Emerge from Isolation (Whumptober 2019)

Nightmare & Embrace

Ean felt something grab his hand, and he snapped his eyes open with a gasp. He found himself not staring at a room full of colorful monstrosities but a dimly lit ceiling. The light flickered on the ceiling as if there was a fire or a candle, but the scent of flowers told him it was a candle.

After his rescue from the raiders, he had gone to the clinic where they gave him fluids intravenously and checked out his body for major damage. When they had determined that he was fine, they brought him to the cabin they kept open for him, and it had been a shock to him to see that he no longer lived there alone.

There was a gentle squeeze on his hand, and he looked down, finding his smiling niece watching him.

“Lorna?” Ean croaked.

The raiders had drugged him with a magical flower—a different magical than the foul stuff that acted as a parasite and turned animals into the Merged. The hallucinations had made him scream so loud that he had torn up his vocal cords, and it was uncertain whether or not the damage was permanent.

“You were having a bad dream again,” Lorna said.

“Yeah, they might not go away for a few more days. That drug stays in your system for a while.”

“And I’ll always be here when you need me.”

Ean hated the warm feeling that came to his eyes at her words.

Lorna was a strong girl. She was nervous around people, and he understood that was his fault. He had selfishly kept her holed up in that tiny cabin in the woods to protect her, but he had also caused her harm in other more permanent ways.

Still, she had the desire to be part of the world that he himself was terrified of, and despite her nervousness, she was enjoying it in ways he had never been able to.

“You really have grown up,” he said. “I’m sorry that I didn’t see it sooner.”

Lorna shrugged her shoulder.

“As long as you make good on your promise not to leave me behind again, I’ll forgive you.”

Ean chuckled. He turned the hand in hers, and he returned the gentle squeeze. Lorna leaned forward, and she pressed her head to his chest, wrapping her arms around him.

“Do you want to talk about your dream?” she asked. “Was it the demons in the cabin again?”

“Yeah, but the other guy in the basement was a pig-person this time.”

“A pig person?”

“Yeah, he keeps changing in the dream, but I can’t remember what he looked like when we were both down there.”

“Weird.”

“How is he doing? Has Hattie told you anything?”

“He’s doing fine. They’ve been looking for his family, and they’re trying to set up a caravan to get him there safely.”

“That’s good to hear.”

Ean placed his other hand on top of her head. It was damp like she had just taken a shower a few minutes ago.

“When did you get home?” he asked.

“About an hour ago. I was going to get started on dinner. Is there anything in particular you want?”

“Whatever you make is fine.”

Lorna lifted herself away from him. She drew his blankets over his chest, smiling as she worked.

“Okay, I’ll get back to it then. Tell me if you need anything.”

“I will. Thank you.”

Lorna kissed him on the cheek, and then she left him alone in the room.