Chapter 5

The doctors insisted that Mom stay in the hospital for a few days to regain her strength. This also allowed the authorities access to grill her and gather any clues about her ordeal that might allow them to catch Darren Jones. The doctors also stressed that Mom’s ordeal mentally was far from over -- advocating extensive counseling and therapy to help her recover from whatever traumas she had endured. Dad with his usual abrupt attitude brushed aside most of the doctors’ concerns, stating over and over, “Cassie will be fine once we get her home where she belongs.”

Finally, we did get to take her home. The drive was quiet and strange -- Mom’s attention divided between the scenery -- the everyday things that we see and take for granted captivating her -- and the odd, long looks she would give me and Dad ... looks that made me uncomfortable. Mom was also squirming, looking uncomfortable in one of her old sweatsuits that was on of the few things we thought would fit her, tugging and fussing with her bra straps. She made a few mutterings under her breath -- comments that led me to understand that while she was Jones’s prisoner, she’d not worn a bra or very little else.

It wasn’t till we got home that I saw a shadow of the old Mom. She stopped in the doorway and gave our home a long looking over, peering into the kitchen. Dad and I had cleaned up to what we thought was appropriate, but Mom laughed and said, “You poor boys -- you’ve been bachelors far too long. Tomorrow, I’ll start getting this place shipshape!”