Lisa
It was nearly 3:00am and Jennie was exhausted. Her tiny body had been pushed to its emotional brink and was going to start shutting itself down if Lisa didn't get her home soon. Lisa helped Jennie into her Jeep, watching Jennie lean her head back on the headrest and close her eyes. "Why don't you take one of these for me." Lisa suggested, pulling Jennie's medicine from her pocket and inspecting the pills thoroughly in her palm before handing them over to Jennie.
She popped them in her mouth without opening her eyes and swallowed them as Lisa drove them home. They were about halfway to the apartment when Jennie started to rub at her calf, pulling Lisa's attention over to the muscle that was starting to ball up and knot beneath her skin.
Shit, we're at least fifteen minutes away and I can't pull over in the middle of the freeway to rub the cramps out of her legs.
"Flex your foot back to stretch that muscle out." Lisa instructed darting her eyes between Jennie and the road in front of her. Jennie grimaced and flexed, desperately trying to keep her entire leg and foot from cramping up, but it was no use. Jennie's foot contorted and her calf and thigh knotted into hard masses beneath her skin, causing Jennie to arch her back and straighten her leg against the floor board.
Lisa's heart broke at the sight and fully understood that when muscles become hard and knotted the way Jennie's did, it's excruciatingly painful and there's very little that can be done about it. "Deep breaths Jennie girl, breathe your way through it." Lisa instructed, hoping she'd listen to her.
Her other leg started to tighten and Jennie grabbed for it, but it was too little too late. Her little body was going to knot itself into a painful tangled mess until her medication kicked in which would be at least twenty minutes from the time she took it. "No, no, no." Jennie begged her other leg not to cramp, but it wasn't going to listen to her soft pleas.
"Grab my hand Jennie, squeeze it hard." Lisa coached, feeling Jennie clutch her hand and bare down on it, trying to escape the pain in her legs. Lisa mashed down on the accelerator trying to get them home as soon as possible, hating the fact that there was so little she could do for Jennie.
"Come on you can squeeze harder than that. Give me everything you've got." Lisa instructed, hoping to take her focus away from her legs. "Don't look at your legs, look at me and squeeze my hand sweetie, we're almost home." she soothed, feeling Jennie bury her head in her shoulder as Jennie squeezed her hand with every ounce of strength she had in her.
By the time Lisa parked the jeep and scooped Jennie up from the passenger seat, Jennie was fully panicked, breathing heavily in Lisa's arms and digging her nails into her back as Lisa carried her effortlessly up the stairs. Lisa set her down in the bed and took off for the kitchen to get Jennie another drink, watching her grab another dose of medication from her nightstand to double up her dose.
Lisa handed her the bottle and watched her crack the top open and drain the contents in a few large gulps as she got to work on rubbing the cramps from Jennie's legs. "Alright Jennie girl, it's just a waiting game now. Can you take some deep breaths for me while these meds take effect?" Jennie was grunting and gasping for air as she fought against her body.
She's not listening to me.
Lisa recalled a conversation that she had with Bambam on ways to calm Mina when she was in panic if Bambam wasn't around. 'Talk soft enough to be comforting, but be commanding. If you need her to do something that will help calm her down or keep her safe, tell her what to do. Coach her so that your voice is what she clings to and listens to and not the panic she's feeling.'
Lisa lowered her voice and spoke softly, but firmly hoping her commands would cut through the pain and resonate somewhere in Jennie's mind. "Jennie listen to me. You need to breathe. Do what I'm saying baby. Breathe in deep and hold it."
Jennie didn't open her eyes, but complied with Lisa's request, filling her lungs and letting her chest expand before holding it, despite her body's protest to let it out and gasp for another. "Good... now push it out slow." Lisa instructed keeping her voice low, even, and commanding. Jennie let out a slow shaky breath just as Lisa had told her to do.
After a few minutes of deep breathing, Jennie's meds finally started to take effect and her tight muscles started to relax and return to their natural positions beneath her skin. Climbing in the bed beside her, Lisa settled herself down behind Jennie, wrapping her arms around Jennie and pulling her into her so Jennie's back was flush with Lisa's chest.
"Rest Jennie girl." she whispered in Jennie's ear, smiling at the small sweet hum of contentment she received in return.
