physiotherapy | awsten knight

29: swallowed down

January 14th, 4 weeks after the incident

Awsten was taking a shower after successfully completing his work-out. It felt good to get back in shape.

The cold water ran down his back, cooling him off. He was shampooing his hair and singing along to a song, which played from his phone.

Though, because of it, he only heard the ring of his doorbell at the third try.

"Shit.", Awsten mumbled, hopping out of the shower as quickly as possible, "Fuck."

He wrapped himself in a towel, turned off the music on the phone in his hand and tiptoed over to the door. His footsteps left small puddles of water behind. He checked his peephole and almost dropped his towel in surprise.

He opened the door only slightly, so that his head could peak outside.

"Hey.", he muttered softly.

Cosima was standing in front of his door, looking like a picture of misery, with the hood of his sweatshirt pulled over her head and leaning on her turquoise crutches.

"Hi. Can I please come in?", her voice sounded thin and like she was further away than she actually was.

"Of course.", Awsten pulled the door back and let her inside.

He told her to take a seat on his couch and that he would be right back after he changed.

"How did you get here?", he asked, after putting on a t-shirt and shorts, and getting her a glass of tap-water from the kitchen.

"I took the bus.", she said, a little slow and heavily blinking. She apathetically looked around his apartment. He held out the glass for her which took her a second to even register. Awsten's concern grew, he had never seen her like this.

He leaned in to get a better look at her pupils, they were dilated.

"Are you on drugs?", Awsten asked, feeling pretty apprehensive about her strange behaviour. Especially if it was caused by drug abuse.

He watched her take a sip of water before she shook her head, "I took a Xanax."

The medication rang a bell for Awsten, and his sceptical face softened.

"Do you need a hug?", he opened his arms, a sorry look now crossing his face.

Cosima nodded and blinked away a few tears. She scooted over to him and laid her head on his chest. Awsten rubbed her back and put the glass on the coffee table for her.

She sniffled quietly, Awsten almost didn't hear it.

"Shh.", he soothed her and leaned back on the couch.

He pulled her on top of him and allowed her to bury her head into the crook of his neck. She wet his skin a little with a few stray tears.

She closed her eyes and to truly tried to relax for the first time in the last couple of days. He squeezed her waist reassuringly, to let her know that it was okay.