Judy sighed pulling into the parking lot in front of Hanson's building and turning off the engine grabbing the bag of chinese take out as she stepped out of the car.

"THE DOORS OPEN!" Doug screamed as he shut off the water in the kitchen Ioki sitting dilagently next to Tom who was fighting hoplessly to watch the images on the television in front of him, and trying to ignore the stabbing pain knocking on his skull.

"Want me to get it?" Harry was already half way off the sofa when Doug's hand quickly pushed him back down it's alright I got it.

"I said the doors op-... oh hey Jude." He cleared his throat realizing who was on the other side of the door.

"I know I know I heard you, I just thought it was funner to make you get off your butt and answer the door."

"Get off my butt? I haven't been on my butt in nearly two days!"

"He's keeping you that busy huh?"

With a silent nodd Doug stepped outside the door pushing Judy with him, "Here let's go get that thing out of your car okay?"

"Doug I don't-" With a finger to her lips she was silenced as the door closed the two of them standing out in the apartment hallway.

"What is it?" She asked eyeing him as she leaned back against the wall.

"I just wanted to talk to you for a minute before you go in there." he frowned a littler and swept his hand over his brow.

"Are you alright Doug? You look a hagard for lack of a better word."

"This is just... not what I expected... he's so... so..."

"So what Doug?"

"Tortured." He nodded. "Tortured and weak, he won't eat... not won't, can't, he can't eat, he can't sleep everytime he falls asleep he wakes up worse off then before, he's... he's throwing these fits... these I don't know episodes I guess you would call them..."

"Doug" She reached out putting her hand on his shoulder, "I know it's not easy... Not on you and not on him...but he's going to get through this."

"I know... I just hate to see him suffer, he's one of the best people I know and it doesn't seem fair..." His hands clenched at his sides, "I swear I catch the man who did this... and I'll have his ass so fast..."

"Relax..." Judy sighed studying him closely. "I'll tell you what... why don't you and Ioki go and grab a beer, I'll stay with Tom, you need to get away..."

"That's not such a good idea."

"Penhall..."

"Jude, if he... it's bad alright, and I don't know if you can handle him alone..."

"You think I'm afraid of Hanson?"

"No... but you should be afraid of what you might see...he's not himself."

"I think I can handle it..."

"I'm not joking th-" Doug's words were interupted by loud voices coming from inside the apartment as he shook his head and opened the door Judy unaware of much going on, followed close behind him.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!"

"Tommy..." Harry was now crouched down next to the far corner of the living room.

"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!"

Judy could nearly feel the tears beginning to sting her eyes as she swollowed hard, Doug was right, these images before her were not easy to look at let alone comprehend. "Han-Hanson..." She took a step forward.

"GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE! DON'T YOU LOOK AT ME!" He snapped shaking his head at her his arms once more tightly wrapped around his legs his body backed hard against the wall as he snarled at the three people above him.

"Talk to us Tom.. How can we know whats going on if you don't talk to us..." Doug stepped up putting his arm on Judy's shoulder as she grew obviously upset.

"IT HURTS IT HURTS SO DAMN BAD!" He screamed smacking his head hard against the wall and shutting his eyes, "IT HURTS AND NONE OF YOU GIVE A SHIT! NONE OF YOU ARE HELPING ME! IT HURTS AND YOU WON'T MAKE IT GO AWAY!"

"STOP IT!" Hoffs yelled dropping to her knees at the screaming man's feet and reaching out she pulled him away from the wall the echo of his head thumping against the solid plaster playing over and over in her mind as she looked at him.

Tommy blinked looking at her his pupils dancing momentarily in his skull... "DI-DID I SAY YOU CAN TOUCH ME?"

"I didn't ask for your premission." She let herself slide, sitting down indian style on the rug as she gripped his forearms heavily careful of his wrists and stared at him. "You are going to fight this. I am not going to sit by and watch you be distroyed."

"SO FUCKING HELP ME!"

"What do you think were doing here Hanson? Do you think we like watching you go through this... do you think we like seeing you so helpless.?" Penhall whispered crouching down next to Ioki.

"I don't know..." He shot back slowly lowering his head into his hands. "I don't know... everything is so confused, everything is so mixed up... I don't know..."

"I think you know man..." Ioki cleared his throat, "You know that we're your friends and we're not going to let you go through this alone, we're your friends and we love you."

"But-but I feel alone..."

"Your not." Judy cooed sliding into the corner next to him and putting her arm around his sweat drenched shoulder pulling his shaking body into hers and closing her eyes, "Your not alone."

"Is that all we have to do to get your attention officer Hoffs?" Doug smirked rising to his feet. "Go a liuttle mad sometimes?"

"Shut up Penhall and go start the bath would you?" she gave him a knowing grin as she ran her hand over Hanson's bath, "Your gonna go get cleaned up, then your going to come back out here and eat some of this wonderful take-out that I spent all day going to go pick-up."

"You didn't even cook for us Jude?" Harry asked taking a seat back on the sofa.

"I figured Tom was already sick enough he didn't need my cooking to help him along."

"Thanks for your consideration." Tom mumbled as Doug returned back into the front room and extended his hand pulling the smaller man off the floor.

"Anytime." She rose to her feet and went over taking a seat next to Ioki on the sofa... "How long has he been like this?" She whispered once the two others were out of ear shot.

"This is day three..."

"Tough break."

"you said it, I just hope he's gonna pull through it."

"He will... he has to..." She said resting her head on her best friends shoulder, "It won't be long now anyway will it?"

"I guess we will wait and see."

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Thank you so much for your reviews and comments! It's nice to know my stuff is read and enjoyed, I wanted to let you all know about the next story I'll be writing once this one is over, for those of you who are Booker fans your not going to be disappointed.

Single Bullet: Police work is the only thing that officer Tom Hanson has ever known, but when the one thing he knows and loves ruins his life crippling both him and his career can he find a way to put the pieces back together again? He will find strength in an unlikely source to keep fighting as his world is turned upside down and he struggles to stan on his own to feet again.(not slash)