ON EDGE (Decorah Security) Read Online Free

arms. Why was he obsessed with her? Because she was a fantasy and easier to deal with than a real woman?
    He fell asleep contemplating that question. And he awakened to the sound of the meds cart at seven in the morning.
    “Damn,” he muttered as he pushed himself up in bed. He’d slept through the night.
    Deep disappointment threatened to keep him in bed. Then he remembered that he had an appointment with Dr. Leonard, the shrink who’d been seeing him since he arrived at the Naval Medical Center. Since he didn’t want to report that he was too depressed to talk to the guy, he heaved himself up and got ready for the day.
    He made it through breakfast, PT, lunch. And then he was on his way down to the psychiatric unit wondering what he was going to say. If he stuck with reality, he’d have to tell the doc that he’d had a psychotic experience. But he didn’t think that was true. He thought his interactions with Ariel and Lilith were real, but he couldn’t explain them in rational terms. Of course, that was the definition of being crazy, wasn’t it? You thought you were perfectly fine.
    He snorted. He wasn’t going to argue that point with a mental health professional.
    Leonard put down the folder he was looking through as Frank came into the room. “So how are you doing?”
    “Pretty well,” he answered, trying to keep his voice casual.
    “No problems?”
    “Just the usual. Physical stuff.”
    “What about the argument you had with Gordon in the cafeteria yesterday morning?”
    His eyes narrowed. “What? Did somebody report us for talking too loudly?”
    Leonard shrugged.
    “I don’t like being watched all the time.”
    “You’re in a hospital. It’s bound to happen.”
    Frank shifted in his seat. “I was asking him about the night before. I heard him scream around two in the morning, and I got up to see what was wrong.”
    “Yeah, a nurse saw you in his room.”
    Frank felt his pulse rate go up. If Gordon had ended up dead the next morning, would someone have accused Frank Decorah of smothering him in his bed?
    Not a comforting thought. He kept his gaze fixed on Leonard. “So how many of the guys who’ve come through this department had committed suicide in the past few months?”
    The doctor reared back. “Why would you ask that question?”
    “I’m trying to figure my survival chances.”
    “Your chances depend on you—not a bunch of statistics.”
    Frank looked down at his hands. Getting into a fight with the unit’s shrink wasn’t going to do him any good. And he was picturing how Leonard was going to write up this session.
    “Is something specific worrying you?” Leonard asked.
    “No,” he denied, hoping the lie didn’t show on his face.
    “You don’t have to wait for your regular sessions. If you need to talk to me, you can always do it.”
    “I appreciate that,” he lied again.
    “Have you talked to your brother lately?” Leonard asked.
    “No. Like I told you before, he always looked up to me, and he’s having trouble coping with my injury.”
    “You may have to accept that your relationship won’t be the same.”
    “I have,” he snapped.
    Cooper was something else to worry about. Or to put it another way, something else he didn’t want to have to deal with. His brother had come to see him—once, before Frank had gotten the prosthesis. When he’d stared at the place where Frank’s leg ended in disaster, his face had gone white. And the meeting hadn’t gone any better from there.
    At least Cooper had showed up. Sherry, his former wife hadn’t bothered, but Frank hadn’t been surprised. The marriage had been over long before he’d gone on his last assignment. She hadn’t been able to cope with a husband who was away for long periods—on dangerous assignments. And he’d understood, even when he hadn’t liked it.
    Frank saw the psychiatrist look at his watch. “Our time is up.”
    Thank God .
    He had never thought the sessions with Leonard did him much good,