Saving Jamie
folder
Angst › General
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
7
Views:
1,687
Reviews:
12
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Angst › General
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
7
Views:
1,687
Reviews:
12
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The Author holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.
Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Bryan woke slowly. He had slept more peacefully than he had in a long time. Sometime during his slumber his nightmares just left him completely, leaving him to a blissfully dreamless sleep. That had never happened before, and he cast a glance at Jamie, wondering if had something to do with it. She was still sleeping, but she had turned on to her side at some point, he noticed.
He stood up and stretched for a moment, for his body was stiff from sleeping in a chair. As he stood he studied her sleeping form. Something was not right, besides her bandaged wrist of course. After looking at her for a moment he realized what had seemed out of place. The sleeves of the hospital gown had scrunched up and fading bruises could be seen.
He felt a wave of protectiveness threaten to rise up and he quickly squashed it. He was uncomfortable with feeling strong emotion, he wasn't used to it. But, he couldn't help but wonder who had hurt her. He searched his brain for facts about her and only came up with a few. He didn't like that either... Not knowing was dangerous, and the wounds could take a long time to heal. He should know, his were still raw.
The few things that he did know about her did not help him much. She lived with hetherther, she didn't have any friends, and... she seemed to favor the color blue. He smirked at the last part. That was certainly a fact he would never need, but for some reason it was locked in his brain. The fact that she lived with her father stuck out the most. Could he be the one hurting her? His own daughter, treating her like a thing to take his anger out on? He shook his head, he didn't care, after she woke up he would leave and he wouldn't bother with her.
Liar, his inner voice mocked him. You are,are, your angry because someone has been hurting her, you care that she is in pain. You wish that you could make her pain go away. You're falling fast for a girl you barely know. You're growing weak, affection equals weakness.
Shut up. He growled at the voice. He had termed that voice his "˜non-conscience' because it had never had anything encouraging or good to say. It just seemed to have fun making his life miserable. He sometimes wondered if her was crazy, because he had conversations and arguments with himself. He also wondered why he was stuck with this "˜non-conscience' instead of a regular conscience. The latter seemed to have disappeared some time ago.
Movement from Jamie snapped him out of his thoughts. She sat up slowly and rubbed her eyes. She stretched for a moment, just as he had done, and then looked at him. The fact that he was standing up, and half turned toward the door, registered quickly in her still sleep foggy brain. "Are you leaving?" She asked, suddenly afraid that he would leave her alone.
Bryan's gaze darted from the door to Jamie a few times, as he had another inner argument with himself. Finally his gaze settled on her, and he shook his head. "No, I'm not leaving." A smile brightened up her face as he said this, and he couldn't help but notice how she looked radiant when she smiled. He kicked himself mentally and tried to lock that thought in a dark corner of his mind. Finally, after w mow moments of inner struggle, he succeeded in pushing that thought away.
He sat down again and looked at her for a moment until he spoke again. "I have another question." He said and she nodded. "Last night I asked you why you would try to kill yourself. You told me as soon as I asked, without a moment of hesitation. Why did you open up to me so quickly?"
Jamie bit her bottom lip, and then spoke slowly, as if she wasn't sure of what she was saying. "I told you because... because I wanted to tell you. I guess I thought you had a right to know because you had saved me from... well from myself I guess, and that sounds just as corny as it does when I hear other people say it." She said, not looking at him. There was a tense silence for a moment before Jamie spoke again. "Oh look a remote for that TV over there." She said picking up the remote from the top of a table that was next to her bed. "I'm not allowed to watch TV at home, I wonder if anything's on."
Bryan looked at her as she so obviously changed the subject. He didn't blame her. It was hard to talk about death or near death experiences, he knew that he certainly didn't like to talk about what happened to his sister Mary... No, I can't think about that. I can't think about that, I won't think about it. Thinking about it won't bring her back... nothing can bring her back.
Anne walked into the room, temporarily distracting him from his inner monologue. "How are you feeling?" she asked. As she stood by Jamie's bed she cast a quick glance at Bryan and looked away, but he had seen it. She was probably wondering if he had kept the note, and he decided to just let her wonder.
"I'm feeling better than I was yesterday, my headache is almost gone, and my wrist doesn't hurt as much as it did." Jamie said, and Anne nodded. Jamie turned and looked Anne directly it the eye, her face serious. n can can I go home?"
Bryan heard Anne's breath catch and he knew that she had noticed the bruises on Jamie's arms as well, and he wondered if she had other bruises too. "Soon," Anne said, "but first I need to ask you a question." She said and Jamie nodded, "Where did you get those bruises?"
Jamie looked down at her lap. Her hands fiddled with the edge of the bed sheet. "I fell." She said, not looking at Anne. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going and I fell down the stairs at my house." Well, it was half the truth, she didn't tell them that her father had gotten angry because she had made to much noise. She didn't tell them that her father had been drunk and had hit her.
Anne looked at Jamie for a moment, knowing that she couldn't get Jamie to talk. But, maybe Bryan could. She sighed, "Very well, I'll talk to the doctor and see when he thinks you will be able to leave." As she turned to leave she gave Bryan a meaningful look, and he nodded, he didn't believe her story for a second.
Bryan didn't believe her, but he also knew that she wasn't going to share this piece of information like she had before. He had brought her to the hospital so she felt he had a right to know why she had done that. Her bruises, however, were none of his business. He hadn't helped her get away from those. No, she wouldn't tell him why right away. He would have to make her trust him, so she would tell him. He would get her to tell him, no matter how long it took because he was... because Anne was concerned.
"Oh look, cartoons." Jamie said in a quiet voice. She had turned on the TV and was staring at the screen, but Bryan could tell she wasn't paying attention to what she was looking at. She looked like she was seeing something besides what was really there. Like she was reliving a memory, a rather badory.ory.
AN: Okay, I know these hospital chapters make it seem that this is just becoming a sappy-finding-love kind of a story. It\'s not, but it\'s hard to write straight angst, and I find that those kind of stories are serious downers. Just wait until I get farther into the story \'kay? (no offense to annyone who reads or writes that kind of story, I just don\'t care for them)
reviews:
Diana- I\'m glad you liked the first chapter and I hope you like the second.
Diana- Yes, it probably would be horrible to wake up in a hospital bed. I\'m glad you like the story so far and I hope you enjoy the fifth chapter.
Diana- I\'m glad you like the fifth chapter, and yes I wiriterite more. I thought I already answered this question, no I\'m not depressed. No I really don\'t give a shit what people write about me, I just hope they like the story. Thank you for hoping that I have better day\'s ahead, sadly your hoping is going to waste... Oh, and tada... new chapter, now you just have to wait for the next oP.S.P.S. If you like this story check out my other one, \'Finding a Wolf in the Trees\'. Maybe reading it will help you pass the time until the next update.
Bryan woke slowly. He had slept more peacefully than he had in a long time. Sometime during his slumber his nightmares just left him completely, leaving him to a blissfully dreamless sleep. That had never happened before, and he cast a glance at Jamie, wondering if had something to do with it. She was still sleeping, but she had turned on to her side at some point, he noticed.
He stood up and stretched for a moment, for his body was stiff from sleeping in a chair. As he stood he studied her sleeping form. Something was not right, besides her bandaged wrist of course. After looking at her for a moment he realized what had seemed out of place. The sleeves of the hospital gown had scrunched up and fading bruises could be seen.
He felt a wave of protectiveness threaten to rise up and he quickly squashed it. He was uncomfortable with feeling strong emotion, he wasn't used to it. But, he couldn't help but wonder who had hurt her. He searched his brain for facts about her and only came up with a few. He didn't like that either... Not knowing was dangerous, and the wounds could take a long time to heal. He should know, his were still raw.
The few things that he did know about her did not help him much. She lived with hetherther, she didn't have any friends, and... she seemed to favor the color blue. He smirked at the last part. That was certainly a fact he would never need, but for some reason it was locked in his brain. The fact that she lived with her father stuck out the most. Could he be the one hurting her? His own daughter, treating her like a thing to take his anger out on? He shook his head, he didn't care, after she woke up he would leave and he wouldn't bother with her.
Liar, his inner voice mocked him. You are,are, your angry because someone has been hurting her, you care that she is in pain. You wish that you could make her pain go away. You're falling fast for a girl you barely know. You're growing weak, affection equals weakness.
Shut up. He growled at the voice. He had termed that voice his "˜non-conscience' because it had never had anything encouraging or good to say. It just seemed to have fun making his life miserable. He sometimes wondered if her was crazy, because he had conversations and arguments with himself. He also wondered why he was stuck with this "˜non-conscience' instead of a regular conscience. The latter seemed to have disappeared some time ago.
Movement from Jamie snapped him out of his thoughts. She sat up slowly and rubbed her eyes. She stretched for a moment, just as he had done, and then looked at him. The fact that he was standing up, and half turned toward the door, registered quickly in her still sleep foggy brain. "Are you leaving?" She asked, suddenly afraid that he would leave her alone.
Bryan's gaze darted from the door to Jamie a few times, as he had another inner argument with himself. Finally his gaze settled on her, and he shook his head. "No, I'm not leaving." A smile brightened up her face as he said this, and he couldn't help but notice how she looked radiant when she smiled. He kicked himself mentally and tried to lock that thought in a dark corner of his mind. Finally, after w mow moments of inner struggle, he succeeded in pushing that thought away.
He sat down again and looked at her for a moment until he spoke again. "I have another question." He said and she nodded. "Last night I asked you why you would try to kill yourself. You told me as soon as I asked, without a moment of hesitation. Why did you open up to me so quickly?"
Jamie bit her bottom lip, and then spoke slowly, as if she wasn't sure of what she was saying. "I told you because... because I wanted to tell you. I guess I thought you had a right to know because you had saved me from... well from myself I guess, and that sounds just as corny as it does when I hear other people say it." She said, not looking at him. There was a tense silence for a moment before Jamie spoke again. "Oh look a remote for that TV over there." She said picking up the remote from the top of a table that was next to her bed. "I'm not allowed to watch TV at home, I wonder if anything's on."
Bryan looked at her as she so obviously changed the subject. He didn't blame her. It was hard to talk about death or near death experiences, he knew that he certainly didn't like to talk about what happened to his sister Mary... No, I can't think about that. I can't think about that, I won't think about it. Thinking about it won't bring her back... nothing can bring her back.
Anne walked into the room, temporarily distracting him from his inner monologue. "How are you feeling?" she asked. As she stood by Jamie's bed she cast a quick glance at Bryan and looked away, but he had seen it. She was probably wondering if he had kept the note, and he decided to just let her wonder.
"I'm feeling better than I was yesterday, my headache is almost gone, and my wrist doesn't hurt as much as it did." Jamie said, and Anne nodded. Jamie turned and looked Anne directly it the eye, her face serious. n can can I go home?"
Bryan heard Anne's breath catch and he knew that she had noticed the bruises on Jamie's arms as well, and he wondered if she had other bruises too. "Soon," Anne said, "but first I need to ask you a question." She said and Jamie nodded, "Where did you get those bruises?"
Jamie looked down at her lap. Her hands fiddled with the edge of the bed sheet. "I fell." She said, not looking at Anne. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going and I fell down the stairs at my house." Well, it was half the truth, she didn't tell them that her father had gotten angry because she had made to much noise. She didn't tell them that her father had been drunk and had hit her.
Anne looked at Jamie for a moment, knowing that she couldn't get Jamie to talk. But, maybe Bryan could. She sighed, "Very well, I'll talk to the doctor and see when he thinks you will be able to leave." As she turned to leave she gave Bryan a meaningful look, and he nodded, he didn't believe her story for a second.
Bryan didn't believe her, but he also knew that she wasn't going to share this piece of information like she had before. He had brought her to the hospital so she felt he had a right to know why she had done that. Her bruises, however, were none of his business. He hadn't helped her get away from those. No, she wouldn't tell him why right away. He would have to make her trust him, so she would tell him. He would get her to tell him, no matter how long it took because he was... because Anne was concerned.
"Oh look, cartoons." Jamie said in a quiet voice. She had turned on the TV and was staring at the screen, but Bryan could tell she wasn't paying attention to what she was looking at. She looked like she was seeing something besides what was really there. Like she was reliving a memory, a rather badory.ory.
AN: Okay, I know these hospital chapters make it seem that this is just becoming a sappy-finding-love kind of a story. It\'s not, but it\'s hard to write straight angst, and I find that those kind of stories are serious downers. Just wait until I get farther into the story \'kay? (no offense to annyone who reads or writes that kind of story, I just don\'t care for them)
reviews:
Diana- I\'m glad you liked the first chapter and I hope you like the second.
Diana- Yes, it probably would be horrible to wake up in a hospital bed. I\'m glad you like the story so far and I hope you enjoy the fifth chapter.
Diana- I\'m glad you like the fifth chapter, and yes I wiriterite more. I thought I already answered this question, no I\'m not depressed. No I really don\'t give a shit what people write about me, I just hope they like the story. Thank you for hoping that I have better day\'s ahead, sadly your hoping is going to waste... Oh, and tada... new chapter, now you just have to wait for the next oP.S.P.S. If you like this story check out my other one, \'Finding a Wolf in the Trees\'. Maybe reading it will help you pass the time until the next update.