the brief lull in his baby's crying happens at exactly the right time. it allows him to hear the thud! against his door, and for good reason, he practically jumps out of his chair and runs over to the door.[break][break]

"the fuck?"[break][break]

his stomach drops. the usual crescendo of crying and tears stops momentarily for reasons he can't quite place, but they matter little as he reaches down to pick her up.[break][break]

he carries her over to the couch, placing her down gently.[break][break]

"jessie?!"

[attr="class","ooc"]Jessica Manner[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-ditto"]

Jessie didn't hear the door open, and she barely heard Niko as she felt him pick her up and take her to the couch. Her eyes were shut, streaks of tears making trails across her soot covered face.

Cushions hit her back. Only then did her eyes open, seeing Niko there saying her name. For a moment, her stomach lurched as she curled into herself, as though she was trying to hide or protect herself from him.

"D-don't-"

But then she remembered. She wasn't in Granite Cave anymore. Still, she shook as she looked at him, her hand covering the deep gash on her thigh.

"N-Niko, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come here."

NIKO MANNER

☉

murky red smears across his couch as he sets her down. not that he cares — not in the slightest — his only concern now is on her.[break][break]

"you look fuckin' shit, not gonna lie."[break][break]

quickly, he grabs the blanket off the couch and balls it up before pressing it against the wound on her thigh. niko's no doctor but he's seen his fair of shit to know better.[break][break]

"we gotta get you to a hospital."

[attr="class","ooc"]Jessica Manner[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-ditto"]

Jessie didn't say anything, not even a quick retort to his comment. Of course she knew she looked horrible. She felt just as horrible too.

However, as he grabbed a blanket and pressed it against her thigh, she cried out, from a mix of pain and panic. She pushed her hands out, shoving him away before cowering with the dirty blanket like a scared animal.

"No... no, I'm fine, I'm okay. I just need to take a bath..."

Jessie refused to look at him, clutching the blanket close to her chest.

NIKO MANNER

☉

confusion rises as he's shoved away.[break][break]

"jessie—"[break][break]

why does she look scared? cornered? did he do something wrong? no, all he did was try to stop the bleeding. he looks over to his baby, wondering if it has something to do with him.[break][break]

"your wound's gonna get infected if we don't get it cleaned."

[attr="class","ooc"]Jessica Manner[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-ditto"]

Her pushing him away had been a reflex, a reflection of what had happened in that dimension she was sent to after arriving to the Granite Cave. Of course, she must look insane, like a LYCANROC with three heads.

It hit her that it was probably confusing to him, why she was pushing him away when she was the one that came here. Why did she come here? Even she didn't really know.

"I don't want to... I don't want to go anywhere alone with you," she said quietly.

Even if they were here, in his apartment. His child was there too. It wasn't as if they were completely alone...

NIKO MANNER

☉

bewildered, niko can do nothing more but take a step away.[break][break]

"okay, then don't."[break][break]

his voice lacks the usual gravitas that usually accompanies.[break][break]

"but you're not dying in my house. i'll call for a doctor to visit. until then...just stay there, i guess."[break][break]

he walks over for his baby, scooping him up into his arms.

[attr="class","ooc"]Jessica Manner[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-ditto"]

Jessie's gaze cut from the distance to Niko as he coldly accepted her words. There was a wall that she had put up between them. After all the work, all the things they shared... she ruined it.

Everything.

Her head lulled and dropped against the couch, a few quiet sobs wracking her body.

"Why did you stab me...?" she said, though she wasn't sure if he had heard her or not.

She didn't know if he was there anymore.

"How did you get out of there? Why are you acting so nice now when you wanted to kill me?" she begged to know.

NIKO MANNER

☉

he hears her.[break][break]

but how does one even respond to that?[break][break]

"i have no fuckin' idea what you're talking about."[break][break]

holding his baby with one hand, his other finds his phone, and after a quick text, he throws it back over somewhere.[break][break]

"doc's on his way."

[attr="class","ooc"]Jessica Manner[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-ditto"]