Jessie nursed the wound on her arm. He hadn't meant to hurt her, she tried to convince herself. He had just been angry. "Angry and drunk," she muttered to herself. Curling into the fetal position, she cried openly. He had left after he had had his pleasure with her. He had been rougher with her this time than he had before, and the physical pain was becoming too much to bear. Jessie was strong, she could deal with emotional pain, but her body was becoming fragile from the constant beating and could only handle so much. She sat up slowly, assessing what damage had been done to her body. Her arms and trunk would be bruised once more, but the new bruises would simply add discoloration to the existing contusions that already painted her pale body. The stinging of the cool air on the raw skin of her nether regions was also nothing new; the skin never had time to heal between abuses. What concerned Jessie was the pain in her ribs. The sharp sting elicited a hissing sound from the young woman as she sucked in air through gritted teeth. Scared and her head spinning from the pain within her body, Jessie knew she couldn't withstand staying with him much longer. The realization of her own mortality hit her, and the depth of the thoughts sent her head spinning even further. Lowering herself to the floor, she gathered her clothes where he had carelessly threw them. She tried standing up, but the pain and growing fatigue of her body made her tumble before she could even put her weight fully on both feet. She knew she had a few hours before he would return, but she needed to put as much distance between herself and his apartment as she could.

Trying desperately to come up with a solution, Jessie's eyes scanned the room. The only thing that might help her was a phone sitting in the corner of the room. Unfortunately, Jessie couldn't remember any numbers, as her cell phone and its phone book had been destroyed in a fit of rage nearly a month prior. Calling the police would do little, as he had connections in every part of town. She continued to think, desperate for a solution. The only number she could remember probably wasn't in service, as she was sure that the owner of it moved since she had last seen him. Realizing she had little to lose, she pulled herself to the phone, careful not to flex any muscles in her trunk and aggravate her sore ribcage. After what seemed like forever, she reached the phone and picked it up. "It's worth a shot," she reminded herself as she dialed the number that had been etched into her mind. She waited as the first two rings passed, hoping that someone would answer. After the fourth ring, she was poised to hang up when a voice came over the line. A groggy tone answered her. The customary 'hello' greeting was enough to tell Jessie who was on the other side of the line. A glow that had been previously missing for months passed over her face, "James," she began breathlessly, "I need your help."

---

James threw on a jacket and hastily ran from his small rent house. Making sure the crude directions Jessie had given him were in his pocket, he slid in his small car and prayed it would start in the cold weather. The engine turned over after a third try and many insults and threats hurled at it by an emotional James. White knuckles gripped the steering wheel as James sped through the empty highways. It had been almost six months since he had last seen Jessie, but she was still his best friend. He had been worried when Jessie's new boyfriend had disallowed her from talking to him, but Jessie had reassured that he was simply a little jealous and it would subside with time. As James could have guessed, the control was not temporary and he had still not heard from Jessie. James looked nervously at the clock. The drive would normally take about four hours, but James was attempting to cut it down to less than three. Luckily, most of these roads were traveled well enough by the young man that he knew where the speed traps were. He was making good time, but he still worried that he wouldn't be the first to arrive at the apartment.

---

Jessie slowly navigated the room attempting to pack what she could. Not finding a suitcase, she emptied a box in the closet and began to fill it with things she thought she would need. Still unable to stand on her own, she leaned heavily against the railings of her closet and slowly yanked clothes from their hangers. She had little of value, and wanted to keep as much as she could. Once the tedious task was complete, she collapsed back into the floor and waited. Cool sweat dripped from her brow as she worried of what the immediate future would bring. Once she had rested some, she drug the box behind her and attempted to position herself near the door to wait for James. She knew there would be hell to pay if her friend was not who entered first, but she saw no other choice. Exhausted and unable to keep her body from sleep any longer, her eyelids slowly closed and she slipped into unconsciousness.

---

James opened the door silently, afraid of what he would find. No one had answered when he knocked, but a locked door was barely an obstacle to the accomplished lock-picker, and he entered the room within seconds. Letting his eyes adjust to the darker room, he studied his surroundings. In his careful watch, he almost stepped on the fragile body curled up by his feet. Almost squealing at the sight, James' eyes fell. That was not the Jessie he once knew. Jessie was exuberant and full of life. The girl before him was pale, wilted, and was clearly suffering from malnutrition. Regaining his composure, James carefully bent over the small figure and grabbed a shoulder to give it a shake. "We need to leave. Now," he commanded. He had made the trip in two and a half hours, but knew that the estranged boyfriend could return at any time. Jessie's eyes slowly opened, clearly showing the comfort she felt being near the lavender haired man.

Jessie offered a weak smile, "Thank you so much, James," she whispered, her eyes brimming with tears.

"No time," James replied, picking up the box and opening the door. "Let's run."

Jessie's face flushed. She hated needing help, but there was no way around it. "I'm not strong enough, James," she admitted softly.

"Oh." James said, slightly dumbfounded. It confused and angered him that one human could do this much damage to another human; especially another human they had 'loved'. James lowered the box and placed it in Jessie's lap. "Hold this," he instructed, while picking up Jessie. He wondered if he would be able to carry such a load, but Jessie's frightfully low weight gave him no problem.

The two slowly made it to the car. Jessie suggested they take the back exit, as they would probably draw attention to themselves if they went through the main lobby. James wished they could have taken the elevator, but understood the reasons and slowly made his way down the stairs, careful to make sure he didn't shake or rattle Jessie too much. James carefully loaded Jessie into the passenger seat and reclined it for her. After placing the meager box of clothes in the trunk, he returned to the driver's side and quickly started the automobile. The cold air had infiltrated the car in the short time James had been in the apartment and the two sat in silence until enough heat was produced to cease their shivering. Jessie's labored breathing and the hum of the car only intensified the silence between the two friends.

"I think you should see a doctor," James advised, turning on his windshield wipers. Rain had begun to beat on the glass heavily and James hoped the drizzle didn't become a downpour that he would have to pull over for. The more distance he could put between Jessie and this creep, the better.

Jessie initially opened her mouth to protest, but knew that she would lose. The tone James had used left little room for protest, especially from someone in a weakened state. Jessie shrunk back into the seat and became still, wishing she could command the cessation of the growing pain in her chest.

Carefully watching his passenger out of the corner of his eye, James became immediately worried. Still horrified of the condition his friend was in, he made a decision. It would involve something James would rather not do, but his growing concern overwhelmed his selfish pride. Exiting off the rain covered highway, he entered a town.

The nurse looked the scrawny lavender-haired man over carefully. He didn't look like the type capable of such atrocious actions, but it was her duty to call the authorities. A weary Officer Jenny answered the phone and assured she would be right over. James still sat quiet in the waiting room, anxiously awaiting news of his friend. He had flipped through all of the magazines in the waiting room attempting to pass time, but stories of celebrities and gossip meant little to him. He knew he had something he needed to do, but he wanted desperately to avoid it. It was nearly midnight, which would make his task more aggravating. Knowing he should have done it sooner, James proceeded to the line of payphones and punched in his calling card number. He knew the number he was dialing by heart, but he had not used it in years. After convincing the family's butler that he was actually Master James, James waited nervously for one of his parents to pick up the phone.

"My son!" his father exclaimed. James had to pull the phone away from his ear due to the volume. "We knew you would regain your senses."

James leaned against the wall for support. He knew this would be a bad idea. "Erm, hello father," he offered weakly.

"Realizing your importance in carrying on the family name?" his father asked jovially. James' head dropped at the mere thought.

"If you mean marrying Jessebelle, no," James replied. "I'm with a friend who is extremely ill. We need a way to get treatment." James purposely left out many facts, especially the gender of his friend. His father must have covered the receiver with his palm, as James could hear both his mother and father talking, but he could not comprehend their words.

Whatever was covering the receiver came off and the booming voice returned. "We'll give you the PIN number to your bank account, but in return you must bring your friend for dinner."

James shuddered. It wasn't a deal he intended to keep but he reluctantly agreed. He scribbled down the four digits his father read off to him and hung up hastily. He would have to wait until tomorrow to access the account, but that was satisfactory. Just knowing he would be able to access it once would be enough. James returned to the waiting area still clutching crumpled piece of paper in his hand. He had an escape. His slightly elevated mood was crushed once again by a grim faced Officer Jenny.

"The woman you brought in isn't in the best shape," Jenny said, her face showing no emotion. She was trying to read the gentleman before her.

Not realizing the underlying tones of the officer's accusation, James spoke up, "That's why I brought her here. She wasn't looking well." With the realization of what Officer Jenny was implying hit the man James stood up straight, "It wasn't me, though! I'm an old friend that she called. That son of a bitch boyfriend did this to her." Tears stung his eyes as he thought about Jessie's fragile state.

The man appeared to be telling the truth, but Jenny could not take chances. "She's in surgery right now for a broken rib. It'll be morning before she's awake, but in the mean time, I need you down at the station. If you're innocent, I apologize in advance, but it's a necessary precaution."

James' face contorted with frustration. He wanted to be there with Jessie when she woke up, not sitting in a cell like her bastard of a boyfriend should be. Knowing it was in his best interest to comply with Jenny, he stuffed the paper in his pocket before putting his hands in front of him to be cuffed. "Alright," he mumbled.

Jenny stifled a small laugh. "No need for handcuffs. You don't seem to be resisting detainment in any way." She felt that the man in front of her was innocent, but knew the importance of following protocol. "Do you have anything you need to take with you?"

James slowly shook his head before following Jenny out to the squad car. He sat in silence throughout the ride, numb with exhaustion and disbelief of what was happening to him. Once they arrived at the station, James gave a short statement and was moved to his temporary cell. Jenny had shown mercy on him and placed him in a solitary cell to shelter him from the other inmates. James meekly offered his gratitude and lay on the small cot in the corner. Sleep did not come easy for the troubled man but the growing exhaustion eventually overtook his body.

---

Jessie slowly opened her eyes. She remembered calling James and him coming for her, but the rest of the night was blank. When she attempted to sit up, the sharp pain from her chest immediately filled in the blanks from the night. Gripping her side and moaning from the pain, she attracted the attention of a man outside her door. "Ma'am?" the voice asked.

"Y-yes?" Jessie responded.

Realizing he might have frightened her, the man stood back. "My apologies. My name is Frank Keller. I've been assigned to watch you. It's standard procedure for someone…like you," he tried to find a suitable substitute for the many negative descriptions that entered his mind.

"Oh," Jessie responded. "Where is James?"

"The man that was with you?" the man inquired. He awaited Jessie's affirmative nod before responding, "We took him to the station overnight, just in case."

"In case of what?" Jessie asked. "In case he beat me? That man saved my life and you put him in jail!?" The pain rose in her side once again but she ignored it. "I demand you bring him back here right now."

The man nodded. "So you are positive it wasn't him that did this to you?"

"Of course I'm positive!" Jessie nearly yelled, waving a hand in the air. "If you want his name, I'll tell you, but get James down here this instant."

"Yes, ma'am," the man responded, taking a phone from the holster on his belt and repeating the information to Jenny.

Jessie, who had gained some color to her face throughout her outburst, was very pleased with herself. She didn't have much time to think about James coming back, as the sedatives still in her body did their duty and she returned to sleep.

---

"I apologize again for the inconvenience," Officer Jenny offered while James exited the car.

"It's alright," James affirmed and slid out of the passenger seat. It actually hadn't been that bad, as what little sleep he had seemed to recharge his body. He reached the front desk where the same receptionist still sat. "Don't tell me you've been here all night?" he asked.

"Well yes, I have," she answered. "But I'm getting off in fifteen minutes. I assume you want to know where the lady you brought in is?" Without even waiting for a response, she consulted the charts littering her desk. "301." James was gone by the time she looked up.

Exiting the elevator, James groaned. He hated hospitals, mostly because he usually got lost in them. He ventured to the end of two halls before entering the one he wanted. There was a man guarding the outside of Jessie's door. "You James?" he asked.

"Yes," James answered, showing his driver's license as proof.

"Thanks. Sorry for all this, it's just.."

"Normal procedure," James finished for him. Officer Jenny had used the same apology many times this morning already.

The guard closed the door behind him and James waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkened room. Jessie appeared to be asleep, her bodily scarily reminding James of a corpse. Shaking the image from his head, James moved the chair in the room to the side of Jessie's bed. He held Jessie's hand and laid his head on an unoccupied portion of the bed. Before long, both teenagers were asleep.

Jessie awoke first, attempting to take in her surroundings. The foggy feelings associated with the sedatives were gone, and a sense of restlessness took over her body. It wasn't until she moved to sit up further that she noticed that James was with her. She smiled and ran a pale hand through his hair. He sat up quickly and looked at her.

"Thank you, James," she squeaked out. "You most likely saved my life."

James offered a warm smile. "You're my friend," he responded. "Please promise me you'll never go back to him."

Jessie shook her head. "Never."

James moved to put his arm around Jessie's shoulders, but she moved away from his touch. Realizing that she may be leery of a male's touch, he returned to putting his hand over her own. "Have you heard anything?" he queried.

Jessie shook her head. "I've been out of it, so I wouldn't know if anyone's been in here."

As if on cue, the door opened and a woman in a white coat entered the room. "Hello?" she asked quietly.

"I'm awake," Jessie replied.

"Good," the blonde answered, pulling a pen out of her pocket. She turned on the light and giggled as both Jessie and James moved their eyes downwards until the pupils could adjust. "Sorry," she offered. Her ponytail swinging behind her, the doctor walked to the side of the bed opposite James. "I'm Sarah," she said, offering her hand to Jessie. "Officially, I'm Dr. Copley, but I prefer a first name basis." She flipped quickly through the chart. "How are you feeling this morning, Jessie? Sore?"

"Yes," Jessie answered. The woman's casual demeanor put her at ease and she began to relax her stiffened muscles.

"To be expected," Sarah confirmed. "I have some detailed issues to discuss with you. Are you alright with your guest hearing them?"

Jessie nodded. "This is James," she said. "He's my best friend and probably saved my life last night. He's fine."

Sarah extended a hand toward James. "Nice to meet you. She's right, you know. You probably did save her life."

James blushed slightly. "I was only doing what a friend should."

"So true," Sarah agreed before turning back to Jessie. "Jessie, I was sent because I am a physician here, but also because I specialize in cases of battered women." She saw Jessie cringe at the description. "I know it's horrible, but you can't really sugar-coat the truth." She waited until Jessie raised her head again to continue. "Although I can't know the exact feelings you're going through right now, I was in a similar situation when I was a little younger than you. I'm here to talk and offer you medical guidance."

Jessie nodded slowly. "I guess it all hasn't sunk in yet."

"That's perfectly fine," Sarah dismissed with a wave of her hand. "There's no right or wrong way to deal with things. Right now, we have hospital junk to deal with though if you feel you're ready. I can come back later today if you want."

Jessie shrugged. "Now is fine."

"Alrighty then," Sarah began. "For legal reasons, we did use a rape kit on you. Because you were not conscious, however, we didn't run it. Do you want us to?"

Jessie sat for a minute before nodding affirmatively, "Yes," she answered softly.

Sarah scribbled a note on the chart. "We will, then. This will also require you to deliver a statement to the police when you feel comfortable doing so." The woman before her continued to nod. Sarah was impressed by the young woman's courage. "That's enough legal stuff," she began, moving in closer to Jessie. "Jessie," she began softly, "were you aware that you were pregnant?"

Jessie's head dropped and she traced her finger in a circle on the sheet. "No," she said softly. "Were?" she questioned while returning her gaze to meet the doctor's.

"Yes," Sarah continued at almost a whisper, "the fetus was dead when we became aware of its existence. Through size and the presence of a notochord, we assume it was approximately three weeks old."

Thoughts swirled in Jessie's head and she gripped tighter to James' hand. She couldn't believe it. Not only had that bastard injured her, he had killed his own child through his abuse and neglect. Jessie realized that she was not ready to be a parent by any means, but the thought of a lost child still struck her soul. Unable to deal with the emotion, her stomach churned and she began to gag.

Sarah, who had been working with comparable cases for years, moved swiftly and grabbed a trashcan for Jessie before any regurgitated food spoiled the sheets. In times of utter turmoil, the body only had a few choices to show total disgust; many of Sarah's patients over the years had acted similarly. She mouthed 'it's normal' to a highly concerned James and jotted another note in the chart.

It didn't take long for Jessie to empty the meager contents of her stomach. She wretched bile a few minutes before laying back on the bed. James brought a damp towel to place across her forehead and a cup of water. Jessie thanked him for both and sipped the water. Sarah returned the trash can to the floor and sat back. "That's the worst of the news, I promise," she offered weakly. "We were able to set your broken rib in such a way that we don't have to worry about it breaking off again and puncturing any vital organs. The rest of your injuries should handle themselves naturally. I'm going to put you on two weeks strict bed-rest. Do you have somewhere you can stay during this time?"

James spoke up. "She can stay with me."

Sarah nodded. "Sounds like a plan. I want to keep you here for a few more hours, but we'll try to get you released by the end of tonight. I'll leave you two here." She quietly exited the room.

Both occupants of the area sat quietly. Tears streamed down Jessie's face and she made no effort to dry them. James offered the tissue box, thinking it the only gesture he could offer at this point. When she didn't move to take one, James took one himself and wiped the tears from her face. She made no move to stop him. James didn't interrupt the quiet and silently wiped the falling tears from her face.

Jessie sat with her mind as blank as the stare on her face. She was too numb to feel, too hollow to think. She could feel James brushing her face with a tissue, but it barely registered in her head. She felt that if she allowed herself to think that she would break. She was on the brink of stability, and the new information that the doctor had just told her was enough to push her over the brink.


Alright...I don't know WHAT I'm up to with this. It started as a one-shot to explain the discrepancies between J&J past before and after Training Daze. It's evolved. Oh well. I'll post more. It might be a few days, as I have killer tests this week, but I'll get it done!

Please read and review,
Oovwee