7. Split Lip
When Jack had arrived back at the lab with a cut on his lip, Clarissa knew what he'd been up to. He'd gone to catch up with Chrissie Reed, to try and make a go of things and he'd come back in a foul mood with a split lip. She found him in the locker room, leaning over one the sinks, glaring at his reflection in the mirror as he inspected his lip
"I'm sorry," Clarissa said "You're too good for her Jack,"
"How do you know this is about Chrissie?"
"I know you well enough by now Jack," she said "Let me look at your lip," Clarissa offered and he stooped so they were eye to eye
"You should see the other guys," Jack said trying to make a joke
"Guys? Plural. You took on more than one? You brave solider!" she said sarcastically "There must be a medal in it for you somewhere," she poked at his lip
"Ow! He winced, pulling back
"It doesn't look too deep," she told him "But Jack you can't keep going on like this,"
"Well it doesn't matter anymore. When it comes to Chrissie, I'm through with her. I was right about her from the start. She's toxic and I want nothing more to do with her,"
Clarissa didn't entirely believe Jack. He might have been good at tending to his physical wounds but he just ignored the emotional ones. They too were capable of festering like any physical cut. The wound Chrissie Reed had left on his heart was a deep one. Clarissa wished she could help him fix that as easily as she had helped him with his split lip.
"Do you want to go out for drinks tonight?" she asked "Just you and me. Like the old time,"
"That'd be nice," he nodded and she smiled
"It's your round though," Clarissa told him
"It's always my round!" he protested and launched into an explanation of how it really should be her buying him a drink.
Clarissa smiled secretively to herself. She had managed to temporarily take Jack's mind off things for the time being. It didn't solve all the problems or heal all wounds but it was a start.
And she'd get a free drink out if it in the process.