A/N: I don't own AATC.
Chapter Six: Demon
"I have an idea," Simon told Jeanette as she was about to leave. "Have you ever tried an exercise – I can't remember what it's called – where you just write? And you don't think about it, but after a while, you find yourselves writing things you never realised you were thinking. I'd like you to give it a shot tonight, and bring it in tomorrow, please."
"Like homework," Jeanette said.
"Sort of," Simon replied. "See you tomorrow."
Jeanette called her parents and her mother, Brittany, said she'd be there in about ten, maybe twenty minutes to pick her up. Jeanette leaned against a wall outside the building, watching cars rush by way too fast.
What the hell was she going to write about when she got home? No, never mind – Simon had said not to think about it. Think about something else. Juliet. Juliet was going to help her. That'd be good. Juliet struck her as a very nice girl, very nice and very kind and very helpful. She'd see Juliet later and then everything'd be –
"Look who it is."
Oh, crap. Jeanette turned her face away.
"Don't ignore me, bitch."
He grabbed her arm tightly. Jeanette tried to pull her arm away but it didn't do any good.
Simon was with another patient when he heard the screaming. A loud, repetitive, shrill, shrieking scream, like somebody being attacked.
"Excuse me a moment," he said, hurrying out to the front of the building, where a large crowd was gathering.
Simon pushed his way to the front of the crowd so he could see the problem. It was his patient, Jeanette. A tall blond guy who was hunched forward ever so slightly was tugging on her arm for some reason with a malicious grin-smirk on his face. She was trying to pull away, hammering on his chest, trying to get free. Nobody seemed to want to help her. Simon ran forward and tried to intervene, tried to stop the guy from hurting her, but was punched in the gut.
Jeanette gave another loud shriek and pushed her attacker hard, sending him flying backwards across the road and into a building on the other side. The crowd dispersed quickly, terrified.
Jeanette looked about ready to faint. Simon caught her and tried to hold her up. She was shaking badly and beginning to cry.
"Don't worry," Simon said reassuringly. "Don't worry, it'll be okay. Who was he?"
"N – Nath – Nathan…" Jeanette sobbed.
Simon helped her stand up.
"Are you okay?" Simon asked. Jeanette was crying so hard she couldn't speak. She just shook her head.
"How did you do that?"
Jeanette shook her head again.
"Did you do that?"
Jeanette shook her head.
"Then who did?"
Jeanette opened her mouth to speak and managed to choke out a single word.
"Demon."
