The first days were rather slow. Lisbon slept a lot during the day and through the night. Jane provided them with nice meals and lot of comforting touches, hugs and kisses. They hadn't energy for anything more than that and it was good for both of them. They didn't talk much either, letting each other living at their own pace.
Tears were shed mostly moments when she would stay alone, while he would be gone for small errands. Jane knew she needed the time alone, and he knew as well when back home that she had been crying, but never called her on it, leaving her space to talk about it if she wanted to. Tough talking was for Lisbon rather difficult, the emotions too raw to express with words, making her ribcage and sternum hurt excessively when she'd try.
"It's okay Love, you have time... You'll find a way to let it all out... we are working it out... Let it go Love...", were the words Jane had told her one day getting home earlier as expected and finding her crying loudly, sitting on the floor in the bathroom leaning against the bathtub. At first she had fought him vehemently, not wanting him to witness the poor state she was in, but being rather weak she soon gave up struggling against his embrace. More tears were shed until she fell asleep her head on his laps. Distraught, he had let her sleep there before carrying her to bed and lying down also, holding her, her back to his chest. Himself had let then his silent tears run.
As the days went by, Lisbon started to feel a bit better, more awake in daytime, which was reassuring about her health but would let also longer time for her to think back and forth. After the first week, her patience ran lower and lower and the tension between them grew. The little encounters they experienced, bumping into each other while cooking or tidying up, which would be found nice and comforting at first, began to be more and more irritating. Lisbon started to doubt that a "normal" daily life with Jane was bearable, worsen by him walking even more on eggshell too afraid to dig her deeper in her breakdown. Luckily before it came to a screaming and ugly argument from Lisbon's side, Cho had rang Jane to require his help on a delicate case.
The case the team was working on, was at the end more complicated as expected and they had to travel to New York, which gave Lisbon four whole days alone. Missing him dearly was without saying, but it gave her then the space and the kick to improve her condition. The afternoon of his leaving she decided to go for a walk and explore her neighborhood, raising her head to look around and really enjoy simple things such as trees, birds, people talking, children laughing... After eating an ice cream, thinking of Jane and wishing they could share that moment together, she headed back home pleased but tired, still not feeling hundred percent fit.
On her way she passed by a small alley, drawn by an angry arguing between two teenagers. Lisbon couldn't quite get what it was about, but the quarrel becoming more physical she decided to intervene to stop the escalation to reach a predictable hideous peak. Too absorb in their fight they didn't see her arriving. As soon as they heard her voice calling them and seeing her so near, they jumped from fear. In a second one began to run away like a lightning while the other one pushed Lisbon with all his force before fleeing as well. Lisbon tried to turn around to grab anything that could soften her fall, in vain. Her right hand crashed first damping the inevitable encounter her face made with the wall, her whole body then falling on the ground her shoulder first. Luckily some garbage bag spared her more injuries than her probably broken wrist and her scratched face. Moaning in pain, holding her wrist tightly while the side of her face bleed, she sat there for an agonizing half-an-hour. Hurting and light-headed, she stood up walking and stumbling towards her home. There, sighing she had to resigned herself to go to hospital to let them check her injuries. She called a cab and in stabbing pain grab her purse.
.-.-.-.
NB: So here we are, the story continues... I know it could seem too harsh on Lisbon, but I won't stay at that, there is an intention behind that.
Many thanks again for your reviews/following, I'm touched that my little story is been appreciated!