Chapter Twenty-Six: Burnt Out

Day Twenty-Six:

Jessica was acting strange this morning.

Ruby and Kilgrave had gotten back to the hotel late last night because they had the majority of Ruby's belongings brought back to the hotel. She was unofficially living with them now.

When they returned, Jessica had already crashed on the main room sofa, fast asleep with her clothes still on and a half empty bottle of alcohol slipping from her hand.

The infamous couple showered together before Kilgrave came to wake her up. She seemed groggy with a hangover, but he read to her anyway, including the new rule thirteen. Having Ruby wait in the bedroom, he sat down next to Jessica, in an attempt to initiate the conversation that they hadn't finished yesterday.

But almost instantly after he's done with the rules, she stares at the clock and then sprints to the bathroom. Just had to use the toilet?

He would have ignored it if she hadn't blocked herself in there for over an hour. She didn't even have the shower running which added to the suspicion that something was wrong. When he hears a loud pounding sound from inside, his concern rises.

He tries the door first, and finding it locked, he knocks loudly. "Jessica?! What's going on in there?"

There's a bit of shuffling and eventually she barks at him, "Leave me alone!"

She sounded... broken. It alarmed him. "Jessica! Open the door!"

Slowly, the door clicks unlocked and swings open. She doesn't bother greeting him there and crumbles back to the floor, where she was before. She had stripped down to her underwear and her other clothes and phone were thrown out on the tiles around her. There were multiple dents in the side of the bathtub, which explained the pounding sound. Not only did she sound broken, but she looked broken. And despite being practically naked, she doesn't bother covering up and just lays her head back over the side of the tub.

"Stare all you want, pervert." Her voice is muffled against her arm and she pulls her legs closer to her chest.

"Jessica…" He steps inside quietly and closes the door behind him to ensure that this would stay private. What was this? It looked like a mental breakdown to him, which wasn't far off from the truth. This was something he feared for her, but now he had no idea how to handle it. In the past, she would occasionally have episodes like this, usually in the middle of the night. Back then, he'd just tell her to be quiet and go back to bed.

Their relationship was damaged enough and he obviously couldn't operate like that anymore. Instead, he sits down next to her. He felt the urge to pull her closer, wrap his arms around her, cover her with kisses, and apologize for recent events by making her moan. After all, this was the most exposed he's seen her in such a long time, so he couldn't help but have these thoughts. Her skin was flawlessly smooth, just as he remembered, and he wanted to remember more.

But he doesn't touch her, and asks softly, "What's wrong?"

"Fuck off." She's quick to answer and turns away from him, gripping the edge of the tub so there's fingertip shaped dents.

"Look at me." He says more rigidly, forcing her to turn back to him. She was going to have to communicate if he was going to help her. "Tell me what's wrong."

"What the hell do you think is wrong?" This wasn't yelling, it was a cry of despair and desperation. "I'm stuck here! With you! And the bitch! And I've…" Her hold tightens and the sound of the hard plastic warping, echoes in the room. "...I've been sitting in here… trying to… to call Trish! And I can't -" She lets go of her grip, only to be able to punch the side of the tub again, repeatedly, until Kilgrave stops her.

"Hey… hey… stop it." She had already stopped, but he takes her hand and pulls it away anyway. "Let's not damage anymore hotel property, okay?" He keeps her hand and continues, "If you want to call your best friend that badly, we can arrange something."

"But it's not just that, is it?! Can you not see how messed up this situation is?!"

"I understand it's hard to adjust, but you -"

"Hard to adjust?!" She scoffs and rips her hand away from his. "You understand nothing." Ready to be done with this conversation, she stands up and reaches for her clothes.

"What are you doing?" He sighs.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" She snaps and zips up her jeans from yesterday, throwing her shirt on next. "I'm getting out of here."

"Going where?"

Shoving her phone in her pocket, she says, "Anywhere but here. I can't stand to be around you right now."

When she makes for the bathroom door, he stands up. "Can we talk about this?"

"No." She yanks the door open and retrieves her jacket from the couch.

"Jessica," he follows close behind her, "please."

"Fuck you." Growling, she makes a break for the exit, hoping he wouldn't stop her.

"Jessica…" He pleads one last time, but she's already gone.

Hearing all the commotion and the slammed door, Ruby pokes her head around the corner. "What's wrong with her?!"

Kilgrave lets out a heavy breath and slumps down in a chair. "Everything."

*****BURNT OUT*****

It was foolish of Jessica to get her hopes up, but she couldn't help it. Victor did warn her that there was a 60% chance of failure. The problem was, she could almost feel it working, but the fact that it didn't, only made the experience that much more devastating.

She hadn't stripped down to her underwear for nothing this morning. When she was certain that yesterday's virus was gone, she was anxious to test it. So she tried to break one of the rules. Call Trish. But after she dialed the number, she couldn't press the call button. And god, she tried. Every time she got close to disobeying him, the fire in her veins would return. It felt like she had the power of the sun shooting through her blood. And she tried for so long that she broke into a sweat and was forced to pull off her clothes.

After over an hour of attempting to press one button, she had worn herself out. She when Kilgrave forced her to open the door, she didn't have the energy to give a fuck. Luckily, she was sober enough to make sure that the drug and Victor weren't mentioned when she had to tell him what was wrong.

Victor was preparing for his shift at the hospital when Jessica barged in on him. He had only a few minutes before he had to leave, so she explained what happened this morning, quickly, begging for an answer. But being presented with the information, he didn't seem surprised.

"I-I figured t-that would happen-n." He says, spinning around to look for his bag.

"Victor…" She breathes, using a heavy tone that she often used with Kilgrave. "Please explain whatever shit you're talking about before my morning gets any worse."

When he turns back to meet her gaze, he seems to become more anxious and confused by the way she spoke to him. Nevertheless, he answers, "A-after you left, I-I took a-another look a-at your b-blood. O-over time, your white blood-d c-cells began to re-recognize the chemical-l as a t-threat, and a-attacked it. T-the chemical i-is too busy trying-g to f-fight off y-your i-immune system t-to s-stop the virus. B-by now, t-the virus has already-y t-taken a-a host on one o-of your r-red blood c-cells. A-and that burning-g feeling? I-it's most l-likely the c-chemical t-trying to d-do something i-it's not designed-d to."

"And you found this out, when?!"

"L-last n-night…"

"So when were you going to tell me this?!"

"I-I'm telling y-you now..." He responds weakly.

"That would have been helpful to know before I spent an hour this morning, feeling like I was taking a stroll through Hell!" She berates, unable to help it.

This wasn't taken lightly, because he had never experienced this side of her before, and being on the receiving end of her anger, he appears crushed. "I-I-I d-didn't t-think t-to t-tell y-y-you…" He stutters more than usual, letting his glasses slide off his face when he looks down.

"Shit. No… Victor…" She sighs and her tense body language relaxes. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt the feeling of the man who was trying to help her. He was brilliant, and more than generous with time and commitment. "I'm sorry… I'm not trying to upset you." Before she can do anymore damage, she makes her way over to him and gently puts his glasses back on. It would make her feel like shit if he started crying. "I'm sorry." She repeats. "We're okay, right?"

There's hesitation for a moment as he adjusts his glasses, taking time to gather himself. "I-I didn't know y-you w-would -"

"I know. I know. It's not your fault." Seeing that he's content again, she lets out a sigh of relief. "I'm a mess right now, that's all."

"I-I t-think I know w-what to d-do to m-make it work." The confidence returns to his voice.

"Really?! You can fix it?" There was no hiding her excitement. She takes off her jacket as she feels the heating system of his house start up.

"I-I think s-so. I-I have an i-idea that m-might work t-to h-help the f-formula go u-undetected by y-your b-body."

"Yeah?" Knowing she wouldn't understand the science of it, she just asks, "How long do you think it'll take to have another test ready?" She frowns for a second as her stomach rumbles. Probably shouldn't have skipped breakfast.

"I-I'm not sure. S-shouldn't take m-more than a-a couple o-of w-weeks t-to develop."

"A couple weeks?!" She whines and her frown deepens.

"M-maybe j-just one if I-I can -"

But Jessica wasn't listening anymore. Instead, she scrambles away from him and falls on her knees in front of a trash can in the corner of the room. Her stomach rattled again and the vomit that comes up her throat just tastes like stomach acid, leaving her gagging and coughing as she grips the side of the can. "Goddamnit…"

Victor blinks at her, but doesn't seem alarmed by the abrupt sight of her throwing up. When she feels her insides settle, she looks at him. He had the "I-knew-this-would-happen" look on his face.

Narrowing her eyes, she weakly stands up, her limbs feeling unstable. "What the hell was that?" She pesters, trying to spit the taste out of her mouth and into the garbage.

Then there was the heat in her body that was gradually returning. Well… not the heat. It wasn't the same fire feeling that shot through her veins earlier. This felt more like external heat. Initially, she thought it was just the ventilation, but now the temperature was almost unbearable.

He blinks again as if he were analysing something in his head. "H-here…" He mutters and motions for her to come closer to him.

She wipes the corners of her mouth with her sleeve before moving.

Immediately, he puts his hand on her forehead and holds it there for a second. She didn't appreciate the unexpected contact, but waits for what he has to say anyway. Nodding, he says, "I-it's okay. T-this is n-no danger." Now, he smiles as he takes his hand away and goes back to shoving papers into his bag for work.

"No danger? Okay… so what is it?" The more she opened her mouth, the more wozzy she began to feel, so she leans against the wall.

"T-this is a-a natural w-way that y-your body i-is trying-g to get r-rid of the chemical-l, since it d-disagrees with i-it. J-just like i-if you h-had the flu, y-your immune s-system is trying t-to expel it quicker, b-by causing y-you to v-vomit, and r-raising your temperature. Y-you'll be f-fine."

It was bizarre how suddenly this seemed to hit her, and swooning even more, she sits up on the table next to him, afraid she might fall over if she didn't. "Okay… how long til it's out of my system?"

"P-probably a c-couple days."

"Shit." She pushes back her hair and shakes her head. "You don't understand. I can't be sick. Not with…" Trailing of, she stares at him, feebly. "Isn't there something you can do? To speed this up? Some type of drug or... something?"

He shakes his head in response. "Y-your body-y needs t-to do this o-on its own."

"You don't understand." She repeats, although making him understand would be impossible with the rules in her head. "I just can't be sick."

Furrowing his eyebrows, he fidgets on his feet. "I-I told you t-the risks…"

"I know you did. I know. I just…" Sighing, she tries to think of an effective way to explain.

Just then, an alarm on his phone goes off, and he ends it almost instantly, as if he knew exactly when it would ring. "I-I have to g-go to w-work." He says blandly, and it was clear that she had interrupted his regular routine.

"Wait! Please? Is there nothing you can do to get this out of me?"

"I-I have t-to go t-to work." His voice is monotone and particularly rigid, as he slings his bag over his shoulder.

Victor was a man with a schedule, and she knew that keeping him here any longer would lead to an unpleasant interaction. Whining, she yields. "Okay… do you mind if I stay here awhile? Just to get my bearings before I have to go back…"

"S-stay as l-long a-as you want-t." His smile returns as he goes to the door.

"Thanks Victor."

He just nods and he's gone, leaving her alone in his home.

*****BURNT OUT*****

Jessica stayed there all day for the most part, with the exception of going out to get something to eat. Not that that amounted to anything, because everything she ate would just come back up an hour later.

One of the rules stated that she had to keep herself healthy. So every moment she felt like shit, she had an overwhelming need to cure herself. It was driving her crazy, but there was nothing she could do about this. And stressing over it only made her feel worse.

She had no idea when Victor's shift at the hospital would end, but she was hoping that he would be back before she had to leave. But by 10:30pm, she knew she had to start going back to arrive by 11. She could only hope that Kilgrave and Ruby were already asleep, or that they wouldn't return until she was asleep. She couldn't let Kilgrave see her like this. She was a mess.

Walking took an incredible amount of energy, and if she got anymore light-headed, she was going to faint. The stirring feeling in her abdomen increased when she got in the cab, and she knew that if she let out the hiccup stuck in her throat, the contents in her stomach would be emptied again. Her fever had gotten twice as bad and despite the chilling temperatures outside, her clothes were weighed down by sweat for the second time that day.

Opening the hotel door, the only thing she wanted to do was puke and go lay down. Fortunately, the bitch was sound asleep in bed. Unfortunately, Kilgrave was sitting on the couch that she planned to sleep on, watching TV.

Hearing the door, he doesn't look at her, but says, "I figured I'd wait until you got back for us to talk. I didn't expect you to stay out the entire time…" Switching off the tele, he glances at her.

"I just want to go to sleep." She mutters, sounding as weak as she looked. Opening her mouth felt like a mistake and it makes her insides rumble again. Taking a step closer made her wobble. With the dizziness increasing, she can't stop herself from stumbling and falling, her body crashing against the table in front of him.

"Jesus Christ Jessica!" He was on his feet in an instant and dashes over to her. Bending down, he attempts to pick her up, but she pushes him back.

"Get off me… I'm fine…" Whimpering, she stands on her own, but starts tipping back again.

So he grabs her and puts his arm around her waist, holding most of her weight for her. "Are you drunk?!" He wasn't angry, he was more like sympathetic.

"No. Let me go… seriously…" This was far worse than the common cold, because every single one of her senses were becoming hazy, and she was barely conscious enough to recognize Kilgrave's presence.

But he doesn't let her go, and tries to stay calm when he tells her, "Jessica… you're bleeding…"

It was strange that she couldn't even feel the drop of blood rolling down her cheek from the left side of her temple. She only saw it when if fell from her chin and hit the back of her hand. She didn't even remember feeling her head hit the corner of the table, which was now smeared with her blood. But her head was the least of her worries.

With her remaining energy, she manages to break free from him and sprint to the bathroom, where she dives to the floor in front of the toilet. Her body was in too much chaos for her to care that she was laying over the toilet bowl, vomiting for the fifth time that day.

Again, Kilgrave was right behind her, shocked to find her this way. "You're sick?!" She didn't get sick very often and this looked bad. All the same, he's on his knees behind her, pulling back her hair.

There was always room for sarcasm, even in her state. After a few more gags, she says, "No, asshole. I just put my head in the toilet because I felt like it."

He ignores her and reaches up to grab a towel, before handing it to her. "Wipe your mouth." He says gently. As she does as she's told, he puts the back of his hand on her forehead. "Bloody hell, you're burning up." Taking the towel back, he wipes some of the blood from her face and frowns as he examines the cut on her head. "You should probably lay down, so I can get a better look at this…"

The scrape on her temple throbbed, but she couldn't feel it's pain. So instead of listening to his suggestion, she staggers back to her feet, already breathing heavily from the slightest movement. "I can take care of myself…"

It was obvious that she couldn't however, seeing as she almost fell multiple times, just trying to get out of the bathroom. "Jessica," he sighs and stands up, wrapping his arm around her again. "I don't think you're okay…"

"I'm fine!" Every word was a whimper, but she continues trying to get him away from her. She hated being a charity case.

But he stays where he is, knowing very well that she wasn't able to hold herself up. "Just try to -"

"No. Seriously. Leave me alone…" She turns to face him and uses every ounce of her power to push him away. But he barely moves. She had no power. Quite literally. Losing her strength was not something Victor mentioned in the effects of this. That's what causes her to start panicking. "Get off me!" She was hyperventilating now, frantically failing at wrestling away.

"I'm trying to help… " He attempts to be as soft as possible, but her behavior was making that extremely difficult. Both her physical and emotional state were on the fritz. Not wanting to freak her out more, he slowly lets go of her, entirely on edge, watching to see if she could stand.

She was still breathless when he lets go, and her panic made it feel like the room was spinning. Or maybe it was spinning… she couldn't tell. Kilgrave just looked like a blur, and she could tell that his lips were moving, but it sounded like he was talking underwater. What was he saying? She strains to hear something about… Christmas… or tennant… or a buffalo… It was impossible to understand.

What seemed like five minutes of him talking to her, was really only a number of seconds. "You're sick… and I think you might have a concussion. Right now, you're overworking your body. Jessica, I need you to try and relax, okay?"

She stares back at him, almost like she was comprehending. But before she can say anything else, her eyes roll back in her head, and the world tips on its side.

The last thing she saw was Kilgrave jerking into motion the moment she rocked back.

The last thing she felt was her body collapsing into his arms.

The last thing she heard was his concerned, tender voice, whispering to her. "I got you… you're gonna be okay."

Author's note:

Of course the first test wasn't gonna work! How boring would that be!

Damn, you two are good at predicting the future (you know who you are :)

For the Ruby haters, you're welcome, cuz she only had one line this chapter.

Next chapter looks like it's gonna be fun!