In the Dark ~ j.m¹

Chapter Thirty Six: Shards of Glass

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"You gotta stay with me, okay?"

- Abigail Grace

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[Thanksgiving 2019]

"JJ!" She exclaims, kneeling in front of him, her hands flying to his face. Her eyes widen when she sees his pale face, littered with cuts and bruises. His skin is cold, and there's blood on his shirt.

God, how long has he been out here?

"JJ!" She exclaims again, trying to shake him awake. She feels tears begin to form in her eyes, her heart hammering in her chest. "JJ! Wake up!"

The blonde in front of her suddenly jumps awake, his chest heaving up and down quickly as he gasps. His hands shoot out to grab the person holding him, ready to defend himself.

"Hey, hey — It's me! It's me!" She repeats, shushing him as he attempts to push her off. Abby gently places her hands on either side of his face. "It's Abby!"

He relaxes once his eyes focus, and he registers her voice. It's Abby, not Luke. "Abby..." he breaths out.

She releases a shaky breath. "It's me — I'm here..." She tries to give him a smile, but watches as pain flashes in his eyes, and it's immediately gone. His hands fall from her arms, and his head rests against the house again, as he groans in pain. "W-what — how long have you been out here?"

"I dunno." He admits, mumbling, his body shaking. "I'm sorry I...I didn't know where else to go..."

"No, no — it's okay, you're okay." She reassures him. His hand flies to his side, where his shirt is stained with blood. "Oh my god — okay..." she glances around frantically, her mind and heart racing. "Let's get you inside, okay? Can you stand?" She asks, softly, trying to remain calm for him.

JJ nods, so Abigail pulls herself away from him, standing up. She remains close, extending her hands down for him to take. He groans, his face scrunching up in pain as she helps pull him up slowly. "I know — I know. I'm sorry." She tells him quietly when he groans.

She pulls his arm around her shoulder, bearing his weight as she slowly guides him towards the door. He leans against the side of the house, while she bends down to grab the keys and her phone from the floor. Once the door is open, she wraps her arm around him again, guiding him into the house.

"Where's...Gram?" He asks.

"They're still at dinner..." she answers quickly, pushing her bedroom door open. She leads him right to her bathroom.

She helps JJ sit down on the floor, so he can lean back against the wall. Once he's sitting, she rummages under the sink for the first aid kit and some rags. She turns back to JJ, sitting on his lap.

"Okay..." she looks down at his side. She grabs the hem of his shirt, lifting it up to see how bad the wound is. A gasp falls from her lips before she can stop herself. "Oh my god..."