Friendship

Jen can't help the look of hurt that crosses her face. She knew what Katie had told her the night before, even if there was no willingness to discuss it today. She knew the look in Katie's eye was more than just being upset with her boyfriend. Yet since talking on the phone, she was being told to go away.

"No." Jen makes no move to leave. "If you think I can't see you when you're down, then we're not as good a friends as I thought we were. Friendship means sharing bad with good, whether we're covered in smiles or covered in vomit. Pushing me away isn't going to help you any, no matter what you believe. You're trying to make it through this alone, Katie, and it's just making it worse. I won't turn my back and let you do that to yourself. Stop denying the fact that you need help."

Jen's eyes flash with a deep love for her friend. She hurt because she was being pushed away, and she hurt because Katie hurt. She'd been through this once before with her brother. Only that time, she'd actually walked away, leaving him to try and take his own life. She wasn't going to do it again.


Jason sighs deeply and leans back in his chair, closing his eyes. Alone in his office once more, it was quiet again. Was there more? What had she meant? Was there more to Katie's moodiness lately? How was he supposed to know what it was? Ever since she'd woken up at the hospital, there was a corner that she hadn't allowed him to see... something she kept pushing him away from and being unwilling to say what it was. He'd always assumed it was just her mood or something personal he didn't need to know. Was it something else? If it was, then why wouldn't Katie have just told him? They used to tell each other everything.

Shaking his head, he knows he needs to get back to work. That's what he was getting paid to do, not sit around and dwell on a tiff with his girlfriend.


Ryder looks up from his computer, giving Thirteen a sympathetic shrug. "I don't know. I think... she's going through a rough time right now." He'd heard some murmurings, and he knew what was going on between Katie and Jason. He could imagine that she'd been pretty upset.

"We'll just give her some space right now, okay? You want to go see if Jason will let you give Trooper a walk?"