It was light outside when her eyes opened, but the surroundings were far different than she expected. The last thing she remembered was the cell she'd been sequestered in for months, the dampness, the smell of rain and the dark….always the dark.
Turning her head, she saw the curtains were pulled closed against her bedroom windows, but bright light still shown through the bottom. As she surveyed the scene, Hetty attempted to remember what had happened the night before…and just how she had arrived in her bedroom.
But no memory came…only memories of Vietnam flashed through her mind. Closing her eyes for a brief moment, Hetty attempted to find peace, focusing on the silence in the room.
She opened her eyes and pushed up on her hands, hoping to get out of bed and start putting her life back in order. Sharp pain that ran along each side had her collapsing back on her stomach…her plan for normalcy shattering instantaneously.
While catching her lost breath, Hetty now remembered she had acquired broken ribs, multiple abrasions across her entire body, open wounds on her back and a large gash on the left side of her head. She would have to move more gently, holding off on most household tasks until she was fully healed. Unfortunately, the memory of Vietnam would have a hold on her for far longer than she cared to admit.
A small knock on the door sounded. She was able to roll over, her teeth grinding in pain as the fabric of her shirt pressed in to the wounds on her back. AJ entered, tea tray in hand, but eyes solely focused on her.
"Good morning," he said quietly. "I wasn't sure when you might wake up."
"I don't remember falling asleep," she replied, sitting up slowly and trying to settle back against the headboard.
AJ dropped the tea tray on her nightstand, moving to place a few pillows behind her back. He could easily see how much pain she was in, the shortness of her breath with each movement she tried to make, and the way she avoided making eye contact.
"How's that?" he asked, standing straight after she seemed to settle.
"Fine….thank you," she answered, taking a few deep breaths.
She looked over at the tea tray and immediately noticed the three pill bottles planted on the tray.
"What are those?" she asked.
"Your antibiotics and pain pills," he answered, taking the tea pot to pour her a cup of tea.
He handed it to her, trying to gauge her mood. She thanked him quietly and held the cup close to her chest, hoping its warmth would permeate through her core.
"Sleep well?" he asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Mmm…though I'm not sure how I got here," she responded, her eyes now meeting his.
He chuckled, grateful that her lips had curled in to a small smile.
"Henrietta…it was with your own medication."
"So you admit you put something in my tea last night?"
"You needed to sleep," he said with a small shrug. "Had to do what I had to do."
"Aha. So you drugged me."
"Henrietta…"
"Well, at least this time it was with prescribed medication," she said, a coy smile gracing her lips before she took a sip of her tea.
AJ dropped his head, shaking it back and forth. "You'll never let me live that one down, will you?"
"No," she replied curtly.
He looked back over at her and smirked. "Well, it was worth it then and it was worth it last night. You needed the rest, Henrietta. Are you feeling any better?"
"Mmhmm. A night of sleep can do wonders," she answered.
"It can," he agreed, nodding, though not truly believing her. It would take much more than one night of sleep for her to heal from what she had endured over the past few months.
"You need to sleep too, AJ. I won't allow you to sacrifice your own health…"
"Who says I didn't sleep last night?" he asked, interrupting her.
She stopped, mid-sip, her eyes widening. Just what was the Admiral's end game?
"I slept like a baby, thank you very much. You have very good taste in mattresses," he said, standing to pour himself a cup of tea.
Lowering her tea cup back to her lap, Hetty watched him closely. After getting his own tea, he opened each pill bottle and counted out those pills which she assumed she needed to take. As he continued his task, Hetty could only feel increased appreciation and love for the man who so obviously cared about her well-being.
AJ handed her a few pills and taking her tea cup, he replaced it with a glass of water.
"No options, Henrietta. Doc doesn't want those wounds on your back to get infected."
And just like that, her thoughts turned back to Vietnam…to the rain, the blood, the injections, the torture.
When AJ sat back beside her, the pills were still clasped in her palm, her eyes focused on a subject far off in the distance. Silently, he reached over and placed his hand over hers, gently opening her fingers to reveal the pills.
"One at a time, Henrietta. One pill…and one day…at a time."