Outer Space

Chapter 10 - Don't Want to Move

    "Jemma you're going to have to move at some point." Hannah asserted. "Seriously kid you've been on my couch for like two full days." She continued, letting Jemma know that it was time to either get moving or tell her what was going on.

Jemma just groaned in response, just like she repeatedly had the previous day and the day before that. It was now a Monday morning and Hannah was supposed to go to work but she had an inconsolable teenager on her couch. Not to mention that the teenager occupying the couch was supposed to be in school seeing as it was a Monday morning.

Jemma had barely said two words all weekend. The only times she ever spoke was when she declined to eat food or when she thanked Hannah at random times of the day. But just the word 'thanks' wasn't gonna cut it. And the fact that Jemma completely refused to eat also scared Hannah.

She had done it before, refused to eat. When Jemma had first started living with Hannah years ago she was in a really bad place. Even Maddox had been having trouble getting through to her at the time. It was right around the anniversary of her mother's death that things really escalated. Jemma passed out and had to be hospitalized. After the hospital stay, Maddox had been able to get somewhat through to her. She started eating a little at a time and eventually things started to get closer to some type of normal.

"Just tell me how I can help you Jem, I want to help you. Please, just sit up for me." Hannah begged. She was beyond clueless now, having no idea of what she should be doing to help Jemma. Hannah couldn't help but wonder where Maddox was. She knew that that boy was probably the only one that could get Jemma out of the funk she was stuck in.

Jemma looked up at Hannah's begging face. She wanted to be okay, she really did, but then she got to thinking and she realized that this is the one thing that she has power over. She controlled when and if she ate, she controlled when and if she talked, she controlled when and if she moved. Jemma just wanted to feel in control of something for once in her life and for some reason, this was the only thing that she was able to find to fulfill that need.

"I can't skip work." Hannah almost apologized. "I..I" she stumbled over her words, not sure how to fix the dilemma that she found herself in. Hannah walked back over to her bedroom closing the door behind her.

After a long internal debate she decided that with the state Jemma was currently in, it just wasn't plausible for her to leave the girl by herself for a full day. Knowing that she really only had one option, seeing as there was no way for her to get off of work she picked up her phone to call the only person that she could think of to help.

..........

It had been at least an hour after Hannah had left Jemma alone that the girl, that still occupied the couch, heard a key being inserted into the door. Not even when she started to hear the door creep open did she move. She just stayed where she was in her position, laying on her back and not taking her eyes off of the specs of paint that seemed to litter the white ceiling.

"Hey." She heard in a voice that she didn't recognize. But when she built up the courage to shift her eyes from the ceiling to the voice she noticed that it happened to be the same man that had opened the door for her days ago.

She didn't bother saying anything in response as she moved her focus back to the specs of paint. If she squinted they kind of looked like stars, like outer space. But those thoughts brought back memories, memories that she definitely did not want. So she quickly snapped her head back down and her eyes just happened to land on the previously mentioned door opener that happened to have seated himself at the end of the couch.

He was just calmly staring back at her and surprising to Jemma, he didn't seem to be traumatized by what she currently probably looked like. Since she's been crying and hasn't moved or eaten in two days she's guessing that she doesn't look too pretty.

Their staring contest seemed to go on for a while and it wasn't even broken when Zach said something to her. Jemma was able to remember what his name was from shifting through her mind and finding a one-way conversation that Hannah had had with her. Zach remarked, "you look like hell." Jemma almost felt like smiling when she heard him voicing her own thoughts, but she didn't, she couldn't.

"No offense," he added. He was smiling and to Jemma, the smile just seemed natural on his face. "Hannah told me that I shouldn't say stuff like that but sometimes I can't help it." Jemma may not have been smiling at his comments but Zach could tell that he was amusing her because of the way her eyes momentarily lit up while he was talking.

According to Hannah, Zach's job was to make sure that Jemma was safe and mainly that she didn't hurt herself. But Zach figured that if he was going to be stuck in this house all day long then he might as well have some fun with it.

...........

"Knock knock." Zach laughed. "Who's there." He said next in a high, girl like voice, that Jemma assumed was supposed to be an imitation of her. Clearly not a good one, seeing as though he had only heard her speak maybe one word and that was when she was hysterically crying... so. Continuing his joke Zach said, "Mustache." Transitioning into his girl's voice, "Mustache who," he said already laughing at himself. "I mustache you a question... will you please eat this soup that I just slaved over making?"

Jemma had to admit, that was pretty smooth. She was sitting up on the couch and that was her biggest accomplishment of the day. She actually kind of enjoyed Zach's company, not that she would ever admit it. The man hadn't stopped cracking jokes since he arrived two hours previously.

Jemma shook her head, surprisingly enough, up and down as an answer to his question. Since she wasn't busy crying she was able to realize that she was kind of hungry. And she came to the conclusion that it was her decision and it was under her control to make the decision.

Zach handed her the bowl of soup, it was simple and it really wasn't much and the main reason that Jemma was even willing to try it was because Zach didn't force it on her. It was kind of nice to just sit with someone who she didn't know, who didn't know her.

Obviously, Zach could figure out that she had problems, but any three year old would be able to see that. To Jemma it seemed as if the man loved talking so being around her at the moment was probably perfect for him. He could talk all he wanted and she was practically forced to sit there and listen, but to her being forced to listen was better than being forced to talk.

"Thanks," Jemma whispered when Zach handed her the bowl, her voice sounding almost foreign to her after only a few days of silence.

..........

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoy!

Next chapter you will find out the reason that Zack was able to connect with Jemma so easily and Jemma will also get off the couch, btw.

-Claire