Chapter One-Hundred and Ninety-Seven
John scrubbed his hands clean of Chad's blood, closing his eyes tight as the water ran red. He had to fight against the memory of washing his own blood from his hands.
Claire places her hand on John's back, able to see the fight inside of him. "Sugar…"
"Off." He croaked, leaning on the counter as he became lightheaded. "Don't touch me…"
"John!" Claire caught his body as he started to fall, hugging his chest to her body. She lowered him to the ground, fear knotting in her stomach with how limp he'd become. "Mom, Dad!" She called, brushing his hair out of his face. "John passed out!"
Clarissa sighed as she knelt beside the young man, taking a blanket from Thomas and wrapping it around John's body in an attempt to give him a safe place in the stressful evening. "Let him be, he'll wake up when he's ready."
Claire reared her head on John chest as they settled into a nest of blankets on his floor, listening to Chad's raspy breath as he slept in John's bed. She knew that even though John seemed to be sleeping, that he was fully awake, and aware of what was happening around him."John?" She nudged his chest, tracing her fingers over a thick scar in his skin.
"Sleep." He groaned, lacing his fingers with hers.
"You're scared." She whispered, curling a few of his scraggly chest hairs around her finger.
"Don't like blood." He kissed her head, looping his arm around her shoulders. "I don't like the memories."
She nodded and pressed her lips against his. "We can make new ones."