Point Of View 2 [*Do not read until you've read the same chapter of ATW]

Chapter 40 & 41 The Serpent/ Beautiful Things

I drop the flowers and cover my mouth with my hand in disbelief. 

"What happened?!" I shriek, stepping over the flowers to get to Julia. "Babe, what did you do?" I blurt out without thinking. I realized it after the fact how that could come off harsh.

Julia closes her eyes and begins to cry. I push her hair out of her face while Paul corrects me.

"She didn't do anything." Paul says. "Not a damn thing."

"Wha-what??" 

"I didn't do anything wrong." Julia whimpers. "He came at me. He... he...."  She can't finish her sentence. Oh my God. Did he attack her in some way? Put his hands on her? I am going to kill that piece of shit. I lower my forehead to rest on hers and close my eyes, not caring about the tears falling down from my face.

"I can't believe this is happening." I whisper.

The door opens and Jeremy follows the nurse in and I friggen lose it.

"You sonofa-" I lunge forward ready to tear the bastard to pieces, but Paul holds me back. "Get those God damn restraints off her." I seethe

"Mr. Gallo, have a seat." Jeremy lets out a frustrated sigh like we are all bothering him now and wasting his precious time. "The restraints are coming off. Julia needs to eat."

"I mean for good, you asshole." I say through a clenched jaw.

"We're going to see how she does in a little while first. The sedative was a strong one. It could very well still be in her system." Jeremy says while unlocking Julia's wrists, and then ankles. The second she's free she turns to her side and curl up in a ball to shut down.

"Sedative......"  I frown.

"I'd like to make sure she eats and stays calm even after the sedative is out of her system."

"I WAS calm. You.... you..." Julia starts but Paul gives her a look and shakes his head. Instead, Julia pulls the blanket over her body and closes her eyes.

"No shutting down on me. Sit up and start eating please." Jeremy takes the tray of food and puts it on the nightstand next to her Julia does what she's told, and I feel sick to my stomach watching this all play out. Absolutely sick...

Jeremy's beeper goes off and he looks down at it attached to the waistband of his khaki pants.

"I need to take this. Rhonda, please make sure she eats. Document everything."

"Yes, doctor." The nurse says as Jeremy exits my room. The second Donovan is gone, I stand up and pull Julia into my arms. I hold her so damn tight. 

"I didn't do anything wrong." She repeats.

She really didn't do anything wrong,

*****

*Trisha*

As always, Nate did a fantastic job! I'm beyond proud of him right now. He pulled it together and put on one of his best shows! I knew he could do it. I also knew how drained he was the second he got off that stage. He hands me his guitar without saying one word and heads to go shower. I leave him be to decompress. Nate uses the shower to let it all out. He loves warm water. He always has.

But even during the car ride back to the hotel he is silent.

It's not until we are in the hotel room, well after midnight, that Nate drops the bomb on me.

"Trish, I need to do this." Nate says while lying in bed watching me take my make up off. He's trying to bail from the rest of his obligations and go home early. Leslie would have a fucking cow!