“No, and that’s because we all have something we can work on.” And, with that, she turned and walked back to her office.
Ryatt watched Lanago. That had been a very astute comment she’d just made. Everybody had something to work on. It didn’t matter how well they were doing on any side of that patient-staff divide. People could always improve on something. He wondered how he hadn’t seen that before. How he’d always figured it was athem or usthing. And, of course, that was because he’d been playing the blame game. While he sat here, pondering, a hand landed on his shoulder, startling him. He turned and saw his sister. “Hey.” He smiled at Quinton. “How are you doing?”
“I’m not doing too badly,” she said, flushing with pleasure. She bent down, kissed him on the cheek. “How are you doing?”
“I don’t think everybody is rushing to avoid me anymore,” he admitted. “Yet I could be wrong. Just because I think I’m doing better doesn’t mean I’m doing well enough.”
At that comment, she stared at him and then said, “Hang on. I’ll grab a coffee, if you’ve got a minute.”
He looked at his watch. “I’ve got a few minutes but not too much more. Shane will come chase me down if I’m too late and make my life horrible.”
She burst into loud cheerful laughter that made him grin. There was something special about his sister; she had that same bright optimism that Lana had. What Quinton had lost though, was the ability to relax. She’d always been so driven after her recuperation that she’d pretty well worn herself back down again.
He watched her, as she returned. “So what about you?” he murmured then added only half joking, “Are you doing okay? Have you calmed down enough that it’s safe to be around you?”
She raised her eyebrows at him. “Wow, hard-hitting truths today, huh?”
“Yeah, I already got hit with a couple myself,” he admitted, with half a smile.
“This is the place for it,” she murmured. “Just when you think you have your life together, somebody comes along with wise words, and you realize that you’re a long way from being together.”
He laughed. “Isn’t that the truth? How’s Stan?” he asked in a teasing voice. And he loved watching the color roll over her face.
“He’s good, and, yes, we’re good too.”
“Glad to hear it. It’s pretty early to be having trouble.”
“I don’t know. It seems like trouble finds us, no matter what. It’s how you handle it that counts.”
“Isn’t that an unfortunate fact?” he confirmed. “Still, as long as you guys are holding.”
“Not only holding, we’re growing.” She smiled gently. “And I think that’s just as important as anything else.”
“Oh, I agree, and I’m working on it too. I really am.” He took a deep breath. “I’m sorry I was such a jerk to you.”
“You weren’t a jerk to me,” she countered.
He shrugged. “Well, from my perspective, it seems like I was.”
She burst out laughing. “I’m not sure who is hanging out with you these days, but I think I like them.”
He grinned at her. “I think you probably would too.”
At that, she stopped, stared. “I saw a woman here with you, when I first stepped in, as she was just leaving.”
He nodded. “Yeah, she’s on staff here.”
“And that happens more often than you think,” she murmured.
“And why is that?” he asked, with a head tilt in her direction. “I mean, are we all so broken that we look like we need keepers? Do the keepers all need someone to look after?”
“Nope, I think that being broken is one thing, but being the kind of people who step up and do the job that’s necessary? That’s a whole different story. A lot of people in life are never tested. They’re never given anything difficult to deal with, and, when they are tested, they fall apart. They don’t have the coping skills to handle stress and stressors,” she explained, “and you know we end up with some pretty horrible scenarios.”
“I know. The suicides in the military are a terrible example, aren’t they?”
She nodded quietly. “As is the domestic violence, when they come home.”
He winced at that. “What a shock. How can you spend your whole life, waiting to be with somebody again, for an opportunity to get home to your loved ones, and then, all of a sudden,boom!You take them all out with you? I just can’t imagine…”