Traumatized -- Clay

[mikki]

"Mikaela, we need to get you somewhere safe, Sweetie. This storm is picking up horribly at the moment." Her editor said as he prowled in front of the window watching as the conditions outside got even worse. She nodded as she snatched up her cell phone and shouldered a bag. "I'm ready to go, I just-" She didn't have the time to finish the statement as her editor turned towards her and the window was smashed open by a chunk of debris and hit him in the back of the head. Mikki screamed and dropped down to her knees beside him, trying to press her hands to the back of his head, but the wet stickiness she came away with was enough to make her throw up right then and there. Not only had the object hit him in the back of the head, but it had done away with a good portion of the back of his head as well.

Mikki wasn't even sure what was happening as the door to her apartment banged open and a neighbor found her there on the floor, feebly trying to staunch the flow of blood from the back of her editor's head. But it was too late. The man was long gone and she was numb and feeling more than a little bit ill. The man, quite literally, tossed her in the passenger side of his SUV and headed for the convention center. She never had the chance to thank him as he guided her through the door, covered in blood. A number of people stopped and stared at her as she numbly walked through rows of people... But it was the sight of a pair of familiar blue eyes that had her break down in near hysterics.

Clayton was there in front of her and she stumbled blindly towards him before burying her face in his chest and sobbing uncontrollably. She didn't know who the hell else to turn to in the moment, but she was terrified, traumatized and so damned thankful to be alive in the moment, even if she felt horrible.

[clayton wesley]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,10px,true] [/style] [STYLE=border:2px solid #000000; width:380px; color:#5D5D5D; font-family:calibri; font-size:11px; line-height:90%; padding:20px; text-align:justify; border-radius: 0px 10px 50px 10px; box-shadow: 3px 3px 3px #9d9d9d; text-transform: lowercase;]Clayton had heard about the storm earlier in the day and had gone to the convention center to help them set up for the people who’d be coming in since classes were canceled and he figured since he’d be there later he might as well go help now. He knew the building he lived in wasn’t safe for the storm, it was better if he just went somewhere that was safe instead for now. He’d sent Mikki a few texts asking her to come to the convention center too so she would be safe as well and with him because seeing that she was safe would make him feel better. Taking the travel cage for Tucker he’d brought the puppy with him not about to let anyone tell him that he couldn’t since he wouldn’t leave his dog at risk of being hurt while he was safe. He’d put the cage and puppy in the area where pets were to be kept while people were there and he kept checking on the hyperactive pup making sure he had water and feeding him when it was that time since he’d brought food when he packed up a few things for himself and that he could share with whoever needed things. He’d helped set up sleeping areas and other area’s too as people filtered in either to get shelter or to help out as well and he’d kept an eye out for Mikki in case she came in too. The storm was picking up outside now though and he was starting to worry more since he hadn’t yet spotted his girlfriend in the crowd of people gathered in the building. He was starting to get tempted to go out there and find her to make sure she was okay and that she was on her way or something but trying not to be that guy who was all in a girls face by texting a million times since maybe she had somewhere safe she was hunkering down for the storm and just hadn’t mentioned it? His restraint wouldn’t last long though and he knew it. Putting tucker on his leash he walked around with him a little after taking him out quickly and let the kids pet and coo over the puppy before putting him back in his little cage with a sorry for him being cooped up so much. Heading back out he looked around for the people who were in charge of the center for now wondering if they were somehow keeping a list of who all was there just in case and if they were wondering if they could do a check for Mikki’s name for him. Seeing them by the door he headed that direction but stopped in his tracks as he saw her coming in covered in blood. His heart even stopped as his eyes roamed her quickly looking for the injury that would produce that much blood before he was moving quickly toward her wrapping his arms around her to hug her close a moment before pulling back just enough to see her face. ”Are you hurt pumpkin? Mikki is the blood yours?” he asked needing that answer because if it was then he needed to get her to where they’d set up a space and had doctors so she could get looked at fast.

[mikki]

She felt a million times better the moment she was able to press her cheek against his shoulder, just allowing herself to breathe deeply of his scent. He calmed her without really having to try to. Just him being there made her feel infinitely better. Having him there with her made her feel like everything would be okay. She had played it over in her mind a thousand times. What if it had have been her standing in front of that window? Clay certainly wouldn't be standing there with her just then and chances were that the news he would eventually receive would wind up being heartbreaking on its own. If anything, the thought just made her cling to him a little more, her arms tightening around him. She was thankful that he was there. Happy that he was safe.

She blinked up at him dumbly for a moment as he asked if the blood was hers or if she was hurt. And that was when it finally hit her. She was covered with her editor's blood. "Oh God..." She said on a broken sob as she looked at her hands. She was shaking like a leaf. "N- No... No... I.... No..." She said, not sure what the hell else she was supposed to say at the moment. "I need... I can't..." She wasn't even sure how the hell to vocalize what she wanted at the moment, but she started clawing at the sweater she was wearing. She needed to get it off. She needed to get clean. This was so far beyond the scope of what she normally dealt with that she was slowly falling apart. The trouble was, if she would have just taken a moment to get a hold of herself, the psychology student in her would be able to get a grasp of the situation.

"M-My Editor... he was at the house... and... the window broke and something..." She shook her head. "Something hit him in the back of the head, Clayton... I tried to save him... I tried to... Oh God... He's dead..." And she couldn't believe it.

[clayton wesley]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,10px,true] [/style] [STYLE=border:2px solid #000000; width:380px; color:#5D5D5D; font-family:calibri; font-size:11px; line-height:90%; padding:20px; text-align:justify; border-radius: 0px 10px 50px 10px; box-shadow: 3px 3px 3px #9d9d9d; text-transform: lowercase;]Clayton was so glad he knew where she was now, that she was in his arms and safe but the blood had him very worried. He hadn’t seen any injuries on her though so he hoped it wasn’t hers no matter how awful a person that made him because he was basically hoping someone else was hurt instead cause the blood came from somewhere. He didn’t wish anyone to be hurt but if it wasn’t her he would be a lot happier. For the moment though having her there in his arms was going a long way toward making him feel better because he wanted her to be with him and safe as she could possibly be. Giving a warning glare to anyone standing around staring at them he knew it was rude but he didn’t care since she probably didn’t need to be stared at like some side-show right now when so upset. Watching as she seemed to just then notice the blood she was covered in he lifted a hand to brush his fingers against her cheek lightly trying to get her attention back on him and off the blood so she could hopefully calm down. Hearing her say no to his question was a relief and from the amount of blood on her and the fact that some guy had come in with a little blood on him too behind her he had to guess whoever’s blood it was wasn’t going to be walking in or anywhere any time soon. As she tried to claw at her sweater he grabbed her wrists gently and thought only a moment before letting go to wrap one arm around her back hooking the other under her legs scooping her up into his arms. ”Smack me for this later right now let’s get you cleaned up okay?” he said carrying her toward the bathroom and nodding to a friend of his who pointed toward his bag then the bathroom glad he knew the guy and that he was gonna bring it over. Stepping into the bathroom he checked to make sure that no one else was in there right now before setting her carefully on the counter in there moving to take his bag before closing and locking the door. Hearing her talking about her editor and what had happened he moved back to her and kissed her forehead lightly. ”I’m so sorry to hear that pumpkin, I wish that it hadn’t happened and that you hadn’t had to see that.” he said speaking in a calm soothing voice as he reached to pull her shirt up over her head using it to wipe some of the blood off of her since it wasn’t something that could be saved anyway. ”Need you to listen to me a moment okay? I’m gonna get you cleaned up and changed alright? My clothes are gonna be big on you but it’s better than this stuff right now okay?” he said and ran the water getting a paper towel wet to wipe away more of the blood for her after throwing away her sweater. He wanted to get her cleaned up so the blood wouldn’t freak her out anymore and his clothes would have to do for now since he hadn’t seen a bag with her. ”How about you get your jeans off and I’ll get you a pair of my sweats and a shirt.” he suggested throwing away the papertowels and moving to dig through his bag to get the clothes for her.

[mikki]

Mikki wasn't sure what the hell it was about Clayton that made her feel so safe and secure. Maybe it was the fact that she knew he was such a good man - one of the few men left in the world with a set of ideals that were admirable and honest. Maybe it was just that she felt so damned comfortable with him. Either way she looked at it, she was just grateful to be there with him, even if she was badly shaken up and was pretty sure that she looked like one hell of a mess in the moment. Death wasn't one of those things that she'd had to face in the past in such a violent way.

She needed to get the sweater off. She needed the damned thing off and she needed to erase what had just happened from memory. Her poor editor. She couldn't help but think and wonder about the poor man and everything that his death meant. His family... they'd be devastated. She closed her eyes tightly and tried to remove herself from that path of thought. But a moment later, Clay was stopping her from the potential of hurting herself and guiding her along with a gentle hand a moment before he scooped her up into his arms. She tucked her head into the crook of his neck for the moment, feeling like a child more than anything, but taking comfort in the fact that he was there still.This man was so good to her. Too damned good to her.

She blinked at him as he told her to listen to him. She nodded at him when he said his clothes were going to be big on her but it was better than what she was wearing. She couldn't argue that fact in the least. Anything was better than what she was wearing at the moment. Quietly and carefully, she slipped off of the counter to unbutton her jeans and shimmy them down the length of her legs. She obviously didn't care about the state of undress she was in. It wasn't anything that Clayton hadn't seen before. In fact, he'd seen her in a hell of a lot less than even that before. When he straightened up with the clothing in hand, she looked up at him a moment. "Thank you." She said, trying to get her voice to work properly for her. She cleared her throat. "Just... thank you for being the most incredible man in the world." She murmured.

And at the moment, she truly felt that he was.

[clayton wesley]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,10px,true] [/style] [STYLE=border:2px solid #000000; width:380px; color:#5D5D5D; font-family:calibri; font-size:11px; line-height:90%; padding:20px; text-align:justify; border-radius: 0px 10px 50px 10px; box-shadow: 3px 3px 3px #9d9d9d; text-transform: lowercase;]Clayton hated seeing Mikki so upset, didn’t want her to ever be hurt or sad or scared but those were things that were part of life and he couldn’t stop them. What he could do though was be there for her trough whatever may come and he was starting right now at that. The blood that covered her wasn’t her own and for that he would be thankful no matter if it made him a bad person or not. He would find a way to help her get through what she’d seen and what had happened once he got her cleaned up and calmed down so he focused on those tasks first. Wiping away the blood he kept a close eye on her to make sure she wasn’t going into shock or something, he was sure one of the doctors out there had heard about the woman who came in covered in blood already and was probably waiting to check on her or something which would be a good thing he figured but only if she didn’t mind since he knew some people hated seeing doctors for any reason. He’d carried her in to make sure they got there fast and without her somehow hurting herself but it had gotten blood on him too in the process and he made a note to change his shirt once he got her sorted out and cleaned up. He didn’t need to be wearing the blood he was working to wipe off of her so she wouldn’t freak out at it. She would need to talk to an officer too and explain what had happened so they could take care of the man too because he deserved that respect. He was sure there would be family members who would be looking to make sure he was okay and he knew Mikki would care and want her editor to have a proper burial and such. That could wait till she was calm though because right now it would just upset her even more. When he got her nod he was glad she was at least able to focus on him and take in what he was saying and he gave her a little smile that was tense but he hoped was also reassuring. He wasn’t thinking any of the normal pervy thoughts as she stood and pulled off her jeans, focused on task and knowing that wasn’t what he or she needed to or would be thinking of right now. Finding a pair of sweats that had strings you could tie with he figured those would work best because that way she could at least tie them so they’d stay up even if they were a bit baggy and he grabbed a shirt at random dropping a second ontop of the bag for him to change into once she was dressed. Standing up and turning to look at her he gave her a smile that was a little less tense this time and lent to kiss her cheek. ”Only for you pumpkin.” he said softly knowing that he could and would try to be perfect for her in every way he could. Setting the pants on the counter he held up the shirt to her so she could stick her arms in waiting until she’d done so before letting it fall and cover her up reaching to brush any disturbed hair out of the way when it did. ”Got one of my hoodies out by where I’m bunked down for the night too so if you get cold you can wear that.” he offered and grabbed the sweats holding them out for her to step into. ”Once we finish up here would you be okay with talking to a doctor just so he can make sure you’re okay?” he asked so he’d know once they left the room if getting a doc was smart or if she wouldn’t want that.

[mikki]

She gave him a weak little smile as she heard the endearment that seemed reserved for her yet again. She didn't know how the hell she'd wound up getting so lucky in finding a man who was genuinely willing to be there for her just as he was now. She didn't know how the hell she'd managed to find a man who would stand there with her and be as patient as he was, helping her through something that her mind just didn't know how to cope with. But she was going to count her blessings and as soon as she was able to, she knew damned well that she'd let him know just how much she appreciated all of this and just how thankful she was for him being there. She could tell that seeing her like this was shaking him and maybe that was what made her want to get her shit together more than anything else in the moment. She just needed to focus and not let her mind drift back to mental imagery of what she had seen.

She looped her arms through the holes for the shirt and then poked her head through, looking at him when he mentioned one of his hoodies. "I think I'd like that." She said to him honestly. She was chilled to the bone and wet after the trek from her house to the neighbor's truck and then into the convention center from there. He even held the sweatpants out for her to get into and she had to smile as she stepped into them, placing her palm on his shoulder for support so that she didn't topple over. She felt like a child at the moment, but then... it was just nice to have someone else take care of all of the details as she fought to gain control of her emotions.

She nodded when he asked if she would be okay seeing a doctor when they were done in there so that he could make sure she was okay. "Yeah... I'm just... shaken up is all." She said, trying for another smile at him. She didn't want him to worry too much about her, but she knew that he was anyhow. She was finally starting to come around though. She headed over to his bag and bent down, snagging up the t-shirt he'd set aside for himself. "Your turn now." She murmured, tugging at the hem of his t-shirt until she had it up enough that he'd have to help her by shrugging out of the damned thing. She balled it up and tossed it aside a moment later and then offered him a smile. "I'd say you should just walk around like that but then there might be a catfight outside if too many women wind up staring." She commented as she shook the t-shirt out and offered it to him in the same way that she had been offered it by him. It was clear she was feeling just a little bit more like herself at the moment.

[clayton wesley]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,10px,true] [/style] [STYLE=border:2px solid #000000; width:380px; color:#5D5D5D; font-family:calibri; font-size:11px; line-height:90%; padding:20px; text-align:justify; border-radius: 0px 10px 50px 10px; box-shadow: 3px 3px 3px #9d9d9d; text-transform: lowercase;]Clayton hadn’t ever really been the nicknames kind of guy, not giving them or getting more than shortened version of his own name. He had just kinda slipped into calling her pumpkin and didn’t really ever think about it when he did. He did hope if she minded she’d tell him to knock it off but it hadn’t yet come up as an issue. She already meant so much to him and he would do anything to keep her safe and happy no matter what it took right now. Didn’t think there was anything he could really do for her right now other than be there for her and take care of her until she was more in control and calmer. But he’d do anything she asked then or now to make sure she was okay when it was all said and done. Helping her get cleaned up and giving her something else to focus on like getting changed or talking to him if she could manage was all he could think of to help her clear her mind and settle down right now and hopefully through that he’d find his own calm that had slipped away at seeing her covered in blood. That would go down as one of the scariest moments in his life, seeing her like that and thinking at first that it was her blood not someone elses…his heart had stopped and the whole world froze for a second. Knowing it wasn’t hers and cleaning her up to see for himself she wasn’t hurt was sorting out his head and he smiled as she said she thought she’d like the hoodie. ”Then we’ll get it for you once we’re out of here.” he said knowing he’d go get it for her probably while a doctor checked to make sure she was okay. Once he pulled the sweats up her legs he tied the string so they’d stay in place and gave her a little smile kissing her cheek again lightly. ”We’ll get you warmed up and comfortable once a doctor looks at you then.” he said when she said yeah to his question about her being okay seeing a doc outside of the room. He knew she was probably okay but shock was a concern and it was better to just be doubly sure. He watched as she grabbed the other shirt he’d pulled out and nodded when he said it was his turn letting her tug the shirt up before shrugging out of it and smiled back at her glad she seemed to be thinking clearer now if her sense of humor was coming back. ”I’ll walk around like this all you want when we’re away from this crowd of people.” he said thinking he’d probably take her back to his place once the storm passed since hers clearly had some damage and the blood would have to be cleaned out since he was sure there would be some there as well. Sticking his arms through the shirt when she offered it and pulling it on fully before checking the both of them to make sure they were clean of blood before cleaning up around the room real fast before coming back to her. Reaching up to brush his fingers against her cheek lightly he gave her a little smile. ”Let’s get out of here and you can talk to a doctor while I go grab the hoodie and drop my bag back where we’re bunked for the night okay?” he suggested willing to wait a few more minutes if she needed too as well.

[mikki]

Mikki wasn't sure that she'd be holding it together at all right now if it weren't for Clay being there with her. He was so gentle and considerate in the moment and she could tell that he was shaken up pretty badly too. She could only imagine what it must have looked like when she'd shown up at the convention center covered in blood. She could only imagine the way she would have reacted had the roles have been reversed. It wasn't something she wanted to think about because she knew she'd be buzzing around him like a mother hen, making damned sure that he wasn't hurt anywhere before she was finally able to breathe a little easier. She imagined this situation was very similar for him at the moment.

She nodded when he said that they'd get his sweater for her a little later. Honestly, she just wanted to find a corner to curl up in with him for the time being and carry on with life, pretending that tonight had just never happened. She wanted to let the world slip away for just a little while until it was the pair of them and no one and nothing else. She didn't much like the idea of seeing a doctor right now, but truth be told, she was willing to do it if it would wind up putting his mind to ease a little bit. She was badly shaken up and she knew that, but she would be fine eventually. She just needed the time to process what she had seen.

She smiled when he said he'd walk around shirtless for her as much as she wanted once they were away from the crowd of people. "Good to know." She murmured. But she had a hell of a lot to think about. She wasn't sure what she'd wind up doing once this nightmare was over with because there wasn't a chance in hell that she'd wind up going back to her place when all was said and done. God... They'd just left him there like that. She shut her eyes tightly for a moment, trying to block the image out and focus on the present. She needed to focus. He suggested they get out of there and she nodded, finally opening her eyes and looking up at him. "Is Tucker here?" She asked, tilting her head to the side. She sincerely doubted that Clay would have left the puppy behind. And maybe it was stupid for her to think about the dog right now, but at the heart of it all, she needed something to focus on.

She let herself be lead from the washroom, tucking a bit of hair behind her ear as she paused outside the door and took note of the doctor that was standing nearby who looked at her as she came out of the bathroom. He took her over to a corner of the room to check her out and make sure everything was okay. She knew she was fine, just dealing... Immediately after the doctor was finished, a police officer stood by to ask her what had happened. He took a statement from her and explained that they'd recover her editor's body as soon as possible. She nodded her thanks to him and looked up just in time to see Clay headed back towards her...

[clayton wesley]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,10px,true] [/style] [STYLE=border:2px solid #000000; width:380px; color:#5D5D5D; font-family:calibri; font-size:11px; line-height:90%; padding:20px; text-align:justify; border-radius: 0px 10px 50px 10px; box-shadow: 3px 3px 3px #9d9d9d; text-transform: lowercase;]Clayton figured the way he’d reacted and the way he was acting now were normal for when a guy saw his girlfriend covered in blood. He didn’t think anyone would fault him for worrying and some internal freaking out. He was starting to calm down though, knowing she was okay seeing for himself and knowing he was taking care of her were things helping him find his calm now. That and she seemed to be able to focus and respond so he didn’t think she was getting deep into shock either which was another good thing. He would just take care of her now, make sure she had anything she needed and that people didn’t really upset her at the moment because she didn’t need that. The doctor and officer would be something she’d have to deal with because of the circumstances but once she was done with them he’d find some way to either distract her from what had happened or to just be comfortable and calm down. He gave her a little smile at her “good to know” comment about his going shirtless for her whenever she’d like when they weren’t in a crowd. He would do it too because he didn’t mind at all being shirtless for her sake. Considering a moment he wondered if she’d consider living with him for awhile till her place got cleaned up and sorted out. He didn’t know how to bring that up right now though so he’d wait for the right moment to bring that subject up with her. Watching as she closed her eyes for a moment willing to wait until she was ready to handle everything he lent a hip against the sink reaching out to take one of her hands giving it a gentle squeeze to show he was there for her. If she needed to stay in this bathroom for a day or two till she was ready to head out he’d wait that day or two with her in here because he cared and just wanted her to be okay. Her question caught him off guard a moment before he smiled at her and nodded chuckling, ”He is…he’s got his own room in the area where pet’s are being kept right now since I remembered to bring his travel cage. He’ll be happy to see you.” he said knowing the puppy would be excited to see Mikki again since he’d taken to her like a fish to water when they’d first been introduced. Going from her not saying no to getting out of there he grabbed his duffle bag and led her out of the bathroom seeing the doctor and waiting till he was checking her over before moving over to where his space was and dropping his bag back in its place. Picking up the hoodie he had left there earlier he moved over to the tables that had snacky foods and coffee getting a cup for Mikki and heading back toward her. He could see the officer was there now and waited a moment till it seemed the man was done before approaching her offering the hoodie first. ”Got you this and a cup of coffee if you want it?” he said holding up the cup after and smiling a little. ”I can show you where we’re bunking down or if you wanna see Tucker and get a puppy cuddle first we could head over there?” he offered knowing sometimes animals were really good at comforting people and since she’d mentioned Tucker maybe she’d like to see him as well.