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 Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2012 2:40 pm
Jerry, for once, had suffered very few physical injuries that mission. The emotional ones were the ones that worried him most, but the important thing was Sasha was back. And safe. And not dead.
Mostly.
He waited outside the infirmary as the Life Technicians tended to the captured, and time ticked on agonizingly slow.
Finally, he was permitted to come inside.
Warily, he approached her bed, his stomach shifting. She was still asleep. He couldn't begin to imagine what she had been through- he had only had a tiny taste. Not wanting to disturb her prematurely, he gently pulled a chair up to her bed side, sitting and content to wait however long it would take.
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Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2012 3:14 pm
Sleep did not come unless it was assisted by drugs. Sasha wasn't sure what sort of medication was being pumped into her veins, but her consciousness was not lucid enough to question the doctor or the others that looked after her. Sleep was a void that Sasha welcomed, and when the void became clear... Sasha became upset. Not completely broken - no, there was an inner, sharp strength that she clung to - but she was shattered enough that tears would come, visions of Otto falling to the ground, visions of her own death over and over and over and over again until once more it became difficult for the intermediate to discern nightmare from reality.
During one of these lapses between sleep and consciousness, Sasha took a deep intake of breath as she jolted awake, eyes wide and glassy.
"Otto!"
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Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2012 3:29 pm
Jerry had almost fallen asleep slumped in his chair when Sasha began to murmur in her sleep. He straightened immediately, reaching out to gently take her hand, "Sasha... Sasha it's okay, Otto's here he's fine- It's... it's me, I'm here too..." He tried to keep the panic from his voice. "You're home, Sasha..."
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Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2012 3:48 pm
Jerry. It was Jerry - and she was home? Icy fingers clutched her blankets to her chest. The touch of Jerry's fingers against her own had her pulling away - as far away as she could get without falling out of the bed.
"Wash? Where's Wash? Oh God.. and Rin? Ami? Everyone is safe?"
She could hear the panic in his voice, could recognize it for what it was - but she was in no shape to handle it. Not when she was dealing with her own confusion and trauma.
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Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2012 5:13 pm
"We're all safe," he breathed, although he didn't know for sure. He hadn't gone down the lines of beds, hadn't had the heart yet- but as far as he last knew, Wash at least had made it through alright...
"We're back at Deus," He wasn't sure what to make of her flinching, but it was understandable. Did he try to fight it? Pull her into the hug he craved? Best bet was to let her calm down first. "It's alright... it's going to be alright," He lied.
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Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2012 8:29 pm
It didn't feel like it was going to be alright. Nothing felt like it was going to be alright. Each time she closed her eyes she could see a flash of death, feel a tinge of agony pulling at her thoughts. It was a horrific, terrible feeling - but she was powerless to escape it.
Sasha's breath hitched slightly as she wet her lips, looking at Jerry without really seeing him.
"Are you real? Am .. is this real?"
She didn't dare to believe it.
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Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2012 8:44 pm
He once again tried to take her hand, softly but firmly, his smile still trembling around the edges, "I'm way too sober for this to not be real."
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Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2012 8:53 pm
Sasha wet her lips, avoiding his touch for the time being. She didn't want to hold his hand; the last hand she'd touched had been Wash's - and that train of thought caused her to pale.
No, no no no.
"Don't.. I don't want to.. don't touch me."
She crossed her arms over her chest and swallowed dryly.
"Water?"
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Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2012 9:10 pm
He bit his lip, flinching back, "Y-yeah... yeah just... just a moment..." managed weakly, twisting his hands together as he watched her with increasing concern.
It was all still fresh. She needed time.
He rose slowly, shuffling from the bed to try to find a Life attendant.
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Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2012 11:35 pm
As soon as Jerry was out of sight, Sasha pressed cold, trembling hands to her face. She didn't want to have to deal with this. She didn't want to have to try and keep it together just so that she didn't upset Jerry more.
She couldn't even think about it.
Exhaling softly, she lowered her hands to her lap and stared down at them as she waited for Jerry's return.
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Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2012 11:46 pm
It didn't take long for him to find what he was looking for, the cool Styrofoam cup making whatever adjective describes the sound of ice moving in a Styrofoam cup as he debated between sitting on the end of the bed beside her or the chair.
He settled for the chair, shifting something to his side as he offered the cup toward her hands with another weak but assuring smile.
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Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2012 7:51 am
Sasha let go of a breath she didn't realize she was holding when Jerry sat on the chair. It was good he'd decided on the chair - Sasha wasn't sure what she would have done if he'd seated himself next to her.
She took the cup from his hand, avoiding contact as best she could. It wasn't just him. It was everyone. Sasha did not want anyone to make physical contact with her, not yet. Maybe not ever. If this was an illusion and it all melted away to nothing...
Sasha didn't even know what she was afraid of, at this point. All she could think about was how awkward this felt, and how much she just wanted to be alone. Then again, maybe this visit would prove a decent distraction from her own thoughts.
She cleared her throat.
"I'm sorry."
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Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2012 8:04 am
"You have nothing to be sorry about," He said quietly.
After a few moments, there was a suddenly gentle plunka-plunka of ukulele before he sang in nearly a whisper, "Don't you worry there my honey, We might not have any money, But we've got our love to pay the bills..."
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Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2012 9:49 am
She felt trapped.
"Don't."
Things weren't the same. They'd never be the same. Sasha realized that - she'd realized it the first moment she'd faced Medea down in the dungeon. Pretending that everything would just settle back into place ... no.
Nothing would ever settle back into place.
"Just.. not now."
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Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2012 9:56 am
A few more notes and Jerry silenced the strings, sagging in his chair. "M-music is good therapy..." He murmured, looking unsure of what to do. Music always had helped. It settled his nerves, it helped him think- it had helped his Grandmother back in the day, although those times now felt surreal and distant.
He bit his lip again, looking down at the little instrument meekly, feeling foolish. "Do... do you need anything else? B-besides water I mean..." He felt useless. He just wanted her to smile again, just once and he'd know they'd be alright.
Things weren't alright.
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