Mar 19, 2018
Great to meet Rebecca from #SSAHI and discuss synergy around improving healthcare in Africa. #iamuscap #uscap2018 #ascp #pathology #cancer #implementation @ascponelab (at Vancouver Convention Centre)
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Great to meet Rebecca from #SSAHI and discuss synergy around improving healthcare in Africa. #iamuscap #uscap2018 #ascp #pathology #cancer #implementation @ascponelab (at Vancouver Convention Centre)
Soft Sounds and Hard Impacts: Chapter Seventeen
We're fighting without a reason We're killing her softly day by day We're guilty, we're all in treason It's time to mend this great divide - The Great Divide, In This Moment
"No," she murmured, holding a hand to her face. "Oh, no, no, no. We shouldn't have... I shouldn't have. Oh God, what have I done?"
Chris frowned and sat up. “Jill, I’m…” his hand hovered over her shoulder. He was almost afraid to touch her, to do something wrong that might invoke her departure or worse: the end of whatever relationship they did have. “I’m sorry.”
----------------------
Two days earlier
Jill sat in a café sipping a cup of tea and reading a book. It had been about a week since the trial and she had healed a decent amount. She would still have to go in often for checkups, but she felt much better. She especially liked that a simple ibuprofen worked to stop any pain, instead of the pain medication she had taken before.
She was alone, waiting for Claire. The redhead was only a few minutes late and Jill had plenty of patience. Jill was sure Claire would arrive before the coffee that had been ordered for her got cold. The two women had been meeting every once in a while in the past week and Jill already felt better. When she was with a friend, she could hide her issues. She was much happier with an actual friend again.
The café she was sitting in was nearly empty. It had been a while since she had visited it. Not far down was the strip, a long area with stalls set up on the sidewalk selling all variety of things from food to jewelry to clothing. She was more drawn to those areas when she was in other cities. Other cities had different variances on things. In Pittsburgh, a lot of the clothing was based on their sports teams, as well as quite a bit on the Irish part of the city. New York City was all based on itself. Well, not all perhaps, but a great deal.
“Jill!” Claire spoke as she rushed up to the table after entering the place.
Jill smiled at the sight of her friend. “Hey, Claire.”
“Sorry I’m late. I got held up in traffic.”
“It’s fine. I ordered you a coffee.” She gestured to the mug sitting on the other side of the table.
“Oh, thanks!” Claire sat down, took a sip of her drink and smiled. “That’s good.”
“How’s your day been?” Jill asked casually as she set down her book.
Claire shrugged. “Pretty average, I’d say. What about you? How’s your shoulder?”
Jill mirrored the shrug, but only on one side. “Okay, I suppose. I can get the bandage off in about a week. It’ll be nice letting some air get at it.”
“Letting air at it?” Claire snorted. “Gonna start wearing that old tube top of yours again? That’s the only way you’ll get any air to your shoulder.” She chuckled. “That, or walk around topless.” Jill rolled her eyes. “What? You can go to New York. Probably a lot of other states too. It’s legal there. Where ever a guy can go shirtless, so can a girl.”
Jill laughed. “Claire, if that’s what you were doing in New York last year, I’d avoid telling your brother.”
The redhead grinned. “What happens in New York stays in New York.”
“Oh God,” Jill laughed a loud. “It sounds like you found that state much more exciting than I did.”
“Where’d you go when you went?”
“A town in the Catskills. We were requested to provide assistance out there.”
“See? You have to go to the cities. Rochester, Syracuse. And of course New York City.” Claire nodded to agree with her own point. “There are some great clubs around New York!”
“Clubs you go shirtless in?”
Shock filled her face. “What? No!” She shook her head. “Uh-uh. In most clubs, girls are just an ass and a pair of tits to the guys. Exposing one or the other gets you grabbed.”
“You don’t even have to do that much. No matter what, if you have them, they get grabbed.” Jill shrugged. “Trust me, I know.”
“Oh yes, the well-endowed Jill Valentine knows all that happens when you’ve got an ass and chest like hers.” Claire made a dramatic gesture, friendly mocking the woman she was with.
The brunette rolled her eyes. “Ha ha. So funny. You’re just jealous.”
Claire’s tone went increasingly sarcastic. “Oh, completely. I want nearly every man at my work place fawning over me.”
“Oh, the guys you work with want me too?” Jill joked, grinning.
Her friend rolled her eyes. “I’m sure they would if they saw you. Except Arnie. He wants the D.”
Jill put a hand over her face in fake shame. “Oh my God, Claire.”
“I’m only saying the truth.” The redhead laughed and kept the smile on her face. “I understand where he’s coming from with that too.”
“Do you talk to your brother like this?” the other woman chuckled.
A head shake. “Please, if I did, I’d be locked away in some distant tower with an iron chastity belt on. Surrounding the tower would be a field of mines protected by a huge dragon that is protected by an even bigger dragon that was a chastity belt in a past life.” The two women could only laugh at the statement for a long moment.
After talking some, the two got up and made their way down the strip. They spent the day walking around the city and talking. A little past noon, they stopped for lunch in a small diner. They continued to chat, catching up on any happenings they hadn’t yet. Their attitudes towards each other had changed immensely since Chris had woken. Where they had been wary of each other during the expanse of Chris’s coma, like two beasts circling each other. Now, they were suddenly friends again and were having almost sisterly chats. It was a pleasant change.
Eventually, they reached Jill’s apartment. Jill had walked to the café from there that morning, as it wasn’t too terribly far.
“You sure you don’t want me to drive you to your car?” Jill asked.
Claire nodded. “I’m good. I’ve got mace in my purse and I know self-defense. Plus it’s not that far away. A block or two maybe.”
“Well, be careful.” She paused. “Oh, and Claire?”
“Yeah?”
Jill stepped forward and hugged the redhead. “Thanks for being my friend again.”
Claire was quick to hug back and smile. “No problem, Jill.”
I'm waiting for an update from Soft Sounds and Hard Impacts, dear Autumn. but maybe it's too early to ask for an update? xD
I’ve got about half of the chapter done, and am working on it. I’ve got to include a lot because of what happens soon, so I’m working!~
I’m going to try and post it by Friday, but I’ve got school work to do, unfortunately. But I write in all of my spare time, so rest assured, it’ll be up soon!
Betty isn't ugly, just angry.
Soft Sounds and Hard Impacts: Chapter Fifteen
You believe that you're innocent. You're relieving your guilt. The Jury seems to be deadlocked. Look at the drama you built. - A Rumour of Skin, Stone Sour
Jill was hoping someone would come visit. Chris had said he would but she knew for a fact the man didn't wake up before eight unless he absolutely had to. She remembered many times back before his coma where she had burst into his apartment and dragged him out of bed so he wasn't late for work. She couldn't expect to see him for another two hours at least.
She felt wide awake, despite lack of sleep. It was as though all those hours Chris had slept during his coma had somehow brought her energy. She hated being so still; she needed to move or she'd get left behind. But the hospital wasn't a place for movement. It was quite the opposite. The hospital was a place for rest and stillness. She was estranged in the large, too white place. When Chris was there, she felt welcome and loved and happy. When Claire was there, she felt as thought she wasn't alone anymore for a brief time. When Betty was in the room she felt as though she had a friend she could talk to. No one else of importance had gone to visit her. Alone at the hospital was the worst thing. Jill hated it.
She pulled her legs up onto the chair with her, hugging them. She wished she could go back to sleep. Sleep could hold her for a while until Chris arrived and spoke to her for a short while. Maybe Chris would hold her too. Her first night at the hospital, with him there, had been fine; devoid of nightmares, peaceful, and full of happy scenes floating lazily through her mind. They vanished from her mind as soon as her eyes opened.
"Jill?" a man's voice spoke. It wasn't a voice she expected at all. She turned.
"Dad? What are you doing here?" She hadn't seen him in over a year, her father, Dick Valentine. "You dyed your hair."
He shrugged and brushed a hand through his now black hair, a timid smile on his lips. "Not much hair left to dye." He offered his arms out. "Can I get a hug?"
She recovered from the small shock at seeing her father and stepped towards him. "Yeah, of course!" A warm hug was shared between father and daughter. When they parted, she offered him the chair and took a spot on the bed. "How did you find out I was here?"
"Well, I called your apartment yesterday morning. Chris answered and told me what happened." He paused, wondering whether or not to address how she was living with her partner, but decided not to. "I bought a plane ticket and came out to see you." He opened the satchel that looped over his shoulder and hung at his side. "I did grab something first, though, before leaving." He pulled out a worn teddy bear with one eye missing.
"My teddy bear!" Jill smiled wide as her father handed her the worn animal. She hugged it to her chest and looked up at him. "Thanks!"
He smiled at her. "I thought it'd help you heal up. Or at least make you more comfortable while you're here."
"He'll definitely help!" Jill set the bear in her lap and looked over at her dad again. "How long will you be in the city? I know you and a lot of people around here don't get along, so..."
Her father chuckled. "Yeah. You're partner is one of them."
"Well, he's got no proof on anything he can arrest you with. Besides, you're visiting me, so he'll be just fine." Jill knew she could get her father out of any issue with Chris. Chris would listen to her, of that, she was sure; he was more than willing to be her slave, but she was less than willing to be the slave master.
"Gonna bat your baby blues at him so he melts and listens to you?" the older man joked, half under the impression that his daughter was in a relationship with the marksman.
Jill blushed and looked back down at her teddy bear. "How long are you staying, Dad?"
"Only the next few hours, unfortunately. I only came to see you. To stay any longer would be dangerous with the people after me in this city."
Jill nodded. "Okay. You'll probably be able to see Chris. He promised to stop by this morning."
"Does he visit you often?"
"Yeah, everyday. For a few minutes before work, and then a few hours after work." She shrugged. "He spends most of his free time here." She gestured to the roses that Betty had put in a vase on the nightstand. "He brought me those yesterday."
"I'm glad he's taking care of you, then. I can't be around to protect my baby girl anymore."
She rolled her eyes. "Dad, I'm not a baby."
He mirrored her eye roll. "However cliched it is, you're still my baby girl. Always will be."
"Dad..." Someone cleared their throat as they entered the room. Jill looked towards the sound. "Oh, hey, Chris! You're here early!" She smiled at him, her grip tightening some on her teddy bear.
He nodded. "Yeah. I wanted to have a little while to spend with you before I have to go in." He glanced over at her father and gave him a nod of recognition. "Sir." He made no move other than that.
The man chuckled. "Don't be so formal. Call me by my first name."
Chris nodded. "Okay."
"I'm glad you managed to pull yourself out of bed early, Chris," Jill said happily. She was in a great mood and she had no idea why. Maybe it was because her father was visiting. She didn't know.
The marksman smiled at her. "I wanted a little longer with you." He stood awkwardly to the side, hands in his pockets.
"You can take the chair, if you want," Dick spoke, starting to stand.
Chris shook his head. "I'm fine, I can stand."
Jill moved over on the bed and patted the spot she opened. "Sit here," she ordered Chris. He did as he was told, sitting close beside her. She held up her teddy bear to him. "Dad brought me my teddy bear." Chris smiled at her.
Jill's father left around twelve, his flight being at one. Chris had left much earlier, closer to eight. He didn't know when the break was in the trial, but he assured her he'd come back, and bring her lunch. Her good mood had faded some, but not much. She cuddled down into the blankets, hugging her teddy bear close.
Chris was a constant in Jill's mind. Laying there in her hospital bed, he was the basis of her thoughts. She enjoyed his company and she loved him. She shouldn't; she had caused his coma in her failure to disarm the bomb, not to mention she was in a relationship with another man. Chris was too good for her, any how.
She tried to turn her mind turned off the subject of Chris (it was painful at times) to the subject of her father. His visit had been a surprise, and a pleasant one at that. She only got to see him, at most, twice a year. He was in a bad way with many of the city crime units in the area. He didn't go into the city often, for fear of threats on his life.
Jill hadn't left the city in the past two years, one month... Or was it more than one now? Almost two months now, since the two year mark in Chris's coma. She was thankful they could move on from that, though, she guessed they really hadn't yet. He had developed feelings for her in that Dream of his. She was jealous of herself, the her that got to spend over ten years with him. Ten years of a relationship with Chris. It was a tantalizing thought, one that sparked hope in her chest, warm and over-coming. But only moments after that feeling came the knowledge it would never happen. She was a danger to him; she couldn't protect him. The warmth that had started within vanished, taken up by an icy expanse of pain.
She curled in on herself, teddy bear clutched close. She made a wrong movement and cringed as pain flew over her shoulder before sinking in and turning into a tender ache. Why couldn't the bullet have just hit a few inches lower and gone straight for her heart? If that had happened, she wouldn't be going through the emotional or physical pain she was at that moment.
She closed her eyes to try to shut out the thoughts and, before she knew it, dozed off.
She wasn't sure how much later she was woken up by Chris. "Hey, wake up, V. I've got your lunch." She sat up and yawned, stretching her arms out. He held up a subway bag. "Toasted italian bread with hard salami, lettuce, tomato, onions, mayonnaise and banana peppers."
She smiled. "You know me really well, Bear."
He nodded and smiled back, handing her the bag. "You're my partner. How could I not?" He had his own sub with him as well. He sat down in the chair after pulling it closer to her.
"How's the trial going?"
He groaned. "Let's not ruin lunch with work talk." She rolled her eyes as she took a bite of her food. "How're you feeling? How's your shoulder?"
She shrugged on her uninjured side. "I'm fine. Shoulder's in some pain."
"Did you ask the nurse for pain killers?"
Jill shook her head. "I'm fine. I don't want any."
He sighed. "Jill..."
"Chris, I'm fine. I can handle a little pain."
"But I don't like that you're in pain..."
She rolled her eyes again and looked over at him. "I'm perfectly okay, Chris."
He grumbled to himself, something about her needing to take her medicine, before taking a bite of his own sandwich.
They talked about things they wanted to speak of, not the things they would someday have to speak of such as their mutual feelings for each other that only she knew about, or her known depression that, though he didn't know it, he was helping her past. Their voices were happy and only for each other, speaking of what Claire was doing, what was going on in the office, and, late in the conversation, the trial.
"Well, you won't like it…" Chris stated cautiously. "I don't like it. In fact, I hate it. I wish I could go up there and give them a piece of my mind," he grumbled; she could hear the frustration in his voice.
"What's going on…?" she asked in a wary voice.
He bit his lip, looking at her. "Cuilter is trying to claim Hannah is the one that shot you."
Jill's hands clenched into fists, her nails digging into her palms. "… What?" He didn't need to say it again. "How?!"
"They're making the claims that the blood spatter is suspicious, and that since you were the only one not associated with the crime in the room, he can make a claim like that. They're trying to create reasonable doubt so he can get out of the attempt at murder charge and the charge of shooting as officer of the law."
She sighed, angry, and stood up from the bed, a grim look on her face. She picked up her shoes from where they were stashed near the bag of clothes she had. She moved back to the bed and sat on the edge. With some effort and a great deal of pain around her stiches, she pulled her shoes on.
"Jill? What are you doing?" Chris asked, eyes widening some.
She didn't answer, but asked, "When do you need to be back in court?"
"I have to leave here in a few minutes. Why?"
She stood up again, cringing and holding a hand over her shoulder, but only for a second. She grabbed her bag of clothes and started walking out the door. "Let's leave then."
"Jill, wait—" He stood and was by her in half a second. "You aren't leaving. You aren't healed enough."
She turned on him, pressing a hand against his chest, pushing him back. "I am leaving, Christopher. I'm going to go testify and get Cuilter's lying ass thrown in jail." She dropped her hand down to grab his. "I won't let Hannah go to jail for something she didn't do. I'm going to that court and I'm going to fucking tell them what happened, including how Cuilter shot me, not Hannah. You're driving. Okay?"
He nodded, overwhelmed by her anger. "Okay." He hesitated, wishing he could kiss her. "I love you, Jill."
She was caught off guard by his sudden statement. She pulled him into a tight hug, ignoring the now furious pain in her shoulder. He hugged back, trying to be gentle as he enveloped her. She pulled away and grabbed his hand up again. "Let's go, Chris."
They arrived a little late, but took their places. She was added to the witness list, much to the chagrin of Cuilter's lawyer. She saw Cuilter, a large purple bruise on the side of his face. She also noticed Hannah sitting on her own side. It was a long while before Jill was called to the stand.
"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"
"I do," Jill answered.
The first up to question her was Hannah's lawyer. "Miss Valentine, it's true that you were undercover at Oak Grove Amusement Park, correct?"
"Yes."
"And while undercover, you made contact with my client, Hannah Ohera?"
"Yes."
"And is it true she led you to the place where you were shot, promising the sale of drugs from her boyfriend's hands?"
"Yes, that's true."
"And when you entered the room she led you to, you saw Mr. Cuilter there, right?"
"Yes."
The man paused before continuing on. "How is it that you recognized Mr. Cuilter?"
She glanced over at Chris before returning to the man questioning her. "I went with my partner to one of his shrink appointments. Cuilter was the shrink."
The lawyer nodded, understanding. "Okay, Miss Valentine, one more question; who is it that shot you that day?"
Jill scowled. "Kevin Cuilter."
"No further questions, your honor." He stepped back and returned to his spot beside Hannah. Jill's eyes met Chris's as Cuilter's lawyer was called forward. She took a deep breath and pulled her eyes from him to the lawyer. "Miss Valentine, are you aware that, after shock or injury, people often black out and are unable to remember anything after that?"
"I'm aware of that."
"So are you certain you remember the happenings after you were shot?"
She scowled. "Every last detail."
"Are you sure the events you remember actually happened? That it's not just space filled with what you want to remember?" He walked back and forth in front of her as he spoke.
She spoke, anger hidden in her voice. "I am more sure of who shot me than you are of the possibility that you are a failed abortion." He paused in his steps and frowned. She continued to speak. "I remember every second of what happened from when I was shot to when I passed out." She clenched her fists. "I remember stepping into the room and seeing him. I remember the feeling of a bullet piercing my skin, digging into my flesh, and me falling to the ground. I remember Hannah trying to stop the blood until Cuilter grabbed her by the throat and started screaming at her!" Jill's eyes flashed, voice rising in level with every sentence. "I remember my partner bursting into the room, punching Cuilter, and then kneeling over me, pushing his hands over the wound! I remember him begging me to stay awake! I remember looking up at him and trying to speak! I remember the words I wanted to be my last as my partner watched me die!" She shouted the last part, standing and slamming her fist on the surface in front of her. "Does that sound like I don't remember?!" She cringed as the pain rushed over her, sitting back down with a hand over her injury.
Cuilter's lawyer took a step back. "No further questions."
Jill was excused from the stand and she returned to Chris. "Bring me home," she mumbled. "I don't want to be here anymore and I refuse to go back to the hospital."
He sighed and nodded. "You should go back, but I won't make you." He stood, following her out. "What do you want for dinner?"
She shrugged. "I don't care."
"We can pick up some Chinese food on the way," he offered.
"Okay," she answered. He led her to the car. His mind was on the ways he could make her happy, a nearly impossible thing with the mood she was in.
He took her hand as they drove and her grip on his became iron. He pulled her hand up to his mouth and kissed her fingertips. She relaxed some at his touches, enough so that she was able to go into the Chinese place with him. She didn't let go of his hand though, but clung to it. Half of the reason was the pain pulsing through her, the other half being how she wanted to be closer to him.
They arrived back at her apartment and ate, neither speaking a word.
After they finished, she disappeared into her room. He sat on the couch, head leaning back, eyes staring at the ceiling.
"Chris?" He looked up towards her voice. She was at the end of the hall and had changed into her pyjamas.
"What is it, V?"
"Can…" She hesitated. "Can you lay with me? At least," she paused and bit her lip. "At least until I fall asleep?"
He seemed surprised by the request, but stood. "Yeah. Yeah, of course." She gave him a half smile and went back into her room. He followed and got there when she was already settled into her bed. He climbed in beside her after closing the door so the light that echoed down the hall from the window couldn't keep them awake. He wrapped his arms around her, keeping her close. She sighed, already falling prey to sleep.
He stared at what little bit her could see of her; the side of her face, her hair, part of her neck. He was reminded of a couple nights earlier when they had slept nestled together in her hospital bed. She had claimed then that she didn't remember what she had tried to say to him. But in the courtroom, she had emphasized the fact that she had remembered.
He closed his eyes, focusing on her in his arms. He didn't need to know right then. If it was important (and it must be if she had chosen them for her last words), she'd tell him later.
He could wait forever for her.
Ugh, why can't they just make out on the hospital bed I mean really this scene I'm writing is full of sexual tension and sadness what am I doing
Soft Sounds and Hard Impacts: Chapter Thirteen
How could the world have turned so ugly? I am dying. Could you touch me again? Touch me again. - Swan Song, A Fine Frenzy
Speaking of Chris. He was seated in the chair beside her, his hand holding to hers. "Jill!" he spoke happily, a smile lighting up his face. "Thank God you're awake." He leaned forward and brushed his hand over her cheek. She leaned against it as she fought to think back to the reason.
"I... I was shot."
He nodded. "Yeah."
"How badly?" She could feel where, but she didn't want to risk looking down at the area to see the bandages.
"It'll take a while to heal. The stitches will be out in a couple weeks, but the bullet hit your bone. That will take a lot longer, but as long as you don't put too much strain on it, it'll be fine."
Jill held his hand against her face. "How long have I been out?"
He moved his thumb back and forth under her eye, rubbing gently. "About three days. Once we got you to the hospital, they put you in surgery."
"And Cuilter?"
"Arrested. As well as Hannah."
Jill's eyes grew wide. "But Hannah shouldn't be. She tried to help me!" Jill held Chris's wrist tight in her grip. "She tried to stop the bleeding!"
He shrugged, looking down at his lap. "She's considered an accomplice to the crime. The trial on them both starts today. She refused to be grouped with him, though, because she didn't have anything to do with you being shot."
"He'll be convicted, right?"
"Well, he's already got a two-year term for selling drugs within 1,500ft of a place that deals mainly with children as costumers."
"That's not long enough!"
"Wait a second, you didn't let me finish." She rolled her eyes but remained quiet. "He's on trial for shooting you, and for the kind of drugs he was dealing. Hannah is only being charged with the selling of drugs and the usage of drugs. She'll have a much shorter sentence than him, don't worry."
Jill dropped his hand and frowned. "I suppose that's better. How long will the trial last?"
"They want it to go as quickly as possible. They don't want it longer than half a month." He trailed his hand down her arm. Once he reached her hand again, he picked it up and kissed the back of it before releasing it. His face lit up as he remembered something. "Oh! I've got to go get Betty. Or would you rather wait until she shows up on her break?"
Jill glanced around the room. She saw her cellphone on the nightstand and wondered if anyone had thought to call Payton. "You can go get her... Please."
He nodded and was out of the room in half a second. She reached for her phone, cringing as her stitches were tugged a bit by the effort. Her finger tips grazed it, managing to bring it closer enough so she could pick it up. It took a moment to find Payton in her contacts. She hit talk and put the phone to her ear. It rang and rang until voice mail picked up. She sighed and redialed the number. It stopped ringing after just three times. She swore and gripped her phone tight in her hand, wishing she could crush it.
She looked down and pulled back the hospital gown she was in so she could see the bandage on her chest . It looked just the same as any other bandage she had gotten, though much bigger. She hesitantly touched the outside of it and cringed. She gently placed the thin fabric back over the bandage and shook her head. She had thought that the bullet was going to kill her. She had expected to die and had embraced it. She had tried to say her last words to Chris before passing out, but she wasn't sure if she had or not.
Did he know?
No, he couldn't know.
He would act different towards her if he did. But he acted as if everything was the same as before. He was affectionate, but hadn't been anything other than that. That was who he was. Well, towards her at least. Towards others, he was different. He had anger issues, she knew that. She had been lucid when he had hit Cuilter and was sure the dealer had been left with a harsh bruise. She also knew, had she not been bleeding out on the ground, Cuilter would have gotten more than just one punch. Chris wasn't easily calmed by anyone but Claire and Jill.
Claire. She hadn't spoken to the woman since Chris was still in the hospital. Jill had seen the redhead in the vague dreams that had floated in and out of her head in her days of unconsciousness. Along with Claire, Chris made frequent appearances, sometimes awake, sometimes back in his coma. Her father had been there too. Payton had barely even registered in the dream. Chris was really the only constant in the dream, and Jill knew exactly why.
She had already admitted it to herself, but she didn't want to. She could never tell him either, not with what she had done. If she had just stopped that damn bomb from blowing, she would've already tried to get in a relationship with him. Payton was nothing to her. She felt mean thinking it, but it was true. He was a distraction, an excuse. If Chris knew she was in a relationship, he wouldn't attempt to get closer. She couldn't handle that, not when she felt responsible for the accident that had taken away over two years of his life and sent him into a dark dream full of monsters.
She was in love with Chris Redfield.
She had only admitted it to herself when he was suddenly there over her, trying to keep her blood in her body. Seeing him made her somehow okay with her own death. She felt okay in knowing that her last moments would be composed of seeing his face, as long as she could say her last words to him; "I love you".
But the words must not have formed well enough to be understood, or maybe she just hadn't said it loud enough. Or maybe he was just acting like he hadn't heard it and would ask about it later.
"Jill!" Betty stood at the doorway. "Jill, sweetie, why'd you have to go and get shot?" She entered the room and Chris followed behind.
Jill couldn't help but smile at her friend's words. "I didn't mean to. It's not like I wanted it to happen."
Betty sighed. "Hun, you gotta be careful."
"I know, I know."
The blonde looked back at Chris. "Oh, Chris. I'm gonna pull some strings so you can stay here tonight. Someone needs to watch Jill and make sure she doesn't get into anymore trouble."
He chuckled. "I'd be happy to stay here tonight. Is that okay with you, Jill?"
She nodded. "Yes," she answered quickly. "Please."
Their eyes met for a few seconds, something Betty took notice of. She didn't interrupt it.
Jill closed her eyes after a few moments. When she opened them again, they were directed at Betty. "Betty, when can I be released?"
The blonde nurse snatched up the clipboard off of the end of the bed. "It says next Wednesday on here."
"But that's almost a week away!" Jill exclaimed. "I don't want to be here that long!" She frowned, almost angry.
Betty shrugged. "You've got to heal up. It'll be another two weeks until you can get your stitches out." Jill huffed and threw her hands down on the bed. Betty rolled her eyes. "Oh, get over it. You've got this hunk of man here to keep you company." She gestured to Chris before making him sit back down in the chair beside the bed.
Jill smiled a bit, hoping he'd take her hand or something where they made contact. She wanted him close... He did indeed take her hand, holding it firmly in his grasp.
Jill squeezed his hand before speaking again. "But can't I get out of here in a couple of days? I mean, even if I can only do paperwork at work-"
"Jill, you aren't going back to work for another week and a half at least. As for getting out of here, I'm pretty sure that you'll have to wait until Wednesday."
Jill made a sound like a growl. "I hate hospitals."
Betty chuckled. "So does everyone. Now, I have to get back to work. I'll check in on you later." With that, she made her exit.
Jill and Chris talked for hours about everything they could, even the Dream. He was honest in all his answers and detailed. Her questions included details on where they lived, who they knew, and their inside jokes. He asked if she had dreamt anything in the short time she was unconcious. She told him of the faded images that had floated through her mind and how he had often been among them.
After dark, she began grew tired. Chris was reassured by Betty that he could stay, so he did, settling himself down in his chair.
Jill looked at him, tired eyes wide and hopeful. She wanted him to be close to her again and snuggle her.
"Chris?"
"Yeah, Jill?"
"Will you lay down with me?" He nodded and moved to her uninjured side. There, he settled in on his side, an arm over her stomach. She turned her head to kiss him, briefly. He nuzzled against her and her voiced sounded again. "Chris?"
"Hm?"
"Do you... Did I say anything before I passed out after being shot?"
He was half asleep already. He shrugged. "I think you tried to, but couldn't quite..."
She nodded, feeling an odd mix of relief and disappointment at his statement. One half, the side of her that wanted to live, wanted him to know what she had tried to say. The other part of her, the one that wanted to die, was glad he didn't find out. "Oh, okay."
"Why, is there something you wanted me to know?"
"I... Can't remember," she murmured.
He kissed the side of her neck. "Goodnight, Jill."
"Goodnight..."
Claire's phone startled her as it started ringing. She recognized the ringtone as Chris's. She picked it up. "Hello?"
"Hey, Claire." It was indeed Chris. "You said you wanted to know when she was awake. She woke up yesterday, but I didn't want her overwhelmed. I hope you don't mind that I waited until today to tell you."
"No, it's fine." The redhead bit her lip. "Is she... Is she okay?"
"Yeah, she's fine. Still in some pain, but they've got her on medicine."
"Well, today's my day off. I'll have to go and see her."
"I told her you might. And I don't think she's angry with you. I'm not really sure what emotion she feels towards you."
The redhead gritted her teeth. "She probably is angry with me, with what I said..." She had no right to say something like that to her brother's partner, her lost friend.
"Claire?"
"Yeah, Chris?"
"I love you."
"I love you too, big brother."
They both said a short goodbye before hanging up their phones.
Claire sat up in her spot on the couch and held her head in her hands. "Oh, how am I going to do this?" She wanted Jill back as a friend and she wanted to right her wrong words.
She remembered how nice it was, being Jill's friend. The two women had been close before Chris's accident. They'd go out to lunch, go shopping, tease Chris. They had been best friends. But because of what Claire saw as her own stupidity, she and Jill were no longer friends.
She needed to apologize, badly.
"I'll simply go in, say I'm sorry, and wait for her response," the redhead said to herself. "I really hope she's not too mad at me..."
So let me just throw in this random bit of angst that fill the readers with sad and then make it worse by killing someone.
But who to kill?