Page 113 of Sloane

Disability. The word felt like a punch to the gut. I was a fucking Marine; how could I possibly be disabled? A glance down at the scarred, twisted flesh on my left arm mocked me, along with the walker positioned a few feet away.

“I think it will be good for you to be closer to your friends and family,” Missy urged quietly.

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you!” I exclaimed. I wanted to add, Why the fuck do you think I’ve been such a pain in the ass? but I didn’t think that would help my cause.

“You should take it, Sloane,” Ryan encouraged. “Josh or I can bring Tank over regularly. You know how he loves the beach.”

The mere idea of being with my dog again made me willing to agree to almost anything. Still, I had my worries.

“Yeah, but…” I tapped the metal that was now my leg. “I don’t know how I’d do.”

Judy interjected, “Just make sure to wear a prosthetic sock and clean your limb good when you’re done, and you’ll be fine. I think living in San Diego, you’ll want to consider making your permanent one waterproof.”

I laughed. “I was talking more about falling on my ass.”

“I know you don’t believe me, but you’re going to be walking with nothing more than a cane in no time. And based on the progress you’ve been making, I’ll be surprised if you even use a cane for more than a few weeks.”

“From your lips to God’s ears.”

I used to run on the beach every morning when I was home. The water and the exercise had been a form of meditation and helped me clear my head. I wasn’t convinced Judy was right and I’d regain my mobility as quickly as she thought. I wondered if being that close to the ocean and not being able to take advantage would feel worse than not being there at all. Kind of like window shopping when you didn’t have any money. What was the fun in that?

“We can leave whenever you’re ready,” Travis said, then turned to Dr. Noland and Missy with a sheepish grin. “If you think he’s ready, of course.”

“I’ll be honest. I have concerns—” Dr. Noland started, but I interrupted him.

“If Mr. Sterl—, er, Travis is kind enough to allow me to stay at his beach house, then you have my word I will be the definition of a model patient.”

“He has been working really hard,” Judy said.

Either Dr. Noland felt outnumbered, or I’d finally worn the man down, because he looked between Travis, me, Ryan, and Missy. “You have his discharge papers drawn up?”

Chapter Forty-Two

Sloane

Ryan eyed the box and duffel bag Colonel Swartz had delivered sitting in the corner of my room.

“You’re already packed?”

“No, those are my things from camp that were delivered earlier this week. I didn’t see the point of unpacking them.”

I opened up the tiny closet in my room and pulled out the backpack they’d given me in Germany while Ryan opened the bottom drawer on the nightstand/dresser and took out a stack of clean shorts and handed them to me.

“So, are you happy to be out of here?”

“Yeah, I’m ready to go home.”

“You nervous?”

I cocked my head at his question. “About going home?”

“Yeah.”

“Of course not. Why would you ask that?”

He shrugged. “Going back to your old life is going to be an adjustment; it’s understandable you’d be nervous.”

“Come on, Ry. We both know there’s no going back to my old life.”

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