Crash & Burn x Jemily

26

February 9th, 6:00 pm
JJ was discharged after only one night, so we were on our way home now. JJ was doing okay. Physically I mean. Emotionally she's a complete wreck. It's not her fault, and I'm trying to help her.

Even though she's doing better the physical recovery is going to take awhile. She was put on all kinds of medications and antibiotics. I was managing it all for her because I knew if it was left up to her, she just wouldn't do it.

The handprints around her neck were now deep purple and very obvious. She said she wanted to cover them before we got on the plane, but I couldn't find anything to do it. I told her I couldn't, which send her into a small meltdown.

We managed though. I convinced her to get on the plane but she was miserable the entire time. She wouldn't talk to anyone and she just stared out the window.

Right now we had just gotten home. I opened the front door and threw our stuff on the floor. "I want to go shower." JJ said. "Okay." I nodded. "Do you need any help?"

She shook her head. "I'm going to make some dinner. What do you want?"

"My stomach still hurts." She shrugged. "How about some plain pasta? You need to eat at least a little."

"Okay." She nodded. "Can I go shower?" "Yeah of course. Call if you need me." I kissed the top of her head because I didn't know if she would freak out if I kissed her on the lips. She walked upstairs and I started the pasta.

Around 20 minutes later she came back down. She had on pajama pants and a sweatshirt with the hood up to hide her neck. Even though it was February it was warm in the house because I had the heater on. I decided not to bother her about it yet.

I handed her the bowl of pasta. "Thanks." She said softly. We sat on the couch eating together. We didn't watch tv, or talk. We just sat there. It wasn't a uncomfortable silence, it almost felt calming.

After we both finished I put the bowls in the sink and sat back down next to her. "JJ it's warm in here. Take off the sweatshirt."

"No." She shook her head. "I've seen it before. You don't have to hide it from me. I can tell you're hot, just take it off."

She thought for a moment. Finally she took off the sweatshirt, leaving it on the couch and quickly walking up stairs. "I'm going to bed." She said, basically trying to run away.

I saw a glimpse of what she was clearly hiding from me before she managed to get away. "Hey. No. Get back here please." I said. She stood turned away from me, not moving. "Why?" She asked. "I need to see what you did." JJ sighed, and turned around to walk back towards me. She took a seat on the couch again.

I lifted up her chin to examine the area around her neck, which now looked worse. The two handprints were still deep purple and black colored, but the skin around it was all red and rubbed raw. It was like she had tried to wash it off. "I wanted it gone." She whispered, tears forming in her eyes.

"Oh sweetheart." I sighed, pulling her into a hug. She rested her head on my shoulder. "It's a bruise, it'll go away eventually. You know you can't wash it off."

"I hate it!" She cried, her hands clutching my shirt. "I know baby, I know." I rubbed over her back soothingly. "I wish I could make it go away. I promise you if I could I would do it."

"I can feel it. I feel it still it's still there." Her body was shaking now. "I still feel his hands." I watched the tears slip down her face. "Make it stop. Please make it stop! Emily make it stop!" She screamed.

I held her hands in mine, steadying them. "JJ tell me five things you can see."

Her eyes darted around as she struggled to breathe. "I don't know." She sobbed, in between gasps for air. "You can do it." I said softly. "Tell me the first thing you see."