Helen hardly got any sleep that night. She lay awake wondering about what
had made Julie so devastated that she'd tried to take her own life.
It didn't matter what Barry said. She still felt guilty. If she'd called, if she'd been there. Just to talk, some friendly words could've made all the difference.
She called the studio at 5.30 in the morning hoping they'd find a replacement for the six o'clock news. When she'd got off the phone she tried to go back to sleep but a quarter to six she got out of bed and packed both hers and Barry's bags.
She called the airline at seven and booked two tickets on the three o'clock flight. Then she went out and got some coffee and bagels and was back by 8 o'clock to wake up Barry.
He moaned and she smiled as he opened his eyes and she held up the bag of bagels in front of him.
"I got breakfast." She declared as he yawned and glanced at the clock.
"How long have you been up?"
"A while." She got off the bed and walked out to the kitchen to cut the bagels. "I called the airline and we are leaving at 3 o'clock today." She called over her shoulder.
Barry came out to her only in his boxershorts, still a little dizzy from waking up.
Helen looked at his body and smiled a little. Now when all was set she felt a little more relaxed.
"I'm sorry what?" He asked and she nodded at the two cups of coffee from Starbuck's she'd gotten them, knowing that Barry didn't really function without coffee in the morning.
"Mm thanks." Barry moaned and took a seat at the table. Helen prepared his bagel like she knew he liked it before she put it down in front of him. He smiled up at her and she leaned down for a kiss before sitting down across to him.
"So, we leave at three, I've already packed your stuff but you still should be here a little extra early so we don't miss the flight. Now I'm not sure if we should take a cab or the subway."
"Wait a little babe." Barry smiled. "I'll be on time, promise. Did you talk to your job?"
Helen nodded. "Yes, they were a little grumpy but since I'd left my script and notes they were okay with it. I told them I'd call them later on this week."
Barry nodded. "Sounds good." He finished his bagel and stood up. "Care to join me in the shower before I head of to school?"
Helen who'd been lost in her thoughts flinched a little and then shook her head.
"Ehm...no, not today." She was relaxed but not that relaxed. Barry kissed her cheek.
"Thanks for breakfast." He said and she smiled staring distant at the coffee in her hand. She hadn't even touched her bagel yet. She just couldn't get Julie off her mind.
****'
At approximately 3 o'clock the plane took off. Helen leaned back in her chair feeling better now that they were on their way.
She closed her eyes with a sigh but then flinched and looked at Barry in the seat next to her.
"What is it Heller?" He asked worried.
"I forgot to call Ray...I should've called Ray." Helen said regretful and Barry frowned.
"Why? Those two aren't together anymore?"
Helen shook her head. She'd never really become clear on the terms Julie and Ray broken up on but she knew Julie was hurting a lot.
'Poor Julie' she thought. Neither she nor Barry mentioned it but they both knew that Julie had never quite been able to move on after that night.
As Helen got a sudden flashback she took a hold of Barry's hand and squeezed it. Barry understood what she'd been thinking since he'd been thinking it too and squeezed her hand back.
****'
That evening when they'd checked in at their hotel Barry and Helen rushed to the hospital where Julie was.
"Visiting hours are over" An older, female nurse told them.
Helen opened her eyes wide. "No please, we just came ...from New York...can't we just stop by quickly?"
"I'm sorry miss, you'll have to come back in the morning." The nurse said strict and Helen sighed. Barry was about to say something when a classy, tall woman with red hair came up to them.
"Excuse me, are you Barry Cox and Helen Shivers?"
"Yes." Barry said, suspicious that someone knew they're names.
The woman looked delighted. "Oh, Julie has told me so much about you. I'm so glad to finally meet you."
Helen looked surprise. "You know Julie?" She had a hard time picturing that.
The woman laughed. "Oh were are my man2ners? Terribly sorry." She reached her hand out. "I'm Charlotte Lane, I'm Julie's psychiatrist.
"Oh." Helen forced a smile and shook Charlotte's hand. Charlotte then shook Barry's hand before turned to the nurse.
"Doris, will you do me the favour of letting these to visit Ms James now? It was impossible for them to arrive earlier. Please it's important for Ms James to see her loved ones at a time like this."
The nurse thought for a few second and then nodded. "Okay but not too long. This way" She said and led them to Julie's room.
Julie was resting but not sleeping when they got there. Helen rushed over to her bed.
"Oh my God Julie, are you okay?" She asked and hugged her friend gently.
Julie smiled weakly. "What are you doing here?" She asked and then noticed Barry. "Barry? Hi, you look great."
Barry smiled teasing. "Can't say the same for you."
Julie smiled and looked back at Helen who was holding her hand.
"You guys didn't need to come all this way."
"Are you kidding? Julie you...I mean..." Helen sat down on the side of the bed. "What happened?"
Julie shook her head. "I just had some trouble sleeping."
Charlotte Lane cleared her throat. "Well Julie ...aren't you glad your friends are here? I thought that'd be best for you but ...you have to rest and I'm sure Ms Shivers and Mr Cox are more then willing to come back in the morning."
Julie looked frightened and squeezed Helen's hand. "No please." She begged and Helen exchanged a confused glance with Barry.
"I need to talk to my friends ...alone...it's important."
Julie sounded so weak even Barry got a sickening feeling in his stomach. He and Julie had never been the best of friends but she didn't deserve this.
Charlotte looked at Julie then Helen, Barry and back to Julie. Then she nodded.
"Okay, but I'll be right outside." She said and closed the door after herself as she left the room.
Barry moved up and stood by Helen who was still sitting on the edge of Julie's bed holding her friend's pale hand in her own.
"What's wrong Julie? Do you want us to call Ray?"
Julie looked at them. "No, don't get him here...it's dangerous. You two should leave tonight. Leave your stuff and get out of this town." She got tears in her eyes and kept glancing at the door like she was afraid somebody was going to walk in.
"Julie what are you talking about?" Helen asked concerned. Her free hand reached for Barry's, seeing Julie like this was hard for her.
He took it and squeezed it supporting. He was more worried about what that red head quack might've gotten into Julie's head. Last time he'd seen her she'd been okay. Probably dealing with inner demons, but definitely nothing that even came close to this. She'd never been suicidal.
Julie tried to sit up but was too weak. "You have to leave - he'll come for you too if you stay."
"Who'll come for us Jules?" Barry asked with a slight frown. This was highly disturbing.
Tears started to run down Julie's cheeks.
"He wants revenge..he wants us dead. He's back."
***********************************************************************'
A/N: Sorry it took so long but my computer is broke. Hope you like the fic and keep reading. =)
Jennifer Phoenix
It didn't matter what Barry said. She still felt guilty. If she'd called, if she'd been there. Just to talk, some friendly words could've made all the difference.
She called the studio at 5.30 in the morning hoping they'd find a replacement for the six o'clock news. When she'd got off the phone she tried to go back to sleep but a quarter to six she got out of bed and packed both hers and Barry's bags.
She called the airline at seven and booked two tickets on the three o'clock flight. Then she went out and got some coffee and bagels and was back by 8 o'clock to wake up Barry.
He moaned and she smiled as he opened his eyes and she held up the bag of bagels in front of him.
"I got breakfast." She declared as he yawned and glanced at the clock.
"How long have you been up?"
"A while." She got off the bed and walked out to the kitchen to cut the bagels. "I called the airline and we are leaving at 3 o'clock today." She called over her shoulder.
Barry came out to her only in his boxershorts, still a little dizzy from waking up.
Helen looked at his body and smiled a little. Now when all was set she felt a little more relaxed.
"I'm sorry what?" He asked and she nodded at the two cups of coffee from Starbuck's she'd gotten them, knowing that Barry didn't really function without coffee in the morning.
"Mm thanks." Barry moaned and took a seat at the table. Helen prepared his bagel like she knew he liked it before she put it down in front of him. He smiled up at her and she leaned down for a kiss before sitting down across to him.
"So, we leave at three, I've already packed your stuff but you still should be here a little extra early so we don't miss the flight. Now I'm not sure if we should take a cab or the subway."
"Wait a little babe." Barry smiled. "I'll be on time, promise. Did you talk to your job?"
Helen nodded. "Yes, they were a little grumpy but since I'd left my script and notes they were okay with it. I told them I'd call them later on this week."
Barry nodded. "Sounds good." He finished his bagel and stood up. "Care to join me in the shower before I head of to school?"
Helen who'd been lost in her thoughts flinched a little and then shook her head.
"Ehm...no, not today." She was relaxed but not that relaxed. Barry kissed her cheek.
"Thanks for breakfast." He said and she smiled staring distant at the coffee in her hand. She hadn't even touched her bagel yet. She just couldn't get Julie off her mind.
****'
At approximately 3 o'clock the plane took off. Helen leaned back in her chair feeling better now that they were on their way.
She closed her eyes with a sigh but then flinched and looked at Barry in the seat next to her.
"What is it Heller?" He asked worried.
"I forgot to call Ray...I should've called Ray." Helen said regretful and Barry frowned.
"Why? Those two aren't together anymore?"
Helen shook her head. She'd never really become clear on the terms Julie and Ray broken up on but she knew Julie was hurting a lot.
'Poor Julie' she thought. Neither she nor Barry mentioned it but they both knew that Julie had never quite been able to move on after that night.
As Helen got a sudden flashback she took a hold of Barry's hand and squeezed it. Barry understood what she'd been thinking since he'd been thinking it too and squeezed her hand back.
****'
That evening when they'd checked in at their hotel Barry and Helen rushed to the hospital where Julie was.
"Visiting hours are over" An older, female nurse told them.
Helen opened her eyes wide. "No please, we just came ...from New York...can't we just stop by quickly?"
"I'm sorry miss, you'll have to come back in the morning." The nurse said strict and Helen sighed. Barry was about to say something when a classy, tall woman with red hair came up to them.
"Excuse me, are you Barry Cox and Helen Shivers?"
"Yes." Barry said, suspicious that someone knew they're names.
The woman looked delighted. "Oh, Julie has told me so much about you. I'm so glad to finally meet you."
Helen looked surprise. "You know Julie?" She had a hard time picturing that.
The woman laughed. "Oh were are my man2ners? Terribly sorry." She reached her hand out. "I'm Charlotte Lane, I'm Julie's psychiatrist.
"Oh." Helen forced a smile and shook Charlotte's hand. Charlotte then shook Barry's hand before turned to the nurse.
"Doris, will you do me the favour of letting these to visit Ms James now? It was impossible for them to arrive earlier. Please it's important for Ms James to see her loved ones at a time like this."
The nurse thought for a few second and then nodded. "Okay but not too long. This way" She said and led them to Julie's room.
Julie was resting but not sleeping when they got there. Helen rushed over to her bed.
"Oh my God Julie, are you okay?" She asked and hugged her friend gently.
Julie smiled weakly. "What are you doing here?" She asked and then noticed Barry. "Barry? Hi, you look great."
Barry smiled teasing. "Can't say the same for you."
Julie smiled and looked back at Helen who was holding her hand.
"You guys didn't need to come all this way."
"Are you kidding? Julie you...I mean..." Helen sat down on the side of the bed. "What happened?"
Julie shook her head. "I just had some trouble sleeping."
Charlotte Lane cleared her throat. "Well Julie ...aren't you glad your friends are here? I thought that'd be best for you but ...you have to rest and I'm sure Ms Shivers and Mr Cox are more then willing to come back in the morning."
Julie looked frightened and squeezed Helen's hand. "No please." She begged and Helen exchanged a confused glance with Barry.
"I need to talk to my friends ...alone...it's important."
Julie sounded so weak even Barry got a sickening feeling in his stomach. He and Julie had never been the best of friends but she didn't deserve this.
Charlotte looked at Julie then Helen, Barry and back to Julie. Then she nodded.
"Okay, but I'll be right outside." She said and closed the door after herself as she left the room.
Barry moved up and stood by Helen who was still sitting on the edge of Julie's bed holding her friend's pale hand in her own.
"What's wrong Julie? Do you want us to call Ray?"
Julie looked at them. "No, don't get him here...it's dangerous. You two should leave tonight. Leave your stuff and get out of this town." She got tears in her eyes and kept glancing at the door like she was afraid somebody was going to walk in.
"Julie what are you talking about?" Helen asked concerned. Her free hand reached for Barry's, seeing Julie like this was hard for her.
He took it and squeezed it supporting. He was more worried about what that red head quack might've gotten into Julie's head. Last time he'd seen her she'd been okay. Probably dealing with inner demons, but definitely nothing that even came close to this. She'd never been suicidal.
Julie tried to sit up but was too weak. "You have to leave - he'll come for you too if you stay."
"Who'll come for us Jules?" Barry asked with a slight frown. This was highly disturbing.
Tears started to run down Julie's cheeks.
"He wants revenge..he wants us dead. He's back."
***********************************************************************'
A/N: Sorry it took so long but my computer is broke. Hope you like the fic and keep reading. =)
Jennifer Phoenix