Chapter Text
Michaela's in too much pain to move, she begins to starve since she can't drag herself over to the food left in her cell everyday.
With each little shift her shredded back tears open, and it hurts even worse when the wounds are tended to.
Week-old gashes in her back are being re-opened by another round of lashes. She begins to teeter on the edge of consciousness from the agony of the tender skin being broken again.
She flinches badly at the whistling sound of leather cutting through the air before it strikes her.
She hits the ground like a ton of bricks- she was out before she connected.
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Michaela struggles to lift her head, exhausted, and squints up at Jared in confusion. "What are you doing here?"
"Rescuing you, of course" Jared replies easily, flashing one of his reassuring smiles her way.
Michaela frowns, shying away from Jared as he approaches. "No."
Jared pauses. "Hey, it's okay. Everything is going to be alright. I'm going to get you out of here- "
"No." Michaela shakes her head. "You can't."
Pulling at her dirty, matted hair, Michaela almost starts crying. "I don't deserve to be rescued. I don't deserve to go home. I can't. It's not fair." She rubs at her eyes, red rimmed and burdened with heavy purple bags. "I'm a monster. I'm- I'm evil. I'm better off here than anywhere else, Jay" She stares down Jared, tired yet resolute.
"There's no way in hell I'm leaving you here." Jared attempts to scoop her up in his arms, mindful of the gashes her back is covered in, but she refuses once again.
"I'm not going to hurt you." Jared says gently, taking Michaela by the hand and holding it firmly. Their eyes meet. "Listen to me, Mick. You're safe, they aren't going to hurt you anymore, you're with me. Trust me, I won't let anybody hurt you anymore."
Jared almost expects Michaela to yank her hand away in panic, but she doesn't- instead she relaxes a little, tears forming in her eyes, and lets out a breath.
"It's okay." Jared reassures, smiles, and pulls Michaela into a hug that she doesn't resist. "It's okay, I'm here."