Natara hated the tears that came. They weren't sorrowful or angry, they were empty. There was no emotion attached to them, and she concluded that she had no right to be crying. She tried to stop, but it only made it worse. She sped back to her room, throwing herself on her couch to hide her face from the world. A minute later her cell phone rang, but she ignored it. She was beyond caring what anyone had to say. If no one believed that Shawn wasn't just some messed up former agent, she didn't know what she would do. Maybe try and figure out exactly what he was trying to warn her about, but would it even matter? If no one believed her, why would they trust a message a mentally insane person sent? She cried until their was nothing left, until she gasped for air and tears no longer came. That was it, she had paid Shawn her tears. That was all the more she would let herself cry. She got up and went to the bathroom, cleaning away the evidence her tears had left. Her eyes were still red and her cheeks were still puffy afterwards, but it was the best she could do. Walking back to her living room, she sat down and curled up on the couch, exhausted from the effort of crying. She heard her phone recieve several texts, but didn't even check to see who it was. 'Shawn Mallory was trying to save my life, and I didn't even get to say goodbye…' was the only thing running though her head. Very suddenly she got up, knowing what she had to do.
Mal sat at his computer, quickly bringing up google. In the search bar, he typed 'The stages of grief'. He clicked on the first link that came up, reading the section on denial.
'The first reaction to learning of terminal illness or death of a cherished loved one is to deny the reality of the situation. It is a normal reaction to rationalize overwhelming emotions. It is a defense mechanism that buffers the immediate shock. We block out the words and hide from the facts. This is a temporary response that carries us through the first wave of pain.'
'It fits Natara perfectly' he thought. He sighed with relief, glad that her crazy explanations of Shawn's actions were natural. He got up, knowing where he was about to go. He would hear her out, but would remain firm that she Shawn she knew she long gone.