Our New Normal

Part 6: Response

He laid in that on call room for well over half an hour and still sleep did not find him. His mind raced around the ever growing thought that Helen and Cassian were going to be spending dinner together in Shin's apartment.

It wouldn't be too bad if they went to a restaurant.

Restaurants don't have beds.

They don't have privacy.

A knock pulls him from his thoughts before the door opens and reveals Helen peering in.

"Did I wake you?"

"No...it's been a fruitless endeavor, sitting in here." He says sitting on the edge of the bed. Helen closes the door behind her and he sits up straight as if presenting himself to here with a more dignified manner instead of a slouch. "Everything alright?"

Nodding, she sits beside him on the bed and just stares ahead of them with her hands clasped in her lap.

"Still asleep." Silence fills the room around them and before anything can be said, Helen rests her head against his shoulder and let's her breath go.

"What's wrong?" He quietly asks and she can't help but omit a small pleaful cry. "Helen...what is it?"

She begins to shake and now Max can't ignore her presence next to him. Turning, he places his hands on both her arms and turns her to look at him.

"Look at me...Sharpe?" It takes her a bit to find her bearings to make eye contact.

"My...my Dad..." His face drops slightly and he searches her wet eyes. "My Dad got it...my dad has co...co...COVID..."

She loses it completely.  He's never seen her so upset before and it's completely understandable.

"Come here. I got you." Pulling her into his arms, she rests her head in the crook of her neck and rubs his hand up and down her back. "Do they say anything?"

"He's in...Queen Mary's Hospital...my Mum has to be...qu...quarantined at home. He's all...a...al...alone..." Her sobs soak his shirt and neck. All he can do is hold her and leave small near nonexistent kisses on her temple.

"Whatever you need...Helen.... whatever he needs. We'll do it. Okay? We'll figure something out. Alright?" She nods shakily before choking on more tears and wrapping her arms tighter around him.

As horrible as this news is- it makes him feel good to know that she came to cry on his shoulder and not Cassian's.

As fucked up as that is to say.

"I can't...can't even go...go home..." Wanting her to get closer to him for max comfort- no pun intended- he puts his left arm under her legs and pulls her onto his lap. He expects her to pull away or say something- but she doesn't. She simply lays into him more and holds him tighter.

"Shh...I'm here. I have you." He says sweetly and his hands run up and down her back gently. Her black blouse comes slightly untucked from her leopard skirt and her heels drop to the floor below.

"I don't want...want to lose my Dad...I can't lose my Dad..."

"You won't. Helen, you won't lose your Dad. The pandemic has slowed over there- he's safe in a respectable hospital who has had low counts. He'll be alright. Your Mom will be alright. Once travel restrictions are up- you'll go see them and everything will be fine. I promise." His voice of reason is all she needs to slowly calm down. Yet her shaking body disagrees with her. It continues to shake and quivers and gasp for air, despite her saying internally that he's right and that everything be be alright.

All this shaking and worrying makes her tired to say the least. All she wants to do is lay down and sleep off her fears.

"Helen, what can I do? How can I help?" He quietly asks and she simply shakes her head- unsure if what she's about to ask is a reasonable request.