Natural Reaction Read Online Free

one of those black spandex shirts you liked so much,” he teased. “I’d hate to have to return it.”
    A giggle erupted from deep inside of her and her tension started to slip away.
    “It took me hours to find the right one,” he continued, moving his thumb so he gently grazed her lips. “I even called Ian and asked him where to shop.”
    “The right one?” she asked, her lips turning up in a smile.
    “Aye,” he said, trying to imitate Ian’s accent, “One that will show off me man boobies.”
    Chuckling, she recalled their late night conversations over the internet. She remembered his concern for her and his confidence in her. She studied his face for a moment and felt love replace her fear. She nestled her head into his hand, placing a soft kiss on his thumb. “I can’t wait to see it,” she said.
    “I can’t wait to show it to you,” he said softly, gently sliding his thumb over her lips.
    She stifled a yawn and smiled. “I guess I must be feeling more relaxed because suddenly I’m exhausted.”
    “Why don’t you rest up for a bit? I’ll stay here and watch over you.”
    “Thank you,” she said, her eyelids slowly shutting. “I just need a nap, that’s all.”
    “Sweet dreams, sweetheart,” he whispered, slipping his hand out from under her head as her rhythmic breathing indicated she was already asleep. “We’ll win. I promise.”

Chapter Three

    A soft knock on the hospital room door an hour later immediately brought Bradley to full attention. He pushed himself out of the armchair he’d been resting in and positioned himself between Mary and the door.
    Dr. Louise Thorne slipped into the room, her white lab coat over her blue jeans and flannel shirt. “How is she doing?” she asked in a low voice.
    “Good. I guess,” he replied.
    “So what do you mean by that?”
    He shrugged his shoulders. “Well, she was alert and didn’t seem to have any memory loss or have any trouble speaking,” he said. “But…”
    He hesitated, trying to decide how much he could share with Dr. Thorne about Mary’s experience. “She went through a fairly traumatic ordeal,” he finally said. “It’s hard to explain.”
    “Just tell me and I’ll ask any questions,” Dr. Thorne suggested.
    “She was put under hypnosis to help solve a case and she actually lived through someone else’s memories. She felt as though she was experiencing them - felt the pain and the emotion,” he said. “This person, this victim, had been kidnapped, held for quite a few months and raped repeatedly.”
    Dr. Thorne took a deep breath and glanced over at Mary. “And she remembers it all?”
    He nodded. “When she woke up… I was so relieved, so I hugged her,” he said. “And she was afraid of me.”
    She put her hand on his arm. “Not you, Bradley,” she said. “She is trying to deal with the psychological trauma. Fear is one of the most common and most understandable reactions when a woman is raped.”
    “Does she need counseling?”
    Smiling, she looked over at Mary again. “Yes, that would be a good idea, but I have a feeling that Mary is the type who will try and tough it out on her own,” she said. “Until she finally decides she needs help. You can’t force her to get help, she has to decide it’s a good idea.”
    “So, what do I do in the meantime?”
    “What did she ask you to do?”
    “She asked for my help,” he said. “She wants to be able to trust again and she asked me to help her.”
    “That’s sounds like a good start. If she is sleeping this soundly while you are in the room with her, she does trust you,” she said. “And it seems that she understands this might be a long process. Bradley, have you had any experience with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?”
    He nodded. “Yeah, some of the guys I served with had it.”
    “When a person is raped, they experience a disorder that is very similar,” she explained. “They often have flashbacks or nightmares. They are more fearful than