ATARAXIA • BELLAMY BLAKE

[ 6 7 ]

"Come on, Freya," I hear faintly, "wake up."

The voice feels far away at first, muffled beneath a heavy fog that seems determined to drag me back under. Something taps against my cheek.

I gasp.

My eyes shoot open and immediately water as air rushes into my lungs. The ceiling above me swims out of focus before slowly settling, and the first thing I see clearly is Octavia kneeling beside me, her face pale and drawn from lack of oxygen. There are strands of dark hair stuck to her forehead with sweat, a tired look in her eyes.

The second she realizes I'm awake, her shoulders visibly sag.

"Finally," she smiles weakly as I cough and heave for air, the gag in my mouth preventing the now returning flow of oxygen from entering my lungs fully, "you had me worried there for a second."

I try to answer, but all that comes out is a strangled sound. My chest rises and falls too quickly, panic immediately returning as the fabric over my mouth traps every breath before I can get enough of it.

"O, I got this," a hoarse voice sounds close by, "help free the others."

Octavia glances over her shoulder before pushing herself to her feet. As she moves away, Bellamy steps into the space she leaves behind. He's breathing heavily himself, his voice rough as he rubs absentmindedly at one wrist like he only just got his cuffs off.

The sight of him should probably calm me down. Instead, the panic gets worse. My lungs still feel too empty, and the gag feels tighter than before. I reach up to pull at it, wanting to force more air into my chest, but my restraints won't allow me.

"Hey, hey, calm down." Bellamy says, making my eyes snap to his. I feel myself slipping toward hyperventilation as he drops down in front of me, reaching his hands behind my head. They work at the knot before the tension suddenly gives way and the gag loosens.

I barely wait for him to finish pulling it away before dragging in a breath so deep it hurts. I double over coughing. My lungs burn. My throat burns. Everything burns. But I can finally breathe.

For several seconds all I do is sit there coughing and dragging air into my chest while Bellamy shifts his attention to my wrists. The metal cuffs rattle softly as he works, and a moment later one wrist comes free. Then the other.

Pins and needles immediately shoot through my hands. I flex my fingers weakly, breaths ragged as I keep fighting to I refill my lungs with oxygen.

Bellamy doesn't move away when he's done. Instead he turns back toward me, studying my face carefully. His expression tightens for a second, concern flickering across it before he reaches up and brushes a piece of hair away from where it's stuck to my cheek.

Then he takes my face in both hands. "Breathe," he says calmly, looking me over. His thumbs rest lightly against my jaw, and I try to focus on that. On him.

Gradually the panic begins to loosen its grip. My breathing is still uneven, but it slows little by little. The dizziness starts fading.

Bellamy keeps his eyes on mine the entire time, waiting until I'm breathing instead of gasping before the tension in his shoulders eases even slightly.

I swallow hard and pull in another breath, feeling like my lungs are finally working again. Everything has faded enough for me to become aware of the room around me.

I faintly feel Bellamy's thumb brushing over my cheek in gentle swipes as I take a look around the now open airlock. The red emergency lights have stopped flashing, leaving everything washed in the normal dull lighting again. Harper is sitting against the wall rubbing at her wrists. Miller is helping Bryan to his feet while Jasper runs a hand over his face. Raven looks exhausted, her face pale beneath streaks of dirt and dried tears. Most of them are free.