Page 25 of Degrees of Control
I have barely fallen asleep when I am jolted awake by a blood-curdling scream. My feet hit the floor and I am instantly by her side. “Jenny, wake up, it’s only a dream,” I say.
She awakens groggily, and I pull her into my arms just as Matt bursts through the door.
“Matt, it’s okay, it’s a dream,” I say. He looks around the room, pulls the curtains back to glance outside and checks the bathroom.
“What are you doing?” I ask
“Protocol, Kate. Let me know if you need anything,” he says before leaving.
“Thanks, Matt,” I say, hugging Jenny close. She is sobbing softly, and I hold her close, rocking her gently until she falls back asleep. I am wide awake now and begin gathering her glasses and emptying the contents into the bathroom sink, before carrying them downstairs to the kitchen.
“Is she okay?” Matt says.
“I wish she were, but right now she’s a mess. Even in her sleep, she’s afraid. Hopefully, she’ll be able to rest for a little bit now,” I say before heading upstairs.
I make a note to ask Chase about female security and to talk to Jenny about the cleaning lady before I curl up in the armchair. I am almost asleep when her nightmares begin again. They have not fully awakened her this time, she is just fitful and restless. I rub her back, she seems to calm and in a short while has fallen back into a rhythmic pattern of sleep.
I awaken stiff and sore from sleeping in a crooked position all night. She is sound asleep. I put on a bra and new t-shirt before gathering my belongings as quietly as I can. Matt is already up working on his laptop when I enter the kitchen.
“Morning,” he says with a broad smile.
“Good morning, Matt. Thanks so much for staying last night. She’s still asleep. She must feel a lot more secure with us in the house,” I say.
“Not a problem, Kate. I’m glad she was able to get a little rest,” he says, as I scope out the breakfast options in the refrigerator. I grimace. There is not much to choose from. “Matt, would you mind staying with her while I run to the supermarket?” I ask.
He looks hesitant. “If you like, I can get one of the security guards to come inside and I’ll go to the store with you. The other options are to see if Chase or Sheldon will go with you or give one of the security hands the shopping list, but I’m pretty sure you going by yourself is definitely out of the question,” he says grinning.
I smile, enjoying his sense of humor. “I’ll text Chase. I’m pretty surehewill love to go shopping!”
Message:Need to grocery shop. Matt won’t let me go by myself.
Reply:Glad to hear that! We’ll be there shortly.
“He’s on his way. He’s seriously the biggest control freak I have ever met,” I say to Matt who does his best to hide his amusement.
“Do you mind staying with Jenny? She might be a little scared of being alone with you once she wakes up,” I say, hoping that it won’t frighten her too much.
“Not a problem. I’ll try not to be too scary,” Matt says.
I hear a soft rap at the door and Chase is in the doorway when I open it. “How is she?” he asks, pulling me into his arms for a kiss.
“She’s a mess; hasn’t slept in days and is having nightmares.”
“She needs to make sure her counselor is aware.”
“I’ll talk to her about it a little later, but right now I need to get some food into this house. It’s hard to say when she went shopping last. I feel bad that I didn’t realize she was struggling. She sounded fine on the telephone when we were working and just said she was trying to keep busy,” I say, as we make our way to the car.
The supermarket is not busy when we arrive and we are in and out fairly quick. Jenny is still asleep when we return and Matt has made coffee and is pouring himself a cup. I set about making blueberry pancakes, scrambled eggs, and bacon for everyone. We are about to take our seats at the table when Jenny comes down the stairs wearing a long robe and sheepish smile.
“That smells absolutely amazing. I am so hungry,” she says.
“Take a seat and I’ll pour you some coffee,” I say.
Chase passes her the pancakes. “Did you get a better night’s sleep, Jenny?” he asks.
She nods, and swallows, her mouth already full with a bite of pancake. “I slept really well. I just needed one good night’s sleep,” she says.
“I can stay as long as you need me to, Jenny. Otherwise, Chase and I thought you might want to stay with us for a little while,” I suggest.
