Fic: Don't Look Away (PG-13 gen)
Title: Don't Look Away
Author: Helen W. (wneleh)
Rating: PG-13 for graphic injury
Warnings: none
Category: gen
Wordcount: ~700
Spoilers: 1x11 "Space"
Disclaimer: Not mine, etc. etc. Even the bits that are.
Feedback: Yes, please, here or to helenw@murphnet.org.
Summary: An attempt to explain Space!Chloe.
Don't Look Away
by Helen W.
1.
Chloe had never been more scared in her life. The people, the signs, the angry chanting and yelling: "Murderer!" and "Armstrong Will Pay!" And to get to their house, they were going to have to keeping driving past them.
"Close your eyes, honey," said her father's driver. "Cover your ears."
"No," said her father. He was holding her hand tightly, and Chloe wondered if it as much for him as for her. But his voice was calm when he said, "Eight years old is old enough. Don't look away, Chloe."
She didn't know why, but him saying that made her feel better. "Are they here because of the accident?" Chloe didn't really understand what had happened, just that people had died, and more people had been badly injured, at a factory owned by not-really-Uncle George. "Why are they angry at you?"
"George and I go way back," her father said. "It's complicated."
"But you didn't do anything!"
"Again… it's complicated. I… I don't know how much responsibility I bear."
"What are you going to do?"
"My duty," he said. "What's right, though I don't know what that is yet. But the first thing, the most important thing, is that I not look away from these people, no matter how angry they are, and how bad that makes me feel. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
2.
"Chloe, come here a minute."
"I'm on the phone, Mom!"
"I'm serious. Hang up and come here."
Chloe actually was pretty relieved to have an excuse to stop talking to Mindy, but her mother's tone was a bit sharper than usual. What had she done? She couldn't think of anything.
"Who were you talking about?"
"You were listening?" Her mother was usually great about her privacy; it was one of the million ways her parents were easier to manage than most.
"It was hard to miss. Who were you talking about? I don't like the language you were using."
"Oh… just… you remember Heather Sanchez? She's gotten really weird. We were just laughing about her."
"Weird how?"
"She comes to school late every day. She's wearing, like, a ton of make-up. She's falling asleep in Mindy's Civics class."
"Have any teachers noticed, do you think?"
"How would I know? I try to avoid her."
"Chloe - listen, this is important. You don't have to fix Heather's life - that's not the job for a fifteen-year-old. But don't shun her. Don't look away, don't walk away, okay? You don't have to be afraid of her. And you're much too good a person to get any joy out of whatever she's going through, and much too brave to think you have to laugh just because Mindy is."
"Yeah, whatever," said Chloe, knowing her mother knew that meant, "yeah, okay."
3.
What the hell? Was that a car down there?
"Hey, look at that!" Josh said, but Chloe was already pulling over.
"Call 9-1-1," she said. "I think I see a body."
When Josh didn't go for his phone immediately, she grabbed hers, dialed the number, then handed it to Josh. "Talk to them. We're on 27, and we just passed Culver Road."
The woman was laying in a heap, bent unnaturally, her face covered in blood. More blood soaked her shirt; there so much Chloe couldn't tell where it was coming from. Her eyes fixed on Chloe.
Chloe knelt beside her and stroked the hair just behind her ear. "Is there anyone else in the car?" she asked.
The woman mouthed the word "No."
"Okay, good," said Chloe. "Help's on the way." She didn't know what to do - if she knew anything about first aid, it was that you shouldn't go moving someone if you didn't absolutely have to. But she kept up the gentle stroking, kept hold of the woman's gaze.
It wasn't long at all until there were sirens, then a swarm of people. A police woman led Chloe back up to the road. "Good for you for not just looking away," she said. "Most people would have."
4.
Mid-battle, something, or someone, cut a hole in Destiny. Chloe looked up.
* * * THE END * * *
All feedback appreciated. Don't feel compelled to be constructive ☺.
More fic at http://www.murphnet.org/fanfic.
Author: Helen W. (wneleh)
Rating: PG-13 for graphic injury
Warnings: none
Category: gen
Wordcount: ~700
Spoilers: 1x11 "Space"
Disclaimer: Not mine, etc. etc. Even the bits that are.
Feedback: Yes, please, here or to helenw@murphnet.org.
Summary: An attempt to explain Space!Chloe.
Don't Look Away
by Helen W.
1.
Chloe had never been more scared in her life. The people, the signs, the angry chanting and yelling: "Murderer!" and "Armstrong Will Pay!" And to get to their house, they were going to have to keeping driving past them.
"Close your eyes, honey," said her father's driver. "Cover your ears."
"No," said her father. He was holding her hand tightly, and Chloe wondered if it as much for him as for her. But his voice was calm when he said, "Eight years old is old enough. Don't look away, Chloe."
She didn't know why, but him saying that made her feel better. "Are they here because of the accident?" Chloe didn't really understand what had happened, just that people had died, and more people had been badly injured, at a factory owned by not-really-Uncle George. "Why are they angry at you?"
"George and I go way back," her father said. "It's complicated."
"But you didn't do anything!"
"Again… it's complicated. I… I don't know how much responsibility I bear."
"What are you going to do?"
"My duty," he said. "What's right, though I don't know what that is yet. But the first thing, the most important thing, is that I not look away from these people, no matter how angry they are, and how bad that makes me feel. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
2.
"Chloe, come here a minute."
"I'm on the phone, Mom!"
"I'm serious. Hang up and come here."
Chloe actually was pretty relieved to have an excuse to stop talking to Mindy, but her mother's tone was a bit sharper than usual. What had she done? She couldn't think of anything.
"Who were you talking about?"
"You were listening?" Her mother was usually great about her privacy; it was one of the million ways her parents were easier to manage than most.
"It was hard to miss. Who were you talking about? I don't like the language you were using."
"Oh… just… you remember Heather Sanchez? She's gotten really weird. We were just laughing about her."
"Weird how?"
"She comes to school late every day. She's wearing, like, a ton of make-up. She's falling asleep in Mindy's Civics class."
"Have any teachers noticed, do you think?"
"How would I know? I try to avoid her."
"Chloe - listen, this is important. You don't have to fix Heather's life - that's not the job for a fifteen-year-old. But don't shun her. Don't look away, don't walk away, okay? You don't have to be afraid of her. And you're much too good a person to get any joy out of whatever she's going through, and much too brave to think you have to laugh just because Mindy is."
"Yeah, whatever," said Chloe, knowing her mother knew that meant, "yeah, okay."
3.
What the hell? Was that a car down there?
"Hey, look at that!" Josh said, but Chloe was already pulling over.
"Call 9-1-1," she said. "I think I see a body."
When Josh didn't go for his phone immediately, she grabbed hers, dialed the number, then handed it to Josh. "Talk to them. We're on 27, and we just passed Culver Road."
The woman was laying in a heap, bent unnaturally, her face covered in blood. More blood soaked her shirt; there so much Chloe couldn't tell where it was coming from. Her eyes fixed on Chloe.
Chloe knelt beside her and stroked the hair just behind her ear. "Is there anyone else in the car?" she asked.
The woman mouthed the word "No."
"Okay, good," said Chloe. "Help's on the way." She didn't know what to do - if she knew anything about first aid, it was that you shouldn't go moving someone if you didn't absolutely have to. But she kept up the gentle stroking, kept hold of the woman's gaze.
It wasn't long at all until there were sirens, then a swarm of people. A police woman led Chloe back up to the road. "Good for you for not just looking away," she said. "Most people would have."
4.
Mid-battle, something, or someone, cut a hole in Destiny. Chloe looked up.
* * * THE END * * *
All feedback appreciated. Don't feel compelled to be constructive ☺.
More fic at http://www.murphnet.org/fanfic.