[Fic] Find a Way to Stay
Muse: Emily Mannerfield/Error
Word count: 446 words
Prompt: all used up halfway through for savich_inc
She couldn't move. She couldn't make herself move any more.
"Emily! Emily!" The man's rough hands on her wrists, pulling her, pulling her along. "Emily we're not there yet. I know you can do this. Keep going, keep going!"
Keep going. Easy enough to say, keep going, her head was barely on straight and she had to keep going, keep going. Running away, running to, she didn't even know any more. She was broken, and holding it together now was too much. Too much.
"Tired," she mumbled. "Broke."
She could hear the sigh in her ear--impatient, warm, ready to go. "I know," the man said. "I know you are, but you've got to keep going. We've got to keep going."
"Tired. All gone. All gone. Sleep now." She pulled out of his grasp and wrapped her arms around her knees, hiding her hands between her legs so he wouldn't have anything to hold on to. "All gone," she whispered again to the cold wet ground.
Impatient breath again. Then, "You can't be all gone. We haven't gone very far--we've still got a ways to go. You've got to get UP, Emily. We can't stay here."
"Can't, can, can't, can," she hissed at him. "Can't go. Tired."
Lips at her ear again, going to form the right words, say the right thing to make her stand up and go without her head, go so far her brain couldn't follow. Wasn't going to work, not today. She pushed his face away from hers, curled back up. "Can't," she said. "Won't work. Tired. Broke." She wouldn't look at him, not even when he slid a hand under her chin and tried to make her. "Not gonna work," she said again. "All worn out. All broken."
The breathing again, and she knew he was looking around. "Leave," she offered helpfully. "Leave an' leave me." Not like anyone had ever stayed for her--you stay, you get killed, it was as simple as that. She wouldn't have stayed for her if she were him. She would be long gone by now. But he just wrapped a warm hand around her freezing cold shoulders and pulled her in tight, until her ear was pressed against his chest and she could barely hear anything for all that his quick rabbit heart was pounding in her ears.
"I'm not leaving you," she felt him say, the words leaving his ragged lungs as she wrapped a hand in his wet sweater. "I'm not leaving. We'll stay here until you're better again."
"Long time," she observed with a harsh laugh. He just stroked the top of her head.
"I can wait," he said quietly. "I can wait."
Word count: 446 words
Prompt: all used up halfway through for savich_inc
She couldn't move. She couldn't make herself move any more.
"Emily! Emily!" The man's rough hands on her wrists, pulling her, pulling her along. "Emily we're not there yet. I know you can do this. Keep going, keep going!"
Keep going. Easy enough to say, keep going, her head was barely on straight and she had to keep going, keep going. Running away, running to, she didn't even know any more. She was broken, and holding it together now was too much. Too much.
"Tired," she mumbled. "Broke."
She could hear the sigh in her ear--impatient, warm, ready to go. "I know," the man said. "I know you are, but you've got to keep going. We've got to keep going."
"Tired. All gone. All gone. Sleep now." She pulled out of his grasp and wrapped her arms around her knees, hiding her hands between her legs so he wouldn't have anything to hold on to. "All gone," she whispered again to the cold wet ground.
Impatient breath again. Then, "You can't be all gone. We haven't gone very far--we've still got a ways to go. You've got to get UP, Emily. We can't stay here."
"Can't, can, can't, can," she hissed at him. "Can't go. Tired."
Lips at her ear again, going to form the right words, say the right thing to make her stand up and go without her head, go so far her brain couldn't follow. Wasn't going to work, not today. She pushed his face away from hers, curled back up. "Can't," she said. "Won't work. Tired. Broke." She wouldn't look at him, not even when he slid a hand under her chin and tried to make her. "Not gonna work," she said again. "All worn out. All broken."
The breathing again, and she knew he was looking around. "Leave," she offered helpfully. "Leave an' leave me." Not like anyone had ever stayed for her--you stay, you get killed, it was as simple as that. She wouldn't have stayed for her if she were him. She would be long gone by now. But he just wrapped a warm hand around her freezing cold shoulders and pulled her in tight, until her ear was pressed against his chest and she could barely hear anything for all that his quick rabbit heart was pounding in her ears.
"I'm not leaving you," she felt him say, the words leaving his ragged lungs as she wrapped a hand in his wet sweater. "I'm not leaving. We'll stay here until you're better again."
"Long time," she observed with a harsh laugh. He just stroked the top of her head.
"I can wait," he said quietly. "I can wait."