Outbreak

Letting Go

Day 4̴͎̑̅9̸̨̪̈́

Sabre's P.O.V.

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"Sabre, what are you doing?"  The voice makes me jump and almost trip down the stairs.  I spin around to stare at the steve behind me: the one I had nearly forgotten about because of his absence.

"Time?"  I stammer, shocked.  His tall silhouette stands at the entrance to the stairs, outlined by the setting sun.  Even from this distance, I can hear the soft ticking sound of his clock mask.  How had I not noticed it before?  "What are you..."  I don't even know how to finish that sentence.  I haven't seen him in well over a month.  Where should I even begin?

He starts to walk down the stairs, not seeming to care about the shadow sword nearby.  He was never as scared of the darkness as everyone else.

"Hey, take some deep breaths for me."  he murmurs, wrapping me in a hug.  I stand there, stunned for a moment, then slowly relax.  I know I'm probably bleeding all over his fancy coat, but he doesn't seem to mind.  Especially when he scoops me up, lifting me gently off the ground.  I try to shove away.

"Wha- hey!  I don't like it when people do that."  I complain.  It's bad enough that Assistant Steve does it.  I don't want Time doing it, too.  Time sighs, and when he finally speaks, I can hear the strain in his voice.

"Sabre, don't argue with me right now, okay?  You're really hurt, and I need to get back to the Time Dimension soon."

"Wait."  I protest, catching a glimpse of a very baffled and annoyed-looking Shadow.  "I was doing something!"

"Yeah, I know you were.  And trust me, I'm planning to talk about it, but after you have those injuries checked over and get a few hours of sleep."  His voice is firm, leaving no room for negotiations.  Maybe that's a good thing, because, to be honest, my eyes are beginning to droop.  Now that I'm no longer on my feet, my body has decided it's time to shut down.

Not even lightning can wake me up once I've fallen asleep in Time's hold.

...

When I finally wake up, I'm lying on something soft.  Something warm and heavy presses down over me, and it takes a few groggy moments for me to realize that it's a comforter.

I sit up slowly, and something presses tightly against my chest.  I frown, running one hand over the thickly layered bandages.  When did Time do that?  Surely I would have woken up...  Right?

My eyes trace along the pale gold walls, surprised to see only one clock in the room.  My ears can make out a steady, constant ticking that seems to come from everywhere at once.  I guess there are more clocks outside?

The bed creaks as I slowly get up, realizing as I do so that my socks are gone, and I'm sitting in only my jeans.  I frown, a little uncomfortable, and go to make the bed.

Upon further inspection, there's a bundle of fabric stacked at the edge of the bed, containing new clothes and a note from Time.  I pick it up, reading over it carefully.

Hey Sabre,

I'm no Green Steve, but I did my best to bandage you up.  I'll do what I can for your clothes, but I'm not sure even the best of my dry-cleaning skills can clear up all that blood.  Until then, here are some new ones.  You might want to shower before you put them on, though.  (The bathroom door is to the right of the clock)

Time here is paused, so don't try to rush yourself.  You've been exhausted lately, and I promise a little extra sleep won't hurt you if you're still tired.