Rupture // h.s au

" Can I tell you a secret?"

Harry

I was walking out of the clinic, having finished attending Rick's tutorial for attending to battle wounds, when one of the soldiers rushed in, calling Rick for help at the training field. I was almost out, almost away, when I heard that soldier saying Autumn's name among his rushed speech.

" She collapsed during her training session. She's breathing and there's a heartbeat but it's slow. We didn't know what to do, so I was sent here to get you."

Before I knew it, before I could allow myself to dwell upon it, or think about all the possibilities of things that could have happened to her, that could have weakened her to the point of collapse, I found myself rushing through the formed crowd, eyes searching for her only.

She was on the ground, laying on her right side, the way she did in our bed, so that she'd be facing me and I'd be able to hold her to my chest. She always said that the sound of my heartbeat, the feeling of my pulse, made her sleep better.

My shaky legs gave out, bringing me to my knees, as I brought her to my lap, running my fingers through her hair, resting her head against my chest, and willing my frantic heartbeat to awake her somehow. To affect her, the way her unexpected tiredness was affecting me.

" Autumn, wake up, sweetheart. Open your eyes, baby, come on." I patted her cheeks, pleading with her to listen. To do as told, just this once. Rick was holding her hand, checking for her pulse, before he sighed, moving more people away from us.

" Harry, we need to get her to the clinic to figure out what happened. Her pulse is weakening by the second, and we need to start her on an IV, to get it back up."

" Harry, her stomach hurt. Sh- she's been feeling tired all day, and I- I told her not to do this, told her that she could find a replacement, but she insisted that she was fine. B- before she collapsed, she was talking to me, but then she held her stomach, gasped twice, then she- she just fell. I'm sorry." Raine spoke, panic trembling her to the core, in a way she hadn't let it in a very long time.

" Okay, okay. Yeah. Lets go." I sat up, putting both arms beneath Autumn's body to balance her, before standing up completely. I ran back towards the clinic, and I couldn't help but think of the time I carried her; when she was beaten and unconscious after saving my mother's life. I'd been so angry back then, so bitter and helpless and confused. But every time I'd looked down upon her, I fell a little harder for her, felt a bit of that rage dissolve away. Even then, I'd held something for her, that I'd never felt before. And couldn't possibly feel again.

" Please be okay. Please wake up. Please, Autumn." I whispered between my following pants, and the choked sobs I was desperately trying to keep down.

Once we finally got to the clinic, I laid her down on the nearest bed, putting the stray hairs away from her face, allowing her more room to breathe. Or maybe giving myself access to another curve in her face that I needed to see, needed to make sure was still the same.

" Alright, Harry, please wait outside and let me work."

" I can't leave her like this, Rick." My eyes fell on her lips that opened slightly, releasing a kind breath of air. She looked so much like she was asleep, I wished I could believe that she was.

" Harry, honey, I'll be here with her, and I'll help him out. Give her some privacy, and I'll come get you as soon as we know anything." Wendy; Rick's new wife, said, using her motherly tone that sent a pang of pain through me, reminding me of my own mother. How she sounded. How it felt, being guided by her, the way Wendy was now doing me. Oh how I missed her, every time something happened that I couldn't control, nor really cope with. She'd always known what to do.