Not yet

Being given the blankets, Justin pulls them up and curls in tighter, shivering and sweating at the same time. Just closing his eyes, he waits until Beth has returned, and obediently takes the Tylenol and orange juice before sinking back down into the cushions again.

Blood in the kitchen? With eyes closed, he furrows his brow. Cut himself? Pain?

He thinks for a few moments and shakes his head lethargically. He'd been trying so hard to stay lucid, but reality was slowly beginning to skew. "It all hurts," he mumbles. "It's more than a cut. Sliced in two is more like it."

Continuing to chill, his fingers clutch at the blankets. "So cold," he mutters between ragged breaths. Finally letting go of the effort to remain focused, the worlds of reality and emotions collide in his mind. "They're all cold. Jared's cold. Why do you think it hurts so much?" Opening his eyes to look up at Beth, they glisten with tears. "I didn't do it on purpose," he whispers. "I didn't."

Shivering again, he moves his hand from under the blanket to reveal the cut on his palm. Dried blood showed where he'd sliced it on some broken glass. "It took care of itself," he reasons groggily. "Why can't wounds to the heart do the same?" His eyes roll back up to Beth again, unaware that she knew nothing about anything that had been happening in his life. "Please don't leave me alone... not yet."


Seeing Karla and Kip emerge from the cabin, Erik lets out a sigh of relief. He was even more glad now that he'd had her come along - otherwise they might have had to drag Kip away.

As they near and Kyle begins to see just how bad of shape Kip was in, he almost winces. His younger friend looked like he'd been in a barroom brawl, and it made Kyle's blood boil even more, thinking about how it had been Kip's father that had made those marks.

"I'll drive Kip's car," he offers.

Erik nods, but his focus was on Karla and Kip as they approach his car. Studying Kip for a moment, he receives no look in return. He wasn't surprised though. His eyes glance to Karla, catching her silent warning not to say much about this. "Yeah... the backseat is yours. Kip, do you have your things inside?"

Kip thinks for a moment, then nods. "There's just my duffel bag," he mumbles, his eyes glued to the ground. "In the bedroom... I think."

"Alright. I'll go get it." Erik turns to jog back to the cabin and retrieve the bag along with Kip's wallet and keys. A quick glance around the rest of the cabin proves that all of Kip's personal belongings are in the bag and nothing is left behind. Once everything is ready to go, Erik returns to Kip and Karla, opening the back door for them. "Easy does it," he encourages

Kip gingerly ducks to enter the car, biting back the urge to cry out as his body protested. Ignoring the seatbelt, and once Karla is in, he slowly slides onto his side with his head in her lap. He knew he didn't have to ask if it was alright, and right now, he just wanted to feel her warmth and soak up all the comfort he could. His ribs hurt so badly, as did his face, but it was worse sitting up, so he just lies still, wishing it were all over.

Erik slides in behind the wheel and glances back to make sure Kip and Karla are settled before he starts the engine. Pulling away, he watches to ensure Kyle is following, then heads for the main road. Back down, twisting and winding, the ride is a quiet one. Once they reach the highway though, Erik turns right instead of left - the opposite of the way they'd come. He was heading into the nearest town instead of home, but he says nothing.

After they reach the city limits and enter the busier streets, Erik's eyes are watchful as he begins to follow the signs. He still says nothing, but quietly continues his route. About forty-five minutes after leaving the cabin, Erik steers into a curved driveway, bypassing the large parking lot and pulling up to the sidewalk nearest the wide glass doors.

Kip feels the car stop and he opens his one eye wearily. Why had they stopped? Did they need gas? Straining to see out the window, he quickly realizes they're not at a gas station. "You rotten-"

"Don't say it," Erik counters calmly as he puts the car in park. This was the nearest hospital and he wasn't going to wait the six hour drive home before getting Kip looked at. Whether his friend wanted it or not, it was for his own good. "I just want to make sure you're okay."

"I'm fine," Kip mutters, leaving his head in Karla's lap. "Get me out of here."

Erik gets out and comes around to Karla's door and opens it up. Squatting down on the pavement so his eye level is nearer to Kip's, he responds. "You'll get to get out of here once they've taken a look at you."

"I don't want-"

"I ask no questions of you, and I don't give you a lecture - all you have to do is come in with me and cooperate for just a little while longer. Please." When Kip doesn't respond, Erik looks to Karla pleadingly. Kip needed help and he needed it from a doctor. All the kind words in the world wouldn't heal his physical wounds or ensure he wasn't badly injured.