Through Pain We Survive

Chapter 87

***TRIGGER WARNING- Violence mentions***

Once they were home, Mira Lynne turned to Cat. "Is there anything I can do to help you out?" Mira Lynne could feel the tension radiating off Cat.

"I don't know. There's a part of me that just wants to drink so I can forget it all for a little while." She sighed. This caught Mira Lynne off guard, as Cat was never much of a drinker. "I shouldn't drink away my problems though."

"Speaking as someone who's had issues with certain types of liquids, no, it's not a solution."

Cat sighed and had a pensive look on her face. "I really don't want to stay in my house. At least, not right now. It's... It's too much to handle."

"Okay, what do you want to do?"

"Uhm... I don't know. What do you think?"

"Well, it's up to you. Like I told you before, I have enjoyed having you here, so if you wanted to stay, you are more than welcome to."

"You know, I have been thinking about it. Staying, I mean."

Mira Lynne smiled. "Well, it's not something that needs to be decided on immediately. Why don't we dish up some ice cream and then go to bed?"

"Ice cream sounds nice..." She smiled.

Mira Lynne scooped up the ice cream for each of them, then they sat down and ate. Reflecting on the day, they both stayed quiet for a little while.

"Mira Lynne?"

"Hmm?"

"If I had... Um... What would you have done if I pulled the trigger?"

"Honestly, I'd be shocked, but at the same time, I'd be glad that jerk would be out of our lives. We would actually feel free."

Cat nodded. "No one will ever hurt us like that again."

"I never did thank you. You risked your life for me, and I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay you. Thank you."

"Well, I guess we're even now. You saved my life, and I potentially saved yours." She smiled slightly.

"Yeah... I guess so..." Mira Lynne looked to her empty bowl. "Did you want any more?"

"I'm good. I think I'm going to get some work in. I know I'm not going to sleep easy tonight."

"Okay. I'm going to try to get some sleep. I may not, but at least I'll try. Please do try to get some sleep."

"I'll try." Cat stood up. "Want me to take your bowl?"

"Sure, thanks." She stood and yawned. "If you need to talk or anything, feel free to wake me. I'm glad I don't have to work tomorrow. I'd be dead on my feet."

"Okay. Good night, Mira Lynne." She took the bowls to the sink and washed them, humming quietly to herself. Even if I get any sleep, I'll probably be having nightmares...

Cat put the bowls away, and walked off to her room. She got changed into some pajamas, and sat down at her computer, reviewing the script AJ had sent her that morning. Before everything happened... I was excited to read this over too... In a separate tab, she was looking into some therapist offices. She made it about halfway through the script before she dozed off.

Her dreams were plagued with all the encounters she had with Damien over the years, melding together into a single terror she couldn't wake from. She thrashed back and forth in her chair, and eventually she fell from her chair, hitting the floor so abruptly that it shook the house. She woke up a moment later, having hit her head on the chair during her descent. She stayed on the ground for a moment, in pain and bewildered.

"Ow..."

Mira Lynne knocked on Cat's door. "Cat? You okay?"

"Yeah... I guess I fell asleep." She replied drowsily.

"You're bleeding." She grabbed a tissue and dabbed at the side of her forehead.

"I've... I've been having a hard time sleeping lately. Even before this..." She admitted.

Mira Lynne smiled sadly. "Honestly, I could tell. I've heard you tossing and turning. You've been more drowsy. Is— is there anything I can do to help?"

"I don't know. It's like... Every time I close my eyes I see him..." She sighed, placing a gentle hand over the hand Mira Lynne was using to clean the blood.

"I think seeing a therapist is a good idea— for all of us. I know you've been affected the most out of all of us, but maybe seeing a therapist would help."

"If you look on my computer, I was already looking at some offices," she replied, slowly sitting up. "I can, uh, take the tissue."

"Oh, okay." Mira Lynne backed away a bit, letting Cat hold the tissue over her cut. "Are you sure you're not hurt anywhere else?"

"I'll probably be sore tomorrow with all my thrashing, but I'll be okay." She paused for a moment. "Have you and the girls at work been doing fun outings still? You seem to always come straight here after work nowadays," she asked quietly.

"I... Well, I've been invited, but I've been so scared with Damien out there, I didn't want to-" Mira Lynne paused, not wanting to say why she'd really come straight home. I didn't want to leave you alone longer than I had to. "-To somehow run into him."

"It's a valid fear. But now that he's locked up, you can go. I'm not going to be offended if you want to go out with the girls and have some fun," she placed a hand on her shoulder, and smiled.

"If you ever want to come, I'll want to stop here and change first, so it wouldn't be out of the way. You'll just have to let me know." She smiled back to Cat.

"No, no, I wouldn't want to intrude. I haven't gone out with the girls in..." Ever since Damien came into my life, essentially. "A long time. I don't even know where you all go after work these days."

"Honestly, I'm getting tired of the 'going out' scene. They'd go to a club or a bar, but the music was always too loud, and I never really had a lot of fun. The socialization was nice, but its too much."

"I don't like loud..." She shook her head. "Whatever happened to going bowling late at night when barely anyone is there?"

"Now that is somewhere I'd go. I miss doing that. Anytime the girls want to go out, they'd talk about going drinking. They're too young to realize there's more to life than drinking."

"Maybe I could round them all up for some bowling some time. When I'm better."

"I can talk to them and see if they'd want to do that. I'm sure they'd enjoy going out with you. We all miss you there. Some of the regulars have asked about you. I've just said you're taking some time off."

"The regulars are asking about me?"

"Well, yeah. They noticed you hadn't been there for a while and wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Thanks for covering for me. You're the greatest friend a woman could ask for," she said, smiling.

Mira Lynne put her hands up over her face in embarrassment. "Aww, shucks!" She giggled and put her hands down. "Seriously, though, I know you'd do the same for me."

"I'm going to go ahead and grab a bandage, then try to get some sleep in bed. Do you need anything?"

"No, I'm good, thanks. Are you sure you'll be okay?"

"I will be. You go on back to bed. I promise I'll try and get some sleep," she said.

"Okay. If you need anything, don't hesitate to let me know." She gave Cat a lingering look, then got up and went back to bed.

Cat walked to the restroom and looked for the box of bandages, as well as something to clean the cut. She didn't bother turning on the light, as it would take a while for her eyes to readjust to the dark again.

Finding what she needed, she cleaned the cut and put a bandage on. She glanced at herself in the mirror from the ambient light and sighed. She then walked back to her room and went to bed.