Karen Melnitz and Janine's sister Doris came every day to visit Janine. But Janine didn't care. She laid in her bed, staring out the window, not speaking to anyone. Flowers came by the bunch daily from everyone, but she didn't read the cards, nor did she even look at them. Karen kept up the correspondence with the Ghostbusters, and it was finally decided that when Janine was released, she'd come live at the firehouse to recuperate, and Karen and Doris would switch weeks taking care of her until she got better. Kylie walked in with Karen the afternoon she was going to make the announcement. Karen walked over to her daughter, kissing her forehead, and smoothing out her sheets. Janine said nothing, just looked out the window.
"Hello sweetheart," her mother said. "Kylie's come to visit you."
"Hey Janine," Kylie said, not expecting a response. She didn't get one. That didn't deter Karen.
"I had a talk with Dr. Ayres," she said. Janine continued to stare out the window. "He says you can come home tomorrow, but you have to meet with a physical therapist once the casts come off your body." She glanced at her daughter, then at Kylie. "Your sister and I discussed it, and neither of us have the facilities to keep you in our apartments, so you'll be staying at the firehouse. Either your sister or I will be there to help you, and..."
"No," came a response. Both Kylie and Karen were stunned.
"Excuse me?" Karen asked. Janine turned her head slowly to look at her mother.
"No," she repeated softly. "I'm not staying at the firehouse. I'll stay here."
"Now Janine we've already discussed it," Karen Melnitz stated. "The firehouse is the only place you'll have enough free room to heal in, and there's always someone there. Besides," she added. "It already has a lift, since you'll be in a wheelchair for a month until your leg heals."
"I am not staying in the firehouse," Janine whispered. "I can't."
Karen Melnitz looked at her daughter. "Janine Anne Melnitz, I am shocked at you. These boys are your friends. You once told me you could trust them with anything."
"Not this," Janine said.
"There are four men at that house who love you more than anything," her mother continued. "How do you think they feel? You've shut them out completely. Poor Egon sits in his lab all day and tinkers on nothing. They haven't eaten, they haven't slept."
Janine looked up at her mother, anguish in her eyes. "Mother, you can't possibly understand." she cried. "I can't look at them. I couldn't bear their looks."
"Janine, it can't be because they're men; you weren't raped by a man."
Janine and Kylie both looked at her stunned. Karen had a look of sadness on her face. "My sweetheart, did you think I didn't know? I knew when you took that job, there were probably some risks you were going to be taking. The boys were usually there for you, but honey, they can't be there forever. Bad things happen, when revenge is involved."
Tears fell down both Karen's and Janine's faces. Karen walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, holding her daughter's hand.
"I told Egon I knew what had happened," she explained to both women. "He looked at me for a moment; I don't think he believed me, but then he fell into my arms, sobbing. He blames himself for your injuries. He feels he knew that he shouldn't have left and that if he'd stayed, you wouldn't be in here right now."
Janine shook her head, biting her lip. "Honey, please, let me bring him in. Just for a moment. It kills me to see him like this. He truly loves you."
Janine shook her head, crying softly. "No, not yet. I'll see him tomorrow, when you take me to the firehouse. Please understand. I can't see him right now."
Karen squeezed her daughter's hand. "I understand."
"Hello sweetheart," her mother said. "Kylie's come to visit you."
"Hey Janine," Kylie said, not expecting a response. She didn't get one. That didn't deter Karen.
"I had a talk with Dr. Ayres," she said. Janine continued to stare out the window. "He says you can come home tomorrow, but you have to meet with a physical therapist once the casts come off your body." She glanced at her daughter, then at Kylie. "Your sister and I discussed it, and neither of us have the facilities to keep you in our apartments, so you'll be staying at the firehouse. Either your sister or I will be there to help you, and..."
"No," came a response. Both Kylie and Karen were stunned.
"Excuse me?" Karen asked. Janine turned her head slowly to look at her mother.
"No," she repeated softly. "I'm not staying at the firehouse. I'll stay here."
"Now Janine we've already discussed it," Karen Melnitz stated. "The firehouse is the only place you'll have enough free room to heal in, and there's always someone there. Besides," she added. "It already has a lift, since you'll be in a wheelchair for a month until your leg heals."
"I am not staying in the firehouse," Janine whispered. "I can't."
Karen Melnitz looked at her daughter. "Janine Anne Melnitz, I am shocked at you. These boys are your friends. You once told me you could trust them with anything."
"Not this," Janine said.
"There are four men at that house who love you more than anything," her mother continued. "How do you think they feel? You've shut them out completely. Poor Egon sits in his lab all day and tinkers on nothing. They haven't eaten, they haven't slept."
Janine looked up at her mother, anguish in her eyes. "Mother, you can't possibly understand." she cried. "I can't look at them. I couldn't bear their looks."
"Janine, it can't be because they're men; you weren't raped by a man."
Janine and Kylie both looked at her stunned. Karen had a look of sadness on her face. "My sweetheart, did you think I didn't know? I knew when you took that job, there were probably some risks you were going to be taking. The boys were usually there for you, but honey, they can't be there forever. Bad things happen, when revenge is involved."
Tears fell down both Karen's and Janine's faces. Karen walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, holding her daughter's hand.
"I told Egon I knew what had happened," she explained to both women. "He looked at me for a moment; I don't think he believed me, but then he fell into my arms, sobbing. He blames himself for your injuries. He feels he knew that he shouldn't have left and that if he'd stayed, you wouldn't be in here right now."
Janine shook her head, biting her lip. "Honey, please, let me bring him in. Just for a moment. It kills me to see him like this. He truly loves you."
Janine shook her head, crying softly. "No, not yet. I'll see him tomorrow, when you take me to the firehouse. Please understand. I can't see him right now."
Karen squeezed her daughter's hand. "I understand."