Chapter 10

A week later, Brooke, Julian, John B, and JJ have fallen into a routine of sorts. For the first few days, Brooke and Julian take turns getting up with JJ in the middle of the night to make sure he iced properly, coughed properly, and took his medication with food. Brooke was able to work from home in the morning and leave around noon. Then, Julian was able to get home around 1 p.m. The weekend had been a nice respite with Pope coming to visit and JJ feeling quite a bit better physically.

Brooke returns from dropping John B off at school to find JJ lying on the sofa browsing Netflix. "Anything looking bingeworthy?"

"Considering it hurts to laugh, my options are pretty limited," JJ said not taking his eyes off the TV.

"I'm sorry, honey," Brooke says. "It's a beautiful day, let's go get breakfast and then we can watch the surfers."

"Oh, yeah because nothing is better than watching surfers, but not being able to surf yourself," JJ muttered his face turning red and his anxiety skyrocketing because Brooke called him honey.

"That's probably true if you're as good at surfing as you guys are," Brooke said pausing to see if the flattery would lift JJ's mood. It didn't. JJ kept flipping through movie options rapid fire. Racking her brain, Brooke tried to come up with a silver lining. "On the plus side, by the time the weather gets better you should be completely healed."

"Yeah, I will have to remember to thank my piece of shit father for being so considerate in his timing," JJ said rolling his eyes.

Brooke went into the kitchen and started to make coffee. She remembered from their classes that it was often easier for teens to talk about hard topics without direct eye contact. "The lawyer I talked to earlier this morning said we can get it so that you do not have to be subpoenaed as a witness. Unless," Brooke paused, "did you…do you want to testify against him?"

JJ shrugged.

"Well, you have until next Monday to decide. For right now, just worry about what to watch on Netflix. I'm going to the grocery store. Do you want anything?"

"No thanks," JJ said.

After Brooke left, JJ hobbled up the stairs to his room. John B had hidden his stash of weed in the closet in what was now technically his room, although he had not been in it since he stayed there during John B's first weekend. JJ had been staying on the daybed in Julian's office as Brooke didn't want him climbing the stairs. Upon entering the room, JJ is surprised to see how much it has changed. The palette of hip neutrals with pops of blush has been replaced by shades of blue. He notices the desk now looks a bit more functional with a pen and pencil holder, stapler, and most surprisingly a new desktop and monitor. The biggest surprise is that the photos in the gallery wall of Brooke, Julian, Peyton, Haley, and Sawyer have been replaced with photos Julian had taken of him, John B, and Pope surfing as well as some cool artistic shots of Kildare landmarks. Strangely, this puts JJ more on edge—they don't even realize how this is all going to blow up. After searching through the closet and finding the weed, JJ hobbles down the stairs. Impulsively he grabbed Julian's last three beers from the fridge and camped out in front of the tv. He cracked open a beer and lit a joint inhaling deeply. Hearing the front door opening, JJ lunged forward, hissing in pain as he tried to stuff out the joint.

"Hey! I'm back I forgot my —," Brooke paused taking in the scene before her. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Smoking beers and drinking weed, obviously," JJ said meeting her eyes and smirking.

"You're fourteen! How did you even get this?" Brooke asked, grabbing the joint from his hand.

"I told you after I finished the oxy, I was going to switch to weed for the pain," JJ said with a shrug.

Brooke laughed as she paced around the living room. "Do I look like I was born yesterday? You really expect me to believe that was you, in good faith, informing me that you were planning to use marijuana?"

"Yes," JJ says throwing his hands up in the air. "Why else would I not hide it?"

Brooke sits down diagonally from JJ on the L-shaped sofa. She glares at him before taking a deep breath. She shrugs and says, "Maybe you're testing us? I mean, getting high is one thing, but this almost seems like you wanted to get caught."

"Nope."

"Okay," Brooke replies slowly. Taking a few seconds to take a few deep breaths and collect her thoughts. "On the off chance that you were testing us, this is how we are going to respond. Your grounded, for the next two weeks. No phone. No computer. I would say no TV, but you need to have something to do while you're resting. So, we will limit TV; you can't watch it from noon to 4. And I'm working from home until Julian gets back," Brooke said.

"It's your house, you can come and go as you please."

"I can't, actually, because I'm too worried about what you might be getting into," Brooke replied matter-of-factly.

Brooke went upstairs fill Julian in on what happened. They both noted how the "honeymoon period" had been short-lived. They went back and forth about if they should drop the punishments considering everything JJ had been through. They remembered their classes talked about giving kids "time-ins" where they spent more time with their caregivers as opposed to the traditional time "time-outs." Obviously, JJ is too old for "time-outs," but they decide to modify it by trying to spend more time with JJ during the day. For Brooke it will be through watching movies and for Julian it will be through gaming. Julian comes home an hour later with a brand-new PlayStation 4.

"Hey, buddy look what I bought," Julian asked as he walked into his home office with a nondescript brown bag with a bow on it.

When JJ just glares at him from the daybed, Brooke walks into the room and plays along, "What did you buy?"

Julian hands the bag to JJ, who throws it across the room. Julian and Brooke exchange glances and Brooke leaves the room, knowing that it is important that JJ doesn't feel like they are ganging up on him.

"Not in the mood to open it, I see. That's cool. It's pretty lame…I mean who wants a brand new PS4?" Julian asked, sitting down in his office chair and swiveling to face JJ.

"Can't you guys just leave me alone?" JJ shouts.

"Buddy, I know there is a lot going on right now, but you can talk to us." Julian says softly.

"I'll pass," JJ says his tone cool.

"Okay," Julian says. "But the offer is always on the table, much like this awesome PS4 which will also be on the table for you to play, figuratively speaking that is, in two weeks."

It's technically a full week later, Monday at one in the morning, when Julian gets up in the middle of the night to for a glass of water.

JJ proved he is out of the honeymoon phase and despite coming in easier than John B, is proving to be more challenging. He barely acknowledged either of them. It seems as if the ruder JJ is, the more respectful and polite John B is. When talking about it, Julian and Brooke think it's either because John B is thankful that they took JJ in or because he feels guilt they had to. They acknowledge it is also possible that he feels if they get overwhelmed, they will stop fostering JJ, so he is doing his best to smooth things over and keep his friend in good spirits. They talked to John B about it, but he denied everything.

Julian hears retching coming from the half bath. He considers not going in knowing JJ will hate being seen in a vulnerable position, but he figures he doesn't have a choice especially with JJ's ribs still healing.

Julian quickly grabs a glass of water and a pillow from the daybed in his office. He knocks on the bathroom door and opens it slowly. "You okay?" he asks hovering in the door frame.

"Never better."

"Right," Julian nods. "Here," he says handing JJ the glass of water.

JJ takes a sip, spits it out, and then repeats the process another two times. "What's the pillow for?"

"I figured if you hold it against your rib cage to help alleviate the pain from a light cough, this is a next level of need," Julian explained as he sat down on the floor next to JJ. "Do you think you'll have to use it?"

JJ shrugged and then groaned. "I hope not."

"Me too. How many times did you vomit?"

"I don't know…three or four."

"When did you start feeling poorly?" Julian asked as he slowly moved his hand to JJ's forehead.

"Midnight."

Julian nodded. "Well, the good news is I'm pretty sure you don't have a fever."

"Go back to bed, Julian. I'm fine."

"Normally, I would. And I do understand you want privacy, but—'

"You're afraid I'll smoke a joint?" JJ questioned.

"No," Julian laughed. "But that would probably help you right now. Not that I'm going to let you, of course."

"Of course, just let me suffer," JJ muttered.

"Normally, I would give you privacy, but this could further damage your ribs. We have to monitor it closely. And I know this isn't something you have much control over, but you should try your best to not vomit again."

JJ rolled his eyes. "I feel better, can I just go back to bed?"

"I'll make you a deal. Dr. Schmidt gave me her number, let me call her and see what she thinks. If she says you can go back to bed than you can." Julian got out his phone and dialed before JJ could disagree. When Dr. Schmid didn't answer Julian left a message. When he was done, he held out his hand to JJ. Surprised when JJ took it and let him pull him up. "Ok, new deal—you can go to bed, but if she calls and says we need to go to urgent care-we go."

"Fine," JJ said walking quickly back to Julian's office.

Julian went and got a pot from the kitchen. "Just in case," he said placing it on the night table. "Okay, I'm pretty sure we have some ginger ale in the garage…let me try to find it."

"Thanks," JJ muttered from the bed.

Julian winced when he returned with a glass of ginger ale and saw JJ dry heaving into the pot. "Oh budd—" he started to say but stopped when JJ glared at him. "I mean, dude, brah, that totally sucks," Julian said drawing out the words out in a bad impression of a stoner, surfer guy.

JJ actually cracked a bit of a smile. "Here," Julian said giving him the pillow. JJ held the pillow to his rib cage as he heaved for another few seconds over the bowl.

When JJ finished, Julian said, "I'm sorry, but we have to get you to urgent care."

"It's probably something I ate or a 24-hour bug."

"Maybe, but we all had the same dinner and you barley ate anything." JJ raised his eyebrows in surprise, it felt odd to have adults around that paid attention. "It could definitely be a 24-hour bug, but the timings a little coincidental don't you think?"

JJ looked at him in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Tomorrow you have to decide if you want to testify against your dad. So, it's possible that the stress is making you sick." Julian notices the murderous look JJ is giving him. "Or it's a 24-hour bug. I was just spit balling. Either way, we need to make sure your getting sick isn't doing further damage to your ribs."

JJ runs a hand through his hair. "I'm fine."

"We'll give Dr. Schmidt fifteen minutes to call back. Maybe she'll say we don't need to bother. But if she doesn't call by 1:30 we're leaving," Julian says as he gives JJ's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Since we have a few minutes, did you want to talk about what you decided to do?"

JJ shrugs.

"You don't have to. But, if what's happening is psychosomatic then-"

"Psycho-so-what," JJ asks.

"Psychosomatic…it means that your body and mind are connected, so when you have internal conflict or stress that can manifest physically in your body like through headaches, cramps, nausea, or a bunch of other ways."

"Sounds made up."

"It's not. But like I said I was just spit balling."

"I don't think I want to testify," JJ said looking down a blush creeping up his cheeks.

"Okay," Julian said meeting his eyes and nodding.

"You're not disappointed?" JJ asked.

"Not at all. But I'm going to say one last thing and then we'll switch topics. If your having sad feels and you—"

"Sad feels," JJ asked.

"I heard Pope say it. If you're feeling bad, don't just push it down and try to ignore it. Just let yourself feel it even if it's painful," Julian says making eye contact. "There is something else I didn't consider," Julian says in a mock serious tone.

"What?"

"Did you get into my beers again? It would explain all the vomiting," Julian said with a grin.

"As if, I'm that much of a lightweight."

"Oh, man. I don't want to hear that. Are you feeling ok physically? Do you think everything is gonna stay down?" Julian asked.

"Yeah," JJ said leaning back against the pillow.

"Fantastic. Don't get too comfortable, buddy. I'm going to go tell Brooke that we're headed into urgent care."

Notes: If you are familiar with The O.C., then you will recognize a modification of Sandy Cohen's "Just let yourself feel what you need to feel, even if it hurts" line.