Author's Note: I hope this wasn't too long of a wait. I've got my own personal problems but I try to write when I can. Thanks for sticking with me. Let me know what you think. (Not sure I liked how it ended. I wasn't sure WHERE to end it. xD) Ah well.

Disclaimer: I own nothing aside from my own characters, ext.

Chapter Six

You can feel your chest tighten and your vision starts to blur. Your breath comes out in short, desperate gasps. "Janie?" Your name is garbled as you fight to stay grounded. You feel like the room is spinning and the oxygen is slowly depleting. "Janie!" Your mother's voice is high pitched and concerned and that's when you realize you've sunk to the floor because your legs can't keep you upright anymore.

"Frankie, go get some help!" That's the last thing you hear because everything else is like static over the voice in your head, telling you how worthless you are.

You're curled up in the fetal position, crying, mumbling and trembling. You feel arms around you but you scream at the contact, not really sure why but wanting, needing to lash out. "DON'T TOUCH ME!" And hands clench into fists, throwing out a punch and coming into contact with a face.

You hear mumbled words and cursing, your name and then stronger arms yank you up, but you scream and overpower them, punching and kicking.

Yelling. You can hear yelling and you're not sure if it's you or someone else, or maybe multiple people at once. Now there are two people holding you down and a shooting pain in your arm. It only takes moments for you to feel sluggish but you still fight the whole way. And you continue to fight until they strap you down, it only seems to make you fight more, screaming and pulling against the restraints.

Pain is like a warm blanket wrapped around your entire body. Your muscles are sore as well as your throat. Your head is throbbing but it's nothing compared to the empty, hopeless feeling in your heart. It's nothing like the way your chest feels, each breath a struggle. But it's also something that you've become accustomed to.

It's a feeling that comes after a breakdown like the one you had the day before, and some of the added pain and body ache from the sedative they had given you and the struggling your body did. You still haven't opened your eyes, quietly wishing in the back of your mind that you hadn't of woken up in the first place.

The memory of the day before is mostly a blur but you do remember bits and pieces, however you're not sure if the part where Maura was there comforting you is real or not. Either way, she had brought you some reprieve until you finally allowed yourself to succumb to the sedative.

"I know you're awake."

You jerk and then wince because your arms are sore from doing just that. Your eyes slowly open to see Domi looking down at you. Her right eye is black and you wince again and grimace. "D-did I d-do that?" Your voice is hoarse and tired.

Dominique briefly reaches up to her eye and frowns. "Yes, but it was an accident, don't feel bad, sweetie." She says sincerely. You sigh and turn your head away from her in shame.

"I'm sorry." You say quietly. The room goes silent and for a moment you wonder if Domi has left, but the sound of gloves being pulled on make you turn your head toward her. That's when you notice the tray full of instruments and Domi pulling the sleeve of your sweatshirt up. Suddenly pain shoots up your arm and radiates.

"You ripped open your stitches in the struggle. I fixed them after Bambi left your room yesterday but the bandages need to be cleaned." Domi says neutrally as she gently takes the bandage off and examines the deepest cut on your right arm before she begins to gingerly clean it. You get used to the pain and the quiet until Domi re-bandages your arm and takes off her gloves. "Apology accepted, kid." She gives you a small smile.

You bite your lip and look down at the restraints on your arms and then back at Domi. It hits you. Maura. She had said Maura was here. "Maura?" It's all you can really think to say.

A small chuckle slips past Dominique's lips as she cleans up and comes back to sit next to your bed. "She was here. She calmed you down. She's really worried about you. She keeps asking when she can see you. I don't think the poor thing has eaten anything or really spoke since she left." Domi frowns and runs a hand through her dark brown hair.

You smile a little at this. Not that Maura is so worked up and not eating, but at the fact that she cares about you. "You gotta get her to eat somethin'." You say desperately, knowing her anxiety is really what keeps her from reaching out. "Tell her… Tell her I said thank you and that—that I'm sorry and I'm okay." You're not sure how long they're going to keep you in 'The quiet room', as most of the staff calls it, but you know it's just a nice word for solitary.

Domi smiles at you and you get the feeling she's not sharing something. "I'm trying to convince them to let you out soon but they want to know what triggered your… episode. Your doctor does, anyway. As for Bambi, I'll try to sneak her back in if you aren't out of here soon." You open your mouth to speak but Domi holds her hand up. "I'll make sure she eats. In the meantime, you think about actually talking so they let you out of here, soon." You merely nod and attempt a smile as Domi moves to unstrap you, giving you a pointed look.

"I'm not gonna try and do somethin' stupid… there's nothing in here anyway." You say with a roll of your eyes. And there isn't. The quiet room is a plain, white room with no windows, nothing except a bed. Honestly you don't see how it could help anyone, especially someone who's suicidal. It just leaves you alone with your thoughts which are one of the most terrifying things, sometimes.

Once you're free, you sit up in bed and pull your knees up to your chest and sigh. "Thanks." You mumble quietly as Domi moves to open the door. She turns and gives you a small smile before she exits, the door locking behind her.

3 hours and one long talk with your therapist later; you're out of the quiet room. You spoke a little to your therapist which was an improvement from the last time you sat in a room with him since that last time you didn't speak at all.

You only spoke to him because you wanted to get out of there and see Maura. That was what had kept you going in there. Instead of succumbing to your thoughts and thinking over the incidents that happened yesterday, you thought of Maura and how she had come and comforted you.

Now you're walking down the halls, hood over your head and hands shoved into your pockets. Your heart is like a ticking bomb inside your chest and your stomach feels like you could puke up butterflies as you get closer and closer to the rec room where you know Maura should be. It's a free period.

As you enter slowly, eyes downcast, you hear the chitchat of other patients. You glance up and search the room until you find what, or rather who you're looking for. Maura sits at the same table you both had sat at the first time you met. She's alone and not paying any attention to anyone in the room. You walk over toward the table and she's so lost in her own thoughts she doesn't notice you standing right in front of her.

"Hey," Your voice is thick, quiet as it slips out.

Maura's head immediately jerks up and her eyes widen at the sight of you. The smile that splits her face makes your insides melt and you smile back at her. "Jane!" She's already up and out of her chair and before either of you know it, she's wrapped her arms around you and pulled you close to her.

For a moment, your arms go out awkwardly as if you're not sure what to do with them and then Maura backs up, looking just as surprised at her actions as you are. But then you smile and you pull her back into your arms and you hug her tightly.

She seems to sink into you, meld perfectly with your body. Her head is tucked under your head and you can smell her shampoo. She smells like safety and warm sunshine and it warms you up inside, makes you feel weightless and free. You smile and nuzzle your face into the top of her head before whispering in her ear.

"Thank you." Its two words but those two words speak so many things. Thank you for caring, for being there, for not judging. Thank you…

Maura pulls back to look up at you, eyes glassy but a small smile creases her lips. "Of course," She says simply as she releases you and reaches out to take your hand in hers. She leads you around the table and you both sit. "I missed you." Her voice is soft and shy as she says this and you're sure your heart has stopped.

Out of the corner of your eye, you see Domi watching the two of you, a shit eatin' grin on her face like she knows everything. You want to be annoyed but with Maura sitting here next to you and looking at you like you're something special, you just can't find it in you, so you just look back at Maura and grin.

"I'm sure you managed without me." You tease, but what you really want to say is how much you missed her too and how you couldn't stop thinking about her.

Maura smiles lightly and you smile back. "I didn't. I was a mess. Don't do that again." Her voice is firm as she speaks the last part, and it seems like she's saying something else. Don't you leave me, again… You've got me. I care about you.

And you think maybe she does.

Someone cares about you.