[PB&J] {KK''}

[kkgirl]

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[atrb=background,http://i48.tinypic.com/wgqfld.jpg]   Frustration welled up inside of Lake at the sound of Emma’s sigh. He didn’t like to hear that, especially with them both being displeased by their situation. The way that he observed even the smallest thing about her was new to him, because he was doing it because he wanted to. Any time before that, L was paying attention to that person because they needed it at the time. Right now, it seemed as if he needed to pay attention to Emma; she definitely looked independent enough without him. Maybe, at this period in her life, she would depend upon Lake, but later she wouldn’t need to. Heck, earlier today she looked ready to take care of herself. He knew she didn’t need him around all that long, but he might want her to hang around for a while. Not that he would tell her that. “I’m afraid you should not stand for more than a few moments at a time, and do not carry heavy things with that arm of yours. Your abdomen needs time to heal. And make sure not to lie on your stomach when you sleep, the pressure could do more harm than good.” Lake watched the doctor tell Emma what she was going to have to go through. He felt a little sorry for her, because she had to be in a lot of pain by the way the doctor spoke. And she had to have limited movement while she slept; who could control their movements while they slept? It seemed like an impossible task, but Lake figured they would be able to work it out. The young man didn’t have any clue as to how they were going to be moving around his apartment, but he also figured they could work that out. It wasn’t like his place was highly furnished, so they would be able to maneuver easy enough . . . There was still going to be interesting difficulties. Lake would probably end up doing a lot of the work, because he had the smaller, more manageable injuries. “I want to check up on you both in about two weeks, just to make sure everything’s healing properly and there’s no signs of infection. Better safe than sorry.” Lake’s attention went back to Doc when he said something that applied to both of them. He found that reasonable; L didn’t want a surprise infection, either. He nodded at the doctor, seeming sharp but showing gratefulness in his blue eyes. He was aware that he would be no more if it wasn’t for this doctor. “Anything’s better than dead, I suppose.” L returned her tired smile with an equally tired one, knowing that they both were in need of some rest in an actual home. He sighed softly glancing around the room in search of what he needed to do first to get out of there. The exhaustion he felt and the drugs in his system were making it increasingly hard to concentrate; he wished that the nurse would help him out. “Here, let’s get the dogs out to their truck.” L stiffened slightly at her usage of “their.” He remembered that he had told them they were engaged . . . Suddenly, this was a challenge to get out of the hospital without them mentioning the status he had given them. He watched as the nurses bustled around, carefully holding Scout. They managed to fit through the room and out the door, the doctor having stepped aside. He was a little nervous seeing Scout being carried by strangers, but trusted the nurses to keep her safe. He glanced at Emma before looking back at the doctor who walked into the room. He gave the painkillers to Emma and handed crutches to Lake. Doc gave him a look like he was questioning his sanity, but L ignored it and leaned up on the crutches. He let out a hissing breathe, fighting the sting in his shoulder. L used the crutches to leave the room, hoping that Emma would just follow. It was painful and slow at first, but he eventually got used to it. The doors slid open as he got near, and he was surprised to see that it was just past dawn. He blinked at the light, and realized suddenly why he needed sleep so bad. His truck was parked out front and the nurses had placed Scout gently in the bed of the truck with a blanket. He watched as Boo laid down next to her. L moved to the passenger side and waited for Emma.

[*Panda]

Emmarisa Carlington

Lonely is just one word,
Chosen to represent so much.
To tell of feelings inside,
That the senses cannot touch.

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Rubbing her eyes, the need to sleep was quickly consuming her. The slim amount of time her eyes closed was enough for her to slip into a deep slumber, but the soft voice of a nurse brought her out of it relatively easily. Emma wasn’t too keen on the idea of spending too much more time in the hospital, amongst strangers and other sick persons she didn’t know. Not to mention, the whole prospect of being in the ER was quite depressing in its own right. ”Here, let’s get the dogs out to their truck.” Emma didn’t pick up on the foreign concept of their, and instead focused on getting herself out of the small room that had held Scout. The soft cushions of the couch was already enticing, despite not being anywhere near them. Taking the painkillers from the doctor, she skimmed over the directions printed on a label before just setting them in her lap. She gave a small mental woot as Lake adjusted to his crutches. They would no doubt take time getting used to, but at least he was somewhat mobile, and something about seeing him up and about also made him seem just slightly healthier. The nurses had already busied themselves with getting Scout out to the truck, leaving Emma to push herself outdoors. Not that she minded, of course, it was good to get used to the wheelchair as quickly as she could. As she neared the doors to the hospital, time became obsolete, like it simply didn’t exist. Had her sense of time been completely and utterly warped in the confines of the hospital? It wasn’t a farfetched idea, but she was still surprised to see daybreak. Finally reaching the truck, Emma looked at the driver’s seat like it was a mountain. Luckily, one of the nurses came to assist her into it, and with the help it was much easier. The nurse folded the wheelchair and laid it down into the bed of the truck in the back, where it wouldn’t slide around and disturb the dogs any further than they already were. Putting on her seat belt and after waiting for Lake to get inside, Emma started the truck and adjusted the mirrors so she could see well. The breaks and acceleration paddles were different from her own, but she familiarized herself to them quickly as she pulled to the parking lot exit. Her pace down the road was slow for her, as she was one of those people who were more than comfortable doing seventy in a fifty-five. However, Emma figured she shouldn’t risk any more traumas to the already distressing events of the prior evening. Could life ever just cut her a break? It always seemed like she was dealing with some sort of drama, whether from her own meddling or things she couldn’t control – like this. Emma figured that was life for everyone, but didn’t find it any less fair. …Perhaps dying was what she deserved… The thought floated across the front of her mind for a moment as she recalled something she had already forgotten. Was this the beginning of her atonement for the awful crimes she had committed? Upon second thought, it did seem as if she had been far too fortunate for comfort, and some sort of incident was bound to happen to even things out. But had she the need to drag Lake down with her? Misfortune seemed to follow Emma wherever she went, and she couldn’t imagine Lake ever had doing something wrong to deserve it. He seemed far too innocent.

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[kkgirl]

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[atrb=background,http://i48.tinypic.com/wgqfld.jpg]   Lake watched tiredly as Emma was helped into the truck. He knew that once they got to the apartments it would be tough getting her out, but he had no doubt that they could do it. They both had strong wills, and they just seemed to work well together. He knew that his leg would be dangerous when it came to driving, so he was just as dependent upon Emma as she was on him. They were going to have to literally work as team—he could already see it playing out now. Not only was it interesting, but it would be incredibly comical. Maybe it wouldn’t be too funny to them, but if one were to watch them, they would probably laugh at the crippled pair. After Emma got into Lake’s truck, he precariously climbed in, doing everything he could to keep the pressure off of his shoulder and leg. It didn’t work that well, so he ended up gritting his teeth in pain anyways. After getting in, he swung the crutches up and between his legs, resting gently there. He rested both hands on the crutches and set his head on his hands. L watched with semi amusement at Emmarisa’s attempts at understanding his truck—he didn’t have to say anything because she caught on quickly. His gaze stayed on her from the corner of his, not really paying her attention. He was zoned out, thinking about nothing but the blankness of his exhaustion. There was a certain silence to the car that made him want to curl up and sleep, but that was for children, and he didn’t have his mother anymore—besides, they were only about ten minutes from the apartment complex. He sighed almost inaudibly and closed his tired blue eyes. It didn’t take long to reach the complex, but Lake still kept his head at a resting position on the crutches. He sort of sighed and decided that he wouldn’t be a man for a few minutes, and just attempt to talk to Emma about what happened to them. “Emma . . . Do you remember anything? Because most of what I remember is hitting the ground. And then maybe some of the fight. But otherwise, it’s like a blank slate, and it scares me.” The fact that he admitted he was scared was no shocker to him, because he had decided to lean on someone. They would be able to share what happened; they’d have someone to understand the paranoia and the confusion. As quickly as he could, Lake exited the truck and didn’t hear any response, even if she did say one. He opened the back of the truck, seeing that Scout was at-it enough to get down by herself. The dogs got out and L shut the door. He moved to the side of the truck and lifted the wheelchair out with his good arm. He shook it open and set it by the driver-side door, then opened the door for Emma. He was being blunt and closed-down for some reason. Not that he was grumpy, just closed-off from the rest of the world—Lake was kind of stiff with his emotions. He blinked, then let out a forced sigh and stood protectively by the chair for when Emma maneuvered herself out. Naturally, he would be there to grab her if she needed it, even if it might injure him in the process. “I don’t mean to be so stand-offish all of a sudden, but my apartment was just beginning to feel like home . . . And I’m not that great at expressing how I feel.”

[*Panda]

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[atrb=background,http://i47.tinypic.com/e5o6s4.jpg] Sighing quietly to herself, Emma shifted uncomfortably in the silence of the truck, unused to driving without blaring music and the addition of painful injuries. She could tell that Lake was beginning to feel the magnitude of their situation, as life had quickly become even more difficult than it normally was. His quietness was bothersome, but if only because Emma had only seen him as a naturally happy individual, though his subtle distress was more than just understandable. Emma herself had already felt the pressure of chaotic disorientation, and it was will alone that kept her stable. This, however, was not a new concept for her, as handling dire situations was something she once did regularly. Reaching the apartment complex, Emma’s gaze was stolen by the sight of Prince standing at the fence, obviously agitated. The Friesian seemed completely enraptured in the truck that seemed slightly familiar to him, and the possibility that his beloved owner may be inside. ”Emma…Do you remember anything? Because most of what I remember is hitting the ground. And then maybe some of the fight. But otherwise, it’s like a blank slate, and it scares me.” Stopping the truck and switching the key into the off position, Emma paused and pondered Lake’s words. She hadn’t thought much of it, whether by choice or the unconscious desire to forget. Nothing was clear. Faintly the image of being knocked backwards, scrambling away and colliding with Lake. Then the bullet. At the time, she had felt nothing, but now she could dimly feel the sliding of the hot metal into her stomach. While most likely an illusion her mind had created, it sent goose bumps across her skin and made her shiver. Opening the door of the truck, Emma dangled her legs over the side while she waited for Lake to get her wheelchair. She felt badly for it, as he was injured, too. At the sight of her, Prince nickered loudly across the parking lot from where he stood in his field. Pacing the fence, the stallion was clearly excited and eager to see Emma. Staring in his direction for a few moments, the urge to go see her adored horse was suppressed by the fact that Lake needed to be inside and she was in well need of sleep. Using the door to assist her balance, Emma gingerly stepped down from the truck and settled as easily as she could into the wheelchair. ”I don’t mean to be stand-offish all of a sudden, but my apartment was just beginning to feel like home…And I’m not that great at expressing how I feel.” While in an undeniably negative mood, Emma smiled despite herself as she tried to reassure Lake somehow. For the first time in a long time, words failed her, so she instead settled on momentarily busying herself with using her foot to clumsily shut the truck door as she searched for the right words to say. ”Perhaps you just need some sleep. I’m sure you’ll feel better once you’re rested.” Scooting backwards to sit a bit more comfortably in her blue wheelchair, she rested her good arm on the rubber rim and waited for Lake to lead the way back to the apartment. She didn’t see any police cars, and she silently wondered if the men who broke in had been captured. Though there wasn’t any current police activity, she was sure they’d be back to at least take the two victims statements.

[kkgirl]

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[atrb=background,http://i48.tinypic.com/wgqfld.jpg]   Lake wasn’t used to the bitter irritation and distracting discomfort he was feeling. All of it felt so hopeless and so unneeded, and be wanted to give-up despite his typical fighting nature. He was a man who usually looked at the glass half-full, but their situation definitely didn’t have a plus-side to it. He was trying—lawd, he was trying—but he just became more and more irritated. L wanted to go to sleep, and the lack of natural sleep seemed to be seriously affecting him. He closed his tired eyes, practically sensing the bags growing beneath them. It felt good to be up and at it again, but it was draining his last bit of energy to stand. The young man was leaning heavily on his crutches, the exhaustion he was feeling overpowered the stinging his position caused his shoulder. The bandage wrapped around it was definitely annoying and overly hot, but he knew it was just a casualty that came with his casualties. Emma smiled, and Lake felt it brighten his deep pit of annoyance just a bit. His aqua-hued eyes were slitted as he watched the dark-haired woman. She did make his mood a little lighter, but he was still feeling rather dark. He watched her close the door awkwardly with her foot, not helping because he knew she could do it without him. A small smile tugged at his lips, but only a small one. Lake was being a butt—at least in his mind. Slowly, the realization that he could be so much better than this came to him through the haze of tiredness. He almost shook his head to clear his thoughts, but instead quickly and quietly sorted through them. A soft blink of his eyes was the only hint that Lake was berating himself. “Perhaps you just need some sleep. I’m sure you’ll feel better once you’re rested.” Lake registered the sweet words Emma said. She seemed to just disregard his bitterness, or he was just imagining it. With a soft look on his face, L grabbed the keys from Emma and crutched toward his apartment door. It took longer than usual and his breathe was becoming labored by the pressure it put on his shoulder. Yet, he had to push through, because it was a pain he was going to have to get used to. This would be a norm for cooking, cleaning, excersizing his dogs, changing. Boo and Scout hovered behind Emma, almost as if they sensed they couldn’t push her around. L unlocked the door and moved in, looking around cautiously. Luckily, there wasn’t much furniture to his place, so maneuvering wasn’t all that tough. Lake watched calmly as Emma came in and his dogs followed. Scout slowly made her way to his room, no doubt collapsing back there. Boo stuck around and laid in front of the couch. L closed the door behind Em, then moved to the couch. He set his crutches next to the arm of the couch and carefully placed himself into the cushions. He grabbed the remote and turned on the TV, flipping to the news channel. ‘. . . attempted double-homicide. The police have come out with a statement, saying that they haven’t caught the killers, but are on their trail.’ The young man gazed blankly at the TV, slowly registering his shock. “God.” He glanced at Emma. “Well. Okay. I’m sure you’d like to sleep. You should take my bed—you have the worst injuries.” The television faded to background noise. He was vaguely aware of the fact that police would probably be coming around today.

[*Panda]

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[atrb=background,http://i47.tinypic.com/e5o6s4.jpg] Not one to be left behind, Emma rolled her wheelchair behind Lake as the pair returned to the broken apartment. Only then did she realize how weak she really was, as the space between the car and apartment door made her exhausted. Her lack of muscle mass may have been genetic, as she had never been big at any point in her life, but it was also partly due to her lack of nourishment in the recent months. It was hard to believe that she had survived on almost nothing for so long, but nonetheless she had managed to still be amongst the living – if only barely. Reaching the door, she rested her arm against her thigh on the inside of the chair. Casting a glance down at it, she imagined the one arm being twice the size if was now due to all the exercise it would be getting. The thought made her chuckle under her breath, an uncharacteristically dark sound that she doubted anyone but the dogs could hear. Pushing her wheelchair over the threshold into the small apartment, Emmarisa couldn’t help but feel relieved somehow. It was akin to reaching the other side of the pool during sharks and minnows, when you could lean against the edge and catch your breath. The wheels of the chair were easy enough to move on hard surfaces, but when met with the carpet she found it to be far more difficult. Patting Scout’s head lightly as the poor creature passed Emmarisa on the way to Lake’s bedroom; she only slightly listened to the news at her unofficial roommate switched on the T.V and then the news channel. The word homicide hit a nerve, and she sighed loudly. That was them. Emmarisa had been on the news before, except that her first television appearance hadn’t included the word attempted, and she suddenly felt her face get pale. ”God. Well. Okay. I’m sure you’d like to sleep. You should take my bed – you have the worst injuries.” Glancing from her down casted gaze on the floor to Lake, Emmarisa forced a tired smile. Resting her elbow on the arm rest and her cheek on a closed fist, she fixed her eyes on the long journey down the hallway. ”I suppose I’ll take you up on that offer, but only because you’re already sitting down.” Returning her eyes to Lake’s, she laughed softly at the end of her statement and then began down the seemingly long hallway. Reaching the door, she paused at the bloodstain that still lingered on the carpet and trailed out into the hall. She hadn’t noticed before due to the dim lighting there, but the sight now bothered her to no end. The blood stains had somehow left the bedding unstained, though, and there wasn’t much she could do about the mess – despite her inherent nature of cleanliness. Maneuvering to the side of the bed, she smiled softly at Scout. The large dog was resting lengthways on the bed, obviously just as exhausted as her human was. Balancing precariously against the bed, Emma managed to climb into it and settle under the covers. The movement agitated her injured abdomen and arm considerably, but when the warmth of the blankets enveloped her she felt the pain ease away. Unused to sleeping on her back, she found her side to be somewhat comfortable. Resting a hand on Scout’s head, she pet the dog until she quickly fell to sleep.