription. I stood up and shook hands with Mr. Thomas. I walked back out and saw Matt and Eli engaged in a deep conversation about Modern Warfare 2. I smiled.
“Should I leave you two ladies alone?” I joked.
They looked up at me. Matt stood up and hugged me. “Hey baby, how was it?”
I shrugged. “It was okay. I got a prescription to go to sleep.”
“Me too,” Eli said and stood up and took out his. “I should go. You two have things to do.”
“We’re going to the studio,” I grinned. “I’m going to be surrounded by music again.”
Eli chuckled. “That’s great.”
“You can come if you want,” Matt spoke up.
Which surprised Eli and I.
“Are you sure?” Eli asked.
“Of course!” Matt said and chuckled. “Any friend of my wife is a friend of mine. Plus, you mean a lot to Kari.”
I hugged Matt tighter. I was glad he wasn’t letting his jealousy get in the way to get to know Eli better.
“All right, I’ll just follow you guys then,” Eli grinned. I could tell he was really excited. He really was a fan of the band, and I knew it would mean a lot to him.
“Thank you,” I pecked Matt’s cheek.
“All because I love you,” he whispered in my ear.
