Emerge from Isolation (Whumptober 2019)

Shaky Hands & "Stay with Me"

Lorna hummed a tune to herself as she flipped through a comic book, which one of her new neighbors had let her borrow. It was an old and fragile Pre-Merge comic that she had never gotten to read before, but she found herself in love with it, even though it had some references to things she did not understand.

Hattie and one of her men had carried Ean’s unconscious body to the clinic a couple of days ago. The doctor had determined that his body had been full of some strange new hallucinogenic they were going to research on. When the rescue team had arrived at the cabin, he had started screaming at them, believing them to be demons, but the drugs had made him too weak to put up much of a struggle.

Lorna had felt so relieved to see him again, glad that he was going to be okay. He had slept for three days, getting up only to go to the bathroom, which she had to help him with, and she made him drink water and eat a little bit of food to help him gain his strength back.

Ean was like a zombie, a creature that was in the comics she was reading, as he stumbled to the bathroom, barely comprehending that she was there. He had been through a great ordeal, and Lorna was happy to help him the best she good.

He had done so much for her after all.

Lorna glanced up from her comic to check on her uncle, and her eyebrows raised in surprise as she saw him grabbing a glass of water next to him. His shaky hands made water slosh all over the place.

"Uncle, be careful!" she gasped.

Lora set the comic book aside, and she rushed to take the glass from him. She set it back down, and Ean looked at her through wide eyes.

"Lorna?" Ean croaked, his throat still sore from the abuse he had put it through at the cabin.

Lorna smiled at him, and she brushed some of his hair out of his face.

"Yes, it's me, Uncle," she said.

"This isn't the cabin. What are you doing here?"

"We have a lot to talk about, but let's get you sitting upright so you can drink some water."

Lorna lifted her uncle’s upper body, and she stuffed pillows behind him to help him stay upright. Then she grabbed the glass of water on his nightstand, and she pressed it to his lips. He drank most of it before he was finished.

"Are you hungry? Lorna asked as she tucked the blankets around his body. "These people are very generous with their food, and I made some stew for you. Would you like some stew?"

"I am hungry. If you wouldn't mind heating it for me, I would certainly appreciate it."

Lorna nodded, and she went into the kitchen to heat a bowl of actual beef stew, something she had ever thought she would be able to taste for herself. She poured it into a mug for him, and she took it into the bedroom. He offered no complaints when she spoon-fed him the soup.

"How did you get here?" Ean asked after a few bites.

"Do you know Alex? The one without a last name," she clarified.

"The Merger? I do know him."

"Well, he got into a fight with a Merged wolf while he was traveling with some medicines, and he lost a lot of blood. I had heard his gunshots, and I hoped it that was you. I went out to look for you, but I found him instead, bleeding out and unconscious."

"You should have stayed home," Ean scolded. "It's too dangerous."

Lorna smiled, and she nodded.

"It is dangerous, but I'm glad I left. I like it here. Everyone is nice."

"There are lots of people who aren't, Lorna."