December 15th. Blood stained snow
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AU
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"Stay with me Ed, stay with me."
Peter struggled to carry Edmund through the knee deep snow, blood from his brother's chest dripping onto the white stuff and staining it a dark red.
He tripped after a moment and fell to his knees, Edmund choking and coughing harshly as he fell to the ground.
Peter squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, before sitting Edmund against a nearby tree. He knew his brother didn't like snow, but after being caught in a freak snowstorm and being stabbed in the chest by a hag, Peter didn't have a clue what to do.
They were miles from home, there's no way they could make it back in time to heal Edmund, which is what scared him so, so much.
"Keep breathing Ed." Peter muttered, routing through his bag to see if there was anything that could help his brother in any way. "Stay with me."
Edmund coughed harshly, blood staining his teeth as the snow beneath him stained red. "P - Pete." He slurred out, trying to force his eyes open.
Peter's head snapped up, and tears trickled down his cheeks when he saw Edmunds face... He knew that look.
"Don't - don't b - bother." Edmund whispered. "Too - Too late."
Peter nearly broke down then and there. "N - No Ed." He choked. "It's not too late, you stay with me, don't you dare give up! It's Christmas next week and you will be here to spend it with us!"
Edmund tried to swallow, but only ended up choking again, blood splattering his paper white face. "I - I love you Pete." He whispered, reaching for his brother's hand.
Peter grabbed his hand tightly. "Don't you dare." He all but growled, his tears falling faster and faster the more time went on. "I'm going to get you home!"
"But home is hours away..."
"Tell - Tell the girls I - I love them - them too." Edmund choked, his breathing becoming more and more forced and desperate as the seconds ticked by.
"You can tell them that yourself." Peter told him, but deep down he knew that wasn't possible.
Deep down he knew he couldn't help his brother, otherwise he'd be carrying him back to Cair right now, not sat in the snow, watching him slowly die.
Edmund shook his head weakly and actually smiled a tiny bit. "I - I'm in Aslan's paws now..." He whispered. "Merry - Merry Christmas Peter... Goodbye..."
Peter watched as Edmunds eyes slipped shut, as his breathing slowed, and as he sunk against the tree behind him, before he went still and quiet...
"No," He whispered, choking on a sob. "No!"
He shook his brother, but Edmund didn't do a thing.
"Edmund! Wake up! Edmund, Ed!" He paused, and the next thing he said was cut off by a choked sob, "Eddy," Before he broke down into tears, shoulders shaking as he bent over, resting his forehead against his baby brother's, crying so, so hard he was shaking.
He sat there for so long crying that he gave himself a headache, before he sat up, stared at the blood stained snow, stared at Edmund's stark white face...
And screamed.
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