The Forsaken (The Chosen Series Book 2)

back to the book she’d brought with her and changed the subject. “How does anyone ever read this stuff?”
That was another of her issues. She’d been learning how to read for months, and still, it was so confusing.
“You’ve caught on very quickly,” Shelly answered. “I just wish I had more time to work with you.”
“The English language has got to be the hardest language to learn, ever!”
Shelly raised an eyebrow. “Intense,” she mimicked Lenny’s new word of the month. Everything was ‘intense’ with him. It made them laugh often.
Rachel giggled. “Seriously, though. Why is it that nothing sounds the same? Like though and through. It makes no sense. How does adding an “r” make the entire word sound different? And then there are those blends you speak of. A “t” sounds like a “t” until you add an “h” then it—"
Shelly giggled. “I never thought about it, but you’re right. I don’t know how I ever learned the English language.”
“And then, why are there three ways to write a single word. For instance ― to. Or two. Or too. Is one spelling for all three not proper?”
“Well, I suppose it’s because even though they sound the same, each of them means something different. They cannot be used interchangeably.”
“Intense is right,” Rachel agreed. Nothing Shelly said made a bit of sense to her.
She’d learned the alphabet and their sounds quickly for the most part, but when she’d tried to put them together to make words, they did not make the same sounds when connected to other letters. There were words sounding the same but spelled differently, words spelled the same but with different meanings, and words not spelled anything as they sounded. It most certainly had to be the hardest language to learn.
“It takes time. Don’t worry. You will catch on. You are a smart girl.”
The door leading into the back offices opened, and Rachel shrank into her seat. Since she and Shelly were the only two in the waiting room, she was sure she was next in line for a head shrinking.
“Have a good day, Dr. Paine,” a voice said as a taller than average man, sporting a white overcoat, not unlike her obstetrician, came through the doorway and into the small waiting room.
“You too, Jenn. See you tomorrow.” He waved.
As he came closer, Rachel believed he had to be as tall as some of those basketball players in the games Lenny watched on the television. Maybe not quite, but still. Just as she’d released a sigh of relief that it wasn’t yet her turn to see the doctor, a twenty-something, short-haired, blonde woman popped her head in the doorway and called out. “Rachel Pence?”
Rachel gave Shelly one more pleading glance.
“Go on, sweetie. It’ll be okay. I promise.”
Hesitantly Rachel stood and headed for the awaiting door.
“Follow me,” the girl waved happily.
Maybe she has seen the shrink a few times herself?
Rachel looked back at Shelly one last time. Shelly gave her a big smile and nodded for her to go. Nervously, Rachel followed the girl as the door closed behind them.
“My name’s Jennifer. Most people call me Jenn though,” the girl announced, turning around to smile at Rachel.
Rachel smiled.
“Don’t talk much, huh?” Jenn said. “I get it. I mean, well I don’t get it — get it. I’ve never had to go to a — well, you know what I mean. I wouldn’t be happy to have to — oh look we’re here.” The girl stopped at an open door with the number eleven posted on the side.
Rachel had never heard someone step over her own words as much as the girl in front of her. She did her best to not roll her eyes at the girl. Instead, she smiled.
“Dr. Paine, your patient is here.” Jenn peeked her head into the room as Rachel waited behind, wondering what in the world the girl had just been trying to say.
“Thank you, Jenn,” a voice called from within. “Send her in.”
Jenn opened the door wider and extended a hand, inviting Rachel to enter the room.
“Have a seat, sweetie.” A heavier than average woman said as she loomed over the desk, clearing the remnants of Styrofoam containers.
The woman was just a hair taller than Rachel and wore a burgundy dress suit matching quite well with the auburn hair stacked neatly on top of her head.
Rachel sat in one of the several seats available. It was directly across from the exceptionally clean and organized desk. She watched as the doctor swept boxes and containers into the trash can. She reached a hand into the receptacle and pushed the pile down as foam squealed underneath the pressure.
“Sorry about that. My husband stops by every day to eat lunch with me. I guess we took a little longer than usual.” The woman gave a wave of apology.
Rachel nodded. As she made the connection, she smiled. The basketball player looking guy was the shrink’s husband.
“There.” The voluptuous woman swiped the remaining crumbs into the wastebasket and then came around to sit in the chair opposite her.
“So, how are you today, dear?” The woman smiled, revealing a piece of left-over spinach stuck between her two front teeth. “Rachel, is it?”
Rachel nodded.
“Give me just a second to look over your file, and I will be right with you.”
The woman reached over to a big five-drawer gray metal cabinet and pulled open the second drawer. She then pulled out a nice-sized folder and placed it in her lap.
Rachel wondered what kind of information was in the file and where the lady had gotten it from. She watched as Dr. Paine flipped through page after page of information. Some of it handwritten and others typed.
With so much information right there in front of her, the fact that she couldn’t read a word of it made her eyes lower in frustration as tears tried to force their way out once again.
That wasn’t completely true. She could make out a good deal, but not enough to make sense of it. And that