Her Safe Haven

Chapter 12 - Of Surprises And Seahorses

Previously on Her Safe Haven: Rose Millers (vice of Jonah as the president of Lakeside High's Student Council) met Demetria Foy (Tria), her childhood friend who just transferred to Lakeside High that year. Tria was acquainted to Kai and Riley, who were surprised to find that Tria was also Seth's childhood friend. Meanwhile, Winter had a fever and Caleb took care of her at home for the day. Winter suspected that Caleb was still in love with Evelyn, his ex-girlfriend who moved to the Netherlands. In return, Caleb asked her if there was anyone she liked, and Winter was surprised to find herself thinking not about Seth (who she dated for a week during freshmen year) nor Jonah (who had openly confessed that he liked her), but about Rohan Garrison.

In all sixteen years of her life, Winter realised that she had never truly appreciated the majesty of seahorses. Swimming around in the deep blue sea, they moved like the knights of the ocean, protector of Poseidon; giving beautiful gallant and valiant movements. And, to top it off, the males of the species were the ones that were pregnant with their offspring — certainly no other animals in the world could beat that, right?

So why was Winter thinking about seahorses so early in this beautiful Saturday morning, one might ask?

It was because she was currently observing one very pretty red seahorse inside the aquarium of the state's Institute of Mental Health while waiting to see her doctor. It was certainly entertaining enough to take her mind off her terrible boredom, she decided.

And why was she spending her beautiful Saturday morning in the Institute of Mental Health, another might wonder?

It was because since the kidnapping incident ten years ago, Winter was deemed as having some kind of psychological trauma by her parents that required her to see a psychiatrist every week. Usually, the doctor was the one who would come to her house every Saturday for her therapy sessions; but starting from this week, her parents decided that it would be good for Winter to visit the Institute every week instead to get some fresh air.

She would have agreed with her parents if the 'fresh air' that they mentioned included the sterile smell of the hospital — but in all honesty, Winter just found this place to be completely depressing.

And sick-smelling.

She sighed as she stood up from the yellow couch in the waiting room and walked towards the lift. The approximate waiting time for her turn was still forty-five minutes, so she decided that it would be best for her to try to get to know this hospital better if she were to be spending four-hours here every week.

The lift stopped on the first floor, and she walked out of it gloomily towards the sight of a vending machine. For what else could cheer her up in this situation other than a glass of hot chocolate?

As she was waiting for her hot choco to brew, she started daydreaming about her friends and how she really wished any one of them would be here to accompany her. It would be really nice if one of them also frequent this hospital, so that she would at least have someone to talk to during the large amount of waiting time she had to endure. She chuckled bitterly to herself as she thought about how absurd, not to mention impossible, that idea sounded.

So imagine her surprise when she actually heard a familiar voice calling her name from behind.

"Winter?"

Her head immediately shot up and she quickly turned around to see whether she now had to get her ears checked, too.

When she was imagining about her friends being here, she was thinking about her friends from Lakeside High — like Seth or Jonah, or perhaps Rose, or maybe even her new friend, Tria.