Hey, Miss J!

In actuality, there are three series.

The first one is “Untold Stories of the ER,” which almost satisfies my desire to learn medical facts. I also watch “Hoarders,” and until recently… I was watching a lot of “Intervention.” The last season was a turn off for me, so I haven’t watched it since.

Since I went on hiatus, I’ve had more time to watch “Untold Stories of the ER,” but I would be lying if I said that I love the hiatus right now.

But… I am starting to like the more relaxed pace. It’s strange, but when you’re writing for an audience, you put more pressure on yourself than you should.

So, I wrote this (Mind, it is a draft so…):

~ Begin Snippet

Staring at the ceiling was proving to be a useless endeavor. But she was unable to sleep… Rising up on her elbows, Jennifer studied the clock next to her bed.

3:05AM

… “Why?” she asked no one in particular. Such a question was multi-faceted.

What was she feeling?

Was she frustrated?

My poor life decisions have led to this… she thought, grimly. Climbing out of bed, she strolled across the span of her room. Blearily, she emerged and made her way to the communal kitchen they all shared. She was surprised to see Ben there, eating a sandwich. “Surprised to see you here, Big Guy.”

Ben looked over and offered a faint smile. “Couldn’t sleep.”

A dark brow shot up on Jennifer’s forehead. “Really?”

He nodded. “Yeah. Figured I might as well get something to eat.”

The green woman lightly scratched her stomach. “Same here.”

Not speaking, Ben scooted over, offering her a seat.

Her eyes expressed gratitude more than her mouth could. She crept to the fridge and built up a nice sized sandwich for herself. Deciding to sit next to Ben—though there was a perfectly fine seat across from him—she lightly nudged him with her shoulder. “Sleep-deprived buddies?”

Ben smirked and nodded. “Sure… Sleep-deprive buddies.”

The twosome finished their food in companionable silence.

Done, Jennifer yawned and stretched, before planting her elbow on the table and dropping her head into her upraised hand.

Ben barely managed to stifle a yawn himself. He decided to quietly remain seated next to Jennifer. He was still so grateful that she had survived. I owe Reed in more ways than one, he thought.

“… I’m tired,” Jennifer finally spoke, before raising her head. “But I’m not tired enough to fall asleep.”

“Well…” Ben murmured. “We could always go to the gym.”

“Nnh…” she grumbled. “Good idea.” She popped out her seat and headed to the elevator.

“Uh… Shulkie?”

Pausing, she looked over her shoulder. “Hmm?”

“Aren’t you going to change into something for the gym?”

Instead of responding, Jennifer gave him a hard stare. Then… she spoke, aggravation in her voice. “I have clothing that is covering what it needs to right now.”

Eyes widening, Ben watched the elevator close—with Jennifer crossing her arms.

“Huh…” Deciding to wait, he cleaned up their mess.

Done, he frowned and got on the elevator.

Baxton Building, Lower Level, Gym

After exiting the elevator, Jennifer was grumbling. “Who does he think he is?” she asked no one in particular.

Still, she hesitated briefly once she reached the gym. Looking around, she opted for a bit of boxing. Inside, she wanted to hit the weights, but she was afraid… that symbiote had drained her so much… She feared that she had little strength left.

It didn’t matter that she was in her hulk form. She was still scared…

Strapping the gloves in place, she approached one of the weighted bags down there.

That’s what she was doing when Ben slipped into the room. For a few minutes, he stood behind her from a distance, watching as she punched the bag. Not too long after, though, it looked like she was running out of steam. That’s… not normal, Ben thought, alarmed.

Winded, Jennifer paused, hunching forwards and just holding on to the bag. She was panting… tired… and terrified. What’s wrong with me? She should have been recovered by now… or at least on the mend.

But…

“This isn’t good,” she whispered, wincing after sweat got in her eyes. Straightening up, she wavered, dizzy… and felt herself falling backwards. Oh, this is not… Closing her eyes and expecting to hit the floor… she was confused when she didn’t. Letting out a shaky breath she opened her eyes.

Ben’s blue eyes were staring right into her own.

“But… You’re here?” she asked, blinking a few times.

Gently lowering her to the floor, Ben sat next to her. “Yeah…” he replied. “Came down to apologize,” Pausing momentarily, the orange man swallowed. “Not sure what I’m apologizing for but—”

“Th… Thank you,” she uttered, in a soft voice. Even on the floor, she was struggling to catch her breath.

He cleared his throat, offering a brief nod.

Slowly, she relaxed into the floor. “Ugh…” she groaned.

“Want to tell me what happened?” he asked.

Lips pressed together… trembling, she looked away from him. “It… I…” Almost as soon as she started speaking, she stopped.

Using care, Ben pulled his friend into a seated position. Then… he took a bolder move and pulled her back until she was pressed up against his chest.

A soft sob was audible as the green woman lost her composure.

Ben remained silent, just holding her.

Leaning forward, Jen brought her hands up to her face, crying. While much of her bravado and confidence seemed to come from being the She-Hulk, there was also an undercurrent. The knowledge that she would always be able to protect herself. Now, she couldn’t manage even a twenty minute boxing session… against something that couldn’t fight back.

“I’m sorry, Jen,” Ben murmured, a sight audible. This wasn’t something that could be fixed.

“… What am I gonna do, Ben?” Lifting her face, Jennifer’s eyes were red from crying. Turning around, she rested her cheek against his chest. “I can’t do anything!”

“Shulkie, you’ll do what you always do,” he replied, feeling relieved when her body stopped shaking. “You’ll learn.”

She looked up at him.

“You’ll adapt,” he added. “And you’ll be stronger from this.”

“Mister Grimm,” she murmured. “You have more faith in me than I do in myself.”

“Nah, Jennifer,” he replied, offering an encouraging smile. “I know you, and I’ve seen it before.”

Lowering her eyes, she sighed. “I need to get back in my room and relax.”

~ End Snippet

I guess I can enjoy the slower pace, right?

Prime, Hulu and Roku are full of free shows… so we’ll see. I’m curious about watching “Family Matters” again.

~J. Lyst