Filler No. 2, guys. Not the most interesting of chapters, but bear with me.
Emma looked horrible, and she knew it. The bruises on her face and body had faded since she had left the hospital two weeks ago, but the cut on her eyebrow and jaw were still visible, and would most likely scar. She was pale as well, and had lost a significant amount of weight. She knew everyone at work had noticed, but no one would ask. Students weren't so shy, however. Many asked her if she had been in a fight with Sue or Coach Beiste (apparently that seemed most likely to the kids).
Carl had been amazing. There were no more late nights out, and the drinking had decreased to a glass of wine a night. Grocery shopping, cooking, and household chores were now his responsibility; if he saw Emma even attempt to clean, he'd insist on her resting before starting the task she had tried to do. Their marriage, however, wasn't so great. Carl had moved into the guest bedroom so as to give Emma space. Even with him not there, she found it hard to sleep. She found herself up in the early hours of the morning, replaying that night in her head, thinking of the life that was lost, and how her own was forever changed.
Her first day back was almost over. Soon, Carl would be there to pick her up and take her home. She closed one of the kid's files on her desk and grabbed the pill bottle from her desk drawer. She took two pills out and swallowed them. "Emma?" Emma looked at the door and saw Will. She grabbed her bottle of water and took a swig before responding. "Hey, Will."
"How've you been? You look..." He cleared his throat, hoping not to insult her. Emma smiled softly. "I... was in a car accident."
"Oh, my God, what happened?" Will asked worriedly, his eyes wide. Emma bit the inside of her cheek. No one had asked her for details. "Uh... I was actually driving with Carl to visit some family in Pittsburg, and another car T-boned us. Hence the messed-up face and uh, pain medication," she added, rattling the pill bottle. "And... the baby?" Emma clenched her jaw shut. She had tried not thinking about the baby. Not having any baby things in the house had made things a bit easier, but it was still hard. Will immediately knew once she looked down at her desk. "Oh, Emma..." Emma shook her head, dismissing his sympathy. "I'm fine, really, Will." Will nodded. "I'm so sorry." Emma nodded. "Thanks."
"Maybe you should go to a grief counse-"
Just then, Emma's phone went off. "New phone?" Will asked curiously. "Yeah... My other one is broken," she answered inattentively as she checked her phone. I'M OUTSIDE, read the text message on her new iPhone. "I've gotta go, Carl's waiting outside." Emma stood and winced right after. "You okay?" Will asked cautiously. "Yeah, I'm okay." The two stood up and exited her office. "Emma?" Emma glanced up before checking to make sure her office door was locked. "Yeah?" Will stuffed his hands in his pocket and shifted his weight. "Uh... How are you and Carl?"
"I don't love him anymore." She stood straight and looked at him lazily. Will blushed. "Oh, s-so, you're getting a divorce." Emma shook her head. "No."
"Wha- why? You just said -"
"I've gotta go, Will." With that, she smiled and walked down the hall. She felt bad; Will had only wanted to help her. Emma stopped and clutched her side. "Shoot..." The pain medication wasn't kicking in like it used to. She continued walking and dug through her purse for her pills, and took another two before pushing open the front doors of the school and getting in Carl's car.
-III-
Carl was beginning to get worried. He had thought Emma would be better, happier even, once time had passed. He knew two weeks wasn't a lot of time, but he could tell that something about her had changed permanently. Even watching her now, curled up on the couch, reading that book she had been reading for what seemed like forever (and highlighting countless passages), he could tell that, as content as she seemed, something was wrong.
With a sigh, he walked over and sat next to her on the couch. "Emma?" She glanced up from her book momentarily before returning to it. "Yeah?"
"Uh... Are you okay? Like... emotionally." She didn't respond, so Carl continued. "I just, I worry about you sometimes. You never smile anymore."
"I don't have a reason to." Carl nodded. "I think you should see a therapist."
Emma looked up slowly. "Why? So they can tell me all about the countless problems I have? I'm not going." Carl peered at her, making Emma shift in her seat. "What...?"
"Your eyes are glossy." Emma closed her eyes for a moment before looking at Carl again. "I'm tired." Carl sighed lightly and nodded. "Fine. But... Just think about it, okay?" Emma nodded. Carl, satisfied, stood up and left. He was a bit blurry, Emma noticed. She ignored it and turned back to her book, but sighed and closed it; she couldn't concentrate.
-III-
"She's a good hearted woman, in love with a good-hearted man..." Emma sang softly as she walked down the empty halls of the school. Suddenly her phone buzzed. She stopped and looked at it before sighing. SORRY, ILL BE ABOUT A HALF HOUR LATE, the text message from Carl read. She rubbed her eyebrow in frustration. And then she remembered; Will might still be around. He had been staying late to help some of the Glee club members learn the dance routines. She walked to the choir room and slowly opened the door. Practicing dance moves on the floor was Will, wearing a black t-shirt and jeans. She watched him as he finished. "That was amazing," she said softly, her head tilting to the side. Will turned around quickly and blushed. "Emma! I didn't see you. Hi." Emma smiled and entered the room, closing the door behind her. "What are you doing here?" he asked curiously as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Carl's gonna be late, and I remembered you... You practice in here, so..."
"Are you okay, Emma?" She blinked slowly. "Yeah, I'm fine. Why?" Will looked her over. Her eyes were once again glossy and dilated. "You just look... I don't know."
Suddenly, Emma leaned forward and kissed him. Will's lips lingered on hers before he hastily pulled away. "Emma, what are you doing?" Emma exhaled and under eyed him. "Did you mean what you said?" she asked softly. "One the phone." Will licked his lips and looked down nervously. "Yeah. I did."
"Why?" The question confused Will. "Is everything okay, Emma? You're starting to scare me."
"Why do you love me, Will?" she demanded. Will took a step closer, but Emma pushed him away before turning on her heel and walking out, leaving Will even more confused than before.