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.

A promise

Running her hand gentily through Kip's hair Erik didn't have to tell Karla where he was going she already new because in her heart she new it was the right thing and making sure he was ok and nothing more on the inside was wrong that what they could see.

Getting the the hospital and listing to Kip and Erik go at it Karla just continues to run her hand through his hair and sooth him. She felt bad for him, and broken herself that really there was nothing more she could do. She wanted to take the pain away but there was no way for her to do that.

"Kip you want to go home right? I want to go home with you. But Erik is pretty ferm on this one and I don't think I can even change his mind. Not to mention Kyle is driving your car so I can't even kidnap you and drive away. So the longer we still here and tell him now, the longer its going to be before we go home."

Giving the best encouraging smile she could it was all she could do to keep herself from crying. What had happened to Kip was horrible, and it angered her. Tear boiled in her eyes but she had to stay strong to Kip's sake.

"I'll stay with you and I promise I wont leave you. You don't even have to answer any questions if you don't want to ok?"

Sitting with Justin and listing to him take it was hard to understand what he was saying. She didn't know who Jared was, but from bits and peaces here and there she gathered enough info to at least understand a little and her heart broke.

"It hurts because we are human, and people are cruel because they don't feel good enough about themselves."

Seeing Justin gives a shiver Beth goes for another blanket and puts it around him. Her heart broke for her friend. Even if she didn't know the whole story from what she could gather she could see the pain that was lingering.

Taking his hand in her own to look at the cut Beth could feel her stomach twist and turn at the sight of the blood. It looked like a deep cut but it already had started to clot so stitches were really not needed. Just keeping his hand in her own Beth runs her fingers over his skin. She never noticed how soft it felt before.

"A heart will heal over time with tender love and care."

Those words spoken from Beth's mouth seemed to sting her own eyes as she said them. A wounded heart trying to heal...Beth wondered some days if her's ever would too and it had started too. With Justin's friendship very slowly it was starting to heal.

Seeing Justin shiver again Beth moves closer to him and slips her arms over his shoulders pulling him twords her. It almost felt normal and not awkward at all. Bringing him close to her Beth buts the blankets over her own legs and than both over him. Maybe she could use a little of her own warmth to keep him warm too. Having him lean his head on her chest Beth lied sideways on the couch so he could lay next to her and her arms could remain around him.

"I wont leave Justin...not yet. Not till I know you're going to be ok. I promise I wont leave you."

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.