My take on the infernal devices

Chapter 4- The story behind the drugs

Tessa watched Will walk down the long corridor, wondering what had just happened. What had it meant? She shook her head She should only focus on Jem. Jem. What was wrong with him?  She had seen drug addicts before, her oldest brother died from drugs, but Jem seemed different. She walked into the room to Jem's room, and saw Jem sleeping, his chest rising and falling steadily. She sighed in relief. It did look like he was going to be ok. She thought of Wll involuntarily, the way he was so distressed. Tessa had never thought of Will like that, scared and distressed. She sat down on the chair next to Jem's bed, and picked up the book on the table. "Jane eyre." Tessa smiled. No matter how many times she read this book, she was never bored of it. Opening the book, one eye on Jem, she allowed herself to sink into the book.

 Tessa had  just started Chapter 7 when Jem woke. "Will? Will is that you?" . She smiled. Their bond was so close. It Was adorable, though she thought of her other brother. How she and him hadn't talked in a while. 

"Jem, its me Tessa" Tessa gently took Jem's hand . Looking at Jem's confused face she continued. "Will went to get more of the yin fen  so he asked me to watch you till he comes back."

Jem said nothing for a few moments, before muttering "By the angel"
"What?" Tessa asked him. Jem smiled, but it wasn't a happy smile, more sad. She waited, but he never answered.  "Jem?" she prompted.

"You must think i'm such a bad person, addicted to drugs and sickly"  Jem said, his head bent down. 

"Hey, Hey. I don't think anything like that." She said,making her voice as soft as possible. It broke her heart seeing him like this. She came and sat down on his bed, interlocking her finger's with his. She waited for him to draw back, but he didn't. "Look, I've never said this to anyone before, but my oldest brother died from drug overdose. If anyone knows about it its me ok? I know how it feels, and i'm not judging you for it" He looked up, his silver discs holding her gray eyes. She couldn't bring herself to look away. Jem, after a couple of seconds, looked down on their interlocking hands. "You want to know how I became dependant on the drugs?"
"That depends, do you want me to know?" Tessa's voice was still soft, and a little scared. Jem nodded and Tessa smiled.

"When I was younger, around 5, my family was ripped from our home in Shanghai, by a Marbus demon. My parents clung to me, tears pouring down all of our faces. We were knocked out, and a couple of days later, I think, I woke up in a locked basement, cold and dark, shackled and chained to a wall. My parents were looking at me, sitting on the stone floor opposite me. At the time, I wondered why they never came to me, never took of my shackles, never comforted me, never told me it was all going to be ok. Now I know they couldn't, there was an invisible electrical wall between us. Everyday the Demon tortured us, cutting our arms, beating us. It was awful." Jem's voice hitched, and Tessa couldn't bring herself to ask him to continue, though she wanted to know so much more. Tessa traced the light scars on his wrist, finally understanding what they were for. Just as Jem's mouth opened to continue, Sophie burst into the room, her face contorted in distress. Tessa jumped, and hastily let go of Jem's hand. 

"Jem!" She said, flustered. Running over to Jem, and pushing Tessa to the side, she kissed him gently on the cheek. "What happened?"

"I had another attack, but I'm ok now" Jem replied, his voice now calm. She looked at Tessa now, and her voice became curious.

"Why are you here?" She asked, though her tone wasn't unkind

"Will asked me to stay here until he arrived. But, now that your here, I guess I'll leave" Tessa said, glancing at Jem.

"Thank you for staying with me" He said, smiling. Sophie walked with her to his door.

"Hey, Tessa?" Tessa looked back.

"Yeah?"

"I didn't make a very good first impression to you, but you seem nice, and i would really like it if we could be friends" She said, her voice shy. Tessa was surprised, but she smiled and nodded. Sophie smiled back, before softly shutting the door.

Jem looked as Sophie shut the door behind Tessa. It was strange, he had never felt so comfortable with anyone like he had with Tessa, not even Sophie. He shook his head, it was probably nothing. Sophie looked at him, her eyes hiding hurt. "What's wrong?"

" Nothing, I just... Why did she know before me?" She asked.

"Sophie, nothing is happening between me and her. Will asked her to help when I had the attack because he saw her first. "

Jem looked at her, sensing she had more to say about this, but she didn't say anything more about it. She took a visibly deep breath, before lying down, her head placed delicately on his left shoulder, he kissed her pretty blonde head. "I'm sorry Jem, " He shook his head. 

"Its ok Sophie" 

They lay there all night. 

The next morning, Jem woke up, without Sophie next to him. He picked up the little note folded next to him. "Had to work so see you later" he smiled at her little smiley face drawn in the corner. He thought about last night. Tessa hadn't heard the rest of the story, and he wanted to tell her. He frowned. Was there something going on between them? He didn't think so. He slowly got up, just to make sure he was ok and got dressed He was. He walked out out of his room and went to Tessa's doorway, and after hesitating knocked on the door. She answered the door, her face surprised at the look on her face. "Jem?" 
"Tessa." She beckoned him inside, and asked him why he was here. " I thought you might like to know the rest of the story" She smiled and nodded, sitting on her bed. He sat next to her, and carried on, "So the demon tortured us, in so many different creative ways, until one day he killed my parents, right in front of me. One second they were calling my name, while hugging each other, the next they were dead, sprawled out on the floor." His voice sounded deadpan, he had come to terms with his past. Apart from Will, Tessa was the only person he had voluntarily told this story to. She said nothing, and this time didn't take his hand. "It was then that the Demon, taking advantage of me at my worst, most vulnerable state, gave me the yin fen. The first time I had it, The demon had mixed it into the small amount of water I was allowed. Soon this grew and grew until I was having ten packets a day. 

Then, after a few months, someone from the institute rescued me and brought me to this place. Charlotte was told abut my condition, and over the many months. Charlotte and  Will, who after a few weeks had become my parabatai, tried to help me get over it, you know sweat it out, but it never worked. After the silent brother's came to see me, they figured that I had take so much that I would have to take the powder just to live. But, now that its been a couple of years, I've calmed the addiction down, so I don't need to take it as often, and I don't need to take as much. But, its killing me, slowly." He looked down, his eyes blurring, but he blinked them away. He wasn't going to show Tessa how scared he really was. No, he would never do that. Tessa, then took his hand, and looked him straight in the eye. He tried to look away, but couldn't manage it. "Jem, your not going to die. We'll find a cure, I'm not letting you die." She spoke with such determination that he wanted to believe her, so badly. But he couldn't. 

* Author's note: Words in bold are direct quotes from the actual books. These lines are what make the infernal devices so memorable, so decided to add them into my own context. xx