Okay, so this is the next chapter...gets worse for them before it gets better again, if you know what I mean ;)Anyway, thanks to anyone who reads and reviews this story. I don't own Primeval xx

F – Foolish

"I want to discharge myself," Jess, dragging two overloaded carrier bags behind her, leant over the desk in the hospital ward, her lips set in what she hoped was a firm glare, "I've got somewhere I need to be."

"Miss Parker," the doctor glanced up from his paperwork, "I'd advise you against that; we'd still like to monitor you for a while, to make sure you're totally okay. We wouldn't want any more problems, would we now?"

"I'm fine. There won't be any more problems, I assure you," she told him sharply. Underneath, she still felt dreadful – her head was throbbing, and her vision was blurry. But he didn't need to know that, did he?

"Is there any particular reason you've suddenly decided you need to leave?" he asked, leaving his files and walking around to rest a hand on her shoulder.

"I've got to go somewhere – I told you."

"Well, if you insist on leaving now, I can't stop you, but I would ask you to let me look you over before you go. Would that be okay?" he really wasn't stupid – he'd seen many, many patients in his years, and he'd seen this situation plenty of times.

"I just want to go. Please," she just wanted to run away and hide in bed forever. Or fall through the floor and hide in the basement. Whatever – anything to get her away from the embarrassment that was swallowing her up.

"Are you sure you're okay, Jess?" the doctor tried a different tactic now, "Come on, let me check your temperature – we'll go into my office."

"No, I just," she turned away as if heading for the door, but one of the bags split, and her belongings flew about all over the floor. A pair of knickers landed on the doctor's foot, and a crumpled photograph of her parents hit his leg and bounced away.

"It's okay, Jess," the doctor had already scooped up the clothes, and folded them neatly in a pile. One of the nurses standing nearby handed him a Tesco bag, and he put them in carefully and handed the bag back to her.

It didn't calm her down. She didn't want anyone to see any of her stuff, but now other patients were staring as well – laughing at her. It made her feel sick. Really sick.

"Jess!" Abby ran towards her, and Jess fell into her arms, hiding her face from the world. Abby could feel her top grow gradually damp as the younger girl's tears soaked into it, and then the rise and fall of her chest as she tried to stop herself crying.

"My office is this way," the doctor told them awkwardly, and Abby lead Jess gently in the right direction, and helped her onto a chair. Jess held onto her top like a child would. Really, she was a child, wasn't she? Not even 19.

So much was expected of her; she'd only been at the ARC a week, but who knew how much pressure Lester and the rest of them were putting on her. She was too nice to ask them to go slower, too, which made it even worse. And now all of this with Becker.

Speak of the devil.

"Err..."

"Oh, you're the boyfriend, aren't you?" the doctor questioned as Becker stepped into the doorway. Jess just cried harder at this, and Becker flushed ruby red. The doctor looked utterly confused.

"God, Jess, you're shaking," Abby sighed, rooting through the pockets of her combats (Abby didn't really do smart; none of the ARC girls did, aside from Jess's clothes choices!) and pulling out a crumpled tissue.

Jess took it, but didn't raise her head; she didn't want Becker to see her face while she was crying. She didn't want him to see her ever again, actually.

"Look, I'll go and get a glass of water," the doctor suggested, leaving the office quickly. Becker didn't dare suggest to him that there was a tap in the corner of the room – it probably wasn't the wisest of moves. And he wasn't sure he could speak anyway.

"It's okay, Jess. You're fine now," Abby released her from the hug, hoping she'd calm down in her own time, "No one thinks anything bad – you just dropped some stuff, yeah? It happened to Lester once, outside Waitrose; he was sulking because his apples were bruised, if I remember rightly."

"You don't know how wrong that sounded, Abby," Connor emerged through the doorway now, chuckling. His face dropped almost comically when he saw Abby's face. "Oh. Bad timing? Sorry. I'm immature."

"You got that right," she shook her head, making a mental note to give him a lesson on thinking before speaking later on. Then again, she felt her heart twinge a little – he could be so sweet. She did love him.

And she could feel, from the way Jess barely dared to meet Becker's gaze, that the young girl loved the soldier. She was hurt, yes, but she still loved him. And he, in his...well, in his own little way, loved her too. Didn't he? Or was that just wishful thinking? Who knew?

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