Not Even Close || Number Five x Fem!Reader

Chapter 107

SHE COULDN'T TAKE it anymore. Everything burned from head to toe.

"It shouldn't be much longer to the bank," Ben appealed.

They were on their way to make a cash withdrawal in their getaway car before they could head to what they believed was the foundation of their lives as they live together without any of this chaos surrounding them. But Jennifer's usual level of patience was not coordinating with the pain that jabbed her from within over and over. "I can't," she shook her head. "I'm not gonna make it," she whimpered.

"Can you hang on just a little longer?"

"Stop! I gotta lie down."

She could feel something inside her that felt as though it wanted to break out of her. Splotches were peering on her face, glowing florescent red -- and they burned just as the way they looked.

Ben was understanding enough to get what she needed. "Okay, let me find somewhere," he nodded quickly, under pressure.

"Right now!" Jennifer demanded.

Soon enough, he found himself unceremoniously parked by the curb, finding a shopping center nearby. It was the closest place they could possibly get help from, considering the renovations that were in the works. "Come on. Let's get you inside," he said as he fetched Jennifer from the passenger seat.

As soon as they wobbled inside, he immediately called for help on the premise that there were construction workers tending to the shop's renovations. "Hello? We need help!" Alas, he was met with silence. 

Jennifer did all she could to keep up with Ben's pace. The best she could do was drag her feet while she wailed and groaned out the pain. Nonetheless, being vocal wasn't enough. "I need to lie down! Now!" She repeated her cry.

Despite her request, there weren't any areas within the venue that were safe enough for her to lie down on. There was nothing but a lone side chair they stumbled upon while entering. "All right, stay here," Ben said, letting her sit down momentarily. "I'll go find somebody."

He didn't need to look around too hard as his eyes quickly spotted the telephone placed on top of the receptionist's desk. With that, he frantically picked up the phone and dialled their closest bet to get help.

"It's ringing!" He came to inform Jennifer. But, as he turned around, she was gone. "Jennifer?"

It didn't take long before the receiver of the call finally answered. "911. What's your emergency?"

All they received from the caller was silence.

"Hello? Do you have an emergency?"

He ended the line without a second thought. Nevermind calling for help, Ben thought. He needed to find Jennifer. "Jennifer!" He called for her name, constantly while he looked for her.

It was only a matter of time before he felt her presence in the fitting room. There she was, lying down on her side on a large round ottoman in the middle of the room. It was the only way she could cope with the pain, although it still lingered -- it still burned.

"Jennifer."

The sight of her was heart wrenching. There were splotches on her face that were glowing, in which it had been growing worse by the minute. It's as though they were sucking the colors off her face as she grew pale by the minute.

"I'm scared, Ben," she cried silently. It was even worse when she still couldn't understand what was going on.

Much to her dismay, Ben himself couldn't fathom this at all. But, seeing her like so; and subtly feeling what she felt; and not being able to do anything about it, seeing as this is a case no doctors can simply diagnose as shingles, it broke him.