Aftermath

—Charlie—

Pain. That's what I remember most. Lying on the ground, unable to move because of the pain, was a nightmare. I came in and out of consciousness, my head was throbbing, I was fairly sure my wrist was broken, and everything below my waist was in agony. I don't know how long I'd been lying there, my guess was hours, when I heard the rumble of motorcycles. A lot of people, civilians mostly, don't know that a motorcycle is as unique as its rider. Even as I laid in a semi-conscious state, I knew who had arrived based on the sounds of the bikes alone. It must have been in the middle of the night and their arrival meant Gemma sounded an alarm. Relief flooded through me and with it, the pain increased. Shock was wearing off.

The first voice I heard was Jax calling for me. I whimpered but was too weak to yell. I could barely open my eyes. Then I heard Gemma, Opie, Clay, and Tig calling my name, but after an amount of time I had no way of knowing, Jax was the one who found me. I could barely open my eyes to make sure it was not my imagination, but it was too dark to see anything. It was the gentle touch on my head, moving hair from my face, that made it sink in that he was there…and I cried.

"Charlie! Charlie, talk to me." His tone held relief and a touch of anguish.

"J..ax." I said. My voice was hoarse and it hurt to talk. An image of hands gripping my throat flashed before me and I whimpered.

"Yeah, it's me. You're going to be okay." I wasn't so sure about that. More images flashed in my mind and I cried harder.

"Jax."

"I know, baby. I'm gettin' you out of here."

His voice was soothing and it helped calm me a little as he pulled my ruined dress down to cover me. I didn't want anyone to see me, least of all him, but all my choices had been stolen from me and Jax was the only way I was getting out of the dirt. In some ways, it was probably better that he found me instead of my brother because Jax wouldn't pester me with questions when I was in no real state to answer them. Opie, as much as I love him, would have been overbearing. Jax slowly maneuvered me until I was in a sitting position and wrapped my uninjured arm around his neck. He wrapped one of his arms around my back and the other went under my knees and, effortlessly, he lifted me from the ground. He made sure I was completely against his chest with him carrying my full weight and started walking. The heavy footsteps rocked me a little and I would moan when it hurt, gripping the shoulder of his cut.

"I'm so sorry, babe. I'm trying to be gentle," he said and a moment later, he was yelling. "I got her!" I burrowed closer and felt consciousness floating in and out. I don't know when we reached the small crowd but, their voices helped soothe my lingering fear.

"Oh, baby girl," Gemma said and touched the top of my head. Her soft touch and the soothing tone of her voice made me cry harder. She had such a mother's heart for all the members of the club and I knew she loved me but, it was in that moment that I realized she loved me as much as she loved her boys. And with my own mother basically disowning me, I needed someone. Opie's voice followed hers and asked the question I knew everyone wanted to know…and I was relieved that I didn't have to say it yet. I couldn't.

"She was raped," Jax said and the silence that followed was deafening before he insisted they get me to the hospital. Jax placed me in the car and got in with me after I held onto him as tight as I could, which admittedly wasn't very tight. He could have easily pried me off and left me in his mom's backseat but, he didn't. He left his bike behind and held me on the way to the hospital. Everything that happened in the hours that followed were a blur after that. But through it all, I don't think Jax ever left my side.

—Twelve Hours Later—

The blood pressure cuff on my left arm went off again. I was able to ignore it the last five times but, I was getting tired of it trying to cut my arm off. I pried my eyes open and they felt gritty and swollen. The stark white hospital room was blinding and I had to blink several times but, they refused to focus properly. Rotating my head, I saw the TV on but didn't hear any sound. The fluorescent lights above my bed were off, the lighting of the room coming from the windows. In the corner to the right of me, a dark figure was leaning against the wall, apparently asleep. I turned my head and caught a glimpse of blond hair but my neck hurt too much to linger so I faced the blurry TV again.

For some reason, the blood pressure cuff went off again and it got so tight, I moaned and reached over with my good hand and tried to pull it off. However, other cords I was hooked to got in my way and in my frustration, I started fighting to get them off me. Next thing I knew, alarms started going off and I was in tears because I couldn't get free. I felt trapped. I accidentally hit my broken left wrist on the bed rail with all my flailing and sharp pain shot through my arm. A high-pitched cry so unlike myself came out of my mouth and my eyes burned with tears. Suddenly my entire body was throbbing because of my fighting.

"Hey, hey, hey," a smooth, gentle voice said. A weight settled next to me and hands as gentle as the voice held my upper arms, effectively stopping my movement. "Calm down, baby girl."

My eyes finally focused on Jax's exhausted face and the fight left me. "In the history of the entire world, has anyone ever calmed down when someone says, 'calm down'?" My voice was still hoarse and felt like I had swollen tonsils. His face lit up with a smile and he laughed through his nose.

"That's my girl. How are you feeling?"

"I feel dead. Am I dead? Is this what death feels like?"

The smile remained on his face and he lifted a hand, running it through my hair. "You're not dead, darlin'." I rotated my hips just a bit and a deep, penetrating pain burned deep inside me. I bit my lip to prevent from screaming but I didn't stop the words from escaping me.

"I wish I were dead," I uttered and burst into tears. He leaned down and kissed my temple and then rested his forehead against mine.

"I know. But I'm so grateful I found you and you're alive…and I'm so very sorry, Charlotte," he whispered.

"Sir, I need you to step away from her." A forceful voice caught our attention and Jax sat up and turned around. Two angry looking nurses stood in the doorway. He stood, not wanting trouble but he didn't release my hand.

"I said step away from her. Before I call security," the shorter of the two said. I looked back and forth between them.

"Why? What's going on?" A monitor beeping rapidly indicated my heart rate was skyrocketing. Jax squeezed my hand, blatantly ignoring the nurses.

"I'm not going anywhere, Charlie."

"Sharon, go get security," she short nurse said to the taller one, who immediately turned to leave.

"No! No, no, no! Tell me what's going on."

"Okay, but you have to calm down, Miss Winston.

"Not until you tell me why you want him to leave."

"He and his biker thugs brought you in last night. You were beaten and raped. Two of those bikers were yelling, one was throwing things in the waiting room, and no one is telling us what happened. Do we need to call the police?"

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Jax said. The inflections in his tone indicated he was getting pissed. The nurse must be new to Charming or she wouldn't have been so disrespectful of the club. She certainly wouldn't have accused them of hurting me like this. I held his hand tighter and it caught his attention. His eyes met mine and all anger disappeared from him.

"They didn't so this to me," I said quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean the club didn't hurt me. He didn't hurt me. He saved my life."

"Then who did this to you?"

"I don't remember," I said and the lie rolled off my tongue. Jax raised an eyebrow at me but didn't comment. He always knew when I was lying. I shifted slightly and groaned.

"Can she get something for pain now that she's awake." It was phrased as a question but it wasn't a question at all. The nurse had a stare down with him before she shifted her gaze back to me.

"Of course, Miss Winston."

"Charlie. Please."

"Charlie, can you tell me if you're allergic to anything?"

"Not that I know of. And that's something you could have asked my dad or my brother."

"You're dad or brother?"

"Yes. I'm sure they were the ones raising hell in the waiting room. Then again, you and your staff might have known that if you'd have spoken to them instead of blaming them just because they're a motorcycle club." The nurse had the decency to look properly shamed.

"My apologies. It's just… he was carrying you in and you're bleeding and beaten and it looked like-"

"I know what you thought it looked like. But can you tell me how many abusive bastards or rapists you have carrying their victims into the ER?" She remained silent. "Yeah, that's what I thought. As a nurse it is your job to treat the patients, not pass judgments on the people who bring them to the hospital."

"My apologies, Miss Winston. I'll be right back with something for your pain," she said and left the room, closing the door softly behind her. I closed my eyes and forced myself to control my breathing. The pain was getting worse the longer I was awake. I felt Jax sit next to me again, cupping my small hand in his large ones. I opened my eyes to see him smiling at me.

"What?"

"Your inner Gemma is coming out."

"That shit pisses me off," I said forcefully. "You guys are a lot of things but, rapists…not even close."

"No, we aren't. Raping women is not even something we think about."

"I know that," I whispered and at that moment, the full reality of what happened to me hit me square in the chest and I felt like I was drowning. "Oh God."

"It's okay. You're safe," He said and ran a hand up and down my arm soothingly.

"He raped me." The minute the words were out of my mouth, I started hyperventilating. Jax let go of my hand and instantly climbed in the bed next to me and wrapped me in his arms.

"I know. I'm here, Charlie. Take deep breaths for me."

"Oh God. And you saw the-"

"I did."

"No, no, no, no…this can't be happening. Please tell me this is just a horrible nightmare, Jax!" I was crying by this point and he held me tighter, my face burying in his neck. He kissed the top of my head.

"I wish I could, baby. You have no idea how much I wish this didn't happen to you."

I sat wrapped in his arms and sobbed. The nurse came in a brought some medicine and water but, she didn't bother us. It must have been thirty minutes or more before the wave finally abated. We sat in the silence for a while with him rubbing my arm and me laying against him. He finally broke the silence.

"Tell me who did this to you."

It was just a whisper and only a half-hearted demand. He could have been more forceful, more demanding, using the intimidation game to garner a confession. The club did it to people all the time. They did it to women, even though they never hurt them. But I knew Jax wouldn't use those same tactics on me for two reasons. One, I was the one who'd been attacked and was lying in a hospital bed. Two, I knew who they were and what they did. A lot of people on the outside thought the women who hung around Samcro were naive about the type of people the guys were. But we weren't. Well, some of us weren't. I knew the minute I told Jax who did this to me it, I would be sentencing my attacker to die…and I needed to make sure I was okay with that. Before I could even think about answering, he spoke again.

"Here," he said and moved to grab the little cup with the pills in it, "you need to take these. I know you're hurting."

"Badly," I croaked and took the cup from him. As I put the pills in my mouth, he handed me the cup of water and I swallowed them down. "Thank you."

"Welcome." He took the cup from my hand and then pulled me back so I was laying in the crook of his arm. We sat there long enough for the pain meds to take the edge off. "You want me to get Opie and your dad?"

"Not yet. I know they're going crazy but, I don't want to be alone."

"I won't go anywhere. My mom will probably come in here soon anyway. I'll go tell them when she comes in."

"Thank you." I wrapped my left arm, complete with broken wrist, around his middle and allowed myself to relax. The silence stretched long, once again broken by him.

"I forgot about it." He didn't need to elaborate what 'it' was. I already knew.

"I know you did."

"I wanted to be there." Remorse was thick in his voice.

"I know that too," I whispered.

"I'd give anything to take it back."

"I would too. But we can't." He squeezed me tighter before he said the next words.

"I'm so sorry I yelled at you."

"I was out of line. I know better than to talk like that at the clubhouse."

"No, Charlie. I shouldn't have talked to you like that. I was…occupied but that's no excuse."

"Jax," I said and squeeze him a little, "I know my place at the clubhouse but I let my anger get the better of me. I shouldn't have spoken to you that way."

"Oh, baby girl, you were hurt, not angry. And knowing your place with the club is one thing. I'm more concerned with if you know your place with me."

I shrugged and said, "is there a difference?"

"The fact that you're even asking that is what concerns me. You've been listening to my mother and the rest of the women who hang out there too long."

"But they aren't wrong, Jax. I live in a man's world and there is nothing I can-"

"Charlie, stop. Yes, the MC life is a man's domain. I get how sexist the life is. But I'm not talking about Samcro. I'm talking about where you stand with me. You're one of the closest friends I got and probably the only real one that isn't patched in. If you're pissed at me, I want you to be able to tell me. I don't want there to ever be a time where you can't speak your mind with me. And more importantly, I don't ever want you to be afraid I'm going to get in your face like I did yesterday. I'll never try to intimidate you like that again. That's a move for the crow-eaters or anyone else who is disrespectful…but never for you."

"I don't think the club will like that."

"I think the club will give you whatever you want for the rest of your life."

"But I was disrespectful to you."

"I was disrespectful to you first. I broke a promise to you and then made you feel like shit about it."

"I really wanted you to be there. And Opie and Daddy," I whispered.

"We should have been there. Maybe if we had been, this wouldn't have happened to you."

"You can't know that."

"Maybe not. But the club presence would have made it harder for him to get to you."

"You're not entirely wrong about that."

"I'm so sorry."

"I know. You're forgiven."

"Just like that?"

"Well, I mean, you did kind of save me."

"I always will," he whispered and kissed the top of my head. A few minutes later, I made a decision.

"Jeremy Davis."

"What?"

"That's his name. Jeremy Davis."

"You know him?"

"He was in the program with me when I started but, I got him kicked out."

"Why?"

"He kept asking me out and I kept telling him no but, he didn't take it for an answer. He got mean and even more aggressive, going so far as to start the behavior with other girls, so I went to the dean and he got kicked out." Jax got very still when I told him it was a problem before.

"He was harassing you?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you tell the club?"

"Because I don't want to have to go to the club with every little problem. I want to be able to handle some shit on my own. I would have gone to the club if he hadn't been kicked out. I thought I handled it but clearly I was wrong," I said, rambling faster because I knew I should have told the club.

"I'm not mad at you, Charlie. This isn't your fault."

"Isn't it?"

"No. Never. When you tell someone no, it should never mean for them to try harder. If he was kicked out, what was he doing there?"

"I think to do exactly what he did. He kept saying he wanted to save me from Samcro. Everyone thinks I don't have a goddamn mind of my own because I choose to be around the club or that I don't know what shady business happens around here."

"They're all wrong. You don't need to be saved from us."

"No, I don't. The club takes care of me, every time."

"Always, baby girl. You got an army at your back. And we will take care of this."

"I know." A knock on the door alerted the presence of someone else. I looked up to see Gemma coming into the room and man, she'd seen better days. Her hair was in disarray, her eyes were blood shot and there were dark circles underneath them.

"Oh, sweetheart! You're awake," she said and went to the side of the bed Jax wasn't sitting on. He made no move to get up or release me. He responded for me.

"She's been awake for a little while."

"You didn't tell us?" Her sharp eyes slightly glared at her son. My family must have been causing a serious stink.

"I didn't want to be alone," I said, my voice small. Gemma's face soften and she sat next to my leg.

"She's had a rough time, Ma. I didn't want to leave her," he said and released a huge yawn. I looked up at his drawn, tired face. He needed a break.

"You can go now if you want to. You look exhausted."

"I am but, I'm not going anywhere."

"Jax, you need to get some sleep."

"I'll sit with her, baby. She'll be safe," Gemma said and Jax vehemently shook his head.

"No. I'm fine. I'm just going to rest my eyes, if you're okay with me staying on the bed?"

"Of course. I don't actually want you to leave. But I do want you to rest."

He sighed and closed his eyes, his whole body relaxing. I sank into him more and his arms loosened around me but he didn't let go.

"I can do that," he whispered and I knew he was more than halfway asleep already. The room was quiet for a while with only the sounds were from the monitor attached to me.

"He hasn't left your side since he found you," Gemma said quietly, disrupting the silence but not wanting to disturb her exhausted son. My heart swelled and any kind of lingering anger or upset about him missing my graduation or yelling at me faded away.

"The nurse tried to make him leave a little while ago. Threatened him with security."

"Uppity bitch. They've been harassing the guys in the waiting room. Of course, it doesn't help that your Daddy is raising hell down there. We forced him to go there because he was raising his voice in here with you but all the activity threw your system into distress. They had to put you on oxygen for about six hours."

"Wow," I muttered. "I don't remember any of that."

"You were in and out of it a lot. You started fighting them and got hysterical when they took you from Jax. They had to sedate you and restrain you, which pissed off the whole club. Piney and Opie got belligerent and it was all too much for your nerves to handle, even while sedated. Jax just sat quietly and when they asked him to leave while you were out so they could give you a full examination, he refused. He wasn't going to leave you alone, sedated and restrained, so strangers could examine you. Plus, he was the only one who was remotely calm."

"I wasn't calm," he muttered, never opening his eyes. "I just hid it better. Piney was still drunk."

"He would have been like that anyway. She's his only daughter. Charlie, who did this to you, baby?"

I opened my mouth to answer but, Jax did it for me. "She already told me, Mom. We'll take care of it."

"Cops will be here asking questions now that you're awake."

"I don't remember who did it," I said instantly. Jax opened his eyes and rubbed my arm. I snuggled against his side.

"You don't have to lie to the cops, baby."

"Yeah, and when they can't find him, it'll circle back around to the club. I'm not putting you in that position. I made my choice when I told you his name."

"I could keep it to myself, if you're more comfortable with that."

"Jax, you can't do that. I'm not going to ask you to choose between me and the club."

"You're not. You've been through enough and if what will happen to him once the club is involved is too much for you, I won't say anything."

"Jax, you can't promise her that without the club coming down on you," Gemma said. I knew she was right and the truth was, I was okay with what would happen to Jeremy. I already tried to handle it the right way and now I was in the hospital. However, the fact that Jax was willing to keep this between us to save me from further shit to deal with meant more to me than he would ever know.

"I just did, Ma. And I need to know if you're on her side."

"Of course, I am! Charlie, you know I've got your back, right?"

"I know that, Gemma."

"I won't say anything about anything to the club if you don't want me to."

"I appreciate that. Really, I do. More than either of you will ever know. But the truth is, he made my life a living hell for months. I already tried to handle this on the side of the law and he cornered me in an empty parking lot…and I was unarmed. I…he overpowered me and I tried to fight back. I really did. I…I…" I was crying, hard, unable to speak anymore. Gemma rubbed my leg and Jax held me, running a hand through my hair.

"It's okay. You're safe, baby," Gemma said. That just made me cry harder.

"But I wasn't! Somewhere I should have been safe, where I thought I was safe, turned out to be my worst nightmare. I kept thinking, 'if only I had my gun, if I hadn't left it in my nightstand, maybe this wouldn't be happening to me.'"

"Take a deep breath, baby girl," Jax whispered against my temple. His warmth, his comfort, helped ground me and it took several tries before I was able to take a full deep breath. "That's it. You're safe now." When I had calmed myself, I continued talking.

"People, outsiders, are afraid to walk on the lot at TM sometimes. Especially when they see the bikes lined up or the Reaper. They don't understand how I walk the lot or go in the clubhouse without being afraid to be there…or at the very least intimidated. But, they don't know that it's there, in the presence of outlaw bikers, that I am safer than anywhere else on this earth."

"Of course, you are, baby. We're family," Gemma said.

"What kills me is, a place that society believes to be safe, where weapons are prohibited because it's a place for education and there are signs all around to attest to that fact…a place like that, where I was unarmed because society believed it was safe, is where a fellow classmate attacked me…not a biker. So, fuck society and their goddamn rules. People aren't safe in this world but they cling to the illusion of safety like junkies in a crack house. I tried to do things the lawful way and I ended up paying a price for it. I'd rather let the outlaws deal with it because at least something will be done about it. I go lawful for this and I'm looking a court battle with 'he said/she said' bullshit and at the end of the day, Jeremy Davis will walk a free man."

I stopped talking and let what I said sink in. Jax may have been willing to keep the name between us if I chose to but, telling Gemma it was Jeremy was a different story. After a few minutes, I spoke again.

"Um, can anyone tell just how bad my injuries are? No one has said anything about that yet?"

"Well," Jax said, his hand still caressing my arm, which I would learn later was to keep himself calm. "You have a concussion and needed four stitches on you left temple where he hit you. You have two black eyes, one with a broken blood vessel so it kind of looks like your eye is bleeding. He apparently bit you multiple times, there are hand-shaped bruises on your neck which trail down your chest. Your ribs are bruised, your left wrist is broken, and your right ankle is sprained. You were unconscious when we arrived and a bunch of factors sent your body into distress and your oxygen levels dropped as your heart rate accelerated. They got everything regulated, though."

"Fuck," I muttered. I felt the tension in his body and I prepared myself for the next thing he was going to say.

"I overheard the nurses when they thought I was asleep when they were talking. This asshole was also…very rough with you. There are clear signs of forced entry; some bruising, some cuts, that sort of thing. I probably should have waited for a nurse or a doctor to tell you that part."

"No, it's fine. Just, when the club sits down and talks about it, can you leave out those details and just…keep it basic? I don't…I don't want everyone to know everything." I had to take a deep breath and hoped he got my meaning. Aside from the nurses and doctors, he was the only one who saw in full detail what was done to me. I didn't want a bunch of people talking about how I'd been ruined. He placed a finger under my chin and lifted it until I was looking at his face.

"I won't say a word beyond the things they can see."

"Thank you," I said with a nod and tears welled in my eyes. When one escaped, he wiped it away with his thumb.

"Charlie," Gemma said and stood. I switched my focus to her. "I'm going to tell Piney and Opie you're awake. They, and probably the rest of the club, will likely come back here. Is that okay?"

"Yeah. I want to see them."

"Okay. We'll probably be back in a little bit. I want to make sure they know they must remain calm when they come in here. I don't want to see you go into distress again."

"Thanks Gemma," I said. She bent over and kissed me just above the temple.

"You're welcome, baby."

She left the room and it was just Jax and me again. He made no effort to get up and I just snuggled deeper.

"You're a comfortable pillow," I said quietly. He laughed through his nose.

"I'm all about the service, darlin'." Although it hurt to do so, it made me laugh.

"I bet you say that to all the girls."

"Well, not all of them." I laughed again, my amusement mixing with his. When the fit stopped, I hugged him as best as I could.

"I sorta love you, you know."

I was completely engulfed in his arms then and he kissed the top of my head. "I sorta love you too."

"Thank you for staying with me."

"You don't have to thank me for that. When I pulled into that parking lot and your car was the only one there and my mom found your purse left beside it…I have never been so scared in my life. And I'm in a motorcycle club. So, no, you don't have to thank me for staying with you. At this point, you'll be damn lucky to get rid of me."

"I don't want to get rid of you. I'm not close to a lot of people my age, other than Donna, and when she got together with Opie…we are still close but, not like it was. The crow-eaters and I get along but, getting close to them is unlikely. And people outside of Samcro is just…it's not typical. No one really wants to get close to me and the need for secrecy in this life makes me avoid most people. I'm rambling but, you're kind of the closest friend I have. Even when I'm pissed at you or you blow me off."

"Since Donna and Ope hooked up, you're the closest friend I have too. You've gotten me through some tough shit; my dad dying, Tara. You aren't going to go through this alone and I will take care of that piece of shit so, you don't have to worry. And I promise, I will never blow you off for a crow-eater or a sweet-butt again. I don't have much control over club business but-"

"I would never ask that of you. Club first. I wouldn't expect you to turn away a crow-eater, either. I know-"

"If you say you know you're place, I will spank you. Right now, the only person I'm concerned with is you. So, suck it up, buttercup. I ain't goin' anywhere."

"You wouldn't spank me," I challenged with as much of a mocking glare as I could muster, which admittedly wasn't much given my weakened state. He grinned devilishly at me.

"Don't test me, baby girl."

"I would never dream of doing such a thing."

After a few minutes of silence, he said. "Are you sure? About the club taking care of him? You know telling Gemma his name sets it all in action." I nodded.

"I know that. I appreciate you being willing to keep the name to yourself. More than you know. But we both know my father will badger me until I give him a name. I love him but, he is nowhere near as tactful as you are and he drinks a hell of a lot more."

"Yeah, you're right about that."

"And how long would it take Gemma knowing that you knew his name before she told Clay about it? If that happened, you take the heat from the club and I didn't want you to have to deal with that."

"How can you still look out for me even when I've been such a dick to you?"

"You're my friend and I care about what happens to you."

"Likewise."

"And if I'm being honest…" I trailed off. I was concerned about what the next thing I told him would say about me.

"If you're being honest?" He prompted.

"If I'm being honest, I want Jeremy dead. I want to see his dick cut off and fed to him. I want him burned alive so he can't do this shit to someone else. Telling the club means I'll get the justice I deserve."

"You're just as dark as the rest of us."

"What can I say? Mayhem affects us all in some way."

"I will personally see to it that everything you want done will be done…plus a few special ideas I have of my own."

"I know. Thank you for giving me the choice."

"Well, you've had enough choices taken from you. I wanted what happens next to be your call and the only way to do that was to let you tell mom or your dad. You will be stuck with me for months, except for the moment we find him."

"Badass bikers," I muttered and he laughed. A commotion from the hallway told me the rest of the club had arrived but Jax didn't move. It was like he was wrapping himself in this bubble with me so I wasn't alone and he was acting as a protector.

"Goddamn right."

By the time the words left his mouth, a whole mess of bikers walked into my room and if anyone thought it strange that Jax didn't remove himself from my bed, no one commented on it. When my daddy and Opie saw me, they both teared up and threatened immediate vengeance. Clay said they needed a club vote and they would have a meeting the next afternoon. Spending an hour with my favorite men, who I loved dearly and who dearly loved me, helped lift my spirits but…it plummeted my energy. At Jax's insistence, especially when I started drifting off to sleep only to be startled awake by loud voices or boisterous laughter, everyone left so I could rest. And when I told Jax he could have gone home to sleep and leave a prospect to keep an eye on me, he refused. Shortly after my dad left, Jax and I fell into a peaceful sleep.