(Untitled)

[afromp]

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[samsonydelilah]

He's awake before she's finished moving and it's the words that make him stop. Because he could make this worse or he could make this better and he's not sure which action causes which effect.

He has to try, though. He can't just let her sit there, terrified. A hand on her knee. "Allison?"

[afromp]

"Don't." Not to him. Not to him at all. "Stop. It hurts." And her voice breaks at that, right there. And her leg aches and it burns. Everything aches.

[samsonydelilah]

At first he's not sure and then his mind makes the connection. "Allison. Allison look at me." Trying to hold her even though she's pulled herself into this ball. "Look at me please."

[afromp]

But she doesn't. She doesn't look at him. It's possible she doesn't even hear him. She's fairly unresponsive, and shaking.

[samsonydelilah]

John's not sure what to do about that. He won't shake her, or raise his voice, because none of them feel like good ideas. He will hold her though, try and stop her shaking. "Allison, Allison, wake up please. Wake up. Wake up baby it's okay."

[afromp]

Shaking and trembling and everything hurts. Her skin feels like it's on fire. Like there are wires underneath and all of them are sparking. "No. No."

Is it, John?

[samsonydelilah]

"Allison. Talk to me. Tell me what's happening." Petting her hair, holding her closer.

It isn't. It might never be. But he doesn't know what else to do.

[afromp]

"Needle and thread and ice to slow the blood loss. So she can get bullet out. Because you'll leave her. She has to fix me, even though it'd be easier not to." Easier to have let Allison die. In the long run.

[samsonydelilah]

Oh, that's just lovely. Really. John puts his lips against her temple. "She's not here." Thank God and anything else that listens.

[afromp]

Even in this weird half-asleep half-awake mix, that helps. And she relaxes a bit, her head lolling to rest on his shoulder. "She'll find us. She always finds what she's looking for."

[samsonydelilah]

"We're good at hiding. She won't find us." He doesn't let go, though, but he's glad she relaxes.

[afromp]

"You're good at hiding. She always finds me." She makes a noise. "It hurts. John."

[samsonydelilah]

"I'm hiding us both." And he is, in every way he can think to." John makes a little shushing sound, kisses her temple again. "What hurts? Where?"

[afromp]

"My leg. Everything. Everywhere." How many scars does she have? How many does he have? "Why?"

[samsonydelilah]

He's never tried counting them all. Too many, that's for certain. "I want to make it better but I don't know how."

[afromp]

On bad days (good days?) she doesn't see them at all. "Okay. Okay." She reaches for his hand, not even opening her eyes. Is she even awake yet?