normandycommspecialist:

The specialist found herself crying, wet streaks running down her face even as she tried desperately to reign in her reaction. She couldn’t remove her own mental image of a seventh-grade Juliette wandering the streets - bleeding, alone, and terrified - and it made her want to vomit. She was alone, and scared, and you were at home watching vids…for days you didn’t know there was anything wrong…

“No. Jul.” She wiped at her eyes. “Y-you didn’t deserve that. None of it. And it shouldn’t have happened. I…I’m sorry. I should have done something." You couldn’t have done anything. You didn’t even know. But she still felt sick, trying to summon more words, ones that would actually help rather than just hang there.

But nothing can help. Someone took this amazing woman in front of me and they -

Why? Why was she the one so upset when Juliette was calm and collected about all of it? This was not the way it was supposed to be going. If anything, their roles should have been flipped. She blinked rapidly. “I’m so sorry,” she said again.

Frustration welled in her chest, and she had to bite back a stinging retort. Turning her back on the specialist she tried to sort out her thoughts. On one hand… Samantha knew the truth behind her disappearance. And now someone actually seemed to care about what had happened to her all those years ago. But on the other, the emotions that were beginning to form inside her were ones she had long ago learned were dangerous.

Sighing heavily, she clenched her fingers into fists, her head turning slightly so she could see Sam out of the corner of her eye. "Like I said,” she growled. “It’s in the past, and there is no longer a reason to dwell on such things.”

“It is not your responsibility to be sorry for an action or a crime you did not commit.” Her voice remained cold as she hurriedly tried to rebuild the barriers around the memories and feelings. Damn her for doing this to me. “Now. Is there something else you wish to ask Specialist?”