concordia

thirty one

word count: 5.4k

date written: 10.1.20

verse: canon divergence; 'claire' canon; fix-it (kinda?)

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she was out of time and out of ideas. elle was still intent on leaving and the only thing claire hadn't done to try and change her mind was turn on the waterworks. she scowled in frustration, vacating her seat on the stairs and setting out towards her mother's office. maybe she'd have better luck convincing elle to stay with her help. she wove her way impatiently through the crowd of doctors and strangers without her usual care, too distracted by what she considered a more pressing matter, and only slowed down when her destination came into view. she frowned, stopping outside the staffroom. connie's office was dark. eerie. far from how it had been earlier. something felt off, and claire hesitantly wandered closer to peer in through the window. 

she'd expected to find the room empty, but it wasn't. connie was sat right where claire had left her, illuminated by the faint glow of the computer screen, and claire's stomach dropped when she realized her mother was crying. no. there was only one thing -- one person -- that had the ability to make connie cry. but elle couldn't have left already. she hadn't even said goodbye to her.

not knowing what else to do, claire turned away from the window and almost tripped as she made a beeline for the hospital entrance. if she was fast enough, and elle had only just left, maybe there was still a chance that she'd be able to catch her in the car park. claire ran like her life depended on it, nearly colliding with a nurse on her way through reception, and didn't stop until she stumbled outside. night had already fallen, and claire started to shiver slightly as the cold hit her. she tried her best to ignore it, wandering away from the building as she searched the car park for elle. when she didn't immediately see her, claire couldn't help thinking she was too late and was all but ready to cry when a second look proved her wrong. 

on the other side of the car park, in the dim glow of a streetlight, elle was offloading the last of her farewell gifts into the back of her car. claire's eyes sparkled in delight at the sight of her, and she completely forgot about the cold as she hurried in elle's direction. "elle!" she shouted loudly, trying to catch her attention on her way across the car park. elle looked up at the sound of her name as she gently closed the car door but frowned in confusion when she spotted claire rushing towards her. it was a short-lived reaction, and her surprise instantly turned to horror instead when she noticed something claire had yet to.

"claire!"

claire turned at the look on elle's face just in time to see the car speeding towards her. she froze, bathed in its headlights. all of a sudden, her legs failed her, stiff as the ground she was stood on. claire fully expected the car to hit her, but something else managed to reach her first, and the breathed was knocked out of her when she was abruptly pushed from the vehicle's path. 

she heard tires skidding, a horn beeping, and a man swearing loudly all before she'd even hit the concrete. 

it took claire a moment to do anything, still reeling from shock as she slowly pulled herself to her knees. her chest was tight and she struggled to breathe, visibly trembling as she looked down at her hands. her palms were shredded, the skin scraped away when she'd broken her fall, and gravel fragments peppered the bloody aftermath. tears gathered in her eyes as the pain finally registered.

"claire?" 

claire jumped violently when a hand touched her shoulder, and jerked around to find elle sat beside her. in her panic, claire had forgotten all about her, but she seemed perfectly fine if not a little dazed. "hey," elle said quietly, shuffling nearer when claire finally dissolved into tears at the sight of her. "hey, it's alright." elle was quick to envelope her in a hug, cradling her close. "i've got you." she sighed, briefly stroking claire's hair before she pulled away slightly to dry her tears. it was only then that a cursory look down revealed the damage done to her palms, and concern immediately blossomed in elle's chest. she reached out to carefully take claire's hands, holding them gently in her own when she didn't yank them away.