The second Jamie flinched, and the plate slipped from her hand back into the soapy water, Colby immediately dropped the box of cans on the countertop. “You okay?” He asked. She doesn't answer him.

His hand was at her right arm with caution like he was prepared to pick her up if she showed signs of succumbing. He had to before, a few weeks ago, when Jamie’s asthma attack got so bad her lips turned a shade of blue. The memory replayed in his head for days and he still remembered how fast his heart was beating. And loud, because Jamie remarked, when she was better, how she could hear it even through his hoodie. She smiled a little then, for the first time in awhile, and Colby stayed by her side ever since.

“Jamie? Are you okay?” Colby turned her, carefully, so that she faced him and he examined over her. He started to make a mental checklist: breathing alright? A little slow, but still breathing: check. Her lips blue? No: check. What about her —

Jamie placed her hand on her left shoulder and she winced.

Colby gave a nod now that he understood what’s wrong; her shoulder still ached. Mel told him, when she was dressing Jamie’s wound, that it’s going to be a slow and painful healing process. She pointed out that his fractured arm would heal sooner and she was right. After a month, Colby had his cast removed and he could finally do things, like lifting, with ease. Jamie, however, winced whenever she moved her arm and she couldn't lift much of anything. He had to help her carry boxes of supplies around the house and to local charities. It absolutely broke her because in her words, “How can I help anyone when I’m this useless?” and she pressed a sleeve against her tear-filled eye. It echoed back to the incident, Colby realized immediately, and he brought an arm around Jamie to bring her close.

The same dark thoughts taunted Jamie’s mind again and Colby could hear the words without her saying them. The self-esteem she worked so hard on in building broke into pieces and everytime she tried to put it back together, she hurt herself even more. Her voice used to sound strong when she called him out for his verbal abuse to her in the past. Now all he hears is quiet, defeated words. It was silent now that there’s no one to call him out when he messed up and he hated it. More than that, he hated to see somebody who proved him tremendously wrong not see herself the way he saw her.

Jamie aimlessly looked at the countertop until Colby placed his hand on top of hers, that’s when she finally looked up at him. Only for a few seconds, before she closed her eyes and soft sobs started to build up in her throat. Her fragile state started to break as hot tears build up and ran down her cheeks. Without a word, Colby wrapped his arms around Jamie and he brought her in for a much needed hug. And a purple hoodie to dry all her tears. He pressed his nose against her hair and he swallowed hard, his own eyes started to have a hint of red to them. He tried to be strong for her rather than his old insecurities like before, but the second he saw a single tear he started to crumble completely.

• Colby Davis the Eskijack
• Jamie Bayātī the Sand Cat
• Artwork
-- Belongs to :devradical-alex: