03-29-2020, 05:32 PM
Sterling hugged tight into his side, and Raffe’s arm circled her shoulders like the gesture might somehow hold them all together. He thought she might be sobbing. But it was the crack in Nox’s voice that really caught his chest in a painful vise, because in the darkness he had been utterly unaware of the track of tears. Sterling anchored him from action; he couldn’t leave her, not now, but it hurt to stay away. It hurt to only watch.
He squinted in the sudden burn of light. Nox’s eyes were closed now, the pup wriggling by the scruff. But he could see now that blood coated Nova’s neck; an awful lot of it, lurching Raffe’s stomach with unease. After a long moment Nox inspected the wound, then let the animal scamper off back into the darkness. For a moment confusion reigned, and then he remembered what Nox had said at the hospital. About being bitten. Questions surged, the horrified realisation plain on his face the moment the thought dawned. But he couldn’t ask them with Sterling here.
The man fell then, and Raffe half moved towards him, still gripping the kid. But Sterling’s soft voice punctured the grief, and Nox pulled himself from the wreckage to come take his cousin. Raffe’s own anxiety peeked in the meantime, concern open and fraught in his expression even as he helped calmly peel Sterling free. He murmured brief reassurances to supplement what Nox told her must happen next, but it was to Nox he looked once she was gathered up. A fucked up day indeed. His hand trailed the cap of Nox’s shoulder like he needed the touch; a commiseration, an acknowledgement of pain. Maybe that was selfish. Nox looked about ready to shatter. But it wasn't in his nature to witness without some kind of offered connection.
He swallowed and took the wallet, forced himself to the task. “Right,” he said. “Right. I can do that.”
He squinted in the sudden burn of light. Nox’s eyes were closed now, the pup wriggling by the scruff. But he could see now that blood coated Nova’s neck; an awful lot of it, lurching Raffe’s stomach with unease. After a long moment Nox inspected the wound, then let the animal scamper off back into the darkness. For a moment confusion reigned, and then he remembered what Nox had said at the hospital. About being bitten. Questions surged, the horrified realisation plain on his face the moment the thought dawned. But he couldn’t ask them with Sterling here.
The man fell then, and Raffe half moved towards him, still gripping the kid. But Sterling’s soft voice punctured the grief, and Nox pulled himself from the wreckage to come take his cousin. Raffe’s own anxiety peeked in the meantime, concern open and fraught in his expression even as he helped calmly peel Sterling free. He murmured brief reassurances to supplement what Nox told her must happen next, but it was to Nox he looked once she was gathered up. A fucked up day indeed. His hand trailed the cap of Nox’s shoulder like he needed the touch; a commiseration, an acknowledgement of pain. Maybe that was selfish. Nox looked about ready to shatter. But it wasn't in his nature to witness without some kind of offered connection.
He swallowed and took the wallet, forced himself to the task. “Right,” he said. “Right. I can do that.”