Envisioning Hope (6 page)

Mr.
Cooper had always been a man of little words, he didn't need them. Usually, he
got right to the point and did so without a filter. He didn't give a shit if he
made you happy or pissed you off, he said what he had to say and you took it
however you wanted to take it.

So,
him sitting there, staring at me and not saying anything else, kind of shocked
me. I grabbed the file back and looked again, wondering what this had to do
with me and my services.

Then,
it hit me.

No…he
couldn't really think…

"I'm
putting this case on your rotation."

Yep,
he did think what I thought he was thinking. Had he lost his mind? I didn't
have an iota worth of knowledge on how to work with the blind. I worked with
mental health issues, not physical issues.

I
stood up quickly and tossed the file back down on his desk. I knew this was my
boss but I was quietly wishing that someone would pop out, yelling that I was
being pranked.

"Mr.
Cooper, sir, with all due respect, there's no way in hell I can help this
woman. I mean, come on…I don't have any experience in this field and you know
that," I finished and noticed that I was pacing around the room. I really
needed this job but this was someone's disability and life that we were talking
about. Not only was this subject touchy, it was vital that this woman receive
the services she needed to get back on her feet with confidence and qualified
instruction.

And,
in this case, that instructor was not me.

"Sorry
to hear her tragic story, but I can't do it."

He
didn't respond verbally, he didn't have to. What was said was what he had to
say and that was it. Cooper sat up, pulling his glasses off his face. I knew
this couldn't be good. He placed his elbows on top of his desk as he threw his
glasses down beside him.

"What
the hell is that supposed to mean, Sheldon." It wasn't a question, but a
statement. I needed to think on my response very carefully.

I
have been an occupational therapist for years but have only been with this
office going on two years. I was still on the fence with Cooper, so I didn't know
if I should buck the system or not.

I
decided to go another way with this situation.

"Sir,
if I could show you my schedule, you would see that I can't fit another client
in even if I wanted to."

The
smile that crossed his face I had only seen one other time since I had been
here when he ended up kicking Monroe out on his ass. I was waiting for him to
do the same to me. Cooper's eyes left me and went straight to his computer. His
fingers flew over the keys a couple of times before his eyes came back in my
direction.

"Done!"
he exclaimed.

What
did he mean "done"? Was I supposed to take that as a threat? Should I
ask or just get up and walk out?

"Sir,
what-"

"Your
caseload has become twenty-three cases lighter," he interrupted.

Lighter?
Wait…that was practically all my cases! Some of those cases I had been working
on for years now. Was he serious? I stood up, ready to plead my case. He couldn't
do this to me just because one ridiculous woman was acting like a two year old
and throwing a year and a half temper tantrum. He needed to stick someone else
on this case!

"Sir–"

"Nope,
no sir required."

"That
wasn't a grateful sir, sir. Can I have a moment to say something?"

That
smile came back to his face and I knew then I was screwed. My moment was over.
Therefore, I nodded a small nod as I grabbed the case file off of his desk and
headed for the door.

Just
as I was about to walk out, Cooper called my name. Hesitantly, I turned around
to look at him. The smile left his face and his eyes met mine, showing me he
was serious about what he was about to say.

"I
picked you because I think you are this woman's last chance. She's given up,
Ollie. She's lost every ounce of hope. And, I've reviewed your cases…you have a
gift."

Well,
at least someone believes I can do this.

At
this point, I was beat. There was no other way out of this. I didn't know what
the hell I was doing when it came to the rehab, so I figured I was going to
have to spend the rest of my afternoon on research. I turned around to give him
my full attention. I noticed his expression, his face was grim, expressionless,
just like the woman in the picture.

He
felt sympathy for this woman.  This was not the man that I usually spoke to.
Most of the time, I would only get an invitation into this office because I'd
broken some rule or regulation. I felt a chill run down my back, he meant every
word he had said.

I
rolled my eyes, blew out a breath, and finished off with only one phrase.

"I
guess I'm going meet my new client."

*
* *

Signing
in at the county hospital wasn't unusual. I didn't do it frequently, but I had
dealt with some of the patients here before. As I was signing in on the
clipboard, the two nurses behind the welcome station were watching as I wrote
down my name and who I would be seeing. Just as I finished, their whispers
suddenly became giggles and one even pointed straight at me as the other
laughed in her ear. I looked behind me, thinking maybe someone was making odd
gestures. There was no one. For whatever reason, they were laughing at me.

Once
they gained their composure, one nurse handed me a visitor's badge and I headed
toward the hallway she directed me to. Her words were precise and direct, I was
to look for the nurse's station there and they would take me to Mrs. Saxon's
room. I walked, keeping my eyes down at my file as to not intrude on any
surrounding patients.

I
came to the station and approached with my usual smiling face. I always thought
that my smile could tame a lion. Needless to say, we were just about to find
out if that theory was true.

The
nurse that I stood in front of was an older woman. Her silver hair was pulled
up in a tight bun, not one strand out of place. Her green scrubs looked pressed
and starched. I quickly thought to myself that she should be home baking
cookies instead of working here. I fixed my tie and went to speak.

"I
know who you're here for and I think I better warn you, son… you need to be
prepared for anything," the nice old lady said in a husky voice before I
could say a word. Not only was I thrown off by the deep tone, but also what
would I need to prepare myself for. Mrs. Saxton was in a room no bigger than my
office, it wasn't like she had an arsenal of guns in there.

"Thank
you, but I think I will be fine. Can you show me where her room is?" The
loving smile was once again back in place and made me feel more comfortable as
she stepped out from behind the desk. I followed her down the hallway. I could
hear sporadic yelling and hollering coming from rooms we passed through closed
doors. We turned down another long corridor and I could hear what sounded like
music mixed with static. It was jumbled and hard to understand, as though it
was playing through an alarm clock radio. As we got closer to the end of the
hallway, the music grew louder.

"She's
at the end of the hallway, you can't miss it… you will walk straight into the
door. I'm going to wait outside, I have a feeling you won't be in there very
long," the nurse stated as she chuckled.

The
feeling that Mrs. Saxton was going to be difficult rushed through my mind one
last time as I nodded to the older nurse. As we approached, the nurse retrieved
a giant key ring from her pocket and found the exact key that would fit the
door. The noise that emanated from the room was so loud now, I could barely
hear myself think. As the door opened, I couldn't believe what I was walking
into.

The
room was a mess. I almost was taken aback by the overpowering smell of filth
and bad  hygiene. I attempted to hold my breath, but it didn't do a lot to help
the situation. Papers, dirty dishes, and trash lined the floor. I couldn't see
one square of tile under all the rubbish that lay on the ground. The room was
bathed in light. Everywhere you looked sat a lamp, there must've been twenty of
them. There was so much light, the room actually felt was warm. And, it was
loud. The radio in the corner were blaring heavy metal while the television
volume was at full blast. I looked over to the other corner where another radio
sat on the floor turned on and playing a completely different song. This one
was clear, just very loud. As I turned, there sat another small radio…the room
was covered in them. I almost wanted to cover my ears, the room was complete
chaos.

I
heard the sound of the door locking as I looked around, attempting to find Mrs.
Saxton. She was nowhere to be found. This was impossible. The woman was
blind…and locked in here. I pushed the garbage aside with my feet as I treaded
throughout the small room to see if I could find her anywhere.

"Mrs.
Saxton?" I yelled over the noise. "My name is Oliver…Oliver Sheldon.
I'm here just to talk with you for a moment."  I wasn't surprised when no
one responded. I trudged through more trash as I turned to look behind a chair.
Empty. I made my way around thinking maybe she was hiding under the bed. "Mrs.
Saxton, you don't have to be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you," I said as
I bent down to look under the bed. "Are you under here?" I whispered
as I bent down, taking a peek. There was nothing. "Mrs. Saxton…" I
started just as I felt something hit me in the back of my head. Suddenly, the
lights dimmed to black.

Chapter 6

I
had to laugh, they sent someone else in. Another doctor… another stranger to
pour my heart out to, like that was going to break me. If I wouldn't see or
talk to my own family, why the hell would they think I'd talk to a complete
stranger? At least this was a new one; I think I scared off all the others.  I
went back over to the corner of the room and slid down the wall that had become
my secure area. Here is where I would spend my days and nights, just staring
into the empty blackness. I knew there was light in here, I could feel the heat
in the room from the lamps, but it didn't help. Even today, I was sure if I
could fit a couple more in here I would be able to see a shadow, but the dicks
that ran this place told me I had reached my limit.

I
thought back to the doctor that had come in earlier, I think his name was
Sheldon; he never knew what hit him. I pictured him gently tip-toeing around
the room, putting all his strength and trust in the one sense that was nothing
more than nature's idea of a practical joke- his eyes. He thought he'd find me
by looking for me, but I knew this room like the back of my hand. It was hard
not to, I paced it over and over again for the past year and a half. I knew
where everything was placed since I had strategically placed it there on
purpose.

I
could feel the vibration of footsteps on the cement as they approached my door.
I'm sure they were coming to tell me what kind of damage I had done to that
poor doctor, but I wouldn't give them a chance. As soon as I heard what
direction their voices were coming from, they'd get hit upside the head as
well. The sounds of the television and radio couldn't drown out the sound of
the key as it turned in the door. The pressure difference that was caused from
the door opening made a suction sound as they pulled it open. I knew someone
was in here and by the masculine smell of cedar, I could tell it was a man. I
could feel the calm breeze blow by me as he passed, they never looked behind
them that was why I sat back here.

"Hope?"
I recognized that voice, it was Doc Underwood's voice. He was one of the main
medical doctor's here in this hospital and the one who would check my eyes
after my surgeries to see if they were healing. I liked him... okay, I didn't
have an issue with him. His voice brought me back to the matter at hand.

"I
don't know where you are in here, but I know for a fact you can hear my voice.
You hurt Mr. Sheldon. He had to have stitches in the back of his head from the
mug you threw at him. So, from now on, you will be getting your drinks in
plastic cups. As for the violence, Hope, it's not going to be tolerated. For
your actions, you will lose one of your lamps. I've never had an issue with
you, but this behavior…it isn't you. You are an outgoing, nonviolent, loving
person–"

I
didn't let him finish. How dare he tell me who I was! He didn't know me back
before…

I
blocked that road in my mind. That was a dead end that I would never even think
about traveling down.

Ever.

"You
don't know who I was," I said loud enough for him to hear me over the
sound in the room. I could hear the sweep of his feet as my location caught him
off guard.

"Hope…"

"No,
Doc. Don't you dare go there with me!" I yelled louder this time as I
pushed myself up to a standing position. He might have the advantage of seeing
my actions and my body language but he was not going to look down on me as
though I was beneath him. I had learned to read people just by the tone in their
voice.