Chapter Text
Jubal took a deep breath, pushed open the door of the ward, pulled up a chair and sat beside her bed. He stared at the rose-cheeked woman on the hospital bed and gently stroked her unbandaged hand, carefully trying not to touch the IV. Although he had seen her an hour and a half before, Isobel seemed so unfamiliar to him. He never thought that one day he would find her unconscious in her bedroom, her hand scratched by the broken glass, and his heart almost stopped before he could feel her faint, rapid pulse; he couldn't forget the scene of her being wheeled into an ambulance on a gurney; he didn’t remember how long he had waited in the waiting room till the doctor finally opened the door and came to him; his surprise and remorse when the doctor detailed him her illness: He was the one who worked with her every day, who should have seen the signs, and now his mind was blank.
Didn’t know how long the time had flown, the subtle fingertip touch came from his hand. Jubal pulled himself out of his mind and looked at her. "Isobel?" He whispered cautiously. She opened her eyes slightly, and the light in the ward stung her eyes. He got up quickly and dimmed the lamp beside her. Though her headache wasn’t killing her, she was aching all over, and her throat was dry and sore. "W-Water." He handed her the glass of water on the bedside table and adjusted the straw in her direction. After finishing drinking, she turned her head slightly towards Jubal, with a trace of confusion in her eyes. "What happened?" she bleated. "You had a severe fever and collapsed when you were talking to me on the phone," he said, looking at her bandaged hand, "You must have been holding a glass. Seems like you've redefined what it means to be fine." He tried to lighten the mood with a joke, but her faint smile stung him. "Of course I'm fine." She murmured in a croaked voice,"It's just the flu."
Jubal seemed a little uneasy hearing this. He froze for a second before continuing to rub her hand. He gazed at her hand so she wouldn't see the remorse in his eyes. “About that…” He sucked in a breath, preparing for things he was about to say, "That's what the doctors thought at first. They ran all the tests, but no virus or infection was found, so they considered it a psychogenic fever and put you on anti-anxiety medication." He paused for a moment. Though he was aware of the fact that she wasn't in her best state to start this topic, the doctor told him that although she was assisted by medication, the fever wouldn’t be reduced until her stress was relieved. And since he was acquainted with her, the doctor advised him to do some enlightening work before she could see a counselor in her future recovery. He turned and looked at her tenderly. "I know this isn’t easy for you, but do you want to talk about what happened?"
Isobel lowered her eyes and lightly rubbed the edge of the bandage on her hand. This was obviously not the conversation she wanted to have right now. Jubal gently squeezed her hand to give her some encouragement, "It's okay. Take your time."
She sighed and closed her eyes. "What they said is right," she whispered. "I am the one who keeps making those bold and impulsive decisions, failing everyone around me over and over again, and I feel like I'm about to lose my job." She shivered and Jubal caressed her shoulder.
"Ever since that man broke into my house, I'm scared to come home, to go back to that room, to turn off the lights and immerse myself in the darkness. I knew he was in prison, but every time I closed my eyes, the scene of that day would reappear. But this time I had no strength to resist, so I could only watch him stabbing me again and again. It's so stupid. If you can't get over minor matters like this, how can you lead the team and make a decision that doesn't hurt anyone?" She turned her head away, sobbed softly, and quickly swept a drop of falling tear with her fingertips.
"Isobel, look at me," Jubal said, putting his hands on her shoulders. "You were attacked in your own home. You almost lost your life. It's not stupid, and it's not your fault. It's okay to feel afeared, and it's always going to take time to get over it. You can call me to accompany you. I can clean up a guest room for you to spend the night at my house if you don’t mind. Bear in mind that you are never alone, Isobel." He gently brushed away the tears on her cheek with his thumb, "As for work, you weigh the risks, and make the call. You did your job. You did what you had to do. This job involves risk, and every agent who chooses this job knows that. As for superiors’ suspicions, time will tell. I know things may not get better right away, but all you need to know is that WE have your back. We are here to stand by you and we’re gonna get through this together. Come here." Jubal gently hugged Isobel and rubbed her back until her sobs trailed off and her breathing became smooth. He knew that her anxiety would not disappear overnight, but he also knew that he would always be there for her through it.