The Flames of Medicine

33

Landon POV:

She opens her eyes and gasps as she tries to catch her breathe.

"hey, hey, it's me, you're okay. you're okay. breathe with me..." 

Claire grabbed on to the bathtub edge and gasped. I lowered the warm water to the side and gently moved her hair from her matted face. She was still crying lightly with some sobs and her breathing was still jagged.

"Claire, please. help me get your breathing under control. It'll help you and you'll feel better"

"okkkkay."

I pushed her forward away from the bathtub wall and I squished myself between the bathtub wall and her. I pushed her back to me as I extended my legs in front of me and hers on top of mine, the bathtub size and my position basically forcing her to sit on top of me straddling me backwards.

"Claire, follow my breathing"

I lay her on top of me where her back can feel my chest. I grab her hands interlacing our fingers and place one of her hands on top of her chest by her neck and the other by her stomach.

"Claire, follow me. Follow my breathing."

I inhaled profoundly and exhaled softly as she started to copy my breathing and started to calm down.

"you're okay Claire. You're safe. It's just me and you. breathe in, that's it, and breathe out. do it with me"

Claire POV:

I caught my breathe while I felt Landons chest rise and fall with mine in unison and he finally let go of one of my hands to keep throwing water on me. I was soaking and I'm pretty sure Landon was too as the tub was filling up with water faster than the drain could suck out.

"I'mmm o-okkkkay" I say, not registering how much energy that took as I yawned and cuddled myself into his chest.

"i'mm okaayy" i repeat, barely a whisper and calming down but

"hey, no, not yet Claire, you're soaking, we have to get you in to some dry clothes before you get sick and have to go to the hospital" I hear Landon say as I just mumble back something when I hear him close the water as my eyes struggled to stay awake.

"come on Clay, just give me a few and you can sleep." Landon starts to hold me up by my arms and he carries me again, helping me step out of the tub and sitting me on the toilet cover as he took his hoodie and shirt off.

"I'm going to get you some dry clothes. Hold on, don't fall okay?"

I lay my head on the side of my sink as he disappears stepping out to my room and I he stands in the middle of my room confused.

"Clay, where are your clothes? some pants and... um, underwear?"

I just blinked struggling not to fall asleep and he sighed, looked around and left my room.

I feel the tears forming in my eyes again. He left. They always leave me. I'm used and I deserve to die alone. Maybe I should just stay at Lewis's place and just let them drug me and abuse me. That's all i'm good for.

I hear footsteps coming towards me and see Landon walking in dried up and with new sweatpants and hoodie on.

"Okay, so I didn't find your clothes and I don't want to invade your privacy, so i brought you some of my clothes. Here are 2 towels, let me dry you up and we'll get you to bed. How are you feeling?"

I extend my arms out the most i could. I felt so tired, he took my arms and slowly got rid of the soaking hoodie. He grabbed a towel and dried my hair and arms and neck. He lifted my tank top and left me in just my bra and soaking leggings. He dried around my breasts and stopped throwing the soaking towel to the floor.

"umm, okay, Clay I can't take your bra off, so, I brought you one of my shirts, but I'm going to turn around and you can take your bra off and put the shirt on okay? I'm just turning in case you need help, okay? here"

I nodded and grabbed the shirt from him and with some unknown strength, I took my bra off and put the shirt on, throwing my bra to the wall and clumping up with funny sounding squish.

Landon turned around and grabbed the 2nd towel that was still dry and started to dry my legs.

"Okay Clay, now with your underwear okay? I didn't look for any of yours but I brought you some of my boxers. Don't worry, they're clean, i actually just bought this pack yesterday. Here's the towel and the boxers. I'll turn around, just let me know when you're done."

He gave the boxers and towels and same with my shirt, I took them off as quickly as possible and put on his boxers and again threw my underwear next to my bra and the pile of wet clothes. Doing this exerted what little energy I had gained and i gave in on keeping my eyes open and let them close.

Landon POV:

I see Claire throw her underwear to the wall and i turn around just in time to see her closing her eyes and passing out from exhaustion. I catch her from going sideways and quickly grab my pair of sweatpants with the hoodie i had brought her and put them on her as best i could. As i pull the pants up on her legs, I see some small scars that are fading on her thighs. i analyze them and realize they're some cuts that have healed and fading. I look at her arms and see a few disappearing ones too and i see her wrist, with a fresh pink one. Not bleeding, but there, nonetheless and i now realize what she was doing when i came into her room and why she was crying.

I feel a few tears on my eyes but fight them because this isn't about me, this is about Claire. I pull up the pants and find her brush and comb her hair gently so it doesn't tangle. I put my hoodie on her and carry her over to her bed. I lay out some blankets and cover her and make sure she's getting warm.

I contemplate leaving and going to my room but i don't want her waking up alone in case she needs anything so I grab a pillow and blanket from my room, close her door and lie down on the floor next to her bed.