Chapter Text
Caitlyn vaguely remembered an explosion. She remembered pain in her left side and ringing… loud ringing. Then everything went dark. Three years later she’s waking up in a hospital bed, her mother crying over top of her as soon as she opened her eyes.
Her vision was blurry… she couldn’t see anything out of one eye… .. she felt.. tingly.. numb. Her mouth was dry… and her throat hurt… she didn’t even try to talk as her head fell back on the pillow…
The next few years were… difficult. She’d turned nineteen while still in a coma and was behind in school… on top of that, she had to learn how to walk again and still had a limp in her step… Four years later and she’s twenty three, finally getting a GED and going to college. Her mother tried hard to convince her to stay home for another few years but she already felt like she was behind…
And that leads her to now.
She moved her last bag into her cramped college dorm room. Her parents insisted she get a single room, that she have some privacy, but she was tired of being cooped up. She needed to feel.. normal. She was an awkward sixteen year old.. then suddenly she woke up an adult and had to play catch up.
She sits on a bed marked with the letter she’d received. Room 34 B. And her roommate, whose bed was across the room from hers, would be 34 A. She was a bit nervous. Everyone was a few years younger than her… she felt.. old, and she was only twenty three.
Her mother and father had already left after she assured them over and over she would be fine… after a bit of fretting her mother finally left, but not without giving her extra cash and reminding her about her telephone therapy appointments and the exercise the doctor recommended she keep up with.
She sits at the edge of the bed, wincing as pain shoots up her left side. Her breathing hitched and she leaned back on the bed that she’d already put a sheet and her pillows on.. her vision went hazy, her body relaxing even on the slightly uncomfortable surface before she fell asleep.
Hours later, Caitlyn groans… She heard a slight shuffling, the sound of something thudding. She opened her eyes, blinking away the sleep as she carefully sits up.
“Hey sleeping beauty.” A voice greeted, startling her before she glanced up, seeing a short woman with a large duffel bag, a few boxes haphazardly placed around her side of the room.
“H-Hello… sorry uhm… I didn’t mean to fall asleep. I’m Caitlyn…”
“Jinx.”
“It’s… it’s nice to meet you.” Caitlyn said a bit awkwardly, Jinx eyeing her… of course Jinx’s gaze landed on her face first, on the eyepatch and surrounding scarring… but then… Jinx just shrugs.
“Mhm.” They fell silent after as the shorter woman began to unpack, humming to herself.
Caitlyn fidgets then gets up, wincing just a bit. She walks to her bags, not noticing as Jinx glanced towards her, watching her silently. Caitlyn grabbed her first bag and went to her wardrobe, beginning to hang her clothes up.
After just one bag she has to sit down in her desk chair, letting out a shaky breath. She hated this… the lingering pain she felt. It’s been what… eight years since the initial accident… five years since she woke up. She should be fine by now.
“You… Do you need any help?” Jinx asked, Caitlyn glancing up.
“No thank you.“ Sharp reply, followed by a slight hitch of breath, and a softer tone. “I mean… I’m sorry I just..”
“No no you’re good. That’s why I asked.” She shrugs, slipping a box under her bed. She’d already stuffed most of her clothes into the drawers of her wardrobe. Caitlyn frowns.. then glances away.
She rests for a moment, soon forcing herself back up to continue her task. It takes her longer than she’d like, but she soon has everything neatly put away. Meanwhile… Jinx simply slid some boxes under her bed and shoved things into drawers… Well… as long as it wasn’t in her way.
“Say, it’s about dinner time, you wanna go to the dining hall together?” Jinx suggests, Caitlyn sitting on the edge of her bed.
“Yes, I just need a moment.”
“Why don’t you use a cane?”
“Excuse me?”
“I’m just saying, you obviously favor your right side. It would make walking easier and it wouldn’t hurt as much.” Jinx spoke nonchalantly. Caitlyn scowls, clenching her fists in her lap.
“I don’t use a cane for a reason. I was injured years ago, I just have to get over it-“
“Yikes.” Jinx shakes her head, moving to pull on a jacket. “I won’t bring it up again, but there’s no way powering through it is good for you.” She ignores Caitlyn’s sigh as she looks at herself in the long mirror that was stuck on their door. Caitlyn waits a few moments before she gets up, smoothing out her shirt.
“Let’s just get dinner..”
Jinx just grabs her phone and wallet, Caitlyn also grabbing hers as they walk out of the room together. It’s a short walk to the dining hall, Caitlyn grimacing a bit during before they swipe their ID’s and head into the large buffet style cafeteria. Caitlyn goes to a salad bar and makes herself a plate as Jinx heads off in a different direction.
When they meet up again, Jinx’s plate has mostly junk on it, pizza, fries and chicken tenders. She also has a small bowl of chocolate soft serve with crushed Oreos on it. They find a table and sit down, Caitlyn beginning to eat.
“So, where are you from?” Jinx’s voice was the first to break the silence.
“Ionia originally. Though my parents and I moved here when I was eleven for work. What about you?”
“Zaun. I lived there my whole life. My dad, who hates Piltover, wanted to rent an apartment here so he could visit more often, but I quickly told him no. He still wants to call every week though.”
Caitlyn pauses to glance up at Jinx. And really looks at her. Short blue hair in buns, big blue eyes.. her gaze flicks down to her hands… noticing.. burn scars? But she looks back up as Jinx’s hands move to her lap under the table, as if aware Caitlyn was looking.
“… Anyway. Uh… you said an accident happened. I get it.. I mean, I definitely got out with less physical damage than you did.. just some burns.”
“Ah… y-yes. Apologies, I didn’t mean to stare.. I… Yes I was in an accident of sorts. It was years ago, and while it was hard, I’m… I should be.. fine now.”
Jinx looks like she wants to ask… her gaze flicking to the eyepatch… down the scars from shrapnel along Caitlyn’s left cheek, disappearing under the turtleneck she wore. Why did this woman seem so familiar..?
She looks back down at her food and gives a quiet hum. Neither wanted to talk much about their accidents.
“What’s your major?”
“Polisci… but I’m minoring in business. My mother and father are both in politics.. You?”
Jinx took a second to answer, her gaze finally flicking back to Caitlyn… parents in politics…? Maybe that’s why she looked familiar. It’s hard to keep a low profile when your parents are public figures…
“Art major, I wanted to go into engineering but I don’t think that’s wise.”
Caitlyn opens her mouth to ask why, but Jinx’s phone begins to ring. She puts her hand up and stands, walking off to answer it. Caitlyn looks down at her salad, pushing the food around her plate slowly.
Her roommate seemed… Nice. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad.