[ She can hear it, she isn't deaf yet, but it's really starting to get hard to focus. She nods, the sheer strain of it visible in her face, and she gasps out, having been holding her breath. ]
Yeah. [ Tiny voice, not sure if she wants to stop pressing or not, because it hurts if she does and doesn't. ] Are you okay? You weren't-- [ A breath. ] --weren't hurt, were you?
( As soon as the feed cuts - and to be honest, she'd be wondering what the fuck was going on with that thunder and the roar, if she wasn't too busy focusing on Em - Ellie disregards the Vine.
She shakes her head, trying to push her own hair back with her shoulder so she doesn't wind up smearing Em's blood over her face, but it keeps falling forward. A minor thing, really, but it's frustrating when she's trying to see properly, keeping the pressure firm. ) I'm fine.
You gotta quit fussing over me. Bloody drama queen. ( Tense. So very, very tense. And suddenly, a surge of anger, because how dare she get shot? What right did she have to that?
It was childish, but she didn't care. ) What the Hell is wrong with you, telling me to get in the tent?
( And that bothers her too, but it's only bubbling up because she's scared and she quite literally doesn't know what to do. She remembers Lee describing gunshot wounds as having barbed wire slowly pulled through you, and that's all she can imagine now, barbed wire pulling and clawing Em's
( ... )
[ Em would roll her eyes if that didn't take too much of an effort. Instead, she just groans over Ellie's stubbornness, which makes her wince at the same time. ]
What the Hell is wrong with you for not getting in?
[ Like that makes sense. Really. Arguing at a time like this. To be fair, though, it had been seriously the only thing that occurred to her to protect Ellie. ]
Oh, yeah. Go into the dead end with no escape route. That's a bloody great idea.
( She can't help the reaction. Or, she can, but she's terrified, and if Em is fighting that means she's okay, right? It gives her something to focus on?
[ She doesn't really answer to that, too busy keeping herself trying not to writhe in pain, trying her best to control herself - because that's what Em does and because she really doesn't want to worry Ellie.
She breathes out shakily and reaches up a little blindly, laying her hand on Ellie's cheek. ]
I'm getting blood all over you. [ BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THAT'S THE BIGGEST CONCERN. ]
( No, Em. Come on, she needs Em to keep fighting. Keep being fired up. ) Get over yourself. This isn't even that much blood.
( For all that desire for combat, her voice is a bit softer. Gentler, and reassuring. She's a bit disgusted at herself for finding some comfort in Em's hand on her cheek, though. She shouldn't be the one getting comforted. )
[ What comes out is half of a laugh and half of a cough, groaning in pain as she does so. ] Zut, Ellie. [ Kind of French there. ] Don't make me laugh. [ She grits her teeth. ] It hurts to laugh.
[ She closes her eyes, frowning, wiping her sleeve on her forehead. It's fine to rest just for a bit, right? ]
Sorry. ( Laughing better than just about any other reaction. She looks flat, can't manage a smile, let alone a laugh, with fear-sweat pouring down her back as she tries to stave off the shakes.
And her thoughts are hopping about like a roo on an obstacle course, because for a second she gets hit with s'truth, if I can make someone with a gunshot to the gut laugh, I should be a comedian.
That doesn't get much chance to stick, though. Not when Em's eyes are closing, and it drags scary things to the fore again, makes her think of Corrie, how her eyes closed and never opened again. ) Em! Wake up! ( Though she's keeping that bloodied shirt clamped down tight as she can, despite slipping, her one hand strays away for a sec to grab Em's shoulder, hard, fingers digging in. ) Open you eyes, right now!
[ Em winces at the fingers digging in her shoulder, shrugging them up at the pinch, and she groans slightly. She's pale, sweaty and bloodied and everything is going the wrong direction. ]
I'm awake. [ In a tiny voice, strained by pain and the exertion of keeping focused. She opens one eye, too tired to open the other. ] I'm just tired and sore. [ And scared and everything else. She tries to hold back a sob, but she can't. She's not one of those brave people that can keep their façades to the end, that aren't afraid of the crushing feeling of hope slowly slipping away.
She doesn't want to die. She isn't ready yet, she isn't. ]
( The sob kicks into her massive guilt, Ellie shaking her head and keeping her hold. ) Fang and her friend are on the way. She's got-- she can heal, or something. Okay? You're gonna be good as new, you just gotta hold on 'til they get here.
( She can help it, but panic is setting in. She can be brave, sure, hold herself together and act like a soldier with Homer, but she's still a kid, really,. The fear setting in is close to overwhelming, tears running silently down her cheeks from the stress and panic that she's doing her utmost to ignore. She can't even recognise that she's crying, or accept it. ) Come on. Just stay awake, all right?
[ This is terrible, everything is terrible. She wishes Ellie didn't have to see this, but at the same time, she's so glad she's here - she doesn't know what she would do without her, if she had to be alone, and she knows that selfish, but she can't help it. ]
All right. [ Although she sounds unsure, as if she isn't certain that she can do what she's being told to. ] Her friend isn't a snake, right? [ Not that she's trying to be funny, but it's the only thing she can think of.
She presses the stained shirt against her wound almost as if lazily, but more because it's getting harder to get a grip on it, mostly because of how her fingers seem to lack the strength to. ]
No. She's really cheerful. ( Like she doesn't know how to handle that information. Cheerful people, they're a bit beyond her.
Glancing down, she notes the weakness in Em's hand. A moment, a quiet, ) Just a sec, okay? I'll be back in just a sec.
( She's gone, rampaging through the tent for a moment, dragging out a sleeping bag, making soothing sounds as she raises Em's neck a bit, easing the folded up sleeping bag behind her head to rest her back, giving her support so that Ellie doesn't feel the need to support her and try to hold her up. Maybe it was stupid. Maybe whether or not your neck hurts is a stupid thing to think about, right now, but somehow it seemed like a good idea
( ... )
[ Right, cheerful. Okay, that's not bad. Not too bad. She really doesn't care at the moment, she just wants someone to save her because she feels useless and can't really do it herself.
She's so grateful, too, for her little monkey being there. She knows she shouldn't, should wish that she was safe, but she can't help it. Her hands are trembling a little as she grips one of Ellie's, squeezing back weakly, but at least squeezing back. ]
I don't know. [ She breathes out in pain. ] Hum. [ Wincing, frowning, trying to focus on anything. Something. ] I don't know. Ah, I guess, if you would let me, I would take you home with me? Would that be fine? [ She doesn't quite know why is she saying that, but she figures it's easier to focus on Ellie rather than herself right now. ]
Just hang on. I'll get you two out.
Keep talking to her.
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( And she can't help herself, can never shut herself before a needless comment slips out: ) Hurry.
( That's something. Help on the way. An adult, even, which was frankly a relief. )
Em, hear that?
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[The Mirror pans up and away from Fang, to focus on the sky. There's a low rumble, like thunder, and what looks to be black clouds forming up above.
There's the sudden sound of a roar, and the video cuts.]
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Yeah. [ Tiny voice, not sure if she wants to stop pressing or not, because it hurts if she does and doesn't. ] Are you okay? You weren't-- [ A breath. ] --weren't hurt, were you?
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She shakes her head, trying to push her own hair back with her shoulder so she doesn't wind up smearing Em's blood over her face, but it keeps falling forward. A minor thing, really, but it's frustrating when she's trying to see properly, keeping the pressure firm. ) I'm fine.
You gotta quit fussing over me. Bloody drama queen. ( Tense. So very, very tense. And suddenly, a surge of anger, because how dare she get shot? What right did she have to that?
It was childish, but she didn't care. ) What the Hell is wrong with you, telling me to get in the tent?
( And that bothers her too, but it's only bubbling up because she's scared and she quite literally doesn't know what to do. She remembers Lee describing gunshot wounds as having barbed wire slowly pulled through you, and that's all she can imagine now, barbed wire pulling and clawing Em's ( ... )
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What the Hell is wrong with you for not getting in?
[ Like that makes sense. Really. Arguing at a time like this. To be fair, though, it had been seriously the only thing that occurred to her to protect Ellie. ]
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( She can't help the reaction. Or, she can, but she's terrified, and if Em is fighting that means she's okay, right? It gives her something to focus on?
Loose straws. ) Moron.
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She breathes out shakily and reaches up a little blindly, laying her hand on Ellie's cheek. ]
I'm getting blood all over you. [ BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THAT'S THE BIGGEST CONCERN. ]
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( For all that desire for combat, her voice is a bit softer. Gentler, and reassuring. She's a bit disgusted at herself for finding some comfort in Em's hand on her cheek, though. She shouldn't be the one getting comforted. )
You owe me a new shirt, but.
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[ She closes her eyes, frowning, wiping her sleeve on her forehead. It's fine to rest just for a bit, right? ]
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And her thoughts are hopping about like a roo on an obstacle course, because for a second she gets hit with s'truth, if I can make someone with a gunshot to the gut laugh, I should be a comedian.
That doesn't get much chance to stick, though. Not when Em's eyes are closing, and it drags scary things to the fore again, makes her think of Corrie, how her eyes closed and never opened again. ) Em! Wake up! ( Though she's keeping that bloodied shirt clamped down tight as she can, despite slipping, her one hand strays away for a sec to grab Em's shoulder, hard, fingers digging in. ) Open you eyes, right now!
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I'm awake. [ In a tiny voice, strained by pain and the exertion of keeping focused. She opens one eye, too tired to open the other. ] I'm just tired and sore. [ And scared and everything else. She tries to hold back a sob, but she can't. She's not one of those brave people that can keep their façades to the end, that aren't afraid of the crushing feeling of hope slowly slipping away.
She doesn't want to die. She isn't ready yet, she isn't. ]
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( The sob kicks into her massive guilt, Ellie shaking her head and keeping her hold. ) Fang and her friend are on the way. She's got-- she can heal, or something. Okay? You're gonna be good as new, you just gotta hold on 'til they get here.
( She can help it, but panic is setting in. She can be brave, sure, hold herself together and act like a soldier with Homer, but she's still a kid, really,. The fear setting in is close to overwhelming, tears running silently down her cheeks from the stress and panic that she's doing her utmost to ignore. She can't even recognise that she's crying, or accept it. ) Come on. Just stay awake, all right?
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All right. [ Although she sounds unsure, as if she isn't certain that she can do what she's being told to. ] Her friend isn't a snake, right? [ Not that she's trying to be funny, but it's the only thing she can think of.
She presses the stained shirt against her wound almost as if lazily, but more because it's getting harder to get a grip on it, mostly because of how her fingers seem to lack the strength to. ]
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Glancing down, she notes the weakness in Em's hand. A moment, a quiet, ) Just a sec, okay? I'll be back in just a sec.
( She's gone, rampaging through the tent for a moment, dragging out a sleeping bag, making soothing sounds as she raises Em's neck a bit, easing the folded up sleeping bag behind her head to rest her back, giving her support so that Ellie doesn't feel the need to support her and try to hold her up. Maybe it was stupid. Maybe whether or not your neck hurts is a stupid thing to think about, right now, but somehow it seemed like a good idea ( ... )
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She's so grateful, too, for her little monkey being there. She knows she shouldn't, should wish that she was safe, but she can't help it. Her hands are trembling a little as she grips one of Ellie's, squeezing back weakly, but at least squeezing back. ]
I don't know. [ She breathes out in pain. ] Hum. [ Wincing, frowning, trying to focus on anything. Something. ] I don't know. Ah, I guess, if you would let me, I would take you home with me? Would that be fine? [ She doesn't quite know why is she saying that, but she figures it's easier to focus on Ellie rather than herself right now. ]
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