Even In The Grave, All Is Not Lost

Wingman in Wolf's Clothing

To Raven's relief, Luna had calmed within minutes of Murphy wrapping an arm around her. There was still the occasional mutter or moan - Raven had caught Derrick's name a few times in amongst the Trigedasleng - but otherwise she appeared to be doing much better.

Thank God.

"It seems to be working," Raven exhaled, sitting down. Now that Luna no longer appeared in distress, she could finally relax. Or at least try to.

Murphy grunted, watching the sleeping woman with something that might have bordered on tenderness - but Raven didn't really want to think about Murphy caring for anyone other than himself. It was easier to hate him if he was just a selfish prick.

And she needed to hate him.

"Was she having nightmares the entire time since I left?"

"Mostly." There'd been little breaks. Small respites. With each one, Raven's hopes had risen, daring to believe that the worst had passed.

It hadn't.

"What did Abby have to say about it?"

"Basically that it sucks balls but it's what her body needs at the moment." Raven grunted, leaning back against the wall. "And I mean she's right but that doesn't mean that Luna shouldn't have had a say in the whole thing, you know? Gone into this with her eyes open."

Instead of welded shut.

Abby had simply said that the pills would help her sleep - and thus recover faster. Luna had seemed vaguely discomforted the moment the word 'sleep' had left the doctor's mouth but had accepted the pills nonetheless. Raven could well guess the reason for her wariness now.

Whilst she might not have known about the side effects, she'd clearly been aware that nightmares might be a problem. Which solved the mystery of why she'd spent all day being reluctant to go to sleep.

Raven wondered whether Luna would have refused if she'd known just how bad those nightmares could get. If she would have chosen a more drawn out illness over this.

If she was anything like Raven, the answer was an emphatic fucking yes.

Abby hadn't warned her about the possibility of worsened nightmares after Mount Weather either. Raven was fairly certain it had just slipped her mind - the doc hadn't been doing too well back then either, it was a wonder she'd been able to attend to Raven at all in the wake of what they'd gone through - but it had still left her feeling oddly betrayed. And wary of whatever other aid Abby had to offer in the future.

Control was something she valued.

And those pills had stripped her of all she had left.

A muffled groan drew her attention back to Luna. "Why. . . are you doing this?"

The sudden switch to English nearly had her falling off the bed.

"Because Raven forced me to. Take it up with her."

She scowled. "Seriously, Murphy?"

"What? The lady asked a question."

"She's sleep talking, you idiot."

Luna started breathing heavily, twisting as the air seemed to escape her, mouth parting desperately.

Raven sprang to her feet. "Murphy-"

"I'm on it." Not sparing her a glance, he placed a hand on Luna's head, gently stroking her hair. Leaning in, he murmured something low. Too low for Raven to hear. But it seemed to do the trick.