Tears and Lectures? Tagged

[Stephanie Taylor]

Stephanie Harris

when fire meets gasoline

Stephanie was isolated from what was going on, she was worried. She'd woken up in ICU. Even though she had been awake in the ambulance, she was far from awake during surgery. They were watching her in the ICU since the stake had gone so deep. She was still on oxygen too. Looking around the room she realized the only one in it was Ben. Where was Grace? Where was Peter? Where they both okay?

Her breathing picked up rapidly causing her machine to start beeping. Stephanie's heart rate also picked up as she started to panic. 'Peter' Tears streamed down her face. She'd been doing a lot of that lately. Not only that, she knew Ben wasn't going to be thrilled with her. Caught between doing her job, then getting hurt. A lot of people were hurting right now, and something she had learned is it was times like this that were fights with Ben.

Part of her debated even trying to start a conversation? Right now she wanted to see Peter and know he was okay. Nothing else mattered. Not even the fact that she was so drugged that the room was spinning. She slowly tried to move her body out of the hospital bed. Biting down on her bottom lip she seethed. Oh this was painful, this was very painful. One foot was as far as she got on the ground before collapsing back sideways on the bed. Well that had been a mistake. Okay fuzzy drugs time to go away now.

Benjamin Taylor

MEL @ ADOX

[Benjamin Taylor]

He felt like his head was going to explode that day, the combined worry and fear for two people and Peter as well. He was still unsure if he wanted to laugh, cry or scream at people as he had almost bitten an nurses head off when they had tried to stop him from going into her room. What did they not understand about family? Even then he had made up the story about being engaged and not wearing rings due to the job they did. Had he not been as angry he might not have been able to lie his way past but this time it worked.

He settled himself into the chair in the room; he did his best to relax though he was tired any amount of relaxation was gone given the situation. He had waited long enough while she was in surgery in the waiting room still in full gear as he gone straight from the fire to the hospital. His radio was sat beside him just in case but he hardly cared about that. Grace he could barely look at because he was so angry with her, he tried to understand but in the end he had asked Kowalski to take her for a while before he snapped at her.

Ben had been listening to the persistent beating of the machines until they spiked and he looked over at Stephanie with alarm. Ben shot up from his seat as he went to her though she already had one foot on the floor before she collapsed back on the bed. “Stephanie don’t try to go anywhere.” He said firmly as he tried to lift her leg back onto the bed though he was ready for an argument over that even as it seemed to be what they did.

All he wanted to do was hold her and make everything alright though given her injuries he had to stop himself from hugging her to death anyway. “It’s all okay; everyone is out so just rest please.” He said though he knew he had asked of for updates on Peter, the whole family thing extended so far he thought as he was hardly sure if he could help her as he stood there feeling relieved she was finally awake.

[Stephanie Taylor]

Stephanie Harris

when fire meets gasoline

Stephanie knew that Ben had to have lied to get into here. Or had he? She remembered something about Gabby asking if they were engaged and if the rumours were true? Wait too many drugs and pain killers in her system she didn’t really know the truth right now. “The rumours at the firehouse must be true if you are in here” she pointed out. She was mostly teasing, though she didn’t want to sound stupid asking it as a direct question. So she was feeling out the water so to speak.

The woman could also tell that Ben had come straight from wherever. She shook her head no when he told her not to go anywhere. “Peter needs me” she protested. All she could think about was the hole in the ceiling and peter and half of Gabby’s words and none of it made sense. Where had they been when things happened. There was little sense being made by the female firefighter. The pain killers. Her sister would kill her she was certain. Eyes glaring as she caught sight of the board with the nurses’ name on it.

Telling her rest… bad idea. “I don’t want to rest.” Steph’s voice was strained as more tears came. There was not strength to do anything about this. She settled back into the bed, despite her protests. “I can’t. I just can’t,” she argued. Right now she wanted to know that everything was okay. She was scared, and this wasn’t from some nightmare. The hospital bed was reminding her of her of that.

It frustrated her and she started looking around trying to figure out how to get out of all the mess of wires. Stephanie had learned how to escape the hospital, and it was also something that unfortunately Grace had picked up from her. Though she settled enough under Ben’s touch. It was a pointless battle. He was as stubborn as she was at times. “Ben” she called his name in a way that was almost heart breaking in tone. Stephanie wasn’t in the least bit concerned about herself. No one was going to be able to convince her to be either. Right now Peter and Grace were all that mattered. They were hurt and she was stuck not able to help. It hurt.

Benjamin Taylor

MEL @ ADOX

[Benjamin Taylor]

Ben furrowed his brow wondering what was being said at the fire house before he understood and grinned. “Well I had to get in here somehow but I’m not against the idea if you’re not?” He asked not wanting to put his foot in his mouth within the first five minutes of talking with her. He got that he was out of practice and he was learning to agree with any female as arguing was bad but with Stephanie it seemed to be what they did after any big incident though he hardly cared to argue. He just wanted to know that she was alright.

“Peter is still with the doctors, they said they would give us an update as soon as they know anything.” He said to her protest. Ben was worried about Peter too, he was hardly in the best of shape when he was pulled out but it hurt to think what was going on with the guy as he looked at Stephanie. “I promise as soon as I know you’ll know.” He said knowing that he would find something out even if he had to bribe his way to it. What made sense to Stephanie Ben missed, it had to be the drugs but he could never really speak drugged Stephanie.

“Shush shush Stephanie, then just talk to me because you’re not getting out of here when you’re like this.” Ben said softly as he tried to wipe her hears away with his thumb gently. “You can Stephanie, trust me rest and you’ll feel better and then we can sort anything else out that comes our way.” He said knowing the next two people he wanted to help was Peter and Grace. Peter he would never yell at but Grace was special circumstances at the very least because she was grounded for a year or more for the stunt she pulled.

Ben sat at the edge of her bed when she practically broke his heart with the tone she used along with his name. He shot his gaze to the floor for a moment before he took a breath and smiled at her. “Steph, everyone is okay. Peter is here, Grace is here, everyone got out. You’re okay.” He said as he moved his hand to the side of her face. “I’m not leaving you in here and you’ll be fine okay. Trust me, remember that time I got my doctors degree when I was where you are now?” He asked her trying to be funny, “If I say it will be okay, it will be.” Ben could only wish that it would be as he had no idea how Peter was doing and Grace had some smoke intake but nothing serious.

[Stephanie Taylor]

Stephanie Harris

when fire meets gasoline

Stephanie knew stuff flew around the fire house but damn. “Against being engaged to a sexy firefighter gone gopher? I’d have to be out of my mind to be against that idea” she teased back. Well she was teasing but at the same time she wasn’t against the idea either. Stephanie just hoped it wouldn’t cause an argument that they didn’t need. The two argued enough over certain things, she didn’t need to add more fuel to the fire if he was just teasing. Sometimes with him it was hard to tell.

When he said Peter was still with the doctors she could feel her heart sinking. Stephanie reached with her hand towards Ben. There was little she could do to stretch out much. The sound of the helicopter was still fresh in her mind. A sound no sister ever wanted to hear. When he promised Stephanie just nodded. She trusted Ben and she just stared at her sister’s name on the board. “My nurse will know. She’s our sister” she stated as she shook. On the board read “Egg” a nickname that Stephanie and her siblings had used when they were younger. “Her name is Meg” she explained. Egg wasn’t going to mean much to the Gopher she was pretty certain.

As he wiped her tears she just cried harder. Right now there was no tap to turn it off. She knew how hurt Peter had been and part of her felt responsible. Yeah he had been dumb and stupid, but then she had fallen on him. She had to live with that right now and it wasn’t easy. “I… Ben… I… I..” she couldn’t get words out just tears and lots of them. “Grace is she okay?” Well subject change but still worried about everyone but herself. She went to move but realized with Ben there it was liable to be impossible to make a break for it.


She felt the hand on the side of her face. He’d used that line before but it still brought a little bit of comfort to her. She had tears still coming down the side of her face as she leaned into Ben’s hand. Steph wanted to yell and scream and cry and rant and throw things. That was how Stephanie dealt with emotional things, she got angry she acted out. But right now she was in no state to do any of that so she just cried. Tears had come only once before in front of Ben. Only momentarily, but this was a non-stop flood of them. Interrupted only r rather needing air for her lungs. Or rather needing air for her lungs.

Benjamin Taylor

MEL @ ADOX

[Benjamin Taylor]

“Well I do like the sound of that and I’m sure you’re a little out of your mind anyway.” He teased knowing that he was for the idea but only if she wanted. At least now he knew that she was hardly against the idea but then arguing over everything as they did, it was the one thing he never wanted to argue over. He knew he over reacted to things more than he should do but fire took the family he had and there was no way he was losing anyone else to it on his watch. If it made him crazy and protective then so be it.

Ben took her hand that was reached out to him. “Sister, well we will get an update faster than I thought because this whole fiancé thing, It doesn’t really include Peter unless there are some strange goings on.” He said with a grin though he was glad they would find out sooner than later though he had made it clear he wanted to know either way. Ben glanced at the board that read Egg, though he was glad when Stephanie cleared it up. “Meg and not Egg?” He said wondering if someone had made a mistake on the board or just the fact that the drugs and Stephanie were interacting.

He wished he could just snap his fingers and make everything better for her though in wiping her tears it only seemed to make her cry harder. “It’s okay Stephanie.” He said as he nodded when she asked about Grace. Ben had left her with Kowalski in an effort not to rip the girl a new one for what she had done. He could count on both hands why what she did was stupid and foolish and insane. “She’s fine, Kowalski has her and she’s outside if you want.” He said with a smile, “Refuses to go until she knew you were okay. As if running into a burning building wasn’t enough.”

He knew that Grace was upset but Ben was in no frame of mind to deal with her at that moment. He knew things would be said that he might regret but he could hardly deny the sense of relief to know that she was safe. Ben held her as best he would while she cried; he had only seen her cry once before so this was new to him as he did his best to comfort her. “Stephanie, you’ll be okay and so will Peter. It’s all okay.” He said softly praying that what he was saying was going to turn out right. Ben knew he was mad that her line had snapped and that she had even attempted to go after Peter on her own but it was mixed in with the relief of knowing she was awake.

Between Stephanie and Grace he felt as if he had a constant heart failure. One hurt and one well he still had no idea if crazy was the right word as he gazed at Stephanie. “You’ve no idea how worried I am about you.” He said quietly as if he was admitting some secret. He wanted to yell at her but at the same time just hold her to make it all go away. For everything he felt there seemed to be a contradictory feeling right there with it too, anger for what had happened, fear for what might have happened, love and realization for what she meant to him though he never needed a reminder for that. To feel helpless to help yet help someone else and have to rely on another to go and get Grace out. It was as if he needed to be three places at once but had no other choice than to simply stay and watch as things unfolded.

[Stephanie Taylor]

Stephanie Harris

when fire meets gasoline

Stephanie shook her head. “Out of my mind for putting up with you maybe” she added as she stuck out her tongue. Yes even though she was in a groggy state of pain in the ICU she was still Stephanie. Well somewhere she was underneath everything. Trying to hide how hurt she was right now, Stephanie hated losing people and now she was faced with losing one of the closest people to her. Any distraction was welcomed.

Stephanie just raised a brow. She was the one on drugs but he was the one not making any sense. “You are Gopher, Peter is Saturn, Meg is Egg. I don’t recommend calling her egg…” she explained and then warned him. “I’m the only one who gets away with it, without losing a limb” she decided to explain. Egg was just Meg’s way of showing she had been there. Stephanie just looked down. Meg would know about Peter’s situation.

It wasn’t okay. She looked wild eyed at Ben and started letting him have it. “What part of this is okay Benjamin? What part of landing on my brother under a pile of concrete and giving him a concussion is okay? What part of our daughter running into the building because she’s scared is okay? What part of it is okay? Please tell me so I can stop caring!!!” she was yelling and upset and in tears and on drugs and not making much sense but she was mad now. She didn’t even know why. “I don’t even know if my brother is alive and it’s OKAY?? Really????” she grabbed her cellphone and threw it at the wall watching the case break apart around it. Stephanie’s phone usually survived the wall, but rarely did the case make it out alive.

When he tried reassuring her again that everything was okay she just glared and went silent letting the tears go harder. None of this was okay with her. Losing Peter or Grace that wasn’t an option. She then just buried her head in Ben’s shoulder and let all the tears continue to come out. Stephanie was angry and she was lashing out but she didn’t really blame Benjamin. Trying to push him away with her arguing was pointless. Right now she wasn’t making much sense. No she wanted Ben right here, even if she was going to yell at him.

“Oh so now I suddenly think you don’t worry about me? Did I miss a memo that took my brain away?” She was being sarcastic because she was upset and upset Stephanie tried to shell up and push everyone away. Though she was failing at pushing Ben away. That didn’t mean her natural reaction wasn’t to try that. Stephanie just leaned into his hand and laid a single kiss on his shoulder. She knew he cared, she knew he worried; but all she wanted right now was to turn off this nightmare. Except it wasn’t a nightmare.

Benjamin Taylor

MEL @ ADOX

[Benjamin Taylor]

“Well if that’s the way you want to be.” He said pretending to be upset as he smirked toward her. He was glad that even groggy Stephanie was still herself, there was no denying that he thought seeing her tongue stuck out. It was nice to be able to smile and not be entirely worried to death that Stephanie would never wake up, one person down and Peter to hear about he thought not entirely sure what news that would be when it came. The guy was in bad shape when they had unearthed the rubble but then he had seen people bounce back eventually.

Ben listened intently to what she was saying as he realised that Egg was a nickname, well that explained a lot he thought nodding to her. “Okay so Meg it is, wouldnt want to lose anything.” He said with a smile though he was glad he now understood or he would have out right called her nurse Egg. It was bad enough arguing with one Harris let alone two or three. In this case it was better to know first than to deal with a nurse that wanted to decapitate him for calling her Egg.

It was as if something had just snapped in his head while he sat there staring at Stephanie who was wild eyed. Her yelling at him was normal but this, this was not the normal he was accustomed to when it came to their arguments over who was right or taking care of themselves. Ben bit his lip hard so he keep himself silent on the matter, she was right there was no part of this that was okay or alright but then what could he say about it? He had no magic to fix things nor could he see into the future but things had to be okay.

She hardly made sense at points though in others Ben would never have guessed she was drugged as he almost wished that he had something to give her to make it stop. It was then he saw the phone launched at the wall with the cast breaking apart. “What is you want me to say Stephanie? I have no answers, I’ve no idea if Peter will be okay or you. I’ve no clue of Grace is fine or not. I’ve been sat here worried sick over the Harris family because you are my family so no there is no part of this that is okay. Does that make you feel any better?” He snapped before regretting it as he gazed down at the hospital floor.

He never snapped at people and especially not her, he was patient and understanding and now he was snapping at the woman he loved. He was terrified of losing his family and Stephanie was in hospital, Grace was being kept safe right outside after doing the most stupid thing he knew of and Peter was hurt beyond what he had seen before. No there was none of it that was okay. When she buried her head into his shoulder and the tears continued he just wanted to make her feel better. To take the upset away in any way he could but she was angry with him and pushing him away though he knew the two went hand in hand with being upset.

“No you know I worry about you but yeah I blame the drugs for a lot of this Harris. You need to stop pushing me away because I’m not going anywhere.” He said firmly as he held her and felt the kiss on his shoulder. To think that she might not have been there, that his hospital visit could have been for different reasons send a shiver down his spine. “I wish I could do more to help and make things better but Peter he’ll be okay, he has to be and you.” He said gazing at her. “You don’t get to do anything stupid every again because I’m not losing you.” He wished that everything would be alright but wishing to him rarely worked so he had to trust the doctors and nurses to do everything they could.

[Stephanie Taylor]

Stephanie Harris

when fire meets gasoline

“Well I’d rather have my sexy firefighting gopher” she pointed out with a frowning face. Well it beat the alternative. She wouldn’t give up her relationship with Ben, he was always there for her. He was here now when she was falling apart and trying to push everyone away. Yet, he stayed talking about stupid things like her sister’s nickname.

Hearing Ben talk about being decapitated by Meg she laughed a bit. “You handle me but you are scared of her. Hate to break it to you honey but she knows what she knows, because I taught her.” That was the partial truth. Meg just didn’t have the military training that Stephanie did on top of that. Though Meg was… Egg. Always had been and always would be. Granted she couldn’t blame Ben for not knowing but actually trying to scare him was fun.

Stephanie was stressed. She was beyond stressed so pushing Ben away seemed like the easier answer. Once she threw the phone she heard Ben’s voice after her. “Maybe I don’t need you to say ANYTHING!!! Maybe it was a question you can’t answer. No one has all the answers Ben NO ONE” she screamed as much as her body would let her. Oh it hurt but damn it she was upset now. She was scared so she did the only thing she knew to do, lash out at everyone and everything. Deep down she just wanted someone to hold her while she fell apart on the inside, but she insisted on pushing them all away.

Stephanie didn’t know whether she wanted to shove Ben away or stay on his shoulder so she opted for staying but not really looking at him. There was too much anger at other things and too much hurt. They were they only two people she knew who could be yelling at each other and still wrapped in a hug. He blamed the drugs for her being upset that her brother was in severe critical condition. Stop pushing him away? Wow, he really didn’t know her as well as he thought he did.

“I was DOING MY JOB!!!!!” she hissed out when he said she didn’t get to do anything stupid. “You would have done the same thing!!!!!” Oh here they went with this argument again. “You think I decided to go rappelling down into a collapsed floor for fun??? Do you even hear yourself Benjamin??” she reached out with her fist and was aiming for the wall but she barely was able to move out of Ben’s arms. Okay very very bad idea. It was weak in terms of how hard she could normally hit, the side was too much for her to move as she wanted to do. If she pulled stitches Ben would be the least of her worries.

Benjamin Taylor

MEL @ ADOX

[Benjamin Taylor]

Ben smiled and nodded before he shrugged. “I’d rather have my amazing beautiful cutie pie.” He said glad that she was there and alive. There were certain things he did when he had no idea what else to do and that was random conversation. The thought of losing Stephanie or Grace had driven him to the edge and then Peter on top of everything. It was turning out to be the worst day imaginable but with Stephanie awake and Grace safe, it felt like the world had tilted off its axis and the righted itself but not quite straight as Peter was still unknown.

He laughed along with her for a moment when she spoke about teaching Meg what she knew. “Yeah, I can handle one of you not two and one is just enough for me.” He said with a smile, he could hardly imagine two Stephanie’s in the world let along trying to deal with two of them. No it was best that he stuck with the one he knew even if she insisted on pushing him away every time that something happened like this. It had never been that bad but this, being pushed away he was starting to see yet another side to Stephanie.

Ben could see she was upset but then lashing out would never help anything. “No I don’t have the answers Stephanie, I never have done. Gah why do you do this? What do you want me to say to you? Lie and tell you it will all be okay, tell the truth because I’ve no idea. Whichever option is never the right one for you. What do you want me to say?” He asked starting to get agitated over the entire thing. If he lied he made it worse, she was already upset so there was no taking that away easily.

He noticed she was looking anywhere but him, he was annoyed with her for snapping at him but he understood she was hurt. How they could argue in a hug he had no idea, he was too upset to care about much else than hugging her and trying to keep her safe. “Yes I would but your rope was bad, it broke and now look what’s going on.” He said knowing they had argued this over and over but it never changed. He was overly protective of her and that would never change, equipment failure meant that the rope was bad and there should have been a second line.

“Yeah I hear myself, a second like, a second group. Did you just rappel down because it was Peter? Did you stop to think about what you were doing?” He snapped trying to get her to see it from his point of view. Even when she reached out with her fist Ben moved to try to keep her arms in one place. “Great, do you want to pull your stitches and land yourself back in theatre?” He asked in a rather annoyed tone, was she thinking straight he wondered as he tried to calm himself down as he held her.

[Stephanie Taylor]

Stephanie Harris

when fire meets gasoline

Stephanie just leaned into Ben as he spoke. There was a smile and a nod and her good arm wrapped around him as he sat on the bed. “I want to go home” she whispered quietly. When he said he couldn’t handle two of her there was chuckle. “I’ll have to remember that when you come join us for Thanksgiving.” She was teasing but all together serious.

And here they went again in the super argumentative circle. “Why do I do what? Why do I worry? Because he’s my brother Ben that’s why I worry!” That was probably not what he meant but that was how she was taking it. She completely ignored the rest of what he said. It was better that way she gripped her hand into a fist and made it as tight as she could. She’d hardly talked to Peter much since they had their argument in the firehouse.

“That’s why they are called accidents!! Yes I thought about what I was doing!!! I didn’t even know it was Peter until I had already fallen!!!” she argued back. “I did exactly what I was supposed to do. You’ve seen me rappel down how many times at drill? I checked my equipment last night when I repacked it. Don’t you think if I kne..” she was going on a rant as she tried to get up when Ben started be sarcastic.

Cue comment about theatre. Also cue a nurse coming in to deliver news that Peter hadn’t made it. False News, but he had been mixed up in her reports. Really it was a Harrison Peters who had died of crush injuries sustained in a car crash. Though the woman had called him Peter Harris. Stephanie felt every part of her drain out.

“Since when is Saturn the last planet on the list? Isn't there like 3 more?" She was 11 at the oldest and going over Peter's homework. They had the same science teacher and the same science test coming up.

“Yes”

“Yes? That's all you have? You asked for help and all I get is yes?” She tossed a book in his direction watching as it smacked his head. That was going to hurt.

“Uranus, Neptune and Pluto” he spit out. Well maybe throwing books at people’s head really did jog their memories.

Finding it hard to catch words or breathes or anything she pulled the iv out of her arm and untangled herself from the hospital cords. She threw as much of it off of her as she could. It looked more violent than it was. All this arguing over a rope and none of it mattered. She could hear her voice screaming for him in her head. This wasn’t happening… her glance at Ben, she couldn’t even look at him.

Benjamin Taylor

MEL @ ADOX

[Benjamin Taylor]

“I want you to go home too but you know you have to stay.” He said disappointed by that but then he was hardly going to aid in her escape. The hospital was the best place for her no matter what even if he wanted her back home with him where he could keep a close eye on her. Ben grinned and nodded, “That’s if I’m invited and two of you...I will have to learn how to handle you better.” He joked though he doubted that would ever be possible. Handling Stephanie was hardly easy and two Stephanie’s, Thanksgiving was going to be interesting.

The arguing he was used to it was what they did and they were each as good at it as the other. “So the same applies to you. I worry because you are my family, it doesn’t just turn off because we are working. Gah do you really hear yourself?” He asked not sure what point he was trying to make though he was making something. It would be war as likely as anything else but then he was too scared and worried not to argue with her about anything and everything he possibly could.

Ben was in the mood to argue with her because he was scared of losing her. It was where every argument they had seemed to stem from with him. She could cite any handbook or any ‘I checked my equipment’ to him and it would hardly matter because the equipment failed. Stephanie was hurt and now in a hospital room because if it. There was no getting away from that yet she wanted to argue with him over and over about it all. Ben was mad at her for rappelling down to help, he was mad because it was a risk and to him nothing was worth the risking her safety.

When the news came about Peter, Ben felt his stomach sink. He tried to find something to say that would make it any better but he came up short each and every time. There was no taking away the pain or the guilt he felt as he thought about how he might have moved faster or tried harder though was there much else he could have done? Ben doubted it but there was still that thought as he sat there stunned as Stephanie pulled the IV out of her arm and untangled herself from the cords.

“I’m sorry... Stephanie I’m so sorry.” He said as he blinked back tears as he saw she could hardly look at him. Ben moved from the bed before he sat himself right back down again as he had no idea where he was going or what to do. He reached out toward Stephanie not sure how she would take it as all he could think to say was that it would all be alright. He stopped himself as no amount of okay’s or sorry made anything any better.

[Stephanie Taylor]

Stephanie Harris

when fire meets gasoline

Stephanie sighed, of course Ben was going to make her stay. The woman knew better. And of course he would be direct about her staying too. Then again this was who she had fallen in love with. Sometimes she needed just that very thing. Stephanie was woman of far fewer words than Ben was most of the time and this was one of those times it was probably just better to stay silent. She didn’t move even with Ben starting arguing with her. And here they went again.

Though to be fair she started this one. He had a point. “Exactly Benjamin! But my brain doesn’t turn off because someone I care about is in trouble!!!” she fired back. He had just made her own point. Stephanie was scared too, it’s why she was fighting. It’s why she always fought. It was a big cover up. Though she knew Ben saw right through it, the look was written all over his face.

These were the days that made her want to quit doing what she did. Then there were the days she knew what she did was a blessing to people. How this could ever be harder than pulling a trigger from a roof top she would probably never fully understand. Her mind would drift the same place it always did with these arguments. Turning in her badge. It had only been brought up between them once in the past, but that didn’t mean the thought wasn’t on her mind.

Stephanie threw the equipment onto the floor. Nurses came running in from the unattached equipment and made the mistake of trying to get her back into the bed. “Don’t touch me!” her words sounded like someone had dripped them in poison and then rubbed the salt on a candy apple. She even grabbed one by the wrist as she was still quick on her one side. Though the pain rippled through her face. Her other side hurt.

Stephanie just cried. They were only a few months apart. If someone could have a twin without actually having a twin, that was the bond she had with her brother. When he apologized she glared at him. “Don’t pity party me” she hissed. Oh she was beyond upset. Ben was the only one she let near her, a few of the nurses had even stopped trying to touch her after she had grabbed the ones wrist. Stephanie tried to stand as she used Ben’s shoulder to balance herself.

Benjamin Taylor

MEL @ ADOX

[Benjamin Taylor]

Her staying in the hospital was one thing he would never let up on, not because he enjoyed her staying there however for her own good and well being she had to be there. He knew that being over protective and annoying about it was all in a days work for him, but if she thought for one single minute that he would agree to her getting out of there before the time then she was mistake. If it started another fight then so be it but Ben was only thinking of her even if it was hard to see.

“No it doesn’t but...” Ben was out for words for the argument as he realised that she was agreeing with him in way. He would have started arguing over that too if his brain had been able to handle the fact that mid argument they agreed on one thing. “No it never turns off because you were in trouble from the start and I wasn’t there to help you.” He said, he was there to help Peter and that was tough enough knowing that Stephanie was hurt too and everything simply compounded with Grace too.

Ben knew all too well the fighting and arguing covered a lot, it was a lot easier to push people away than to show anything else and he knew it all too well. Their job was dangerous and accidents happened though he knew when they did he never took them well. It was his family at the end of the day, not just fire house family but his walk away from the job family that meant more to him than any of it. Ben had never considered turning in his badge until that day, with Stephanie hurt and Grace in the building the thought of was it all worth it cross his mind.

Previously it had been a job, he needed the money and working odd jobs for construction hardly paid the bills they had but now. Was it better that Grace had a family than foster care though he would look at Stephanie and see an amazing woman who was adopted. Though soon that thought had left as Stephanie threw the equipment to the floor. Ben could hear the poison in her words as he tried to explain not to touch her but then since when did he know what to do as this situation was new to him.

“Pity party? I have never pitied you Stephanie. Not even now, I'm just sorry that's all.” He snapped knowing she was upset but then when she tried stand Ben placed his hands on her waist hoping not to catch her side in an effort to keep her where she was. “Is hurting yourself going to change anything?” He asked as he caught sight of one of the nurses. “What happened to him? He was in bad shape but not that bad.” Ben asked wishing it not to be true but then he had seen the state Peter had been in. There was no doubt that it was bad enough to die from but surely he would never have left Stephanie.

[Stephanie Taylor]

Stephanie Harris

when fire meets gasoline

Ben was protective on any given normal day, but on days when calls went south it always got worse. If she wasn’t arguing to get out of the hospital than she wasn’t Stephanie. That feisty spirit was just part of who she was, there was nothing that was going to change that. He could yell until he was blue in the face, she was more stubborn than he was most of the time.

“That rope was gonna break no matter who was holding that line. Don’t give me the bullshit line about how you couldn’t have stopped it. It was an accident!” she informed him. Though she knew it had been one thing after another after another. Stephanie was worried about Grace too but Peter was on her mind even more.

When Ben reached out to grab her around the waist she turned and just reached for him. She registered him saying something about pity and hurting herself changing things. She just shook her head no and cried and cried. The nurse explained everything to Ben about the crush injuries to the side and the arm and leg. Stephanie didn’t catch any of it as she was too upset to do anything other than hold onto Ben and cry.

Benjamin Taylor

MEL @ ADOX