FRIENDLY FIRE: A 9-1-1 fanfiction

Part Thirty-Three: Open Old Wounds

•

EMMA

•

"Alright, buddy," Hollis bent down, cupping Ajay's cheek, "you gonna be okay in here?"

Ajay nodded quickly.

"Alright," Hollis smiled, standing up and looking between both Ajay and I, "well I'll be around, call the nurses bay if you need anything."

"More jello?" I asked pitifully, raising my empty cup.

"You've been sustaining yourself on jello for the last three days," Hollis quipped, her hands going to her hips, "enough. Jello is not a solution to all your problems."

"That is a lie," I muttered bitterly, crushing the jello pot and tossing it into the bin.

Hollis rolled her eyes, her hands going up in exasperation, "I am so glad you're being discharged today." She turned back to Ajay then, sighing, "Try and have fun. I know she's boring right now but try remember who she once was."

"I'm not dead!" I snapped, my face twisting with outrage, "I just want jello."

Hollis seemed to debate arguing with me, her finger hanging in the air, "You two have a good day. I'll see you at lunch." With that, she turned and walked out.

Hank had a dentist appointment for his last remaining real tooth this morning which meant Ajay could not hang out at his house. Sean offered to watch him and Caden together but apparently, Ajay's response had been nothing short of a broken vase and a loud screaming match. That was how Hollis decided that whether it was for the best or not, I was babysitting.

"So," I sighed, turning to Ajay, moving my legs up to cross them, "how are you?"

"Did you actually get kidnapped by a serial killer?" Ajay blurted out, setting down the art book and pencil case he'd brought with him on the sofa before coming over to my bed. "Can I see the stab wound?"

I blinked at him rapidly, my brain lagging, "I—what?!"

"Momma said I wasn't allowed to ask about it but I want to know everything," Ajay continued calmly.

"I—" my brain whirled, trying to come up with anything legible, "I'm not going to tell an eleven year old about that kind of thing!"

"Why are you yelling?" Ajay frowned, "And, I'm twelve. You came to my birthday party last month."

I raised my hand, dragging it down my face, "Yeah, I know, I'm sorry, I just..." I huffed, dropping my hand into my lap, "this isn't an easy topic, kid, you can't just throw it at me."

"I don't think that's fair," Ajay decided, "when I got home from the hospital, no one would stop asking me questions. Why can't I ask you anything?"

"Ajay..." I shuffled forwards, reaching out to ruffle his hair, "you can ask questions but I'm not going to answer them. You didn't answer for us either and I think you know exactly why it can be really hard to talk about the stuff that happened to us."

Ajay stared at me blankly and then, he turned, making for the sofa, picking up his artbook. He held it out to me as he walked back over, "Does it feel like this for you too?"