The Marriage Counselor

20. I'm So Sorry.

Samantha

"And what's today's date?" The doctor asks her.

"July 4th."

"How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Three."

"Good. Now follow my fingers for a moment." He says as he moves them from side to side, shining a flashlight between her eyes.

She blinks hard after he returns the flashlight back into his coat pocket. It causes spots to appear across her vision but other than that, she's fine.

She didn't think a trip to the hospital was necessary but Henry was stubbornly insistent about getting her checked out. This came after they dropped Rebecca off at her house, where Agent Hansen was waiting to take their wires. They arranged a meeting with him tomorrow to discuss their next moves. Agent Hansen also agreed with Henry that the hospital was a good place to go, so in the end she lost.

"Well, good news is there doesn't look to be any signs of a concussion." The doctor reports, more so to Henry than her. "A slight cut in her lip but Neosporin should help with that. She's got a few bruises so I'd recommend some ice packs as well."

"So I can go?" Sam's voice is hopeful.

"I don't see why not. Though I would feel more comfortable if someone kept an eye on you for the next day or so. Just in case."

"Trust me, I won't be letting her out of my sight." Henry speaks up from where he sits on one of the office chairs. When he stands up, he grabs her purse and extends his hand out to the doctor. "I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to see us tonight."

The two men shake hands and then the doctor smiles at Sam. "If anything changes, please give us a call."

"Will do." She probably won't. She hops off from the table covered in sheet paper and smooths her dress down.

"And you're certain you don't want me to get you in touch with a victims advocate? Or police to file a report, perhaps?"

She can't help but flinch at the word victim. She doesn't want to think of herself like that. She's been the Chambers victim for too long. Now she wants to move on to being a survivor. She wants this part of the story to be over already.

"I think I'll be okay." She hears herself answer. Key word: think.

"Well then," He gestures to the doorway and follows the couple out into the waiting room area. "I hope you two can find a way to enjoy the rest of your holiday."

"Thank you." Henry offers a smile to both the doctor and his receptionist. It's not his usual smile, Sam notices. Not as warm and it doesn't quite reach his eyes. She can't exactly blame him for struggling to put on a show after what happened. She's barely hanging on herself. The sooner they can flee to the safety of his home, the better.

The couple walk out of the hospital together hand in hand. At this point, neither of them are concerned with the public display of affection, of being caught by someone. Cody knows the truth now, and that's enough of a threat.

Henry opens the passenger door for her and then makes his way to the driver's side. Once he's inside, he doesn't start the ignition yet. He does, however, take the time to lock the doors. It makes her wonder if he's feeling paranoid about the things Cody said earlier.