Borrowed Time

Chapter 183

Juliette wasn't sure how long she'd actually been unconscious in the waiting room of the hospital, all she knew was that when she woke up her entire body hurt more than it ever had in her entire life, including when she'd been pistol whipped and thrown into a door hinge... This was topping both of those, this was pure agony.

She groaned as she sat up, feeling Esme's hand supporting her back as they cleared their throat, rousing from what she was assuming was also a very fitful, uncomfortable slumber. She slid her legs off of Shelby's lap carefully, looking to see that her eyes were still closed, her body at rest in a way that somehow seemed like it might actually be something bearable and not insanely painful... Of course, Shelby being able to do everything also showed by her ability to sleep in a goddamn chair.

Juliette turned to look at Esme, who was blinking and bleary eyed as they yawned, giving her a half smile.

"Hey baby. How'd you sleep?" They asked, making her let out a humorless chuckle as she shook her head, twisting her back so that she could pop every joint that would allow it before doing the same with her fingers.

She needed to take her bones out and slam them on the ground, she was pretty sure that that would fix whatever was wrong with her right now... Which was that she had slept across a bunch of chairs in a hospital waiting room, she knew what was wrong, she wasn't sure why she'd said it like that.

"My body feels like it's been run through a combine harvester... But I guess it was alright... How about you?" She asked, watching as they stretched and shrugged, grimacing as they rubbed at their lower back.

She wanted to massage it for them, to make it feel better because they deserved to not be in pain after supporting her through something that they really didn't have to support her through, but she couldn't touch them in a way that could be considered 'seductive' in a hospital.

"Aside from the screaming pain in my back, I'd say that I slept pretty good overall." Juliette nodded, resting her head on Esme's shoulder as she closed her eyes again, linking their hands together.

She could fall asleep again right here and now even if it wasn't going to be a comfortable one.

"That's good, that's the hope." She murmured, feeling Esme squeeze her hand softly before they turned their head, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head, one that made her heart squeeze in her chest as she burrowed into them a bit more, feeling Shelby fall to the side so that her head fell onto Juliette, still sleeping peacefully.

"Yeah." They leaned their head back against the wall, clearing their throat as they fiddled with Juliette's hands, pressing their strong fingers against hers for a moment before bringing their linked hands to her lips, pressing kisses across each knuckle reverently.  "Doing okay?" She grimaced at the question and shrugged.

Obviously she wasn't okay, but she didn't want Esme to know that for certain, she just wanted to be okay... But they had asked, so she was going to tell them.

"I mean... No?" That was the best way she could describe it - no, she was not okay.  That didn't mean that she wouldn't eventually be okay, it just meant that right now it felt like her head was going to pop off, and she wanted to run away from the hospital at full speed... Were her little brother not in one of those rooms with the worst woman alive, she very well might have.  "Not really, but I'm trying my best to ignore that because this isn't really about me, it's about my little brother." She explained, and Esme nodded, squeezing her hand but not seeming to be convinced.

"Right, but in order to be there for him, you've gotta work through whatever is going on here." They said, making her frown... Was that really what was needed?  She was pretty sure that she'd done enough introspection and self-discovery this year, was more really needed?