"You've got a hairline fracture." The doctor says pushing the X-ray onto the light box to show me.

"Oh. That's not too bad." I answer, looking at the small crack in my bone.

"We still classify it as a break.." He replies, looking over his glasses at me, whilst his voice holds a serious tone. 

I nod in understanding. "Can I get away with a splint?"

"That's recommended for these types of breaks." He says, sitting himself down on a swivel chair. "Can I ask how you got it?"

My eyes flick off the black and white picture, to the doctor. Call me paranoid, but I have an idea of what is about to come... 

"I fell. My boyfriend grabbed onto my wrist but couldn't prevent me falling. I took him down too." I lie. 

He hums and pushes himself over to me, inspecting my hands and other wrist. "Any pain?"

"Nope."

"How did you fall? On your knees?  Backwards?" 

I stop my eyes from narrowing, as I realise that he has found a plot hole in my story, so instead, I jump tactic. "I just fell. It was no big deal."

He is about to speak when the door opens and a nurse steps in giving me a warm smile. That is when it dawns on me in it's entirety. They think I'm being abused at home, by Zak.

"How are things at home?" He questions, looking through the notes on his clipboard. 

"Fine." 

"And it says you live with your partner?"

I bite my tongue to prevent a barrage of accusations ready to flying out, after all, they are just doing their jobs and if they ask this to the right person, then maybe it could save a life. "I do." I respond. 

"And what happened in the events that lead up to this?" He motions to my wrist, which is under an icepack. 

"Um.. We were watching TV, I threw the ball for our dog, she knocked over some water. As I cleaned it up, I slipped on the marble floor and my partner tried to stop me falling."

It's actually scary how fast I can conjure up a lie... Note to self, stop telling lies. You'll never make it into Heaven.

"Your partner was quick to the rescue then." 

"Yep, just call him Flash." I laugh before looking back at the X-ray. "So what is the healing time on this?"

"Can expect a range of 2-6 weeks healing time. So long as the wrist is stabilised. We will place a splint on your wrist today. Whilst sitting down in the evening, I recommend taking it off for an hour, with a pillow placed underneath it, to support it. That is so you can apply ice if needed."

"Gotcha.."

****

I'm milling about the house when Zak returns with Bacon. My new fashion accessory is the first thing Zak sees as he stops in his tracks and stares at it. There's pain written on his face, which makes me subtly move my wrist behind my back.

"What's the damage?" Bacon asks, causing Zak to leave the kitchen like a scolded child. 

"Hairline fracture."

"A fracture?!"

"Shh!" I hiss, giving him a hard frown. "Will you keep your voice down? I don't need him feeling any worse."

Smoothing his beard, Bacon nods and takes his seat at the kitchen island. "How long you gotta wear it?"

"Could be two weeks, could be 6. Asked me to come back in two weeks to see if it's healed." I tell him. "Coffee?"

"Yeah, but I'll make it. You sit down."

"Bacon, it's a tiny crack. I haven't lost use of it entirely."

Rolling his eyes, he slides off the stool and over to the coffee machine. "But you're okay? In yourself?"

I nod. "Of course.. Now enough of the small talk. How is he?"

He sighs. "Well it worked. Shaman says the next few days are gonna be tough, but he believes that whatever was attached to him, has left."

My shoulders sag with relief. "Thank God."

"He's gonna be moody, emotional, sick.. The usual bullshit he deals with after a heavy lockdown. Oh and he is gonna sleep like the dead. No pun intended.."

"That I can handle. Maybe sleep will help him? Last night, someone else was behind the wheel and that scared me. I'm glad he is on the right path." 

 "With your care, he will be. But expect a whole load of apologies. We barely made it off the community before I had to pull over so he could be sick. What happened last night has really affected him... Not that it hasn't you, of course." He says quickly.

I wave it off. "I get it. You are standing in no mans land and quiet frankly, neither of us are in the wrong. I won't hold anything like that against him, not when it isn't his fault."

"Is there anything you guys need? With Zak like that and you now out of commission until he is back to himself."

My mind runs through various things, but I am quick to handle them. "No Bacon, you've done more than enough. If anything else happens... Is it alright if I call you? Put up the Bat Signal?"

"Absolutely. I'll be straight over. Aaron is bad too, not as bad as Zak but he is feeling the effects. Otherwise he would be here too."

"I know." I answer. "You guys are good with him. Billy rang earlier asking after him. Says he won't return his calls but what can you expect. He is going to pop in, in a few days time to start reviewing evidence."

Bacon sighs. "Then we experience this shit all over again."

Yeah... There is that problem.

******

"You watched an episode without me.." 

I look up from my book to see Zak stood in the lounge doorway looking betrayed. In all honestly, if he watched an episode without me, I might feel the same way.

"Guilty as charged. You coming in? Or heading back to bed?"

His eyes land on my wrist again and he tilts his head. "Maybe I should stay in the bedroom? Out the way?"

"For whose benefit? Not for mine, I hope."

"But your wrist.." He gestures. 

"Oh this old thing?" I ask. "It's all the rage now, kids are lining the blocks these. It's Breitling, or is it Rolex?"

"Don't.." He mutters stepping into the lounge. "I feel awful, it's not a laughing matter."

"No, it isn't. But I also know it wasn't you. Cause if it was, I'd be out the door, no matter how much I love you."

"And I'd understand."

"Good. Now that is cleared up. Get your giant six foot moody ass over here." I say, there is a hint of a smile as he caves and comes over to sit beside me on the couch. 

"What are you reading?" He asks, trying to see the cover of the book.

"The Grimm's Fairytales."

"How... Lovely." He answers making me laugh. 

I set the book down and place a pillow over my legs, giving it a pat. "Head down. We can watch that episode again, I didn't finish it."

With a cautious look, he does as I say and accepts the blanket I throw over him. "You should be running a mile, especially after last night." He says as I set up the TV and hit play on the episode.

"Meh.. I'm not much of a runner. Besides, I want to see how this ends." 

His lips curve into a smile and when I think he is relaxed enough, I push my fingers into his hair. I get a sigh of appreciation before he sinks down further on the couch, holding my leg as if I am going to disappear on him. 

We are only half way through the episode when I realise Zak has fallen asleep, to ensure he stays that way, I turn the TV on low and stick on some storage show, hoping the background noise will be enough to keep him settled. 

However as I am about to drift off myself, he begins to flinch, then groan followed by mumbles of wanting something to stop. As much as I want to wake him from whatever nightmare he is gong through, I don't. Not because I am cold hearted and want him to suffer, but because he needs to wake himself up out of it, separating fact from fiction. 

His mumbles go on for a little longer, before the shuddering starts and when I realise that he is crying, my previous plan flies out the window and I wake him. At first he doesn't move, not even an inch, but after a hard shove and a pull on his ear, he wakes with a gasp.  

"It's alright, it is just a nightmare." I tell him straight away.  Rolling onto his back, he looks at the ceiling, panting. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I hurt you."

"Zak.." I begin, ready to shut it down, when he continues.

"I more than hurt you..." He sits up quickly and looks at me with a worried expression. "Maybe you shouldn't be here, when I'm like this?"

My brows lift. "Well I'm not leaving you. So that idea is straight out the window. What happened?"

"I- I think I might have killed you."

"Oh." Is the only reply I can conjure up for that. "Well do you want to?"

"Of course not!" 

"Good." I nod before picking up my book and opening it back up. "Cause I'm an expert in taekwondo." 

"No you are not."

"I might be.." I warn before giving him a wink. 

"Why are you not concerned? This isn't a joke!" He snaps making me close the book again. 

I will finish that chapter eventually..

"No. It isn't. In fact it is quiet awful, but what do you want me to say? What do you want me to do? Do you want me to move out? Leave you? Because that isn't happening. I know you are going through some shit right now, I get it. But you need support, not abandonment."

"I think I'm going to be sick.."

"Then stop thinking about it." I tell him.

"No, I think I literally a-" He barely finishes his sentence, before he throws up all over the floor and on my feet.

The man literally pumps it up like the scene from The Exorcist and when I think he is done, he throws up some more. I gulp, swallowing the lump in my throat that threatens to be more than just air.. "I uh.. I bet you couldn't do that again."

Turns out I was wrong and he definitely could.

****

"I'm sorry." Zak groans as he lays in bed beside me.

"Puke-gate has long gone. Let's forget it ever happened." I answer, mainly because the thought makes me want to be sick myself.

"For that but for your wrist too.." 

I reach out and take his hand. "We been through this. How are you feeling now? Still feel sick?"

"A little.."

I'm about to ask him about the Shaman cleansing, when he is up out of bed again, hunched over the toilet bowl. When I hear his panic gasps for air, I walk into the bathroom and crouch down beside him. 

"Easy.." I whisper, rubbing his back. 

"I- I can't b-breath!"

"You can." I tell him. "I'm right here. You have to calm yourself down. I know it's difficult." When his breathing doesn't let up, my concern rises. "Zak, listen to me, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Copy me."

Lifting his head up, he watches me breath before trying to copy. "I'm pathetic."

"You are unwell, not pathetic. At least you made it to the bathroom this time."

He huffs a breath. "True."

When he finally stops, I get him to rinse his mouth and send him back to bed but instead of getting into it, I find him sprawled on top of it, zonked of energy. 

"Do you need anything?" I ask. 

"Lay with me."

I comply because I'm exhausted and waste no time in getting back into bed. Pulling himself across the bed, he drops down on my chest. 

"I sleep here." He mumbles making me smile. 

"If that is what you need."

He mumbles something before wrapping himself around my body and dropping off to sleep.

***

"What are you doing?" Zak asks stepping into the kitchen. 

"Eating cake." 

"It's 3am." He replies, rubbing sleep from his eyes. 

"It's dinner time somewhere." I smile, forking another piece into my mouth. 

He crosses the kitchen and pulls the stool out beside me. "I woke you, didn't I? The nightmares..."

"Not really. I'm tired but I'm hungry and my stomach definitely won."

"What is this? Congratu- Is this a celebration cake?"

I nod. "Yep. It was a congratulations for winning the Vegas Best Attraction for the third year."

He laughs. "Sweetie, you're suppose to give me the cake before you eat it."

Pausing, I set the fork down and push the cake towards him. "Congratu. Because I've eaten the lations."

Kissing me on the forehead, he pushes the cake back towards me. "Thank you. Now before you tuck in again, am I allowed some?"

With my fork, I pick him up a piece and feed it to him. "It's really good." I tell him.

And that is what we do until dawn, talk and eat cake. Finally catching up on what happened on lockdown and how the cleansing went. My heart warms when I see my Zak shining through all the darkness, he might not be completely over it but it is a start.

The next morning, whilst I'm napping on the couch, I'm woken by Zak.

"Babe.."

"Hmm?" I groan. "Are you okay? Have you been sick?" 

Sitting up quickly, he reaches out to steady me. "No, no. I'm okay. I've made breakfast.. You hungry?"

"A little. Maybe?"

He smiles. "Good."

When I step into the kitchen, I find Pancakes, Waffles, eggs, bacon, fruit and orange juice. "How many is coming for breakfast?" I laugh. 

"I'm super hungry." He tells me.

Looking over to him, I smile. "That is good news. We are on the right path."

Pulling  out a chair, I'm about to sit down when Zak appears at my side with an armful of flowers. It's probably the biggest bunch I've ever seen and he is looking down at me, hopeful. Large pink and white roses, sit with green foliage, wrapped in baby pink tissue paper.

"H-Holy shit." I blurt out. "Zak. They are beautiful!"

He smiles with relief. "Thank God you like them. I sent Bacon to pick them up but I wasn't sure when they got here... It's my apology, for how I've been since I've been back. As well as for your wrist and throwing up on you." He replies. 

"Oh sweetheart." I laugh, attempting to take them from him. 

"I got them, they are pretty heavy. Sit, start eating."

I sit and watch as he sets them on the side in a large vase of water, before joining me for breakfast. He begins eating and after a couple of mouthfuls, he realises that I haven't started. 

"Everything okay?" He pauses.

I nod. "Just thinking how much I love you.."

"It's a relief to hear that. I love you too."

"Good, cause you are stuck with me now, Bagans."

He takes my hand. "I wouldn't have it any other way."