Broken and bruised

As Beth takes his hand, Justin's fingers seem to automatically curl around hers. Though silent, it didn't mean he didn't hear her words. Through the fog, they settled in the corner of his mind, as words of comfort.

Still lethargic and not quite sure exactly what was going on, Justin doesn't resist as Beth moves onto the couch with him. Shifting around a bit clumsily, he comes to rest with his head near her shoulder and an arm around her where she still held his hand. Something in the back of his mind seemed to tell him that he should be bothered by something about this, but he was too tired and too comfortable to care.

With his head nestled in on Beth, he sighs deeply, his body relaxing as it gains warmth. Her additional words seem to hit home and without much sense to stop them, the tears well in his eyes once again. Several fall to land on her shoulder, and his hand gives hers a gentle squeeze. "Thank you," he whispers.

It didn't take long for him to drift into sleep, his body too exhausted to do anything else. Next to Beth and under the blankets, his chills eventually subside, though his fever continues to rage. With his temperature rising, his mind takes him on a journey of dreams that were confusing and distorted, skewing reality and toying with his feelings. He saw his father again, his brother, mother, people he didn't even know, Rebecca, and even childhood friends he hadn't thought about in years. Flooded with memories mixed with imagination, the dreams evolved into stressful sagas of arguments and running from shadowy enemies.

Caught in his restless sleep, Justin's body jolts every few minutes, words mumbled incoherently. Sweat poured down the sides of his face as he grew hot and he fights with the blankets. The last scene in his nightmarish dreams was of his father and brother, mocking him for failures and blaming him for death. It was a bone-chilling encounter.

"No!" Justin shoots bolt upright, sending the blankets flying. His head throbbed and his pulse was pounding. Putting a hand over his chest, he wheezes, finding it hard to breathe. His eyes dart about the room as he tries to focus on reality and not the vivid images that haunted him. Somehow he's lucid enough to realize that Beth is still with him, though logic was just a bit off kilter - enough that while he was trying to be serious, it didn't register how little sense it really made that he was worrying more about her than himself.

"I'm fine... don't worry... I'm just having a panic attack," he states matter-of-factly. Closing his eyes, he tries to overcome the dizziness, though he still wheezes, gasping for breath as his heart continues to race. "If I don't... quit, I'm gonna..." He tries again to take a deeper breath. "...pass out. Lovely thought."


Kip doesn't want to give in. He'd rather just lie right here. Karla's fingers running through his hair was so soothing, and after the weekend he'd had, just being close to her was a comfort. And now Erik wanted to take him inside where he would be poked, prodded and interrogated.

He shakes his head stubbornly.

Erik sighs. "She's right, Kip. The longer you shake your head, the longer we'll be here. You know I want you to press charges, but I know you won't, so there's no point in telling anyone who did this. I'll do all I can to get you in and out of here. We just want to make sure you're really okay."

Would Karla really stay with him no matter what? Kip's eye look to Erik, then rolls back up to Karla. He could hear the strain in her voice and knew that this whole thing was upsetting her. If it would make her feel better for him to go in and get this over with, then maybe it was worth it. He'd done enough damage... he didn't want to make it any worse for her.

Finally he raises himself up and slides to the other door, letting himself out, though quite gingerly. Walking slowly around the car, he leans on it until he reaches Erik who takes over the needed support.

"We're gonna make it, buddy," Erik encourages. Though part of him was angry and irritated that Kip had gotten himself into this mess, part of him was very much hurting for his friend as well. And right now, he knew if he chewed out Kip, it would only make things worse.

Kip leans on Erik but looks over his shoulder to make sure Karla was coming too. He'd never told anyone that hospitals scared him. People died at hospitals. His sister had died at a hospital.

Once inside to the ER, the paperwork ensues and Kip needs both Erik and Karla to help him think straight enough to give the nurses the right information. Remaining subdued and withdrawn, Kip obediently goes through the motions, not because he wanted to, but because he knew Karla was right - the more he fought this, the longer they'd be here.

Two hours later, Kip had stitches above his swollen eye and on a gash on his arm. His several broken ribs had been taped, but the doctor confirmed he'd be in pain for a while. It was revealed that he had several deep bruises on his back, though Kip would only mumble something about a chair. Dehydrated, they hooked him up to an IV for a while with the orders to drink plenty of fluids once he was home. His wrist was severely bruised down to the bone and ended up being wrapped with the order to ice it for a week. All the other bruises on his face would just have to heal themselves.

With the Erik's promise that they would make sure Kip followed up with a doctor's appointment at home in a couple days, the hospital released Kip with a prescription for some pain medication and instructions to take care of himself. The biggest worry the doctor had was for his wrist and his eye, but he seemed to think that if Kip was careful, he would heal just fine.

Back in the car and back on the road, it was already getting dark. Erik and Kyle had both spent some time on the phone today, letting people know what was going on, and prepping Gram and Gramps to help take care of Kip as well. As Erik drove with Kyle following in the other car, he keeps his eye out for any fast food restaurants. They all could use some food.

"We got a Wendy's and a McDonald's up here," he mentions to the back seat. "What sounds good?"

Kip was once again lying down with his head in Karla's lap, exhausted and feeling sick to his stomach from the pain meds he'd received at the hospital. He hadn't eaten in two days but wasn't hungry. "I don't want anything," he responds quietly.

Erik sighs and glances back to Karla. "I'm at least going to the drive through. You want anything?" He hoped she'd say yes and end up convincing Kip to at least eat a little bit, but if not, surely Gram could get Kip to eat later.