Ghost - Elmax

Chapter 6 : Shower

The alarm clock woke Max up. The redhead grumbled in her pillow, before brutally hitting the object to stop it. She was so tired, but, at least, Jane didn't have a nightmare this night. The redhead was sure it was because she didn't sleep at all! Since she got lost in New-York last time, she fell into something like depression, and didn't leave the apartment, barely leaving her own room.

She found some courage, and got out of her bed. She went to her bathroom, and took a shower. It was only when she finished hers that she realized that someone else was taking a shower in the other bathroom. It was, obviously, Jane, but she was so weak those last days that she thought it was weird. Or maybe she was feeling better, but the redhead didn't believe a second of this supposition. She quickly put her clothes on, and went in front of Jane's bathroom door. She softly knocked, before slowly opening it. Jane was under the shower, her clothes on, looking in the void.

- "Jane? Are you ok?" frowned Max, slowly approaching.

The redhead got no answer. She crouched next to her, and noticed her shadows under her eyes, her cadaver-like face, and her body shaking like if she was cold. She put her hand on her forehead. It was burning, but the water was icy. Jane didn't even react when Max touched her, meaning she was really feeling bad.

- "You're sick," stated the redhead. "Why didn't you come to me?"

- "It hurts," said Jane with a small voice, still looking in the void.

- "What hurts?"

- "Everything hurts. But it burns."

- "Your forehead? Yeah, you have fever, it's normal, don't worry, a few meds and-"

- "No! Not my forehead!" got irritated Jane.

- "What then? Tell me, you know you can trust me."

As Jane was lifeless, Max took the opportunity to put her hands on her girlfriend's cheeks. But Jane had a rise of energy, and pushed her, making her fall on her butt. Max was tired of this reactions. She stood, turned off the shower, and grabbed Jane by her arm, forcing her to get off. The other girl didn't fight, too exhausted. The redhead tried to dry her the best she could, before calling her boss to tell him she wouldn't come, and calling a nurse to check Jane. She tried to move Jane from her bathroom, but the girl was a total wreck, so she let her there.

The nurse arrived in the middle of the afternoon. Max greeted her, and took her to Jane, explaining her the situation. The redhead didn't stay with them, and not only because Jane didn't want, but because she was a bit mad at Jane for acting like that. She knew it wasn't her fault, but staying alone in the shower while Max could have helped her was stupid! Anyway, she prepared herself a tea, and took a break on the couch. She decided to read a magazine about skateboard. It had been a long time she didn't skateboard, with her study, then her work, and now Jane, she didn't really have time for herself.

After two hours, the nurse finally reappeared. Max jumped from the chair of the kitchen to talk to her.

- "So?" asked Max.

- "She has an infected wound in her back. She needs to see a doctor to have an excision," explained the woman.

- "An excision?"

- "Yes, to cut the diseased tissue. I cleaned the wound and placed a bandage. It has to be changed every days, I can come back if you want, or you can do it yourself."

- "I'm not sure she will let me...You can't do the excision yourself?"

- "No, I'm not entitled to do this. I can give you names of dermatologist surgeons," told the nurse.

- "Yes, yes, I would like to, thank you," answered Max, a bit lost in her thoughts.

While the nurse was giving Max a list of names, the redhead was filling a check for the woman.

- "PTSD, right?" stated the nurse.

- "Yeah," sighed Max.

- "I have many patients with it. You never thought of a therapy?"

- "No, I prefer letting her suffering in her shit!" told ironically Max with irritation.

- "Sorry, I didn't want to upset you."

- "It's fine, it's fine, I'm just tired. I can't pay her a therapy, I don't even know where there is one! Even if I knew, she wouldn't go in there..."

- "It will be ok," softly smile the woman. "What happened to her? If it's not too intrusive, of course."

- "She went in Somalia, with the army. Two of my best friends went too, they are in the same state as her."

- "I'm sorry to hear that. The army doesn't propose a psychological aftercare?"

- "No! They just broke them! After, we have to deal with it!"

- "At least she is not alone, it's important for her mental health, even if she doesn't seem fine, she would be in a worse state if you weren't there with her."

- "Yeah, yeah..."

- "Well, I come back tomorrow for her bandage."

- "Yes, thank you a lot."

Max didn't know how Jane could be in a worse state. But maybe it was true, maybe she wasn't doing all of this for nothing. The nurse gave her a list of meds Jane could take without a prescription, before leaving. Max went to the bathroom to see how her girlfriend was. Jane was sat against the wall, her body still shaking, but a bit more awake.

- "Jane?"

The girl had a small startle, like if she was coming back to herself.

- "How do you feel?" asked softly the redhead, slowly approaching.

- "Uh...better...I guess..." answered Jane with a shaking voice.

- "Good, the nurse comes back tomorrow to change the bandage."

- "I know."

- "Ok..."

Max stayed a moment at the door, looking at Jane scared on the tiles. She didn't know if she should talk about the doctor, the therapy, and all those kind of things right now. Seeing the nurse was already a step for her, and she seemed really exhausted. She left her alone, but not for long. She came back with chocolate bars, and sat next to her, giving her one. Jane took it, hardly opened it, and eat it automatically, not knowing if she was hungry or not.

- "I love you," told Max.

- "I know," answered Jane with a small voice.

Max pouted. She wasn't expecting Jane to answer her in another way, but, at least, she knew she was loved, and had someone she could count on.

When Jane finished her chocolate bar, she stood, and went back in her room to lay down in her bed. Max' nerves were exhausted, so she decided to take a nap, knowing that Jane wasn't asleep.