TJ Byrd was exhausted. More exhausted then the man had been in years. It wasn't just the fact that his brain had been picked through in that surreal trip down memory lane. Or even the fact that his body ached from head to toe. No the man was drained; physically and emotionally, after having endured a seemingly unending battle with whatever psychic damage that had been inflicted on his three years ago...and while TJ had won in the end, he now found himself flooded with memories and feelings that just dredged up all manner of emotions.
In truth a part of him hated his sister for inflicting this pain onto him. Sure it was just a small part, just a slim fragment of the whole of his feelings. Still that bitter anger was there because she had taken him away from the life he had built for himself, only to heap on a world of newfound guilt at their forced separation. Guilt over not being strong enough to find her...even though Zero had no clue just who her was back then.
All of it; the exhaustion, the pain, the loss he now felt, mixed with the guilt and the joy over having her back too. Not just in his life, but in his memories as well. Sleep hadn't come easily for him at all, and still when he had managed to grab some shut eye his dreams were stuffed full of so many thoughts and memories all rushing forth like a tidal wave. When TJ stirred awake he managed a sigh, realizing that he wasn't back home in his own place...his own bed. It took a while for the man to finally get up out of bed, but when he made it downstairs and found her note TJ just frowned a little more. This wasn't easy. Not for either of them.
How did one just pick up the pieces of a fractured relationship, and move on towards a very uncertain future? Coffee helped. A little at least. When TJ finished the cup of coffee, and had a small bite to eat, he finally headed out to see his sister. They hadn't spoken since...since the doc was at her place. Oh he wanted to talk to her, wanted to hold her in his arms and tell her things would be alright. Just as badly as he wanted to beg her forgiveness for failing to protect her...and scream in rage at what she had done to him too. So many mixed feelings played out across his eyes, but in the end he just smiled softly when she said hello, and spoke up at last.