First off, thanks Nam for your words of encouragement and to Anthony - you are right as usual. It is not as bad as it used to get, I only find insomnia and an increased anxiety level are bothering me (still), minor flashbacks. Nothing like it used to be with the horrible night & day mares, crippling fear of everything so I couldn't leave my bed, difficulty breathing, etc. etc. Thank goodness time does help for some, me included.

Ok, back to work.
When I came out of the kitchen and saw Al with the gun to his head, I remember thinking, "why does that guy have a water gun in the restaurant, and why is he holding it to Al's head? Why is Al so scared?"...Things went in to slow motion and my hearing got fuzzy - I saw the couple being herded toward Al and his captor by yet another man. Then I heard the man with Al shout "where's the keys to the safe mother******?!" and Al said "I don't know what your talking about" in this really funny voice and the man cocked his hand with the gun back and brought it down across his face so hard, the blood ran bright red before his head went straight. I heard the woman scream and that's when I dropped to my knees and put my hands over my ears - humming a hysterical tune that I didn't recognize. My eyes were squeezed shut and I waited for the robbers to realize that I was there and that I had seen what they were doing and come for me. I think I stopped breathing and squished myself as small as I could get, every nerve screaming for me to run. I was in this crouched position when Al and his assailant pushed by me, into the kitchen. I involuntarily opened the eye closest to where they were passing and I saw drops of Al's blood mark their path; I swear I could smell his fear and the assailant's rage. I stifled the cry of hysteria that was trying to escape and took a quick breath, only to hold it so I could hear what was going on in the kitchen - directly behind me, separated by a swinging door.

Enough.