Sorry about the short chapter. To be truthful this chapter only came into being while I was doing the rewrite…
CHAPTER SIX: TIME
For a week Jubilee avoided Emma. She wasn't obvious about it, never left the room when Emma came in, but people made it impossible to have a private conversation without a specific request for time. Emma did not want to embarrass Jubilee by calling her to the office. After awhile Emma thought Jubilee had come to terms with the ... incident.
If not for Paige's condition, for the team's overall mental state Emma might have noticed Jubilee's state of mind. She wasn't suicidal or overly distraught, but the thoughts that chased round and round Jubilee's mind never let up. She failed her friends, she hurt her friends, friends whose lives were so fragile and precious, and over and over the words cycled unendingly.
During that week Monet hovered over Everett as he recovered from the poison Viper had sliced into his bloodstream. Though Monet had no ill effects from the poison, Everett only sluggishly revived. Hank told the team that the best remedy to the poison was time, good food, and activity. Since Ev didn't want to move, Monet made it her life's mission to get him on his feet, despite protests and snappish behavior.
In a fit of normalcy Jubilee felt a spurt of jealousy one day over the time Ev was spending with Monet. They were in the rec room watching MTV when Angelo made a snide remark about Monet, Ev and a vat of ice cream. Monet rose to defend herself, but Ev stopped her. He simply placed a hand on her arm and Monet quieted her face a mask of concern.
"She's my friend and she's helping me though a difficult time, Ang. I haven't seen anyone else trying to make me do what I need to get better. I needed her, and she was there for me." In the silence that followed Ev and Monet left. Angelo hmphed and went back to watching TV, trying not to show he cared about what Ev had said.
For Jubilee it was much worse. In a frozen moment she watched the past week flash by. Never once had she asked Ev how he was, if he needed help. She had not been there for her best friend, maybe even the best man she had ever known. The world crashed down around Jubilee when the selfishness of her actions became clear.
One friend was in the MedLab, unconscious because of her. Now another friend had needed her and she had not been there for him. Glancing at Angelo and Jono Jubilee wandered how she would fail them, if she had not already failed them. Jono had lost more of his outward body to the raging furnace inside when Paige shredded him. Had she asked him if he was ok... if he needed help?
In her heart Jubilee knew her friends needed her to be there for them, but how could she when she would only fail, only hurt them more. Her small hand clenched as the thoughts ran round. Jono looked at her, as if he could hear her thoughts, but then he simply smiled and turned his attention back to the cords he was plucking along with the music.
That night as she got ready for bed Jubilee noticed four crescent shaped scabs were her nails had scored her palm. Even now she couldn't feel any pain.