'Okay' was definitely not the word to describe Helena as an entire year's worth of emotional repression finally broke loose. Hey, maybe seeing a counselor may have been a good idea after all. At any rate, Helena's method of coping had always involved her gigantic dog in one way or the other and that method of therapy was no longer an option. Tucking her head into her knees, she fought a wave of nausea that threatened to make her pass out as unwanted memories clawed at her mind. Pulling at the roots of hair, Helena tried to make the memory of someone clumsily stroking her hair go away. Every imaginary gust of wind was someone breathing on her and there was a burning sensation where they'd extinguished their cigarettes on her skin. Somewhere beyond her, she was aware of people waking up and moving around, but she was stuck in her head, stuck in the past.
Charlie's voice was far away, as if the girl was in another room. The words she used, however, brought back a different memory. A better memory. The kid who had turned himself in to get her out of there. Gabe had used the same words: 'we're gonna be okay.' Helena had believed him then and she believed Charlie now, although getting herself out of her bad memory was proving to be more difficult than she'd ever experienced. Shaking, Helena clutched harder at her hair, trying to make the pain bring her back to reality. It wasn't working nearly as well as she hoped. She was completely aware she was full-out crying now, but there wasn't much she could do about it, really. And she was being about as helpful to the situation as a limp noodle, maybe being even less so. At least you could eat a noodle. Actually...well, no, that was a horrible thought.