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intimidated me. These people believed I was here because I wanted to be and expected me to live here the rest of my life. I hated confrontations, and after listening to Jaime read the rules, the one word that popped in my mind was ‘quarantine.’ Standing, I said, “Thank you,” and walked out, gently closing the door behind me.
    Across the hall I saw a door marked women’s restroom and went inside. Perspiration beads had formed on my forehead. I splashed water on my face and patted it dry with paper towels. Looking in the mirror, I asked myself, What’s going on?
    Still trembling, I walked outside and around the corner toward Jaime, who sat on a bench.
    Jaime gasped. “Oh, you don’t look so well. Sit. Did the meeting go okay?” Jaime continued asking me questions. However, I’d stopped listening.
    A warm sensation came over me. Looking at Jaime, I said, “I’m going to pass out.” I got on all fours, crawled over to the grass, and lay on my back. Things got fuzzy, then went black.

CHAPTER EIGHT
    Wednesday, August 7, 2013, 4:30 p.m.
(day 2 in Shadow Pines—at the clinic)
    “Good afternoon,” said a sweet, angelic voice.
    I tried hard to fully open my eyes. “Where am I?” I asked. I could see white textured ceiling tiles from the bed I was lying in. Turning my head to the left I noticed the IV line running from the clear fluid bag into the vein on the top of my left hand.
    “You’re at the clinic. I’m Nurse Gloria Pettit.” She stopped talking for a moment while she took my blood pressure. The heavyset nurse with a light-brown pixie haircut wore a short-sleeved white polyester scrub top with a matching white polyester skirt. I couldn’t see her feet, but presumed she had on white leather, comfortable shoes.
    She pushed a button on the adjustable bed and raised my head several inches. “You gave everyone quite a scare yesterday.”
    Now fully awake, I said, “Yesterday? How long have I been here?”
    “Let’s see.” Gloria looked at her white leather watch. “Seventeen hours. You were in and out all night. Mumbled a few things. But I’ll keep that between you and me.” Gloria smiled and patted my arm. “I’ll be back in an hour to recheck your vitals. If things are within normal ranges, we’ll have one of the volunteers give you a ride.”
    “No!” I shouted. Realizing how loudly I’d spoken, I quietly said, “I mean, I don’t take rides. Never get in vehicles. I always walk.”
    “But you arrived here in a car,” Gloria countered.
    “Yes, but I was unconscious. That’s the only way I get in a car.”
    Gloria’s sweet, tender voice lowered an octave. “You must have had a very traumatic experience to be so afraid.”
    I hated having to explain my situation. “My mom and dad died in a car accident on my eighteenth birthday. It was very devastating to me.”
    “Oh, sweetie. I’m so sorry. Your dad was a very nice young man.”
    What? Did I hear that right?
    Before I had a chance to question Gloria about my father, the door opened. An older man wearing a grey-and-black-plaid blazer, white shirt, black pants, and black penny loafers entered the room and walked over to my bedside. Gloria handed him my chart and he flipped through four or five pages.
    “Hello, Isabella. I’m Doctor Carson. You had us worried yesterday. You still look a little pale, so we’ll keep you here another hour or two, then you can go home.”
    “I can go home?” My eyes widened.
    “Yes, Jaime has your room ready for you. Try to go back to sleep. We’ll be back later.” Dr. Carson nodded his head at Gloria, and before I could say anything else, they left the room.
    My heart sank. Home to them meant Jaime’s house. Home meant Shadow Pines. Everyone I’d met so far acted as if I didn’t have a life and home of my own in Darden.
    I wanted to scream, cry, run away. Instead, I did what I was told—I fell asleep.
     
    At six-thirty, Jaime and I left the clinic. I was still feeling weak as we walked