Author's Note: A Songfic for Johnny Cash's Cover of Nine Inch Nails "Hurt". Set sometime between Saw and Saw 2, John and Jill put Amanda through a "therapy" session. Enjoy!

Hurt

John sat down next to Amanda on her bed, blood dripping from the fresh cut on her left wrist. "You must meet death in order to be reborn." He said pulling Amanda close to him. Not knowing exactly what to do, Amanda clung to the aging man, as far as she was concerned, this "killer", whose face was plastered all over the local and National news, was the only person who cared about her.

"Congratulations Amanda, you've done it. By passing my little test with the "bear trap" mask, you've proven yourself worthy of carrying on my work. Before you do, however, there is one last thing you must complete." John got up and walked unsteadily to the door, wheezing with each step. John opened the door and a tall blond woman entered the room and took John's place beside Amanda. The woman gently touched Amanda's arm and brought her bloody wrist closer to her face.

"Mind if I touch it?" the woman asked Amanda, who gave a whimper of no, she flinched at the sensation of the woman's gentle caress on her wound. "I'm Jill," the woman spoke to ease Amanda's discomfort, "What's your name sweetheart?" Amanda eyed the woman with a gentle gaze, "Amanda."

Amanda convulsed slightly at the feeling of rubbing alcohol being poured on her cut, a few seconds later, she was comforted by the feeling of bandages on her scarred wrist. Jill set Amanda's wrist in her right hand and closed the fingers of her left around the bandages. "Just applying pressure, don't worry honey, in a few minutes the bleeding will stop. Now, if I may ask, why are you cutting yourself?"

Amanda wiped away a lone tear that had escaped her troubled eyes, "I hate myself. For doing drugs, for everything wrong that I've done. These scars on my wrists will heal but the torment I suffer inside because of my own selfish decisions will never fade." Jill smiled and placed a notebook and a pen in Amanda's lap, "What's this?" she asked

"Have you ever written your feelings down?" A nod from Amanda "Well, thinks of it as a sort of therapy, once you do this, you'll feel a million times better inside," Jill walked towards the door "John and I will be waiting out here when you're ready to share what you've got now remember, don't hold back." Jill shut the door and allowed Amanda peace to search her mind for her deepest thoughts/

In a little less than a half hour had gone by before Amanda approached John and Jill, who waited in the dim hallway of the old house. "Okay guys, now please try to understand as you hear me read this where I'm coming from." Amanda nervously stared from the paper to the pair sitting on her bed.

"Now Amanda remember what I said, don't hold back. This is your time to release the demons inside of you. John and I are here to listen so that we can help you." Jill blew Amanda a kiss. "Okay here goes nothing. I wrote this about how I felt being a junkie." Amanda then began to read the words she had written on the paper.

I hurt myself today
to see if I still feel
I focus on the pain
the only thing that's real
the needle tears a hole
the old familiar sting
try to kill it all away
but I remember everything
what have I become?
my sweetest friend
everyone I know
goes away in the end
and you could have it all
my empire of dirt

I will let you down
I will make you hurt

I wear this crown of thorns
upon my liar's chair
full of broken thoughts
I cannot repair
beneath the stains of time
the feelings disappear
you are someone else
I am still right here

what have I become?
my sweetest friend
everyone I know
goes away in the end
and you could have it all
my empire of dirt

I will let you down
I will make you hurt

if I could start again
a million miles away
would keep myself
I would find a way

"Oh Amanda come here," Jill said reaching out for her "Now, please remember that John and I are always here for you. When and whatever you need, I promise you we are there. There is no need for you to hurt yourself anymore." Jill's kind words hit Amanda's soft spot as she burst into tears, "Do you… really…. mean that?" Jill and John both smiled and hugged Amanda tight.

Author's Note: There ends my tribute to Jill, Amanda, John and the Man In Black, Johnny Cash. This fic is dedicated to the man who touched so many lives through his music. Rest in peace Johnny, you're with God now. To those who wish, please review!