Chapter 88

She watched as Richie slowly walked Elena to the door, finally giving up and scooping her up. "Dammit," Kate said and rushed back into the room. "Jon!" she called out.

Jon turned quickly, his blue eyes taking in Kate's panic. "What's up babe?"

She gripped his shoulder, the battered warmth of the leather reassuring her. "Something's wrong with Elena. I-" She squeezed him harder. "I don't know what's wrong, but she's just...God. I have to go with her. Can you take me? Richie took her back to your apartment."

She turned to the room full of people. "I'm sorry-" she cleared her throat against the fear that gripped her. "There-" she faltered and nearly fell apart as Jon came up behind her, his hand at her waist as he held her close.

Jon pulled her into a hug, his gaze sweeping over his friends. "Dave, take care of things here, we'll get back to ya on what’s going on. Come on Katie, let’s go." He turned with her and hurried to the door. He'd never seen Kate lose composure, that she was had the fear curling in his belly. Something was bad wrong.

After getting her out the door and settled into the car, he slipped the car into gear and made time getting to the apartment. There was no such thing as red lights or speed limits. She needed to get to her friend, and he'd make it so.

Kate stared out the window, willing the car to get to the apartment. "You should have seen her, Jon," she said to the dark interior. She turned to him. The lights of the dashboard were the only illumination. "It wasn't good. She was completely catatonic. I mean, I've read about it, but to see it. To see her completely shut down." She curled into herself, folding her arms over her stomach to stop the jittering.

His blue gaze flicked towards her before moving back to the road. "What the fuck happened Kate?"

"I don't know." she pushed her hair out her face and turned toward him. "One minute we were laughing and toasting her fucking marriage. I mean what the hell?" She couldn't stop herself. She needed the contact. Her fingers gripped his thigh. "And the next..." She shook her head. "Just nothing." She rubbed her fingers at her forehead. "Some little skank of a guy came onto her, but she flicks off bugs like that all the time. That couldn't have been it."

He reached over and took her hand. "Well she’s got Richie and her doctor friend in her corner Kate. She'll be ok. But it does sound strange. You sure it happened when the guy came on to her"

"An hour ago I would have said no way, but the way she froze. It had to be him. She totally shut down." He kept her hand in his as he shifted, lacing their fingers.

She felt her heart rate quicken again, but she wasn't sure if it was nerves or...She shook her head. She didn’t have time for that. And when the car parked she clutched his hands between hers and took a deep breath. "I just need a second," she said with closed eyes. "I can't go in there looking like this."

He nodded and sat there with her quietly, his hand grasping hers firmly, willing his strength to her. "It will be ok Katie. You'll see."

When she turned to get out of the car he was there again, just in front of her, helping her out. She willingly let him pull her into a hug. "I've never seen her so scared, Jon." She stood on her tip toes and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pressing her nose into his neck. "Never," she whispered brokenly.

The softest kiss whispered over her hair as he pulled her in close. "We'll figure out what happened then we can help fix it. She'll be ok Katie, she will, you'll see." He sounded like a broken record and knew it, but it's all he could do, keep reassuring her, at least until they found out what was wrong.

She looked up at him, the streetlight over them turning his hair into a soft halo. "Thank you," she said quietly. Her fingers slid up his neck into his hair. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

A soft smile crept onto his lips as he pulled her closer. "Dunno what I’d do without you either Kate, Let's not find that out ok? Now, let’s get in there and see about Teensy."

She nodded, mutely. God, Kate. You wanted him. Right there, your friend broken and needing you and you find your fucking lust button now? She turned up the walk and waited for Jon at the door.

He walked up behind her, his hand again reaching for her waist. He never thought he'd have seen a soft side on his Katy, she was usually so strong, and it made him want her more. He couldn't think of that now though, she needed his strength, not his fucking desire. Reaching around her he turned the knob and ushered her into the living room.

She stiffened. Turn it off, Kate. Turn it off. She didn't need to get all riled up because he touched her. She skittered around Jon, away from his touch. "Elena? Richie?" She called out.

~~~~~

She curled deeper into his lap, her soft whimpers whispering in the room. Was that Kate's voice? How'd she get to the island? No, not the island. She shivered convulsively as the memory of hands tried to rise. Nooo.. She tucked harder into Richie’s chest, her soft gasps riding the panic that just wouldn’t seem to fade away.

"Baby," his hushed voice nearly a croon to gentle her. "It's okay, no one can get you. I swear it." He didn't know what was worse. That she'd been able to hide the fear and panic for so long, or that he'd actually believed her on the island. That she was really okay. Even though he'd known she just couldn’t be. Just couldn't.

He rocked her, his hands always smoothing down her hair or her back as he tried to soothe her.

"Richie?"

He turned as he heard Kate's voice. "In here!" he called out. He pulled Elena tighter, hushing her as she flinched at the tone of his voice. "It's okay baby, it's just Kate. She's going to help. She's going to..." he didn't know what she was going to do, but anything was better than the helplessness that he was feeling.

Kate drew herself up to her full height as she saw her friend huddled into the gentle giant of a man. Crouching low she took a hold of Elena's ice cold hand. "Lains, can you hear me?"

Shadowy brown eyes flicked back towards the familiar voice as she curled even closer to the one thing that would keep her warm. She'd be ok long as she was right here. Her tongue flicked out to wet her dry lips as she tried to speak. "Katie?"

She kept her voice even. "Yeah, Sugar it's me. How you doin'?" she peered into her friend's eyes, noticing the shocky responses. "Hey," she turned to Jon. "Blankets?"

Elena turned her nose back into his chest, rubbing to pull his scent back around her, trying to erase the resurgence of that nights smell. "Pony.." Nothing else mattered, just his warmth and smell, it would drive the memories away. "Make it go away."

"Rich, there's not much I can do for her but bring her into the hospital. But in this case," she held up her hand as he shook his head no. "In this case it's not going to help her. There aren’t any drugs that they would give her."

Jon quickly moved to his room and pulled as many blankets as he had and returned to the living room, handing them over to Kate. What the hell had happened to turn Teensy into a stone cold shadow? She was more hyper than Richie for fuck sakes.

She stood and motioned for Richie to do the same. "Take her into your room and keep her as warm as possible. Shock is a scary thing, but easily treated if you follow my instructions."

Richie simply nodded. "Anything."

"She needs to sleep it off. Stay warm and hydrated. So, take her to bed, Sugar. Anything you can do to reassure her, do it. Anything she asks you for, you do it. As long as it means you stay by her."

Richie nodded, nearly running to his door. The arctic blast of the ever present air conditioner hit him.

"Jon, hit the dials on that a/c," Kate said smoothly as she followed them to the bed.

Elena’s arms wrapped around the one thing keeping her together and managed to speak. "A/c is ok, really.. just .. " She gasped softly, her arms tightening, "Don’t leave me."

"You'd have to have the good Lord take me, that's the only way I'm going anywhere babe." Richie met Kate's eyes. "Thank you."

"Thank me tomorrow when I don't kill you. You will be explaining everything to me tomorrow, you got that?" Kate growled.

Richie swallowed the acid response that bubbled up. It wasn't him goddamn it. Not all of him. If only he'd been in time. If only he'd gotten to her a little sooner. Not let her out of his sight. He gathered her in and curled around her on the bed, shucking out of his shirt and jacket. "Shhh..."

She turned into his chest and snuggled closer, her nose pressing back into that spot she loved, his warmth washing over her in a calming wave, giving her the strength to whisper, "No killing my Pony Katydid."

Kate stepped out of the room, quietly closing the door as her shoulders tightened. What the hell had happened? She bumped into Jon in the hallway. Her entire body going hot and still. "Jon," she said quietly.

He pulled her back into a hug, needing to keep her calm. "She ok?"

"I don't know," she whispered roughly. "I want to say yes, but I've just never seen her like this. It's like she's got Post Traumatic Stress, but she just can't." She shook her head. "She can't."

He held her closer, his worry for her in his eyes. "I wish I knew what to tell you baby. Did you ask Richie what happened?"

"He's not thinking about anything but Elena." she gripped his shoulders. "I can't-" she swallowed hard as she stared at the ceiling. "I can't be alone tonight, Jon."

His lips brushed softly over her forehead as he pulled her closer. "You don't have to be Katie, ever."