Edge of the Heat 7 by Lisa Ladew

corps.
    "Who's that," Dani whispered from behind him.
    "Jerry."
    "Oh great!"
    Dani ran out on the front porch to greet Jerry, giving him a big hug. "Where's Sara?"
    Jerry gave her a weak smile and JT saw stress lines that hadn't been there a month ago around his eyes. "She's not feeling good."
    "Oh no," Dani said. "She didn't sound good a few days ago when I talked to her either."
    "Yeah," was all Jerry said. He climbed the stairs and shook JT's hand. "Hi, JT."
    JT motioned Jerry inside where he sat down on the couch. He didn't say anything for a few moments until Dani sat next to him, rubbing his shoulder and peering into his face curiously. "What's going on, Jerry? Is she sick?"
    "She's having nightmares."
    JT sat down in a chair across from Jerry and watched him closely. Nightmares?
    Jerry ran a hand over his bald head, which actually had quite a bit of stubble on it today, which was unusual.
    "It's not just that, you guys. I don't know what to do for her. I'm really getting worried about her."
    "Talk to us, Jerry," Dani said. "Maybe we can help you."
    Jerry huffed out a breath and looked at the ceiling. "She talks in her sleep. Awful stuff. About killing people. She screams sometimes too. I wake her up and an hour later she's having the same nightmare."
    Dani frowned and sat on the edge of the couch. "You should have her see someone! A shrink or something."
    "That's the thing," Jerry said. "She is. She's been seeing him for about six months now. She'd been having some minor issues— feeling paranoid, anxious sometimes. A colleague of hers recommended this guy. Said he'd helped another DCIA agent with the same kind of thing." Jerry's voice shook slightly. "At first she was happier, and things seemed to be better for her, but a few weeks ago, everything just fell apart. The nightmares started. The paranoia got worse. I just don't know what to do for her," Jerry said and dropped his head into his hands.
    Dani rubbed his back and looked at JT pleadingly.
    "Jerry," JT said. "Maybe you should try a different therapist. Maybe this guy isn't any good."
    "Maybe," Jerry said, his head still in his hands, his voice muffled.
    "What does Sara say?" JT asked.
    Jerry looked up at him and his eyes were shining. "A couple of weeks ago when it first started, she told me that they were getting to some difficult things for her to process, and things were going to get worse before they got better. But JT, now she won't even talk to me. She pretends she's asleep when I get home. She leaves the room if I enter it. I don't know what's going on with her and I'm scared."
    JT's heart broke for his friend. He knew how much Jerry loved Sara. He also knew how hard things could be for Sara. He'd been out there in the desert with her. And she'd been through things that were many times worse than that.
    JT glanced at Dani, then back to his friend. "What if we come over some time this week? We'll help you talk to her."
    Jerry sat, thoughtful for a moment. "Maybe that would work. She has an appointment with her therapist in two days and I was planning on going with her. He won't let me in session with her but maybe I can talk to him afterwards, see what he thinks. You guys could come over for dinner."
    Dani nodded eagerly. "We'll be there." Jerry tried to smile but it slipped off his face before it even showed up. "Great," he said dully.
    Dani looked at JT again, her eyes big and scared. "Jerry, can I get you some tea?"
    Jerry looked around the house for the first time. "Where is everybody?"
    "They're all sleeping. We're watching the house."
    Jerry shook his head and pushed off the couch. "I should get back to Sara. I worry when I'm gone for too long."
    Dani stood up and met JT's glance behind Jerry's back again. This was worse than JT ever could have imagined. He and Dani followed Jerry to the door and said their goodbyes. As Jerry walked down the steps, JT had an awful premonition that it was the last time he would ever see his friend