★ but I'm going to be okay as long as you're beside me along the way

[complexguy]

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[dharmalady]

She hums and then she's out for about an hour. When she wakes up, she's wrapped and able to go home when she's ready.

With James' help, Juliet sits up slowly, closing her eyes as she winces. "The next few weeks are gonna suck."

[complexguy]

"No doubt about that," he sighs a little in agreement, keeping one hand on her back as he helps her to stand. "But you ain't in this alone, Juliet."

[dharmalady]

Juliet holds onto him, offering a weak smile before they head home slowly. Getting in and out of a jeep would be worse than simply walking, so that's what they do. By the time they're home, breathing hurts, and she just wants to sit.

"Think I'll get worker's comp?" she jokes, trying to make him joke in return.

[complexguy]

In other circumstances, a responding joke would have been easy and automatic. But she's in pain, and he can see the tension in her face, how out of breath she is just from walking. It's all because it hurts like hell, and he's damn grateful she's alive, but that fear hasn't yet dissipated.

"Don't seem the type around here," he grunts back, getting her situated on their couch.

[dharmalady]

When he can't make a joke in return, she knows he's still terrified; truthfully, she was too. Now, she can assess herself medically but before, all she could think was that she had her one good thing, and of course, she would die for it.

Reaching out for him, she tugs so that he's kneeling by the couch, eye level with her. Then, she cradles his face with one hand.

"I'm okay, James," she whispers quietly, stroking his cheek. "Everything's okay now. I'll heal, fully."

[complexguy]

He does get down on one knee, right there beside her, leaning his cheek into her hand a little more. "When I got there and I saw you just layin' under that van..." His voice gets suspiciously shaky.

[dharmalady]

She reaches out, trying to pull him closer, wanting to kiss him. When she finds his lips with her own.

"I was terrified," Juliet admits. "I just wanted you."

[complexguy]

He doesn't hesitate to kiss her back, over and over. When he pulls back, his forehead comes to rest against hers. "I ain't used to feelin' this way, Juliet."

[dharmalady]

"Me either," she admits, closing her eyes and taking as deep a breath as she can without wincing.

"I hope I never make you feel like this again," Juliet says sincerely, lightly pressing her lips against his once more.

"Talk to me," she urges. "Are you okay?"

[complexguy]

He looks her over, eyes roaming the length of her body and focusing on her upper abdomen where her ribs are wrapped. She'd been so hurt, she could have been bleeding internally. It's only by pure luck that she's not.

He gives her question serious consideration for a minute, but then quickly diverts rather than answer her.

"Can I get ya anything?" As he asks, his hand comes to rest against her wrist, and it's almost as if he hasn't heard her at all.

[dharmalady]

"Pillow and a blanket?" she asks softly, worried about him, not sure if he simply needs to do something.

"And one of those pills they sent me home with."

[complexguy]

He leans in to kiss her softly again for a moment, nodding a little. But then he gets up and grabs everything she needs, bringing back a glass of water and a pill.

"This everything you need, sweetheart?"

[dharmalady]

"Yeah," she breathes out, taking the pill and then laying back down.

"Will you sit here with me?" Juliet murmurs quietly, reaching for his hand. "Just until I fall asleep."

[complexguy]

"You sure you don't wanna be in the bed?" He asks softly, though he does take her hand. "I'll carry you."

[dharmalady]

"I'm okay, here," she promises, knowing out here, she won't accidentally roll and hurt herself further in her sleep.

Already, her eyes feel heavy, and she begins to relax as the pain lessens.

"I just wanna hear your voice."

[complexguy]

As he breathes slowly in and out, measuring each breath, he watches her face intently. Then, his fingers stroke up and down her arm tenderly. "You got it, Blondie."

James reaches for the book on the table now, beginning to read while keeping one hand on her.

[dharmalady]

Juliet is out quickly, sleeping soundly right there on the couch. When she wakes, it's late and she's hungry. She makes a soft whimpering noise to indicate her coming back to consciousness, carefully stretching until she can't.

"James," she murmurs, hand reaching for him in the dark.

[complexguy]

He's moved around a little since she fell asleep, but mostly stayed right there with her. He'd gently pulled her legs into his lap, quietly reading while she slept. So when she wakes up, he's still right there, and immediately reaches for her hand.

"Hey, darlin'."

[dharmalady]

"Gimmie a kiss and call me sweetheart," she murmurs, opening her eyes and smiling at him sleepily.

"Then feed me, please."

[complexguy]

"You like that better?" He smiles a little back at her before shifting to lean in and kiss her. "How you feelin', sweetheart?"

[dharmalady]

"I like everything you call me," she breathes out, reaching up to stroke his cheek.

"I feel...sore, and like I can't catch a full breath. That'll fade as I feel up," she promises.

"Help me up?"

[complexguy]

"Should you really be sittin' up?" She would know better than him, he's just worried about everything when it comes to her right now.

[dharmalady]

"Just to go to the bathroom and eat. Then I'll lay back down," she promises him.

"I'll take it easy, James. I'd like to think I'm a pretty good patient."

[complexguy]

"Alright, I'm holdin' you to that." He slowly helps her sit up, wrapping a firm arm around her waist to guide her to the bathroom slowly.

[dharmalady]

She's fine on her own from there, and when she comes back into the living room, she slowly sits down at their dining room table, not having to bend as much as she would to get back down on the couch.

"What's on the menu?" she asks, smiling thinly.