little bird // r.keene

i. rue's end.

3rd December 2016.

Wren couldn't stop shaking. Her hands, her knees, her shoulders. It was unbearable how little control she had over her own body, sitting in the hospital waiting room all alone. She couldn't help but wring her hands over and over in front of her, stained with dried blood, tears choked her as they threatened to spill. Wren clutched her elbows and hunched over in her chair.

A severe burning feeling flooded her chest, on the edge of drowning her.

"Wren? Wren!" She couldn't hear Will at first, only after she saw his footsteps stop right in front of her, did she look up frantically and it broke his heart. "What happened?" He asked as she stood and he drank her all in. Bloody, tearful, and frantic. Alone. Will stepped closer and engulfed her in a hug, swallowing her in his arms as she sank into his chest.

"Where's Rue?" He breathed into her hair, ever so gently that she almost missed it. Wren could hardly hear anything over the thundering drum of her own heart beat and her own shivering breaths as she tried to steady herself.

"S-she's.. She-" Wren broke off, her raged breaths getting caught in her own throat, Will could feel her shiver against his chest.

"Shh, it's okay. Just breath, breath, little bird. You're safe." He cooed, stroking her hair, her forehead pressed firmly between his collar and jaw. "It's okay."

"She's i-in surgery." Wren stammered bravely, pulling away from her best friend's older brother, she looked up and he was already staring down at her. "W-Will." She whispered, shaking her head. "It was bad." Her lip trembled and Will swallowed hard, tears burning in his eyes too. "It was really bad..." Her shoulders shook again and Will grabbed her, pulling her back to him. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, little bird." He lied, "I've got you." He said truthfully.