The Things I Can Do Without [Karate Kid Fanfic]

Crown of Thorns

It's been a full month since Danielle had been with them. Today was one of her bad days, as she lay against John and watched the television dully, her eyes not even really watching whatever was on.

She snapped at them halfheartedly a few times that morning, before mostly walking around in a zombie-like state. Sometimes she would be staring off into space, and her flinching around them was worse than normal, especially considering how it had been getting a lot better around them.

Terry didn't know what the fuck to do.

Days like this, they just endured it and tried their best to make her feel better or make the day as less painful and just plain easier on her. They knew she felt bad whenever she lashed out, and that she tried to keep it to herself, but both of them had made it clear it was alright for her to do so and that they understood and could (and would) take it.

"I'm tired," Danielle murmured as she lethargically got up from the couch and moved away from John. "I think I'm going to take a nap."

"Okay," John said quietly, watching her as Terry kept quiet from his spot at a desk. Then John turned to Terry. "I think I'll go for a run, maybe check in at the dojo."

Terry nodded, still not saying anything. Once he was alone, he looked for the cell phone he kept nearby, grumbling to himself how it was so huge and such a pain to carry around. No wonder it was nicknamed "The Brick." Still, the Motorola DynaTAC phone was the best and most well-known phone at the moment, and he was always one to have the best. Maybe Danielle would like one...make it easier on her to contact that girl friend of hers...Ali, he thought it was...

It would be easier on him and John if she had a way to contact them too, if she wanted to go out or hell, if she was around the house away from them or if they were out of the house.

He punched in the numbers to the number he had memorized and waited for the good old doctor to answer.

"Hello, this is Richard Rosier speaking. How may I help you?"

"Dr. Rosier? This is Terry Silver. You gave me your number in case we needed...advice in regards to helping Danielle," Terry reluctantly said in the phone.

"Ah. I see. May I know how she's doing and what's going on now?"

Terry, to the best of his ability, told him how Danielle was and now what was going on between her and them and how she was acting. The doctor hmmed a lot but stayed quiet, making Terry nervous and unsure.

"I think now's the time to be going to a professional," Dr. Rosier suggested gently. "She obviously has been accepting of you two and letting you in, and that's great. Better than expected, especially when one takes in her situation. But as much as she's talking to you, I think what she needs right now is someone more objective and not so close to her or the situation."

Terry grimaced. He wasn't sure of this, and he was definitely not sure that Danielle would like this or go for it.

"I'll talk to her about talking to a...professional," Terry withheld his sigh. "I'll give you a call if she's up for it or not."

"Alright, I'll wait on you. Just keep that in mind, and maybe think about having her go to group counseling with others like her, and maybe get her out of the house more than she has been."

Terry hung up and stared at his phone, glaring lightly at it. He just wanted things to be better. He just wanted things to be back to the way they were, back when it was him and Danielle and they were trading barbs and jokes and sparring –

"Who was that?"

He turned around to face John, who looked only slightly out of breath. That he did at all though, made Terry guess that John had pushed himself harder than ever, probably in an effort to not think about things.