The next morning, I woke up to Jason, propped up on an elbow, watching me sleep.

"Morning, sleeping beauty," his face was lit up with a smile. "Did you know you snore a little when you lie on your back? It's adorable."

I tried to cover my face with my hands, completely forgetting – everything – and promptly hit myself in the face with my right cast.

Jason couldn't help it, he laughed out loud while he made sure I didn't have any permanent damage. "Oh my GOD, Thea, you are SUCH a dork." The smile on his face and the sound of his laugh made it worth it, though. He sighed as I sat up, slowly. "God, you are just one huge bruise. This is killing me. What's your pain level?"

"Same as last night." I reached over and pulled an oxycodone out of the bottle, taking it with the water on my nightstand.

"Shall I help you to the bathroom?"

"Can you just supervise as I use my crutches? I really have to learn how to do this by myself."

"Why?"

"Cause you're not always going to be here," I said, as if it were just a known fact.

"Says who?"

"Uh, says you? I mean, you often leave my apartment, I assume you have things to do and places to go," I said, giving him a very skeptical look.

"Fine, I'll supervise. I have to say, waking up to you naked is a real treat."

"Oh, I bet," I said, rolling my eyes. "What could be sexier than one full side in a cast and massive bruising?"

"Thea." Jason was almost pursing his lips at me. This was a 'no thank you' look if I'd ever seen one.

"I'm sorry. I told you I'm a terrible patient." I'd managed to get situated with my crutches by my bed easier than I thought it would be, and slowly made my way to the bathroom. Being really careful, I was able to do it by myself, but it took 5 times as long.

"I'll make you a deal. During daylight hours, if you're up for it, you do this by yourself. But at night – and I'm serious, Thea – at night, I help."

"Ok." I said. I hated feeling helpless. . But the rational, NP part of me realized he was being logical, because the chances of me slipping and hurting myself was exponentially higher at night, especially on pain medication.

Coming back out to my room, I sighed. "WHAT AM I GOING TO DO ABOUT CLOTHES. EVERYTHING IS TERRIBLE. I want to throw up my hands in exasperation but then I'd fall over. EVERYTHING IS TERRIBLE, JASON."

"Wear mine." Jason said, simply. "Pants shouldn't be a problem – they should be big enough they go over the casts easily. We can cut the legs if they're too long. Shirts, too. I cannot solve the bra/underwear issue, though."

"Meh, no bra shouldn't be a problem. Or, you could help me tape! That could be fun. I may need to look into panties that tie at the sides."

Jason started rooting around 'his' drawer, and found a pair of sweats and a t-shirt without any issue. I sat down on the bed and wiggled into the pants, which actually did fit over the cast pretty well. Turns out my waist size is close to his hip size, so the pants didn't fit too badly at the waist. We did need to cut the legs off, because he's at least 6 inches taller than me. So, pants were sorted. I tried putting on a tank top of mine, and that worked out pretty well, too.

"YAY CLOTHES!" I called.

"Boo, clothes," Jason said, softly, next to me. He kissed the side of my head and picked me up and carried me into the kitchen. He went back to grab the crutches, putting them next to me on a barstool. "Hungry?"

"Are you still insisting I eat?" I asked, sourly.

"Thea. C'mon. You know as well as I do that if you don't eat, you won't get better. You know that."

I rolled my eyes and exhaled in exasperation.

"What's wrong? Are you ok?"

"No, I'm not ok!" I said, starting to cry. God, I can't stand crying. HATE crying. But here we were. "I have meds in my medicine cabinet – the Klonopin, can you get me one of the tabs? They're tear off; they go under the tongue."

Without comment, Jason hustled to the bathroom, got me a Klonopin, and brought it back to me, already opened. I popped it in my mouth. I saw him grab a Kind bar from the cabinet, then he came over, scooped me up, and took me to the couch.

"Baby, what's going on?" He asked, seriously. We were both sitting up, and he was sitting on my left, so he could hold my hand.

"I hate this. I hate feeling helpless. Ben said he told you I have PTSD."

"Yes."

"When I was 16, my junior year of High School, I was raped in the boy's bathroom of Gotham Academy, by a member of the football team, because he knew I slept with chicks, and wanted to 'make sure' I knew what it felt like to have sex with a dude."

"Jesus Christ, Thea, I am so sorry. So, I assume that's the dude you almost killed?"

"Yeah."

"You regret it? Trying to kill him?"

"FUCK no. I'm sorry I didn't get to finish the job. My dad didn't raise a quitter. I did give that fucker permanent brain damage, though."

Jason looked at me the way someone would look at a tiger in a library. "Ben did happen to mention you were…pretty hardcore."

"Yeah. Their next football game, I went into their locker room right before the game and told them all if any of them tried touching anyone in the school without consent, I'd find them, and Benny wouldn't be there to stop me next time."

"NOOOO shit. How'd that go over?"

"One dude tried being all macho and said something about 'liking girls that were feisty' and I told him his buddy did too, and he should ask him how that worked out – but wait, he couldn't, because I'd put him in a coma and he might never wake up. I told them not to fuck with me. No one in the school had problems with harassment after that."

"Did you get in trouble?"

"I got suspended. For a day."

"For fighting back?!" Jason asked, horrified.

"No, for threatening the football team. That apparently was 'bad sportsmanship'. I countered the principal that raping women was worse sportsmanship, and he knocked the suspension down to a day, because he couldn't argue with that."

"Thank you for telling me that. I'm sorry your junior year experience was pretty shitty."

"It happened. Nothing can be done about it now, but therapy. However, getting back to the dojo bullshit. Jason, there was a ROOM FULL OF MEN WHO DID NOTHING. A FULL ROOM OF MEN just sat and watched as I got beaten almost to death. What is wrong with people? I have been going to that dojo for over five years! I've known my sensei for longer than that! He did nothing." I was crying again. "We have children's classes at that place! What if this dude had gotten pissed off at some other woman who wasn't a blackbelt? What if it were one of our teenage students? I trusted my sensei! Those fuckers were all pussies who were afraid to get beaten by that asshole, so they let me take it. And like, there's nothing I can do about it."

"Oh, no, there is. We're on it, Thea, I've got that covered, I promise."

"But like, I can't guarantee my sensei feels guilty, or remorseful, you know? That coward should be ashamed of himself." I swiped at my eyes. "And, like, it's not even Gotham, you know? Like, Two-Face gives no shits about the sexes of the people he hurts. Neither does Joker, or Scarecrow. They're equal opportunity atrocities. But I have friends all over, and this shit happens to women all the fucking time. All the time. Why do men hate women so much, Jason?"

"I wish I had a good answer for you, Thea. I really do." Jason handed me the Kind bar. "Eat it."

"Yes, benevolent overlord."

"I think the word you're searching for is 'boyfriend', thank you very much." When Jason said the word 'boyfriend' he smiled a little satisfied smile that made me so happy to see.

"Yes, boyfriend," I said smiling widely.

Just then there was an unexpected knock on my door. Jason cast a glance at me, asking if I was expecting someone. I shook my head and shrugged. Jason got up and opened the door. I couldn't see who it was, because Jason was blocking my view (and was a view he was).

"Who're you?" It was a voice I recognized. It was Garrett.

"Hi there, I'm Thea's boyfriend Jason, and you are?" I could tell Jason was trying to be as polite as possible while not drop kicking Garrett in the teeth.

"I'm Thea's…boss. Garrett."

"Ah yes. Garrett. How may I help you?" Jason asked, keeping Garrett at bay and out of the apartment by his size alone.

"I wanted to – is Thea home? Is she not here? – I wanted to check in on her, make sure she was doing ok."

"Thea's resting."

"Jason, it's ok. He can come in." I called from behind him. Jason immediately stood to the side, allowing Garrett to enter. Garrett hurried to where I was on the couch.

"Is he new? He's certainly…protective," Garrett said.

"I am protective, thank you, my girlfriend just got the shit kicked out of her at her dojo and I wasn't able to help her."

"I notice you weren't at the hospital – that's curious."

"There's a visitor limit, Garrett – she already had her parents and Ben. I'm here, now." Jason said, patiently.

"Garrett." I said, focusing his attention on me, so he'd stop trying to have a pissing contest with Jason. "What did you want to check?"

"How's your pain?"

"It fucking hurts."

"If you were in the hospital-"

"It would still fucking hurt, and I wouldn't be at home, in my boyfriends pajamas, with my boyfriend."

I saw Jason behind Garrett press his lips together to keep from laughing, but give me a thumbs up.

"How'd you sleep last night?"

"Better than I expected."

"How're you getting around – ok?"

I laughed. "Yeah, the crutches are clumsy, but it is what it is. Jason's been carrying me everywhere, so that's much faster," I said with a smile. Garrett registered mild surprise when I mentioned Jason carrying me.

"You'll need to come back to the hospital in about two weeks for a checkup, and when the casts are off –"

"Garrett, you really didn't need to come here to repeat my discharge instructions to me. I have the printed ones you gave me last night. I'll manage."

"I-I just wanted to make sure you were ok. You were in surgery for over 12 hours, Thea. You're really lucky there isn't going to be permanent nerve damage." Garrett was being serious now. And I knew he was right. I was lucky.

"I know, Garrett, and we appreciate you stopping by. Thank you. Please tell Julia I say hello."

"I won't, but I appreciate the thought. Let me know if you need anything."

"I will. Thanks for stopping by, Garrett."

At the door, Jason said "Good to meet you, man." Garrett only nodded. Once Jason shut the door, he came back over to the couch and goggled at me. "AM I NEW?"

I couldn't help it, I started laughing. Once I started, Jason started. I loved hearing that laugh, more than anything.

"Lord, I see what you mean about that crush." Jason was making the "eek" face.

"Jason, I'm telling you, he really IS a good guy. It's just SOOOO awkward. I've known him my entire life. He's a good doctor, and a good man. But OY."

"Am I new," Jason repeated, shaking his head and rolling his eyes.