Janik had been on the phone with his eldest son for the past 30 minutes. "Dad I am going to fucking go to the Blake house right now and put a bullet in their father and sister." Janik had explained what had happened to Jess. He knew his son's would be upset and knew he had to calm them down to make sure they weren't going to do anything stupid. "Listen to me, I want nothing more to get rid of these people. But we can't do anything irrational. Have you heard anything from the bugged phone?" Travis told Janik Mr. Blake and Greg hadn't spoken a lot together, it mainly had been Greg and Gina. Greg told Gina what he had done to Michael and she was upset with him. Greg told Gina that he was going to wipe out the Shelby family as quickly as he could, and when he was done with them he would come back to America and get the job done on the Swavorski family himself. Conversations between Greg and Mr. Blake had done nothing to do with what was going on. Greg was telling his father he was fixing the business deal; that he would make sure they had gotten it. In Travis's opinion, he didn't think Mr. Blake had known what Greg was actually doing in Birmingham still. "That interesting," Janik said. "Travis I need you and your brothers to keep listening and I will call you in a few days to find out an update." Janik wondered did Mr. Blake know? He had to let Tommy know. "Dad," Travis kind of whispered. "Is, is Jess ok?" Travis sounded nervous not wanting to hear the answer anticipating it would be the worst. "She's shaken up, but she will be ok. Right now her biggest concern is she doesn't want Michael to see her the way she is." Janik could hear a breath of relief. Travis asked, "They are back together?" Janik laughed at his son's question, "I don't know. I don't ask your sister those types of questions. I will say she never left the hospital till today. Even made me bring her a couch there to sleep on." He could hear Travis laugh and tell the rest of Janik's son's. "The guys said you're a sucker dad. And you let her get away with everything!" "Oh you hush," Janik replied, "I'm an old man who gives your sister everything or she will drive me crazy." Travis continued,"How are you feeling?" Janik was hoping he would't ask. The main reason Jessica went to New York was because he wasn't feeling well. He put his hand to his chest remembering the pain he felt when Tommy told him Greg had Jessica. He wasn't going to tell his sons the truth yet. "I am fine. Much better." Travis could hear the slight hesitation, but wasn't going to push it, "When this is over I think you and Jess should come back and we take you to the doctors here. You know they have better doctors here." Janik knew his son was right,"When this is all over, I promise I will."
Janik heard a knock at the door and hung up the phone. He peaked out the window first making sure it was ok. Polly was at the door. He opened it and she came running inside. "Is she ok? Where is she?" Polly was so all over the place and looked like a wreck. It took her over an hour to convince Michael he had to stay at the hospital with Tommy and that she would come and check on Jessica and come back. "She's uh been in the shower for over an hour Poll. I knocked on the door a few times, but she never would answer." Polly nodded her head. "I just don't know how to help her Poll. I couldn't protect her and I don't know how to help her right now." Polly put her hand on Janik's shoulder, "Let me go up there I will talk to her." Polly walked up the steps. When she made it to the top she took a second to think about what she was going to say. What do you say when this happens to someone? Is anything she says really going to make the situation better? No. But she knew she needed to make sure Jess knew this wasn't her fault. She needed Jess to understand no one was upset with her. And she needed to make sure she convinced the girl that Michael would never be mad either. She was hopeful to maybe convince her to go to the hospital tomorrow. Today was too soon for sure, but maybe tomorrow would be a better day. She got to the bathroom door and could still hear the water running. She knocked, "Jess its Polly." No answer. She knocked again, "Jess I am going to come in." Polly turned the door knob and walked in. On the floor of the shower, Jess sat there. The water raining over her. She sat there in silence, knees to her chest and her head perched on top of them arms wrapped around her knees. Her lips were purple. Polly felt the water, it was ice cold. She turned it off. Once the water stopped, she could see Jess's black eye and busted lip. Jess was in a trance just blankly staring at the wall.
Polly grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her. "Jess let's stand up and get some clothes on. You're shivering right now." Polly could feel her body shivering from the cold water. She wondered how long the water had been that cold. She walked Jess into Michael's room where she had previously left some clothes. Jess finally broke her trance and a tear came down her face. "Polly is Michael mad at me?" She turned around to look at her. It broke her heart to know thats what she was worried about. She looked at the broken girl in front of her. Jess was wrapped in a towel, but Polly could make out some of the bruising on her chest. "Oh honey," Polly said and walked over to hug her. She rubbed her back, "Jess, Michael is not mad at you. At all." She backed up to look at her in the face. "He is mad at himself because he couldn't be there to help you." By now Polly had a hard time keeping it together letting a few tears out. She handed Jess clothes to change into. "Polly will he be mad if I don't go to the hospital today? I just don't think I can do it." "Oh sweetie," Polly held her hands, "No one is expecting you to come to the hospital today and no one will be upset if you didn't. Why don't you put those clothes on and come down stairs and eat something ok?" Jess gave her a small smile and nodded her head ok.
Polly walked downstairs. Janik looked up from the kitchen table. "Is she ok?" he asked. "She's getting changed and going to come down. I think she should try to eat. Since she came home from New York, I noticed she looks very frail. Like she hasn't been eating. Im concerned. " Polly began looking in the fridge in the kitchen. She hadn't bought food lately, but she could figure something out and whip it up. Jess emerged from the top of the steps and walked down slowly. Janik stood up not 100% what he should do. When she got to the bottom of the steps he ran up to her and hugged her. He began to cry. Jess could feel her shoulder getting wet from his tears. Jess spoke first, "Daddy, I am going to be ok. Please don't cry. I'll be ok. Everything will be ok." Janik looked up at her, "How are you the one telling me everything will be ok after what you had gone through? I am so sorry I let this happen. I should have had someone walking with you." Jessica held his hands. "Daddy I promise you I will be fine. I just need a day ok?" Through his tears Janik nodded. "You're so strong you know that," he said putting his hand on her cheek. "Mom wouldn't want me to dwell on what has happened. I am not weak and I wont let anyone think that of me. Now Polly said something about food, I'm hungry," and she sat down at the kitchen table.
The next day, Jessica woke up and looked at the time 9:45. She was surprised she had slept in as long as she had. She had gone to bed after dinner last night. Her head still had hurt later at night from what had happened from that day. Going to bed seemed like the best idea anyways since her dad didn't seem convinced when she said she would be fine. For the first hour he came in and looked in every 5 minutes. She finally rolled over one time and told him he needed to stop and she'd be ok. Also, that if he kept opening the door and making noise she would never be able to fall asleep. She would be lying though if she wasn't nervous to fall asleep. She remembered what had happened with Brett, she had nightmares for days when Michael had left. She didn't want to have those type of nightmares again. She remembered trying to fight off the sleep, but her eyelids began to get heavy and they finally closed. She walked downstairs to see Polly making breakfast. "Good morning Jess," Polly looked up from the stove top. "Good morning Poll. Where's my dad?" Jess looked around and could not see him. Polly placed some food on a plate and put it on the table, "There is a meeting at the hospital for 10:00, your father went left for it. " Jess began to eat and nodded her head. She knew she needed to get out the house and show her face. She swallowed what was in her mouth. "Maybe we can go after we are done eating?" Polly was sitting at the table and looked up. She placed her hand on Jess's and nodded her head, "You're such a brave girl."