Race to Recovery (Full Throttle) Read Free

comes in to change the sheets about twice a week and between patients. The first door is the bathroom, the second is a closet. As I said, keep this door locked when you’re not here to prevent your neighbour from coming over for an uninvited look around. We haven’t had many thefts but people with addictions don’t always act rationally. Your room door also locks but two staff members on every shift carry a master key – in case of emergencies mainly, but we do occasionally check the rooms to make sure no one is breaking any of the rules.”
    “So searching my bag at the door wasn’t good enough? You’re going to rifle through my drawers too?”
    Dr. Hurd smiled dryly. “We only search a room if we suspect the person of using, or dealing to other patients. It’s happened very rarely. We do try to respect our patients’ privacy. The hallways and common rooms are under 24-hour closed circuit surveillance and we keep a digital copy of all recordings for two years. The bathrooms are not watched, of course, but there is a small camera in each room.”
    “You can’t do that!” Brant snapped.
    “The camera is a narrow focus surveillance camera with no microphone so anything you say in this room remains private. The camera only records who comes through the door. It does not capture any other part of the room so we won’t see you changing or sleeping. This is to deter theft.”
    “We’re not criminals,” Brant snapped.
    “Even hotels have surveillance in the public rooms and hallways. The people here can be unpredictable; it’s just part of the healing process. And, if I may say, the only reason you aren’t criminals is because you stopped using. I don’t think you obtained that little yellow bottle from a doctor. Now, if you’ll drop your bag off here I have your key for you and we can finish the tour.”
    As they stepped into the hallway again a young red-headed woman stepped out of a room across the hall. She flashed them a smile and then sauntered off, her narrow hips swaying.
    Dr. Hurd’s lips tightened. “There is one other policy you will need to be aware of. We do not permit romantic or sexual relationships between patients. You are here to heal yourself, not distract yourself or anyone else. Also, we do not permit any verbal, physical, or sexual harassment of other patients.”
    “You must have trouble enforcing that,” Seth said.
    “We understand that sometimes two patients who both react aggressively to the withdrawal process may have conflicts of either a verbal or physical nature. Often threats are uttered and we have had blows exchanged. We see harassment as the continual and deliberate mistreatment of another person. Breaking any of these rules results in the person being removed from the facility.”
    “It sounds like you run a tight ship,” Seth said, nodding.
    “It sounds like prison.”
    “You’d get far less privileges and privacies in prison,” Dr. Hurd pointed out. “And you can leave whenever you want. Of course we ask that patients don’t come and go. Once you’re checked in you stay until you choose to check out, or we are forced to remove you, or a doctor says you’re far enough along to the healing process to no longer need our services. Let’s finish the tour and then you can get some dinner, if you’re hungry.”
    He led the way back down the stairs. “Down the hallway there are the offices of our administrative team and our staff psychologists. You will be required to see one of our resident psychologists as often as they deem necessary as part of your recovery process. Your first appointment will be tomorrow morning, just an assessment. They’ll inform you of how often you’ll be seeing them.”
    “What if I don’t want to go at all?” Brant said. “I don’t need a shrink; I need a place to get over the withdrawal without alerting my father, that’s all.”
    “Then you’ve come to the wrong place. Our mission here is to provide healing and the tools