Mitigation

Hold My Breath

Elana woke up breathing loudly. She pulled off her sheets and stood up, leaning against the bedpost. A nightmare. Her father. The brunette tried to clear her head and focus on breathing but couldn't. She kneeled down, leaning against the bed.

Calm, she ordered. CALM.

Her breathing instead came faster and felt her chest tighten. Come on, she thought. Calm. Down. Instead, she felt herself get worse and her breaths quicken.

Elana vaguely registered the door opening and someone coming in.

Calm. Down.

No. Everything's over. Father's-

NO.

She felt hands on her shoulders.

Stop breathing, came a small voice from the back of her head.

She grabbed her hand and closed her nose and tried to hold her mouth shut, but it wouldn't and she couldn't breath. Elana wanted to scream but couldn't. Wouldn't.

Calm. Down. Hold your breath. That's the only way you can stop it.

Elana's hands flew up to her nose and mouth and held them tight, only to fail again. Her lungs began to burn and she tried to gasp for air, but couldn't. She felt a little air come through and she coughed.

"Elana, do you have asthma?" Came a voice.

Stiles.

Elana felt the question register and shook her head.

"Okay, look at me," the same voice said. Elana looked up and saw a blurry outline of a face. Brown eyes. Elana felt panic arise in her heart. She couldn't breath normally. She was going to die here and now.

"Take a deep breath," ordered a strict voice as hands enveloped hers. Elana's instinct kicked in and she used all her power to take in a deep breath, that was stuttered and weak. "Hold it."

Elana tried, but couldn't. She felt her chest start to hurt.

"It's okay. Try again," he said. Elana breathed in and held it. "Now, what do you like?"

Elana's answer breathed out with her as calmly as she could, "Chocolate. And snowball fights."

She took another deep breath and held it for five seconds.

"Sirius sometimes braids my hair," she remembered, feeling herself calm down, "And Remus helps me get books from the Restricted Section."

She took in a deep breath and looked at the brown eyed boy in front of her.

"What was that?" Her voice quivered.

"Panic attack. They're not fun, are they?"

Elana looked at him and shook her head, feeling tears prick her eyes. She felt a test roll down her cheek.

She felt her heart break down and she knew it was time. She began to sob.

"I lost... Everything," she cried. She felt herself be enveloped in a hug and felt her hair be patted down.

"It's okay. Shhhh," he mumbled into her ear as she tried to stop the tears. Exactly. She was going to get everything back. She would fix everything. Maybe not her father but she knew how he would want her to live her life. She knew he wanted her to be happy.

And she would be.

Right after her revenge.

~O~