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Behind a large coat rack, John saw a man huddled against the wall, mumbling almost incoherently.

"Jake," said John in a gentle voice, "I've come to take you home."

"The Lord is my Shepherd," the young man repeated to himself over and over. "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not fear."

Terry tried to help Jake to his feet, but he recoiled at the touch of Terry's hand.

"Please don't touch me," he begged. "The Lord is my Shepherd... I shall not fear. I'm not afraid... I'm not afraid."

Then Jake started counting backward from one hundred, struggling with the vivid images he saw in his mind. Jake could hear John's voice, but he was too busy trying to hold back the fear and panic that threatened to swallow him, to be able to respond.

Not comprehending what was really going on, John looked to Terry and shook his head.

"We've got to wait for Abby," he sighed.

"I'll go get her," said Terry. "The event should be over by now."

Before he could finish the sentence, Terry saw Abby running up to them, trying to catch her breath.

"What happened?" she cried.

Abby's heart sank when she saw her friend on the floor behind the coat rack. She knelt down beside Jake and tried to get a good look at his face.

"The Lord is my Shepherd," Jake repeated. "When my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the Rock that is higher than I."

Abby listened for a few moments and quickly realized that this was different than his previous flashbacks. Jake was actively fighting it, even though he believed that he really was being abused again.

"Abby's here," said the young woman, as Dennis and Izumi arrived on the scene. "Jake, open your eyes. It's all right. No one is hurting you."

"No, I can't stop," struggled Jake, clenching his fists tightly. "If I stop, it'll get worse!"

"It won't get worse," she assured him. "I promise, no one is hurting you. It's all right to open your eyes now."

The stabilizing sound of her voice slowly persuaded Jake that he was safe, and not being abused as all his senses had been telling him. Dennis had never seen this happen before, and watched soberly as Abby sat with Jake until he calmed down.

"I'm sorry," apologized Jake, when Abby noticed that he had wet himself. "This flashback wasn't as bad as the last one. I think I'm getting better."

Abby reached up and took one of the long trench coats Jake had been hiding under and put it around his shoulders to conceal his soiled pants.

"Dad," requested Abby, in a low voice so the other customers couldn't easily overhear, "would you take care of the cashier? We need the coat."

"No problem," said John. "Whatever you need."

"Jake, can you get to your feet?" asked Abby.

Jake struggled to stand as Abby got up and tried to steady him. Customers made way for them as the group slowly walked out of the store.

"Isn't that the one who just landed another perfect score?" Abby heard someone whisper. "Too bad."

Abby helped Jake to the parking lot and into the jeep. The others stood by, unsure what to do next.
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