Chloe turned her head from her computer to see Jack leaving Bill's office, dressed in a suit she'd bought him the day before. She tried to read his face, but there was nothing to read.
"Jack?" she called, but he passed her station without a word, apparently heading out the door. She instinctively rose and followed him, ignoring Milo's repeated calling after her.
Chloe found Jack standing just outside the building, leaning against a wall and breathing heavily. She rushed to his side, asking in a panicked tone, "My God, Jack, are you okay?"
He opened his eyes and tried to brush her off. "I'm fine," he replied, still panting a bit.
"No, you're not," she scowled. "What happened in there?"
He paused, trying to get ahold of himself. "He wants to reinstate me."
"That's good," she replied. "Isn't it?"
He shook his head and muttered, "I don't know. I don't know what I want." He then turned against the wall and slammed it with an open hand. "I don't know..."
Hearing his voice begin to shake, she closed the distance between them and placed a hand on his right shoulder. "It's okay, Jack. You don't have to know what you want. No one's rushing you into this."
He placed his left hand on hers and held it there against his shoulder, leaning his forehead against the wall. He didn't know why he had snapped, and it only reminded him of how he was a different man than he was 2 years ago. He hated being weak. All he wanted to do was forget his traumas and live his life again, like nothing had changed, but his mind would not grant him such a luxury. Grief and vivid memories presented themselves in the form of nightmares, panic attacks, and moments where he was sure that he would be stuck in this vicious cycle forever. The reality of reentering the world that had caused all of this proved more than he was ready for.
He finally turned and offered Chloe a smile meant to reassure her, though no one was buying it. "Go back to work," he nudged. "I'm fine. I'm just going to take a walk."
Her scowl deepened. "Jack, you've got to be kidding me."
"No, I...I think I might need to be alone right now."
"Well, I don't," she replied.
"Chloe, please," he half-pleaded.
"Jack, at least go home if you have to leave, but don't make me worry more than I already do," she nearly begged, surprising him.
"There's somewhere I need to go, Chloe," he replied. "Don't worry about me."
"Right," she sighed. "Just go home as soon as you can."
He nodded, amused by this new over protectiveness of hers, before she sullenly walked away. He then began a long walk to somewhere he hadn't been in years.
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"Chloe," Bill called, approaching her from across the floor, "Where's Jack? Is he alright?"
"No, I think he had a panic attack," she replied quietly. "He went for a walk. Mr. Buchanan, I don't think he'll be ready for this for awhile."
"I was going to keep him behind a desk," he replied.
"Yeah, but that's not what I mean. It's this place, the atmosphere, the memories. I've been staying with him for a month now, and I watch him struggle every day to try to get used to life again. This is too much too fast."
Bill nodded, realizing the hastiness with which he'd approached the matter. But a certain curiosity prompted his next question. "He's still living in your apartment?"
"No, he just got his own. I've been staying there," she muttered, knowing how peculiar the arrangement might seem to others.
"I thought Kim was going to move him into her house," he said.
"Yeah, well, he refused. He said he doesn't want to be a burden to her."
He nodded once again. "I'm glad you're staying with him. It says a lot about his feelings for you that he's letting you help him."
She froze. Did he just use the term "his feelings for you"? That's weird, she thought to herself as he gave her shoulder an approving pat before walking away. Then again, what wasn't weird anymore.
While she continued to stand there idly processing the last few moments, Milo decided to approach her and satisfy his own curiosity. "Hey, Chloe," he said from behind, prompting her to turn and hope he had something relevant to say.
"Yeah," she muttered, heading to her station as he followed.
"Is Jack okay? Everyone's wondering what all that was about."
She turned her head just enough to shoot him a glare. "Here's what you can tell everyone: No, Jack isn't fine. Why isn't he fine? Because he was tortured almost daily, at least weekly, for nearly two years, only to return to watch one of his best friends and the woman he loved die, both right in front of him. Would you be 'okay'?"
Milo sighed. "Look, I didn't mean it like that."
"Yeah, I know," she scowled before he gave up and walked away.