[FIN] Just Smile

[Tori Honoo]

She bit her lip as he curled in on himself, the expression on his face hurting her more than forcing her way through the letter had. Her own shoulders trembled as she released his hand, scooting closer to instead wrap her arms around him, as if to hold him together, desperate to keep him from shattering.

Her heart beat fast as she stared at the headboard behind his bed. No...no no no no no. This couldn't have happened... things were supposed to be alright.... Everything was fine. She was fine, Luke was fine, Yuri was fine. Asch... Asch was...This hadn't happened...The nightmare was supposed to be over...  

[Suudonym]

A long withheld sob escaped, and he stopped the next by outright holding his breath. When that breath ran out, he exhaled and inhaled shudderingly and resumed. He thought he had already reached his limit once before, but apparently he was wrong. At that time, he had yet to experience the feeling of killing his brother.

"Shh it's fine," he murmured offhandedly, the target of the words unclear. "It'll be fine. It'll be fine."  

[Tori Honoo]

She tensed, and her eyes squeezed shut as the sob escaped him, her arms immediately holding him tighter. One hand rubbed his back as the other stroked his hair, holding his head gently to her shoulder.

As he spoke aimlessly, she shushed him gently, silently begging the world to just stop, if only for a few moments so they could both steady themselves once more. "Luke, it's okay.... I promise, it'll be okay!"

Somehow...Somehow.....!  

[Suudonym]

He produced a sound that was half laughter and half lament, maneuvering his arms from within the small form he had compressed himself into and pressing the heel of his hands into his eyes. Dove's claims were horribly, painfully, wretchedly amusing. He broke into a shout, "What's okay?! If this is what it takes for me to live then take it back! Take it back!"  

[Tori Honoo]

When he moved suddenly, Dove released him, flinching away at the shout. In all but panic, she moved and pressed the Nurse Call button, keeping a hand on his shoulder even as she stood.

She couldn't do this.

She absolutely couldn't do this.  

[Suudonym]

A small light illuminated shortly after the button was pressed, indicating that the requested nurse had been dispatched. He arrived in a few brief moments, offering words of assurance to Dove, and took evaluation of Luke's condition. In the span of less than a few minutes during which the nurse unsuccessfully attempted to verbally calm the patient, the staff acted upon the decision to administer tranquilizers as a precaution against the evidently likely possibility of the boy harming himself in his fit. This complete, Luke left in a state of peaceful unconsciousness despite the look of distress still in his features, the nurse addressed Dove apologetically to suggest that she leave for the day.  

[Tori Honoo]

As the nurse shooed her from the side of the bed, her hands immediately moved to cover her mouth, tears streaming freely down her face as she backed away, watching in horror as Luke fell still under the effects of the tranquilizers.

She stood frozen in the center of the room, gasping a choked "I-I'm sorry, I-I'm so sorry, Luke!" before the nurse had her gently escorted from the room.