The rookie Groupchat

Chenford online argument P4

C: I just sat with Lucy again. She's not crying anymore, but she's really not okay either. I think everything that happened is starting to hit her. She feels so remorseful. It's like she's blaming herself for the whole situation.

A: Blaming herself? For what? Tim's the one who lost it, not her.

C: That's just it. She feels like she escalated the fight. She said, "I should've known better." It's breaking my heart.

J: That doesn't sound like Lucy. She's always been confident about standing her ground.

C: Yeah, but today really shook her. She's not second-guessing her skills, but it's more like she thinks she could've handled Tim differently. She regrets that last jab she threw at him about his ego.

A: Ugh, of course she's feeling bad about that. It was harsh, sure, but Tim practically begged for it. He can't dish it out and expect not to get hit back.

Aa: You guys, I just walked past the gym. Tim's in there, and he's going hard. I mean, harder than usual. Dude's pushing himself like he's trying to break something.

C: Wait—like, physically? Is he okay?

Aa: Physically, yeah, but he's bleeding. His knuckles are torn up from hitting the bag, and he's not stopping. It's like he's trying to punch through the guilt. It looks really bad.

A: Sounds like Tim's not handling things well either. He's not the type to sit around and talk about his feelings. He takes it out on the bag or the weights.

G: That's exactly what I was afraid of. Tim doesn't know how to process emotional stuff any way but through force. He thinks the harder he pushes, the faster it'll go away.

J: So he's just in there, beating himself up? Literally?

Aa: Pretty much. He's in his zone, but it's different today. Usually, he's in control. Today... I don't know, it feels like he's punishing himself for what happened with Lucy.

C: Maybe he's feeling guilty too, in his own way. I mean, he said some harsh things. I wouldn't be surprised if he regrets it, but he's too stubborn to admit it.

A: That's the problem. Neither of them will talk about it, and they're both sitting in their own guilt, making it worse. Lucy's feeling awful, and Tim's bleeding, and neither of them is doing a damn thing to fix it.

G: Tim doesn't do well with guilt. When he feels like he's messed up, he lashes out at himself. But that doesn't change the fact that he was out of line with Lucy. He knows it. I'm just not sure if he's ready to admit it yet.

C: Lucy's already talking about apologizing. She thinks she let her emotions get the best of her, and now she's scared that they've gone too far to come back from this.

Aa: Meanwhile, Tim's in there trying to push through the guilt physically. You know how he is. He won't stop until he's either passed out or someone drags him out of there.

G: I'll handle Tim, but right now, I'm more worried about Lucy. She's feeling like she's responsible for all of this, and that's not a place we want her to be. She shouldn't carry that kind of guilt alone.

A: Lucy always puts too much on herself. She's taking all the blame when really, this was a two-sided fight. Tim hit her where it hurt, and she's been trying to keep it together ever since. Now she's crumbling.

C: I tried to tell her that. I said it's not all on her. But she's in her own head right now, focused more on what she did wrong than what Tim said. She even said, "If I had just stayed calm..."

J: Lucy's always been hard on herself. She holds herself to a different standard than the rest of us, and now she's paying for it. She's trying to fix it, but it's not just her problem to fix.

G: Exactly. Lucy needs to know she's not alone in this. We can't let her drown in self-blame. And as for Tim, I'll talk to him. He needs to stop trying to fix everything with his fists and start using his words.

Aa: Good luck with that, Sarge. Tim doesn't seem like he's in the mood for talking right now.

A: He'll listen to Grey. He always does, even if he doesn't show it. But man, those two need to get on the same page before they destroy each other.

G: I'll make sure it happens. Tim and Lucy have too much history, too much trust built, to let this spiral any further. But for now, give them space. They'll come around when they're ready.