United (Magics AU - Part 1)

Chapter 25 - Abby

The amount of sleep Abby managed to get was wonderful. If she dreamed anything at all, she couldn't remember a single bit of it - not even the feeling that dreams usually left behind when the sleeper awoke. For once, her shoulders, back, and hips weren't bruised and sore from sleeping on rock hard ground. The bed she and her brother had insisted on sharing - because they had been together for so long, it seemed odd (and even a bit nerve-wracking for Abby) to sleep in a different room, without her brother at her side - was soft and warm, and Abby fell asleep almost instantly. She wasn't sure about Chase, but she was in a dreamless haze almost the moment she folded herself into Chase's arms. 

When she woke up the next morning to the sun shining brightly through the curtained window, Abby felt cheerful and refreshed - but extremely hungry. She'd been able to eat something yesterday, but it wasn't anything large; and she'd had to wait until her father finished eagerly questioning her and her brother. 

The most painful question he'd asked them was why Abby wasn't speaking. Though Abby had tried to convince herself that she was stronger than this - that she wouldn't let her anyone see just how much she badly wished to speak again - the question brought up a flurry of sharp, painful memories and lingering sadness. 

Abby had tried desperately to conceal her hurt and shocked expression, but Shintaro had seen it anyway. His eyebrows had furrowed in pity, but he didn't take back the question - of course he would want to know. 

Chase had blown out a long breath and leaned against the wall that the medical bed was pushed against. "Because she can't," he'd said solemnly, clasping his hands on his lap and turning sad eyes to his sister.

Abby gave him a reassuring smile, one that she hoped would hide the anxious annoyance and sadness in her eyes. She wanted so badly to reach out, to clutch her father's hands, to tell him that it would be okay; but of course, she couldn't. 

Shintaro had blinked at Chase slowly, as if challenging him to say that again. "Pardon?" he finally managed to say, but he spoke vehemently through his teeth. 

"Because she can't," Chase repeated, this time more roughly. He raised angry, remorseful eyes up to their father. "She can't." His voice broke at the last word, and Abby felt tears rise into her eyes.

She didn't want Chase to be so upset over this, which was why she was trying to be strong for his sake. She didn't want him to think that it was his fault that he couldn't protect her, and she wanted to show him that she could live just fine without talking - as much as she would miss it. 

Abby had reached forward and taken her brother's clenched hands, squeezing them gently and smiling at him when he turned his eyes to her. Thankfully, she'd mastered the ability to put a huge message into her expressions, and Chase had gotten the hang of reading them. She willed him to believe that It's okay. 

"Oh, Abby," Shintaro whispered, and Abby turned her attention back to her father. He was watching her with a sorrowful, sympathetic face. "I'm so sorry." 

Of course, Abby had reached out and hugged him tightly, hoping to send the message that everything was going to be okay, with or without her voice. She knew that it was a heartbreaking thing for family to realize, but she wanted them to know that she would be all right. 

For a while, the family had sat in the room in silence, simply hugging each other while they were lost in their own thoughts. Eventually, Chase and Shintaro started talking about some of the things that they used to do before they were separated, and finally they started laughing together. 

Abby had hardly been able to contain the smile that was spreading across her face - she hadn't seen Chase laugh since the day that their house had burned down. Her poor, downhearted brother hadn't laughed in three years; and finally, he was letting his greater personality - the lighthearted, silly, happy one - slip through his sorrowful, dejected and protective one.