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"Can you give me any idea what kind of things we're dealing with?"
Again, Ben hesitated.
"Nightmares?"
"Yes."
"Panic attacks?"
"Yep."
"Anger?"
"Not so much." He blew out a breath and lowered his voice in case Trenton was awake. "Crowds, small spaces, being alone."
"Could he be struggling with having lost control of the situation when he was taken? Maybe lost confidence in taking care of himself?"
"You know, that kind of makes a lot of sense when you put it that way." Ben thought about all the things that were making Trenton uncomfortable. "What are you thinking?"
"Stuff I can't really tell you about. Do me a favor though, if you can get him talking, either to you or to Katie, have him dig into his past. I'm wondering if being kidnapped might have triggered some things from his childhood. He talked to Faith on the phone yesterday and she said he seemed unsure of himself, like he was scared to make decisions. It got me thinking about his past and, well, just see if you can get him talking about that. I could be totally off base, but you know how sometimes something nags at you and you can't let it go? It's like that."
"So it's nothing more than a gut feeling?"
"Yep, but when you're in my line of work, it's those gut feelings that keep you alive. I don't know why I suddenly can't stop thinking about Trenton's past. We never discuss it. It's one of those things I swore to him I'd never tell another soul about, and I won't, but if you or Katie can maybe hint that he should bring it up, it might help. When Faith said he sounded scared to make decisions, it triggered some memories I had about his past. I have no idea where his trust level is with you, but if he'll talk, it might help."
"Thanks, I'm willing to do whatever I can to help him." Ben glanced down the hallway toward Trenton's closed door. "If he won't talk to Katie or me, I'm going to ask you guys to step in. I don't know what else to do."
"That bad?"
"Getting there."
"How's he healing physically?"
"Still sore, but no signs of infection. He's about to throw that damn scooter out the window. I think I'll pick him up a pair of crutches tomorrow, if those don't put too much pressure on his shoulder and arm."
"I'll tell Beau to drop by in the next day or two for a check-up. I know Trenton and he'll be putting weight on that leg with or without permission." Bryon paused. "How are you holding up? Do you need anything?"
Ben didn't know how to take the offer. He wasn't used to anyone giving a shit about him or how he was doing. "I'm okay. I'll be glad when this whole investigation is over and I can move on. Being at the D.A.'s beck and call is not my idea of fun."
"Better you than me." Bryon laughed. "Alright, I'm going to go, but keep me up to date with anything new. Beau will be checking in soon."
"Thanks, Bryon." Ben hung up the phone. It was then he noticed Trenton scooting down the short hallway toward him. He stood. "Hey, how you feeling?"
"Better. The nap helped." Trenton made it to the couch and sat down.
"You want food?"
"Yeah, sorry you had to eat without me." Trenton positioned his leg on the coffee table.
"I didn't. I waited for you. I had some calls to return. I'll get it now and we can both eat." Ben headed into the kitchen, then came back a minute later with the Mexican food he'd bought. "Drink?"
"Just water."
A few seconds later, Ben sat down beside Trenton and put the drink on the table. "That last call I was on was Bryon checking in on you. He said Beau would be by tomorrow or the next day for a check-up."
"What else did he say?" Trenton opened the Styrofoam container and pulled out his taco.
"That Faith talked to you and mentioned you seemed nervous and insecure. That you don't want to make any decisions." Ben focused on cutting into his burrito instead of giving Trenton his full attention.
