The Changed: Origins

Breathing Room

We all moved into the house. When I shut the door everyone was there, waiting. They rushed us but I couldn't speak. Something in me collapsed. I hadn't realized until I shut the door behind me how scared I'd been, how tense and desperate or how utterly and completely relieved I was. I sat down hard on the floor in front of the door and put my head in my hands. I did it! No one was hurt. We were safe, for the moment at least. I was shaking. Why was I shaking? I didn't know if I was laughing or crying. I heard Ben start the story but Colin walked past him and knelt in front of me.

"Jemma," he said softly. "Jemma, are you ok?"

I looked up at his weary face. His dark beard needed trimmed. I was laughing. "Yes. I'm sorry. I'm fine. I did it Colin. They left."

He was smiling too, "I know. And now you need to get some sleep."

I agreed completely. "I will. Give me a hand?"

He helped me to my feet and we went into the library. Everyone was talking. Conversations were started and interrupted and restarted by someone else. Despite what I'd said about sleeping we talked over every detail. No one was particularly thrilled by me giving Agent Knoll permission to come in the house, but Ben's continued assertion that I had done something close to a miracle in getting her to leave, and that she had been telling the truth about trying to find a peaceful solution swayed everyone in the end. But there were so many questions, details had to be rehashed over and over again before everyone was satisfied. It was full daylight before silence finally fell.

"Well," Colin said as he walked back from the bar, "Jemma, I would say we all owe you a big thank you. This is all very encouraging but I still think we should take shifts watching the house. Just in case."

    Kennedy groaned, "Oh come on Colin. It's daylight. They wouldn't be stupid enough to come back now."

    But David spoke up, "No, he's right. We have to be careful. They could just be waiting for us to relax before they come back." I agreed with him but I was also very tired.

    "Alright," Colin stood up and walked around the room, "I'll take the first watch so you all can get some rest...."

    "No." Anna had been quiet during most of the discussion and strangely looked no happier now that the threat was gone. "I'm the only one who has had any sleep. I'll watch first."

    "I'll stay with her." I don't know why I said it. I had been nodding in my chair for the last hour, my eyes felt gritty and I was having trouble concentrating, but it felt like the right thing to do,"I might as well watch now while I'm awake. Once I get to sleep you're not going to be able to wake me up for a while." I stood up and stretched. Hopefully these would be short shifts.

    "You don't have to do that." But Anna looked grateful all the same.

    Colin agreed that working in pairs was a good idea. He ushered everyone to bed and promised he would be back in a couple of hours to relieve us.

    Before leaving Nate joined Anna and I, "Jemma, you did great." He couldn't seem to find anything else to say.

    "Thanks."

    "Well...yeah. Good night." Anna looked sad as she watched him go.

    I put a hand on her arm, "Come on. We might as well get to watching."

    We entered the dark AV room. Anna found a chair but I knew I wouldn't be able to sit in the dark for long without passing out. I wandered around the room looking for a light switch. I found plenty of switches but none of them did what I wanted. I did manage to retract the big projection screen and shut of an entire section of the monitors.