The girls have been awake for a half-hour. As usual, Jayce refuses to take painkillers. J.R. seems more concerned about her than how Crosshairs and Drift aren't here.
Jayce is lying on her stomach and covering her head with a pillow. Bumblebee and Cade return to the junkyard.
"I'm worried, Bee. Jayce is too uncomfortable with a persistent headache and dizziness to try anything, but J.R. has already harmed herself. She's worried about Jayce, but I worry about her."
"You - think- she'll -try something?*
"I do; J.R. ran off while she was with Drift, so I don't think it matters if either Crosshairs or Drift are with her. They're already worried about the girls; I don't want to add to their worry. Hound knows I'm concerned about J.R. possibly harming herself again."
"Should tell- Vegeta. He can - go after - her - if she - leaves the - dimension."
They left Crosshairs and Drift alone. Cade goes to his trailer while Bee sits on a rusted car.
"I better get back to Jayce and J.R.," Crosshairs says, "you can stay here."
"No, I better go back too."
"I know you want to stay here with Jamie. You know Hound is with them, and Jayce hasn't been feeling great. J.R. is the one who can be a problem," Crosshairs put a hand on Drift's shoulder, "you can stay here for a while."
Crosshairs asks Bulma to open a portal. He didn't expect Bulma to come with him.
Bulma and Crosshairs knew Jayce refused painkillers and was lying on her stomach, covering her head with a pillow.
"She's choosing to deal with this by sleeping, which is good for her, but I would like to know why she's refusing painkillers," Bulma comments.
"I'm thinking she's feeling guilty about not being able to help Jamie," Crosshairs says in a low tone so only Bulma and Hound could hear him.
"Damn it, even though she knows it's mostly monitoring."
"I think it's because she's not the one watching Jamie and how you had to take over," Hound suggests.
"You think she's thinking about how this would be if this didn't happen while they were with us?" Crosshairs asks.
"Shit, that's most likely part of what she's thinking."
Shit, J.R., is that part of what you're thinking? Crosshairs sits next to her on the bed. He knew she'd lean on her and hug him.
Crosshairs told Hound he could go back to Cade's dimension when Bulma said she was going back.
Bulma and Hound decided not to tell Drift about the conversation they just had with Crosshairs. They'd let Crosshairs decide to tell him or not. They didn't go into the building either. Hound went to get a little recharge, and Bulma continued her work on her laptop, sitting at the table outside. Cade joins her ten minutes later. He tells her the conversation he had with Bumblebee, and Bulma tells him about the conversation she had with Crosshairs and Hound.
"Wow, what are we going to do?" Cade asks, hoping Bulma had an idea, though he was pretty sure there was nothing they could do.
"Nothing we can do to get them to stop thinking that way. I'm worried J.R. is going to reach her limit and..."
"Fuck Bulma, you could be right. She already hurt herself before."
"It would be great if we didn't have to involve Crosshairs and Drift. Those two worry enough," Bulma says.
"They don't like not being told about Jamie when she's declining; they will not like not being told that J.R. could try to hurt herself again even though they will not like hearing we think J.R. could try to hurt herself again."
Cade goes back to his trailer, expecting to be told they're going back to Bulma's dimension soon, but after three hours, he found it strange that he wasn't disturbed. He found Bulma still at the outside table. Bulma is bothered by how long Drift has been with Jamie.
"Strangely, he's been worried about all three of the girls now it's like he's just worried about Jamie."
"You know how hard this has been on him," Cade is trying to avoid telling Bulma how Drift saw Jamie flatline a couple of days ago, "Crosshairs could have stayed longer if he wanted to. They both know Bumblebee and Hound are with the girls."
"I don't think Crosshairs knew Drift would stay three hours after he left."
I have to go back to Jayce and J.R., but I can't leave you. Not after seeing you flatline, and it was the third time.
Drift felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked to see who it was, though he quickly realized he should have known it was Crosshairs.
"I'm sorry, I-," he started.
"I know," Crosshairs sighed, "I'd like to stay here, but I'm worried about J.R. You saw how she was after I left for two days. I think Jayce wants you to come back. She asked if you would be gone for a couple of days again, but I think she knows you're here. It's hard to tell if she's starting to be like J.R."
"How is she?"
"Still feeling like crap and refusing painkillers,"
Crosshairs sits beside Drift, unsure what else to say.
Bulma walks into the building and stands next to Drift fifteen minutes later.
"You need us to move?" Drift asked.
Bulma wasn't sure how to tell Drift that she wants him and Crosshairs to come back to her dimension to talk about the girls with Bumblebee and Hound.
"Come on, let's go back. Jamie will be ok," Crosshairs says.
"I'll stay here," Cade says as he walks up to them, "I will not be useful with the girls."
"What?" Drift asked, concerned.
Shit, should I have gone back sooner?
"Seriously, Cade! I was trying not to worry him."
"You think he wouldn't worry about J R. and what we have to talk about?"
"Come on, she'll be ok," Crosshairs repeats in hopes Drift would go back to Bulma's dimension.
Drift agreed to go, though he was afraid this would be the last time he'd see Jamie even if Bulma says she'll be ok and Cade stayed with Jamie.
Bulma went to find Vegeta when they got to her lab. Bumblebee and Hound were in the hallway. Bumblebee and Hound realized Drift didn't want to leave Jamie, but he is concerned about Jayce and J.R.
"What's the problem?" They hear Vegeta as he and Bulma walk down the hall.
"We're concerned about J.R. though I think they'd both try it if Jayce wasn't feeling like crap."
Vegeta didn't need to ask; he knew what Bulma was talking about.
"I can't believe we have to think about this and what to do," Bulma sighed.
"Same as before when we thought J.R. would run off to Jamie's dimension," Vegeta says.
"Ok, but what about Jayce? I don't know if J.R. will tell Jayce what she's going to do, but if she's successful, Jayce will know by sensing J.R.'s low energy," Hound explains.
"I'll deal with that," Drift says.
"Where are you going to have J.R.?" Crosshairs asks.
"Here; while Jayce will worry about J.R. whether she's here or at the junkyard, I think here will help Jayce relax a little," Bulma explains.
Vegeta walks away as Crosshairs and Drift are thinking about what they can do to help Jayce. Drift has already decided he can't leave Jayce alone, even if she takes
painkillers. While he's just guessing, he thinks the painkillers won't keep her asleep all night like they have been.
"I don't think that's a good idea," Hound says, "Jayce is already an emotional wreck, and if we're right about what she's been thinking about, she's going to be worse of a wreck than if you brought J.R. to the junkyard."
"It wouldn't matter where J.R. is; Jayce will worry, but we all know why there is a better place to bring J.R.."
Crosshairs didn't explain why, but the others knew what he was thinking.
"We'll just continue what we've been doing. Hopefully, we're wrong, and J.R. won't try anything, but if she does, even if she hurts herself, bring her back here. Drift and Crosshairs can take care of Jayce, and hopefully, we won't need to use long-term sedation, but we know how bad J.R. could harm herself," Hound instructs everyone. Everyone agrees it's a little better than bringing J.R. to the junkyard, but they hope they're wrong about J.R. trying to do anything.
They see the girls sitting on the floor by Jayce's bed. Jayce is clearly having a hard time. She has her knees up and her head resting on them. J.R. is talking; the others listened in, hoping to get answers.
"Why are you doing this to yourself?" J.R. asks, "you're too uncomfortable to even sit on the floor with me."
Jayce lifts her head up even though she's dizzy and the light is bothering her.
"I failed everyone. I couldn't help Jamie, and you know how screwed we'd be if this happened back in Jamie's dimension?" Jayce started tearing up, "it's bad enough she's unable to fight the flare-up. You know Bulma is thinking like us and like us, she can't do it. For all we know…" Jayce od having a hard time finishing what she wanted to say, "... Bulma could just be keeping Jamie alive cause of the thought of the Autobots, and Cade will lose Jamie, and you know..." Jayce cries. It's clear to the others J.R. wanted to say something, but she was now trying not to cry while comforting Jayce. Crosshairs and Drift go in the room and sit with them.
"Well, we got one question answered. It's a good thing J.R. said nothing," Hound says as he, Bulma, Cade, and Bumblebee watch Crosshairs and Drift comfort Jayce and J.R., "I don't think it's only Jayce thinking she failed Jamie, and how screwed they'd be if this happened anywhere else. J.R. just keeps her emotions bottled up."
"I'm going to make a first aid kit. We need to be prepared. Don't tell them, but I think Jayce would try something like J.R. if she wasn't feeling like crap," Bulma tells them before walking away.
"I think they know already," Hound says, "come on, Bee, let's leave them alone."
They follow Bulma to her lab. They watch her put together a first aid kit as Vegeta walks in.
"You think I can take care of whatever she'll do to herself?" Vegeta asks.
"Hopefully enough before you bring her here. I hope we're wrong, but we need to be prepared," she showed Vegeta what she was putting in the box and instructing him on what to do, though she guessed what J.R. could do to herself. Bumblebee, Hound, and Vegeta hated what Bulma thought J.R. could do. She could have minor injury or end up seriously injured. Bulma also feared that she'd end up with a head injury.
"...We could be lucky, or this nightmare will get a lot worse."
"Damn it," Hound says in a disappointed tone.
"No way they're going to leave Jayce and J.R. to see Jamie, even though Drift couldn't leave her today."
"I know. They want to be with Jamie more but worry about Jayce and J.R. The girls are too depressed that they don't eat, and if we don't give them the nutrition drink, they probably won't get it themselves, and well, you guys know."
"The girls don't even ask about Jamie. I'd love to tell them something, but I know we want to wait."
"It's better for them."
They all go back to Cade's dimension and inform Cade of the plan. Bulma tells him what she thinks J.R. will do to herself; minor and serious. Bumblebee and Hound go into the building to be with Jamie. Cade stops Bulma from following them.
"You think she'd come here and pull the plug?" He asks.
"I don't know, but if that's what she's going to do, we'll be here to stop her. Actually, I'd rather that than her going to hurt herself."
They go into the building and Bulma checks on Jamie. She couldn't hide how she was bothered by what Jayce said.
"There's more, isn't there?" Cade asked when Bulma finished.
"Jayce thinks she failed Jamie and has been thinking about what would happen if Jadin attacked in another dimension. She thinks I'm just keeping Jamie alive because I hate the thought of you and the Autobots losing her."
"Jayce is not thinking straight. She should know that you would make the tough decision if you had to."
"I can't -."
"I don't think you'd keep her alive if she wouldn't recover, no matter what we did. You were concerned about brain damage — and probably still are — but I know you'd make the tough decision if you have to."
"You know I'm not sure if what Vegeta did will work, and I don't know what to do if it doesn't work."
"I think you know enough to let Jamie keep fighting or not."
Cade goes to sit by Jamie.
You might not be 100% sure, but I think you'd decide if there was no sign that Jamie could recover. I know people would say that Jamie had to be revived three times is enough proof Jamie can't fight this, but she comes back and fights for a week. She needs a little help, and hopefully, Vegeta's energy is that help.
