2020-05-21 - Fates Collide - Gurshan, Patrick and Kira

Dr. Gurshan Singh made his way down the hall of the clinic on his way to an unscheduled visit with Kira at the APD. As he stepped out the door, his phone rang and he answered it, distractedly, not looking at the sidewalk and then turning like he might walk back into the clinic but waiting for information. “Hello Dr. Singh here…..oh yes I can fit you in...but it would help me if you could schedule with the clinic receptionist if that's your preference…...I see…..not usually….” He listened with concentration to what seemed to be a complicated request.

Patrick left Earthcakes with a small bag in his hand.  His plan now was to give Sajani a visit.  Maybe take her to dinner.  Since their first date there had been a couple more.  Each time he’d stopped by and asked her to go out with him right there and then.  It seemed to work best that way and he wondered why no one else had ever suggested it before.  Because no other girl was her.  Sajani.  Sudara.  He smiled and looked down at his feet as he walked, smiling almost shyly to himself.

Gurshan sighed as the call ended and a text simultaneously came in. He turned and stepped while looking down at his phone trying to text and walk at the same time. It was a multitasking fail in the making and he felt like he had a decent peripheral perspective until suddenly he collided with something solid. Something human. He dropped his phone in surprise and gasped “Oh no...I’m so sorry!” before he even had a chance to look up.

Patrick Peeked into the bag from Earthcakes at the same moment he ran into something solid.  “Oof…”  he dropped the bag, which didn't spill but landed open to the eyes of whoever might accidentally peek in.  Two cupcakes were within,  The cake flavor might be a mystery but the icing was decidedly pink with an icing flower on the top.  “I’m sorry.”  he saw a phone .. not his …  and reached for it, to give it back to whoever dropped it.  “Oh ….  Dr SIngh…”  he blinks.

Gurshan took his phone back and flustered he eyed the Peterson twin before him looking for the markers his daughter had lectured him about for not knowing the difference. Now he just said them out loud as he stood taller “Mole under the eye, straight nose…” He looked at the top of the hair and smiled “Thank you ...Patrick.” He saw the cupcakes “Your pastries..” He noticed the pink and gave a little nod before stopping and passing Patrick the cupcakes “How are you doing?”

Patrick took the bag back and noted the extra second needed to tell him apart from Chris and appreciated it.  “I’m good, Sir.”  he replied.  “Went back to work yesterday.”  he shrugs and lifts the bag.  “Thought I might ask Sajani to dinner…”  he cleared his throat.  “How are you doing, sir?  Heading home?”

Gurshan smiled warmly “Please, Patrick, call me Gurshan.” He took in the information about him going back to work. “How is it feeling being at work?” He had already had some referrals from the AFD since the fire. He noticed some pedestrians looking to pass them and stepped to one side and out of direct earshot of them, hoing Patrick follows if he’s so inclined. “She would like that I’m sure. And the cupcakes. I’m heading to the APD but my appointment is unscheduled.” Which meant he wasn’t rushing away.

Patrick nodded.  “Gurshan…”  he seemed to be tasting the name.  “Yes.  Sure.”  he paused.  “Work … work wasn’t my problem.”  he sighs deeply and moves out of the way with Gurshan.  He moves to a slightly more secluded spot.  “That .. fire .. was my problem.  But the Chief gave me a shift off.  I went back yesterday and it was OK.”  He blushes slightly at the reference to the cupcakes and then looks in the direction of the cop shop.  “I was there this morning…  After work, I went to see Kira…”

Gurshan nods a long and gives a little smile at the blushing. They were so adorable to him. Young love. And then he blinks a bit. That was an odd coincidence. “You visited Kira Delmonaco?” He paused for a moment “Tell me about that….”

Patrick considers the question and then motions to one of the park benches.  “It went …  okay I guess…”  he sits down.  “I …  Kira and I had a date in high school.”  he explains.  “I was late and she didn’t go out with me again.  She wasn't rude about it but, my chronic lateness … doesn’t go over real well with the girls.”  he pauses.  “Anyway, I bought the whole brain infection story.  Everyone did, I think.  And I didn’t know what to do when she started wandering the streets like some … vagrant.”  he blows out a breath.  “I wanted to help, but she wasn’t around a lot and then she’d reject handouts.  Pride I guess.   But … after I saw the shit in the Rose house.  That writing….”  he shrugs and sets the bag on the bench.  He claps his hands and looks down at them.  Lowering his voice a bit.  “And … Jack Rose ….  He raped Avery … my little sister.  Broke her almost as bad as Kira .. bit my sister had family.”

Gurshan sits down on an angle facing Patrick, his body posture intentionally open and inviting dialogue. It was an occupational hard wired habit, active listening in all forms. He nods encouragingly at each part, his trouble with lateness and relationship confidence. The odd little ironic fact that he had pursued Kira romantically at one point, Kira’s falsified illness by her parents which he knew about, her struggle with the ongoing fallout from her trauma and of course the horror of the Rose house. What Gurshan wasn’t prepared for was the information about Avery Peterson. Now his counsellor mode dropped off and he just reacted with a look of absolute human to human compassion “I am so truly sorry about Avery. I had no idea Patrick. It affects you all….” then it dawned on him how many layers there were for Patrick with the Rose fire. “Patrick she should speak to someone, if she isn’t already. And to be honest so should you. That’s a lot to carry. I know you’re speaking to me right now...and that’s very good. Thank you for sharing this. I’m not sure if you feel it would be too much a conflict of interest to do more of this with me. I want to help you.”

Patrick considered Gurshan.  “Avery isn’t talking to anyone, really.  Our mother, but not … me or Chris or our father.  Is it conflict of interest for her to see you?”  He asks, sounding hopeful. “ I mean .. if I screw things up with Sajani…”  he makes it sound almost like an inevitability.  “I think that’s why I never spoke to you.  Sajani…”  his voice changes a bit when he speaks her name.  He’s got it bad.

Gurshan’s brow furrows about Avery and he nods “I don’t think it's a conflict of interest for Avery to see me, but from what you’re saying about her comfort with male relatives, I would refer her to Dr. Henry. A woman would be a better choice for her to speak to and feel safer.” He looks sympathetic about Patrick’s self doubt in a new relationship, even if it is with his daughter “Be positive Patrick. Sajnai cares for you a great deal.” He can hear how mutual it is and it makes him smile. “I have an unconventional idea that might circumvent the conflict of interest. But it depends on your comfort, and really, maybe Sajani’s as well. I want to help you with processing yoru trauma about the fire. Because you have trauma. But if speaking to me professionally seems uncomfortable, then what if we speak more casually. I don’t offer this to everyone. Think about it. We could meet over coffee as opposed to in the office.”

Patrick nods.  “I’ll talk to my mom and Avery about Dr Henry and .. hope for the best.”  he nearly melts with the confirmation that Sajani felt something for him as well.  Then he nods.  “That might be a good idea.”  he admits with a sigh.  “I’ve …  had a couple of dreams ….”  he clears his throat.  “Yea … I’d like that.  And I know you’d never be unprofessional.”  he’s still scared of screwing up in his relationship, but he also knew that was more likely if he didnt process things from the fire … and Jack Rose before it.

Gurshan looks kindly at Patrick “I’ll give you her card. And I’d like to hear about those dreams. But we can do that later if Sajani is expecting you.” He is giving Patrick room to either share today or when he’s ready.

Patrick nods.  “Please do.”  And then he pauses and licks his lips.  “It’s … the house is on fire and I can hear Avery screaming.  I go in and … His father is in the kitchen … like cooking or something.  He tells me Avery is upstairs.  I run up to the first bedroom … and … his mom is there telling me I can’t save them.”  he closes his eyes and tightens his jaw.  “Then I go in his room and there on the wall is the word rapist .. and .. Avery on the floor crying and … she’s a mess and she’s holding …”  he swallows hard.  “They’re both … just .. all messed up and Jack is laughing.  Telling me to get Chris to fight him.”  he blows out a breath and clears his throat, looking parts angry, sad and helpless.

Gurshan wasn’t sure Patrick was going to share his dreams about the fire but then actively listened again when he did. The young man really needed to talk and he was glad they had bumped into one another. He noted the combination of events and looked thoughtfully at Patrick “You’re dreaming about your sister Avery in the Rose house during the fire. Do you feel like she was with you in that fire Patrick? In the moments and the things you saw?”

Patrick considers.  “No … Just that she …  I don’t know.  I know I hesitated when I got to the fire.  I knew Rose was in there.  Under house arrest.  Smith had to prod me to get me moving.  And when I did …”  he shakes his head.  “That guy touched my sister.  He left the island and came back.  And who knows who his next victim would have been.”  he rolls his head on his shoulder to relieve tension.

Gurshan nods knowingly. It was all valid and the idea of next victims was haunting.He looks like he’s trying to work something out “So in your dream as well as in the event, you didn’t want to save Jack. Which is understandable. But you see his mother alive telling you that you cannot save THEM? Do you mean Avery? Jack’s parents? You also mention Chris? Who can’t you save in the dream Patrick?”

Patrick bites his lip.  He looks at Gurshan.  “Avery wasn’t the only girl in Jack's room …”  he swallows hard.  “Sajani was there, also.  ‘Them’ was Avery and Sajani.”  He tightens his jaw. “I can’t save the women I …”  he pauses.  “Care about.”

Gurshan’s reaction strays from his professional demeanor with a brief hard swallow and he strokes his beard as he takes a deep breath. He had had his own nightmares about Sajani getting hurt by Jack Rose ever since so many of her peers had been his victims. He exhales “Sorry...I’ve shared your fears from a different perspective. Now he shifts back into a counselor mentality “When we care about people it exposes our vulnerabilities. Those feelings are valid Patrick….the ones in the heart and the fears in the mind.” He frowns a bit “You said Avery was holding something and Jack was laughing. In your dream, what was your sister holding?”

Patrick nods, absently.  And then he asks more.  “Avery was holding onto Sajani.  They were holding each other.  Like comforting each other.”  he tenses again.  “I’m guessing Jack was just laughing because he thought I wouldn't do anything.  We weren’t really friends in school.  But everyone knew which Peterson twin not to mess with.”

Gurshan isn’t sure what to make of his sister holding onto Sajani. He thinks for a moment and then has a hypothesis “Maybe Sajani helps you hold the space where you keep your feeling about Avery. It’s like a metaphor…..if you will.” He’s willing to be wrong but it makes sense to him. He addresses the comment about which twin not to mess with “How do you feel about the difference between yourself and your brother in holding that space for Avery?”

Patrick looks a little confused.  “Maybe but … that makes it sound like I’m afraid I'll stop loving Avery or that Sajani is like a surrogate sister.”  he shudders.  That is not the feeling he has for Sajani.  Then he sighs.  “The joke has always been that Chris came out first to start havoc.  I came out to keep him out of trouble.”  he shrugs.  “Chris has a shorter fuse than I do.  He’d get into fights and I’d break them up.”

Gurshan mulls this over “I feel I may have communicated my idea poorly.” He sits back giving his beard a rub and tries another approach “My brother was killed in an automobile accident the year I met Mohinder. She walked with me through that grief, helped me carry it. She helped me hold the space that was left so empty by Hardeep being gone…” He closes his eyes but keeps talking. “My feelings for my brother and at the time my girlfriend were of course completely different. The heart can know many loves. But one can help with another.” He opens his eyes and they’re a bit wet. “Does that make sense? And although Avery is alive, you grieve the part of her that came before her trauma.” He smiles hearing that Patrick is the peacemaker and the calm for his brother “It sounds like Chris needs you to anchor him.”

Patrick considers that.  He also closes his eyes, but not at the Drs pain, even though he feels that too.  Imagining losing Chris…  “That makes more sense.  I mean … I guess we’re at the boyfriend and girlfriend stage.”  he murmurs.  No words of that sort had been used between them.  They hadn’t labeled their relationship and part .. a large part of Patrick wished he had the guts to.  Then Jack Rose crosses his mind.  “He killed part of my sister.”  he growls, as close to an outburst as he gets.  “I feel like I should be at least upset that Jack died, but I’m not.”  he grins when Chris is brought up again.  “I don’t know if it's a twin thing.  He would step in and fight for me and I would stop him from biting off more than he could chew.”  he nods slowly.  Suddenly his head snaps up.  “I told Kira about Avery.”  He sounds apologetic.  “I mean I went in and apologized about being late for our date that time and then about being completely blind to what happened to her.  I should have known, especially seeing how Avery withdrew.  That’s really been bugging me and I wanted her to know I was sorry.”  he winces.  “I hope I didn’t damage her more.  Kira, I mean.”

Gurshan gives a little smile. The connection between Patrick and Sajani warmed his heart still and he was beginning to really like Patrick even in just this one conversation. He becomes serious again when Patrick talks about Jack killing part of Avery “All those feelings are valid Patrick.” He just affirms because sometimes it’s better in his mind to just let someone sit with and process the big feelings. He gives a little amused look about Chris and then pauses about him telling Kira. “Hmmm…” He ponders “Well...now she knows. “How did Kira react to that? She’s my unofficial appointment I’m off to so I can maybe assist if there’s a need…”

Patrick considers.  “Well, I didn’t tell her on purpose.  It just fell out of my mouth.”  he sighs.  “She gave a sort of sad face, but she didn’t cry or rip up her cell or anything.  If that helps?”  he wasn’t sure how Kira was supposed to react.  He sighs again.  “I’d better get this to Sajani.”  He picks up the bakery bag.  “Thanks for the chat. Dr ….  Gurshan.  And …  I’d like to meet for that coffee soon.”  and, if there’s nothing more to say, Patrick will start walking in the direction of the row houses.

Gurshan waves at Patrick as he goes “Yes Patrick. Soon. Have a nice night. Thank you for trusting me.” He turns and heads to the APD.

Once he’s in the station he’s directed through to the cell area and finds himself pulling up that plastic chair before Kira’s cell, the little writing notepad and a pen set down in front of the rungs in offering “Hello Kira.” He begins.

Kira is sitting on her bunk, staring up at the ceiling.  She hears the door open and sees Dr Singh come in.  She moves to the bars of her cell and sits legs crossed in front of him.  She gives a small wave, coupled with a “hi.”

Dr Singh can’t help but smile at the very connected communication in two forms “How are you doing today?” He glances at the notepad and pen and wonders how much she’ll scribe and how much she’ll speak.

Kira takes the pen and paper, then makes an OK sign at Gurshan.  Then the takes the pad and paper and writes.  ‘ViSits scheduled.  Patrick Peterson time 9am .. he late.  asks me forgive I do.  He almost date me but late.  Late always.’  she pauses in her writing and taps the paper with her pan, almost writing but changing her mind.  She slides both through the bars.

Gurshan takes the paper and reads her words aloud, gives an uncharacteristic little chuckle because he’s just seen Patrick, not that she knows “Some people just have a different relationship with time. How do you feel about the visit with Patrick?”

Kira reaches for the pad and paper, but slower than she has been the last couple of days.  But she does write.  ‘He say sorry .. 4 thinking i was sick.  I smile @ him.”  she pauses and bites her lip before writing again.  ‘His sister raped by jack 2.  I didnt know.  How many dr?  How many he hurt cuz i couldnt kill him?”  she puts the pad and pen back through the bars, shoving it almost angrily.

Gurshan takes the notepad warily, seeing her agitation and then reads to himself first. After a slow nod he reads her words back to her and then answers “We don’t know Kira, but as a community...the ones we know about...we are trying to help them. Just like we’re tying to help you. You have a lot of people in your corner Kira, more than maybe you even know. Let’s focus on the good.” It dawns on him he’s taking a page out of Mary’s approach and he inwardly chuckles at the thought of her flapping her arms and cheering him on. “Can you think of some helper in your life now Kira?”

He slides the notepad and pen back to where she can reach.

Kira is shocked into speech.  “Good?”  and her voice does sound incredulous.  But she blows out a breath and thinks.  Then she reaches for the pad and pen.  ‘Ani.’  and she sets the pad down and taps at it with the pan before picking it up again.  ‘Not all tret me like dog.  Mcloud @ grocery don't throw me out.  I dont steal pay cash tho. buni give coffee if i there and it low.  Sometime restaurants give me food after close.  Say better than throw away.  They kept me live.’  she frowns slightly.  Do workers count?  Dr nurse cops emt?’  she isn’t sure they count if they're doing it for money.

Gurshan nods as she days good, despite the tone. He listens and takes the notepad back and reads to himself first and then doesn't read word for word but instead asks clarifying questions to help breakdown her shorthand “Ani...as in Sajani?” He smiles “I call her Saji.” He nods “She is definitely a support person to you Kira. She’s actually got a pile of books for you I meant to bring...but maybe I’ll get her to bring them. He goes on “Not testing you like a dog...respectful people… yes MCleod...yes Paul. Paul is very kind. Buni...yes always good. So welcoming. I’m glad you have access to safe food. EMTs….yes we have wonderful EMTs. Logan and Gareth?” He asks the names casually and sets the notepad closer again.

Kira makes her smile gesture at the mention that Sajani might come visit her and nods her agreement about the others.  Finally Dr SIngh mentions the EMT’s.  She shakes her head and reaches for the notepad.  ‘Dont no logan but from schol, jasmine always kind to me and dana after jasmine die but all the years as gareth aways save me.  I hated him for it.  Not now.  He was the one i seen most.  I guess he tired of me.  Heron alchol beatin he must say just die girl i tired saving u.  But i remember when i member he fight for me.  Never get why.  I just the town junkie ho to him and rest of town.’  she sniffs and returns the pad and pen.

Gurshan smiles back at Kira about Sajani. He observes her as she writes once again and then leans down and retrieves it and reads and then summarizes, mirroring it back to her. “Logan from school. Jasmine...so sad about Jasmine yes. Dana….goodness you have a good memory for names Kira. And Gareth. It sounds like you had many encounters with Gareth, and he saved you. I’m sure anyone choosing to be an EMT would not let someone die on their watch but since he saved you more than once you’d be important to him, your well being.” He sighs thinking about Gareth and struggles with what, if anything he should reveal. Then he straightens up a bit and looks neutral “Gareth has had his own challenges recently. But how would you feel about having him as a visitor someday when he’s ready too?” He slides the notepad back.

Kira thinks while listening to Gurshan.  He was right, she realizes.  There was good in her life, in places.  She was actually lucky that she was here in Alexandra.  It could be worse, which is an interesting concept for her.  Then Gurshan focuses on Gareth and considers.  Was it a relationship?  She remembers his calm and soothing voice … when she was conscious enough to.  He calmed her as he worked when one of the men on the island had beaten her and the neighbors had called the police.  Gareth may not be a friend, but he was someone she knew.  And his voice soothed.  She takes the pad and pen back.  ‘If he can.’ she writes.  ‘Not goin noplace.’  she slides it back and looks around her cell.  It was home now, since she couldn’t afford bail and, her home was such a mess it was near being condemned.  She slumps a bit, the weight of her life coming down.  If her house got condemned then she truly would be homeless, yet she couldn't get out and clean it … where would she even start?

Gurshan takes the paper and reads as he picks it up, nodding but then notices her slump and flips the page to a clean one “Kira, you look like you have more to tell me…about your “not goin no place?” He squats back down, offering the notepad but doesn’t step back immediately in case she says or gestures no.

Kira sighs and takes back the pad and paper.  ‘They tell me house too dirty.  Cleaning i dont know where to start but that dont matter my bail low but high i cant afford coffee.  So much happening too much happening. And if i get convicted dont matter thats 5 years.’  she’s never said this much at once she doesnt think, but it comes pouring out.

Gurshan notices she’s writing  a lot this time and looks curious. He takes the notepad back and scans it. Her lucidity is more grounded and she really seems to understand her challenges. In fact, they overwhelm her. He looks up and starts reading her words back to her this time but a little paraphrased like a list. Then he restates his impression of her feelings “You’re overwhelmed? It’s understandable. This is a lot.” He says as he holds up the notepad. He thinks for a moment because he doesn’t have solutions to offer. And maybe suggesting solutions isn’t the appropriate course. He decides to break it down and hopes to help her process. “Tell me about your home. How it came to be as it is.?”

Kira is still thinking of the thousand and one things she has to do, plus the obstacles that may keep her from doing any of it in the form of prison.  Gurahsn speaks and she sighs.  Sht takes the notepad and pen.  “After jack … after tell mom dad they called me sinner hore slut.  They dint make me go to school and not talk to me.  Then they left.  But i was depres.  Didnt clean.  Barely eat.  Month later place messy.  Too busy try eat or die to clean.  Water shut off  power 2.  Couldnt work pay bills.  What say?  Cant win for losin’  she slides the pad back and pulls her knees up, hugging them.

Gurshan looks kindly at her. This is the messy emotional work, he’s sure. Messy work about her messy home, but more. He hears her sigh. Yes, more. He takes the notepad back and tunes into her body language closing up. He didn’t want to push her beyond what might be productive and healing. He reads her words to himself and then in a  gentle voice he reads them aloud to her. Then he tries something new and sits down in front of her, not too close, but at her level, his long skinny legs crossed in a pretzel in front of him. He puts the notepad between them where she can reach. “Is there anything more you want to tell me about your parents? I’m hearing hurt, anger, abandonment…”

Kira rests her chin on her upraised knees.  She reaches for the pad and pen.  ‘What to tell?  They left me.  Never came back.  I dead to them they dead to me.’  she hands the pad back to him, looking more defiant than anything.

Gurshan sees the body language remain closed and takes the pad back, reading what she wrote. Perhaps the parent topic will not open today. She looks like she’s really resisting it. He tries something else “Let’s talk about…” He just names it “Poverty. Because poverty is a long time struggle for you. Kira, you know there are resources you can access in town and with help maybe, you could apply for either welfare or disability...due to mental health. How do you feel about the idea of starting some of those applications?” He knows she can’t just live here forever. There needs to be a plan for a sustainable future. One that doesn’t rely on the danger of prostitution. He slides the notepad back.

Kira sighs deeply when he mentions her poverty.  Shed never applied because of many reasons, not the least of which was fear or talking to people and incurring their judgement.  But things had, even in the last several days, gotten better for her.  Jack was dead.  He couldn’t hurt her anymore .. at least not physically.  Taking the pad and paper sighs again.  ‘I could but i dont know how.  I kno im broken enough but i dont know how. And dont i have to not be a convict?’  she slides the pan and pad back.  It’s all so much.

Gurshan acknowledges her stress about all this. It was hard enough for a person with more resources to take it all on so for her it must seem unreachable. Lots of sighing. But this he could actually help her towards resolving, even if not all of it is his area. He takes back the paper and reads each part back to her so he can answer them in turn. “You don’t know how. But there are people who do. There’s a social worker on the island, Ruth Reader. I’ll set up an appointment for you. She can probably answer more of this than I can.” He hovers conversationally over her words about being broken “Kira, it’s ok to feel broken and I understand why you feel that way. You are healing though...I’ve seen it. But yes, mental health concerns are something you can seek support on, both what we do here talking and financial help and social services. You are not alone in needing these. Broken things can often be fixed.” He assures. “I’m not sure about the criminal charges and how they impact these things. I will seek out that information for you though.” Gurshan firmly believes in telling patients when his answer is I don’t know, so he does. “Do you have any questions or anything to say about all of that?” He slides back the notepad.

Kira listens and closes her eyes.  She takes the pen and paper and, again sighing.  “Will you be there with this social worker or will i be alone?”  she doesnt know if she can do that.

Gurshan takes the notepad back and nods at the question “I can attend as well if you’d prefer that. I will be here to support you anytime it helps. We can coordinate the meeting time so that can happen.” Then he asks another question “If Gareth visits you, would you also like me to be here for that...because I can be.” He wonders if it would have helped her with Patrick too but that one’s already happened so there’s no option to go back in time. He sets down the notepad but is aware he’s asking her yes or no questions.

Kira starts nodding as soon as he says he can be there with her and the social worker.  It slows a bit when he mentions Gareth, but, thinking about it, she realizes she may not be able to communicate with Gareth without Dr SIngh available to ‘translate’.  But it seems it may be a hile for any of it to happen, which actually relaxes her a bit.  She doesn’t have to do it all today.  She takes in a deep breath.  “Thank ….  You.” 

“You’re welcome Kira.” Gurshan is very pleased at her speaking it. “You’re doing very well. I know it may not feel like it, but you are.” He encourages. And now he decides to leave her on both a hopeful and practical note. He flips the page. “Is there anything you’d like to have to pass the time? Sajani is bringing books….but if you have hobbies or something that helps you stave off boredom or ...when things become too much. “For example crossword puzzles or a sketchbook?” He slides back the notepad, allowing her to have choices and communicate what would work, letting Kira steer as she hadn’t had lots of control over other things.

Kira takes the pad.  ‘Books.  Lots of books.  Dont care what kind just books.”’

Gurshan actually lets out a little chuckle at her answer as he takes it back “Well that’s an easy one. Thank you for talking to me Kira. We’ll get you some books and I’ll be back again soon. You take care.” He leans to one side and begins to stand. If she has nothing else he’ll give her a little wave and head away.

Kira stands with him and gives him her smile sign.  She’s all at once overwhelmed, exhausted and hopeful.  But she is making progress, which is not something she could have said even two weeks ago.