Madeline was only not breathing for so long, and that matters, that affects the time you go out. These are things she remembers.
Things she knows are that she's tired. If she was wanting anything, which she isn't because she's not thinking, she'd be wanting to stay just she is.
But she's not built for that, and there's something about this door, this place, that...feels different, it's a nameless thrum across a set of nerve endings that have been screaming for contact, and the sudden, soothing hush of space is like a gentle tap on her shoulder - and then her name, and what comes flooding in isn't gentle at all.
Madeline doesn't remember she really isn't naked, that really it's just another shifting little trick, and that makes her gasp more than the rush of pain back into her conscious mind - her throat's the worst, now, raw and swollen. She's naked and she doesn't know where she is and someone's touching her
( ... )
He drops her immediately, not really expecting this and not strong enough to hold her anyway. He sits heavily next to her and waits for her to stop coughing. "I got us out of the chapel," he states meekly, and then he moves on because he doesn't want to even think about the chapel again. "There's a new door."
He's not going to ask what happened or if she's okay. The first one is irrelevant right now, and the second one is obvious.
Madeline shrinks away from him when he sits next to her, even if her head is still a scrambled, cloudy blur of pain and dizziness and blank spots - some lessons are too well learned.
It takes her a long time to stop coughing, curled up with her arms between her legs and head resting on her knees - her clothes are on, she remembers better, it still feels like it's her bare skin goosebumping on the floor but that's - it's not anyone touching her.
She brings a shaking hand to her throat and gingerly runs her fingers over the bruises, making a quiet, wordless sound of distress, and then swallows, which triggers another, shorter fit of coughing. She thinks about trying to talk, but then thinks better of it, and just turns her head and nods, trembling all over. She knows she looks scared; she's sorry that she does.
"We should go. Get this over with." Hopefully. Somehow he has a feeling they're near the end of this whole great machine. When this thing pretending to be a hospital closes its mouth over them for the final time. They have to find a way through this. Gabriel's so tired, though, and so weak...he'll be lucky if he doesn't just drop on his own.
He stands, slowly, then offers Madeline a hand. He'll open the door once they're both up.
Comments 35
Things she knows are that she's tired. If she was wanting anything, which she isn't because she's not thinking, she'd be wanting to stay just she is.
But she's not built for that, and there's something about this door, this place, that...feels different, it's a nameless thrum across a set of nerve endings that have been screaming for contact, and the sudden, soothing hush of space is like a gentle tap on her shoulder - and then her name, and what comes flooding in isn't gentle at all.
Madeline doesn't remember she really isn't naked, that really it's just another shifting little trick, and that makes her gasp more than the rush of pain back into her conscious mind - her throat's the worst, now, raw and swollen. She's naked and she doesn't know where she is and someone's touching her ( ... )
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He's not going to ask what happened or if she's okay. The first one is irrelevant right now, and the second one is obvious.
Reply
It takes her a long time to stop coughing, curled up with her arms between her legs and head resting on her knees - her clothes are on, she remembers better, it still feels like it's her bare skin goosebumping on the floor but that's - it's not anyone touching her.
She brings a shaking hand to her throat and gingerly runs her fingers over the bruises, making a quiet, wordless sound of distress, and then swallows, which triggers another, shorter fit of coughing. She thinks about trying to talk, but then thinks better of it, and just turns her head and nods, trembling all over. She knows she looks scared; she's sorry that she does.
Reply
He stands, slowly, then offers Madeline a hand. He'll open the door once they're both up.
Reply
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