Darkest Shadows

35) A Fighting Chance

"These diseases are horrible, but they aren't impossible to beat."--Ambrose

♡

2996

Yesterday a joint party was thrown for Jax's 39th, Ambrosia's 14th, and Sybella's 12th birthday, it was a lot of work but the three really enjoyed it. Ambrose got Jax a motorcycle (he's wanted one for years) after he finally relented and agreed, Sia got a second ear piercing, and Sybella got a white pet snake which she named Marshmallow because Rhea used to call Tarver her Marshmallow. So yesterday was a lot of fun, but today it was back to work as normal. Jax and Ambrose's business, A Fighting Chance, is getting a new wave of patients today and sadly one of them is a fourteen-year-old girl, it drives a knife in Ambrose's heart since his own little girl is fourteen and it terrifies him that Sia could go down that road.

"Welcome guys, I'm Jaxin, I'm in charge of the art aspect of the outpatient program and this is my husband Ambrose who is in charge of the physical defense and therapy aspect. For the second part of your program you'll come here and for the first hour and a half some of you will be upstairs with me in the art room and the rest will be with Ambrose for exercise and such, then we switch for the last hour and a half. My sister-in-law Rosé is going to help with another branch of the arts division, I work primarily with painting, and Rosé works with drawings and photography. I'll let Ambrose talk to you a little about why we do this," Jax introduces with a smile.

"Jaxin and I started A Fighting Chance because I struggled with mental illness, when I was eight years old I was diagnosed with schizophrenia which is rare for someone under thirteen to be diagnosed with. After my mom died and my aunt gave me up I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety, nineteen years ago I had an episode of delusions where I felt there were scorpions on my skin and this poison in my body, the only way to get rid of it is to bleed it out, I ended up stabbing myself thirty times and had a brain aneurysm. They didn't know if I was going to wake up from my coma. A few weeks later I was put into St. Jaimes Medical Facility which was an experimentation building where they drugged the patients until they were brainwashed before sending them over to the Embassy to serve the King. I was in there for twenty days before Jaxin broke me out, the episodes got worse and my brain was damaged and the mental capability I had was of a child, my speech was delayed, and I grew a bad stutter which still sometimes comes out. After I was okay for a while, but I fell back into self-harming, then when Jaxin was going through the adoption process for our daughter I got hooked on OxyContin and was drinking heavily. I attended a six-month recovery program at the halfway house most of you are coming from. Training and exercise are a huge part of my recovery as art is a part of Jax's coping, we know how hard addiction is on ourselves and our loved ones and we want to help as many in their recovery as possible. We've run this program for thirteen years and we love to see the people we've helped walking on the streets with their families happy and drug and alcohol-free. You can pick if you'd like to stay for the physical therapy portion first or go for art. We're glad you're taking steps to get sober and clean, let us know if there is anything you need," Ambrose beams, the room claps and half split upstairs to go with Jax for art while the other half stays with Ambrose.

"Let's do a little introductory activity," he begins and brings out one of the standing punching bags into the middle of the gym. "Step up and give two jabs with your non-dominant hand then say your name, give a swift kick then two jabs with your dominant hand and give either a fact about you or share why you're here if you're comfortable with it."

This was a great exercise to get to know his patients. Vicky is in for alcohol, Brenden for alcohol, Corri for weed, Mari for crack, Jessie for heroin, Max for cocaine, and Emilia, the fourteen-year-old, is in for OxyContin. Out of everyone he bonded with Emilia the most, while everyone was going through an exercise Ambrose introduced he was sitting out with Emilia next to him. "You know my daughter is fourteen now, she just turned fourteen on the 20th of September. When is your birthday?"

"June 7th."

Ambrose stifles a laugh, he recognized that birthday from one of Rhea's serial killer encyclopedias. "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

"You think I'll grow up?" she asks gloomily.

"Of course. These diseases are horrible, but they aren't impossible to beat, I see protentional in you Emilia and I know you're capable of anything if you get the right help and I want to give you that."

Before they knew it, it was time to switch and Jax came down to collect his new group as Ambrose prepared the same thing by wiping down the mats and equipment. He feels two arms around his waist and smiles. "Don't you have to be upstairs?"

"Rosé is covering for a minute, I wanted to say hi," Jax grins. Ambrose turns in his arms to smile at him. "I love you."

He pecks Jax on the cheek. "I love you too. Now go do your sexy art thing."

"Mhm. Go do your sexy workout thing," Jax chuckles. With a final kiss, Ambrose reluctantly lets Jax go to welcome his new group in going through the same drill. The program today was great, everyone enjoyed it and they were looking forward to coming back (Jessie, Max, and Jack begged for more of Tarver's homemade chocolate chip cookies,) Jax and Ambrose were excited to have them come back and help them. Later as they lay in bed exhausted from the day Jax whispers, "I'm so proud of you."

Ambrose hugs Jax tighter to him and continues to draw lazy patterns on his bare back. "Thank you. I'm proud of us."

"We deserve it though."

"Yeah, we do. I love you."

"I love you too."

This night just like others in Jax's arms, Ambrose sleeps peacefully.