Amy returned to her room now dressed in her favorite nightgown. This was something straight out of one of her nightmares. Contrary to what a lot of people might say, or atleast what Amy feared a lot of people would say, she didn't do this for attention. She would have been perfectly content if she went to the grave with this secret of hers. However, here she was, once again having to bear her deepest secret. She sat back on the bed with Jake, shaking slightly.
"Hey," Jake said, "I'm not going to judge you. I'm really sorry I have to do this because I know it makes you uncomfortable, but I have to do this to keep you safe, which is the most important thing." Amy gave Jake a small smile and lifted up her gown so her cuts were visible. Jake sucked in a breath and stared for a few seconds before coming back to himself. "Thank you for helping me help you," Jake commented as he began to apply the antibiotic cream.
Amy felt the tears begin to slide down her cheeks. She had never felt more ashamed in her life. She hated people doing things for her, and this was the worst thing she could think of. She knew Jake was only doing this out of care for her, but she was hating every second of this moment.
"Hey, hey! It's going to be okay. We're going to get through this," Jake finished up spreading the cream and grabbed Amy's hand. "So, to cheer you up, I thought maybe we could make a colored spreadsheet of your schedule for the next week, and then we can print it out and laminate it so we can put it on your fridge."
"That sounds amazing," Amy replied, "Thank you again for being so sweet."
Jake gave Amy a small smile and they went out to the kitchen to get started on the spreadsheet. Amy grabbed her laptop and set up at the table while Jake pulled a crumpled piece of paper out of his pocket. "Okay, this is what the doctor said you will have to do every day. He said you need to start tomorrow." Amy gazed over the list. The first thing on the list was outpatient sessions from 8am to 3pm everyday. Then, there was an appointment with a psychiatrist tomorrow at 4pm, an appointment with a nutritionist the next day at 4:30pm, and finally therapy sessions once a week on Tuesdays at 5pm starting next week.
"Wow, this is a lot. I'm not sure I'm ready for this." Amy started to feel overwhelmed. "There's just so much to do and so many people to talk to. I'm not really good at that." Amy started to spiral and feel her chest contracting.
"Breathe Amy," Jake reminded her, "There's no reason to panic over this. These people are all here to help you, and I'm going to be with you every step of the way. I won't be able to go into the actual sessions with you, but I'll drop you off and wait for you until you're done, so I'll be on the premises the entire time." Jake rubbed circles on her back and waited for her breath to even out.
"I want to get better. I really do, I just don't feel like it's possible," Amy confided. "But, I'll try. If nothing more than to thank you for how helpful you have been to me."
"That's the Ames I know and love!" Jake gave Amy a huge smile that warmed her from the inside out. "So, I was thinking you can get ready slowly and we can go out for an early dinner. The doctor said it would be great for you to get out of the house today if possible. I was thinking we could go to that polish place you like so much"
"That sounds great." Amy couldn't believe how sweet Jake was being and how much attention he had obviously paid to her even before this incident. "I'm going to jump in the shower and then we can head out."
"Oh, one more awkward thing," Jake started, "I kind of have to sit in the bathroom while you shower. And before you protest, I don't have to be there when you're getting in and getting out. I just have to sit in there when you're actually in the shower."
Amy held back tears once again, but she understood this was her own fault. She couldn't believe how careless she had been. If she hadn't tripped and hurt herself none of this would have happened. "Okay, I guess if you have to." Amy walked back into her bedroom to gather her things and told Jake she would let him know when it was safe to come in.
Although it was uncomfortable, it wasn't the worst thing in the world to have Jake in there while she showered. He was incredibly sweet and made light conversation to keep the awkwardness down. Once she was finished getting ready, they decided to walk over to the polish place, seeing as it was only a half a mile away. Amy and Jake agreed that the fresh air was probably good for the both of them.
"I just want to say thank you once again," Amy said, "I really can't believe how kind and caring you've been. I don't know how I could do this without you."
"Amy, look at me," Jake grabbed Amy's hand and looked her in the eye. "I want you to stop thanking me. This is what friends do for one another. I will be here for as long as you need. By the end of this, you're going to be annoyed with me bothering you." Amy giggled and smiled softly at her lap. She didn't know what the next day held, but she knew she felt better knowing Jake would be there to help her through it.