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Post by Ashlin Thomas on Jun 27, 2011 13:06:16 GMT -8
Pulling out the handkerchief she wiped at the tears streaming down Michael's face. "It isn't real, whatever you're seeing it isn't real." she begged him to believe. She wasn't even sure he'd be able to hear her like this, but she had to try. The feeling of helplessness was overwhelming. Michael was suffering right in front of her eyes, but there was nothing she could do to help him.
"Wake up, oh Michael please wake up." she said, sounding almost scared as she continued to stroke his hair. His skin felt much too hot beneath her touch, and she wondered when Mr.Stewart would be back with the ice.
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Post by Mister Stewart on Jul 2, 2011 12:55:58 GMT -8
Mister Stewart was moving as fast as an ailing man in a wheelchair could - keeping one eye on the monitor, one eye on the winding hallways Just hold on, Michael. Please hold on. Listen to her.
The tears continued to fall as Ashlin wiped them up, his breath coming in sharp little gasps. He was lost in sleep, lost in his nightmares...but part of him heard her. Part of him clung to her voice, to the soothing touches petting his head.
His hand twitched and grasped at the bedsheets as if looking for something.
---
"MICHAEL! MICHAEL, WAKE UP!"
"Wh-what? D-Dad? DAD?"
"GET UP! YOU HAVE TO GET OUT!"
"I - I can't see - it's - it's too hot -"
"I'M COMING, SON. I'M COMING! JUST - HANG ON -"
"Where - WHERE'S MOM?"
"Michael - we - we just - we have to get out, okay? We have to get-"
CRACK. SNAP.
...
"...Dad?"
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Post by Ashlin Thomas on Jul 2, 2011 13:34:31 GMT -8
"Shhhh, it'll be okay." she told him softly, wishing she could know for sure that it would be. He was burning up, and she knew that if they didn't get his fever down then his bruises and scrapes would be the least of his worries. Without thinking she leaned down to give him a light kiss on his forehead the way her mom used to when she'd been sick as a little girl. It had always made her feel better, she hoped it would do the same for Michael. And maybe she would be embarrassed about it later, but not now.
Right now she just wanted Michael to be okay, but he wasn't and she didn't know how to fix it. He was breathing too heavily, and he was much too warm. She wondered what could be haunting him, what was making him toss and turn, and grasp at things that weren't there.
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Post by Mister Stewart on Jul 2, 2011 13:48:43 GMT -8
The kiss seemed to calm him - it caught him off-guard, a sensation he hadn't experienced in years and years. His face twitched a bit from it's tension, an unintelligible mumble falling from his lips. He leaned a little into her touch...still asleep, but at the very least it was a response. He wasn't SO far gone. He knew someone was there.
...
The soft squeak-squeak of wheels finally signalled the return of an exhausted Mister Stewart, a bowl of ice perched in his lap along with a pack to put it in. "How is he doing?" He already knew the answer to that question, but still he asked.
The eyes tended to lie, after all.
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Post by Ashlin Thomas on Jul 2, 2011 18:39:20 GMT -8
She was relieved to see that he seemed coherent enough to at least respond to her touch. No matter where his mind was trapped a part of him was still right here with them. "He's still much too warm." she told him fretfully, turning toward Mr.Stewart. Ashlin was hesitant to cease her petting of Michael's hair, remembering how he had held onto her during the last nightmare she had witnessed, and how he leaned into her touch now. Pulling away felt strangely like abandoning him. And so she continued her motions as she spoke with Mr.Stewart. "What can I do to help?" she asked.
Ashlin knew a fair share about homeopathic remedies and knew why Mr.Stewart had gotten the ice, but Ashlin was feeling rather overwhelmed at the moment. She just wanted someone to tell her what she should be doing right now; it was so much easier than dealing with the overload of information and feelings she was still holding off processing. She stole another glances at Michael in between her words, unable to stop her worrying even for a moment.
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Post by Mister Stewart on Jul 2, 2011 22:32:49 GMT -8
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Mister Stewart was happy to see Ashlin there for Michael, so unwilling to leave him. It was reassuring...to know the boy finally had someone.
But they could talk about that later.
He wheeled up, handing over the ice pack and setting the bowl on the nightstand. "Apply that - it should help cool him down. Hopefully the fever will drop as quickly as it came on."
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Post by Ashlin Thomas on Jul 2, 2011 23:08:02 GMT -8
Nodding Ashlin at last pulled away from Michael but only so she could lay the ice pack against his forehead. "Please be okay." she whispered, not even really meaning to say the words aloud. This was quickly turning into one of the most emotionally draining days of Ashlin's life and she wasn't sure how much more of this she could take. She just wanted Michael to be better, he was her first ever real friend. He had to be okay.
Ashlin began to stroke Michael's hair again, finding the action as soothing to herself as it apparently was to Michael. She needed to feel him respond, to know he was still there. She'd been crying so much today she barely even noticed the tears gather in her eyes anymore.
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Post by Mister Stewart on Jul 2, 2011 23:25:16 GMT -8
Mister Stewart watched her in silence for a long moment, listening to her whispered words, studying her face, his face - thinking. Always thinking. Michael groaned softly in his sleep as the ice was applied, a little sigh escaping him. It was helping, if only a bit.
Then, finally, through the silence -
"...You care for him a great deal, don't you?" Softly. No hint of teasing - a genuine question.
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Post by Ashlin Thomas on Jul 2, 2011 23:41:43 GMT -8
Ashlin looked up at Mr.Stewart's question, too tired to be as embarrassed by the question as she might usually be. "He's my friend." she said simply. "I've, never had any friends before." That was all true enough, and it was a large part of the reason she was so worried, but she couldn't deny that she felt more for Michael than just friendship. She felt comfortable when she was with Michael, like she could be exactly who she was and it would be alright, he'd still like her. And she since she didn't know how to be anyone but herself she needed that. He wasn't her only friend anymore, she knew she could count Emily as a friend if no one else, but Michael would always be her first friend.
"I don't want to let him down." Michael had trusted her with so much, so many of his secrets. She wanted to prove she was worth that trust; prove it to Michael, and herself.
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Post by Mister Stewart on Jul 3, 2011 1:17:37 GMT -8
There was a very long moment of consideration...he looked down at the boy, heaving a slow sigh. When he spoke again, his tone was soft, reassuring. He reached out to rest a hand upon her arm in a comforting fashion.
"...You came here today to help him. And you've stayed with him. You've already done so much more than anyone else has in years. I assure you, Ashlin, you have already done far too much to let him down."
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Post by Ashlin Thomas on Jul 3, 2011 9:26:44 GMT -8
Ashlin gave him a sad smile at that. While it was nice to know Mr.Stewart believed she wouldn't let Michael down it was far more depressing to realize that Michael had been as alone as she was for so long. It was worse still in her mind because at least she was healthy, Michael had been alone and suffering.
Maybe not completely alone though, she thought, looking at Mr.Stewart. "He's had you." she pointed out with a smile that was just a little less sad. It clear to her that Mr.Stewart meant quite a bit to Michael, hadn't he wanted to keep him from worrying after all? And that the feeling was mutual. It must be just as hard, if not harder for Mr.Stewart, seeing Michael like this.
Michael would be okay, she thought in determination; they'd make sure of it.
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Post by Mister Stewart on Jul 3, 2011 23:52:37 GMT -8
At that, Mister Stewart gave a soft sigh, shaking his head a little bit. He cared deeply about Michael, and he wanted the best for him...but he felt as if he was failing him now, watching him suffer and not knowing what to do. He didn't have the answers this time, and...not when it counted. It was...horrible.
"...He has done more for me than I have for him," he finally murmured, pausing briefly to cough a little behind his mask. He wasn't a young man. He knew this. "It was a great deal harder to get on by myself. Michael works so hard...but he never rests. No matter how I insist. Perhaps you might convince him to unwind now and again."
Michael gave another soft groan, letting out a shuddering breath. The ice was helping, but only just.
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Post by Ashlin Thomas on Jul 4, 2011 0:08:35 GMT -8
That wasn't hard to believe, it seemed to Ashlin that Michael didn't know how to do anything halfway. Her mind flashed back to how she found him when she'd first arrived, to try and force himself to clean when he was in such a state. . . it wasn't hard to imagine him soldiering on through things like exhaustion or illness. It wasn't an easy realization to swallow.
Ashlin shook her head "You're important to him, that's worth something." Michael wouldn't have cared so much about worrying Mr.Stewart if he didn't care about him, she was sure of it. "I'll do my best to get him to relax more." she promised, softly stroking his hair as he groaned. He couldn't let himself get this bad, not again, and even if Michael wouldn't concern himself with his own well being then she certainly would. And it was hardly a hardship to spend more time with Michael.
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Post by Mister Stewart on Jul 4, 2011 0:23:27 GMT -8
"It's worth more than you know."
Chuckling softly - a fond, if sad, sound - he nodded appreciatively at her assertion. If Michael wouldn't listen to him, perhaps he would listen to her. He knew that...well, he wasn't as good at parenting as he once thought he might be. He had already lost one son...now he simply prayed he would not lose another.
Another groan - louder this time, a strangled sound in his throat. He was stirring...perhaps trying to wake?
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Post by Ashlin Thomas on Jul 4, 2011 0:29:23 GMT -8
If it was worth anything she was willing to try it. Ashlin didn't know if Michael would actually listen to her, but she had to try didn't she? What kind of friend would she be if she didn't do something.
Ashlin perked up, noticing the change. "Michael?" she said softly "Michael, please, wake up." she encouraged. He needed rest but this fitful sleep wasn't doing him any good, and they needed to make sure he was alright after his fall. They still didn't even know why he had screamed.
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