Handwritten (One Shot Collection)

I Will Put You Back Together: Part I

Trigger Warning for severe depression, self-mutilation and graphic imagery. I Will Put You Back Together is the follow up mini-series to the lengthy oneshot We Become What We Behold. Please be good to yourselves.

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It's going to take her four, perhaps even five weeks to fully recover from the wound Ms. Cabello. Are you willing to provide her with the care she'll need?

~ Week 1 ~

"Lauren I'm home! Sorry, work ran really late tonight, there was a massive dinner rush and everyone was pissing me off!"

I fumbled through the apartment's front door, two large paper grocery bags rapidly slipping from within my arms. Cursing as a stalk of celery fell to the floor, I tossed my keys onto the back of the couch and hoped to god I wasn't going to step on a cat before making my way to the kitchen.

"Lauren!" I called again, hitting my toe on the leg of a mis-placed bar stool on the other side of our counter island and swearing loudly. "Hey, I found the really good brand of peanut butter I was looking for, but they didn't have the kind with the little bits of peanuts in it, so I also bought a tin of de-shelled nuts." I continued. "So I guess we're going to be the people that crush them up and sprinkle them in."

The apartment was quiet, save for my clumsy maneuver to the counter. "Lauren?" I called a third time. "If you're asleep, you better wake up, the only person I've spoke to in the last twelve hours who I didn't want to kill was the lady who deals drugs behind the dumpsters at the restaurant, she was in an oddly good mood today!"

"Right here." The girl emerged from the bedroom dressed in a pair of grey sweatpants and a black sports bra. Her shoulder was still covered in a thick layer of bandage, tape and padding, the wound not yet sealed enough to be properly exposed. She was holding Maya, the overweight feline tucked happily in her arms. "Can I help unload those?"

"Hell no." I breathed, setting the bags down. "You took a bullet to the shoulder a few days ago, the only thing you're allowed to lift is your thumb to change the channel on the TV with the remote." I looked up to see her holding the cat. "Lauren! Why are you holding that thing?!"

"What?" The girl blinked, smiling down at the ball of fur in her arms. "She's just a cat."

"An overweight cat." I corrected, ensuring that the bags were securely on the counter before stepping over and yanking the golden tabby away, dropping her to the ground. "I've tried putting her on a diet about a hundred times now, but her face is too cute for me to say no. Now go sit on the couch."

"But I want to help-"

"Sit on the couch." I ordered, narrowing my eyes at her. "Now."

Like a kicked puppy, Lauren migrated to the arm of the couch and sat down carefully, placing her hands down against the fabric. Maya began to wind around her legs, rubbing against her ankles and making small mewing noises. "Camila?" She questioned, lifting her chin at me.

"No." I shook my head, starting to remove the objects from the bags. "You're not allowed to help."

"But-"

"No." I said again, pulling open the fridge and loading a carton of soy milk onto the barren top shelf. "Just relax."

"No that's not-" Lauren tried a third time.

"Shh." I glanced over my shoulder and lifted a threatening eyebrow. "No helping, no moving, just sit there and behave. Did you sleep today? How do you feel?"