Nyefield University pt 2

Chapter 7

Dax
The drive back to the house is silent, bar the music playing from the radio. I want to fuss over all three of them, make sure they're all okay but something tells me that none of them want that. They just want to move on. We arrive at the house after a short five minute drive, the pile of rubble is still outside the house causing Charlie's eyes to blow up like saucers. The boys barely give it a second glance, knowing the rages I go into sometimes. I grab everyone's bags this time just so Freddie doesn't moan again which makes him smile. I let us all in as they need new sets of keys, all the belongings they had on them have disappeared along with the people who had them captured. I still don't know who it was but I'm certainly going to have fun when we find them. We all head up stairs together and I drop the twins bags in their rooms, I notice Charlie head straight to the library. Probably checking I haven't destroyed it. That's the one room I couldn't bare to touch. It's my safe haven, and hers I guess. Then me and her head upstairs to our floor, I drop her bag in my room and she gives me a questioning look.

"You're moving in here with me. I've already moved some of your clothes in and done up the bedside table on your side with your things." Her face is a mixture of emotions... shit I probably should've checked with her first. I'm about to apologise and start removing her stuff when she walks over to me and hugs me. She doesn't hold me very tightly but I guess it would probably hurt her too much. I gently hold her, all I want to do is crush her with a giant bear hug like I usually do. After a while I feel the front of my t-shirt getting damp, she's crying.

"Hey hey hey, it's okay firecracker. You're safe now, I've got you." She starts sobbing and grasping my t-shirt in her fists, like she's holding on for dear life. I gently guide us towards the bed, I sit down then shuffle backwards so she can climb on too. She starts pulling at my top, likes she's trying to climb inside me. Shes struggling to catch her breath with how hard shes crying. I pull my top up over my head so she can feel my skin, she used to do this as a kid. When her panic attacks were too much the best way to ground her was skin to skin contact, I don't pull her top though, if she wants to remove that then I'll let her decide that. Within seconds she's pulling at her top too, I gradually help her but let her guide me so it's all on her terms. Soon we are lay there in just our underwear and her bandages, she can't stop crying but the sobbing has subsided a bit so it's easier for her to breathe. I just lie there slowly stroking her back with one hand and holding her gently with the other. She's clung around me like a little koala bear. Eventually the crying stops and her breathing evens out, she falls asleep holding on to me like her lifeline. Eventually I fall asleep too.

♤

I'm woken up by screaming and pain, Charlie is screaming out "No" over and over whilst clawing at me, I realise one of her arms is trapped underneath me so I roll over and instantly she yanks her arm away. That must awaken something in her and her eyes dart open and she scrambles backwards so quickly she falls of the bed. I'm round her side in an instant.

"Charlie, CHARLIE HEY." I wave a hand in her face but don't touch her, she's curled up infront of the bedside table, eyes wildly searching the room. I can see her hands trying to dig into the carpet. "Look at me, I'm here, right here Bambi. Focus on me." Her eyes stop there frenzied searching and bore into my soul, her eyes are no longer the bright blue of the sky, they're dark and stormy like the sea. "Good that's it, focus on me. What can you smell? Can you smell my aftershave?" I can see her nostrils flaring, trying to search out the smell I'm describing. I made sure to put it on before coming to collect her from the hospital as I know she loves it. It's only lynx africa but it's all I've ever worn. "Okay now focus on my voice, can you do that?" I can see her breathing slowing down. "That's it listen to me, come on we can get there. Two more things. What can you feel?"