Upsurged ( Protection and safety unit Book 2)

Chapter 9

Nathan

I wake up to the sound of whining next to me.
The sun's rays shine on my face, and I turn to Nova, who lies in my arms. Her blonde hair is scattered across my chest, while her face is filled with pain.
It takes me a second to realize that she is dreaming, I can feel her tense body and her breath hitching.

The doubt that she is having nightmares because of what she has experienced eats away at me.
I touch her beautiful face with my fingers and gently call out her name: "Nova."
She opens her eyes and sits up breathing heavily, her body trembling, shiny with sweat. I can hear her heavy breathing, which sounds uncontrolled in the stillness of the morning.

"It's just a dream," I whisper as I try to calm her down. But the shadows of the night still seem to be hanging over her.

"I... I can't," she stammers, her voice cracking. "It was so real."

Her eyes search desperately for support and I pull her gently against me. She leans her head against my shoulder, and I can feel her body gradually relax.

"It's over, Nova. You're safe here with me," I say and stroke her back.

She is quiet...doesn't answer until I hear her crying.
The only thing I can think about is taking her in my arms, holding her and comforting her. As I sit up, I pull her onto my lap and she leans her head on my shoulder.

"I am so sorry Nova," I whisper.

She shakes her head as she gently touches my chest.
"This has nothing to do with you," she replies softly.

"If I had been with you sooner, I could have prevented it," I reply, caressing her back gently.

"This has nothing to do with you Nate... I dream about them..." she replies softly.

"Of who, baby?" I ask, confused.

She is silent for a while only to look up at me, her beautiful blue eyes full of tears, her face filled with pain as she faces me.
"My parents..." she replies with a broken voice.

The realization of her condition hits me hard...she was there when her parents died.I remembered Asami and Void talking about her parents the day she arrived here.
Her face was serious when Asami read the reports in front of her, she didn't let anyone see what was going on inside her, but now here in my arms she was broken.

"It's ok baby...you were a child" I comforted her.

She shook her head, wiping away the tears.
"I thought it would stop when Forbes was dead" she replied, sobbing.

"Have you talked to anyone about it?" I asked her, concerned.

She shook her head again...
"I thought I could do it on my own...I'm used to doing everything on my own...I'm so fucked up..." she replied.

I knew that feeling all too well, my time in the Navy left me with an emptiness that is still there today, a hole in my soul that never seems to heal.

"It helped me to talk," I said softly, and she looked up at me.

"You're not the only one who's fucked up Nova...I struggle with my demons every day" I said gently, brushing the strands of her golden hair out of her face."I know what it feels like...the thoughts that you could have changed something, replaying the scenes in your head and looking for my mistakes...the screams...the dead over and over again...only the smell of something reminds you...the sound...I know what it feels like baby" I assure her.

She glances over my face, her eyes remaining on mine as I wipe her tear with my thumb.

"I was a child" she stammers desperately.