Edgar D Eicheln (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ofthelions) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
sixwordstories2016-09-04 08:27 am
ofthelions) wrote in sixwordstories2016-09-04 08:27 am
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They won't let me see her.
"She's probably--"
'Still in surgery' hurts to say, because it's a reminder of what brought her there in the first place. It's got a flicker of hurt passing over his face before he manages to continue.
"--They're probably still-- stabilizing her."
That's not much better. He inhales sharply to try to steady himself.
It doesn't really help.
'Still in surgery' hurts to say, because it's a reminder of what brought her there in the first place. It's got a flicker of hurt passing over his face before he manages to continue.
"--They're probably still-- stabilizing her."
That's not much better. He inhales sharply to try to steady himself.
It doesn't really help.
Edited 2016-09-04 15:06 (UTC)
Guess they're not sure I'm such a-- stellar influence. Or that it won't be more of a stress than anything else.
It's a little easier to be softer with Andrew. The doctors had gotten yelling; the advisers had gotten a few rough flashes of old anger spilling into violence (so much better, after all these years of working, all these years of learning how to keep his temper and speak).
Andrew gets a painfully frustrated sigh as Edgar continues pacing. "They need to be quicker, then."
Andrew gets a painfully frustrated sigh as Edgar continues pacing. "They need to be quicker, then."
He's sitting. He's too tight with anxiety to move. One hand runs through his hair, his expression very tired, before he responds.
"Quicker might not help, Ed."
"Quicker might not help, Ed."
There's a bruise at the side of his face from when he'd confronted the Magician to keep him from getting the Wand. He feels blessedly lucky that he doesn't have a concussion, even if they are keeping him in just to make sure there's no lingering menace that takes a toll. Magic is endlessly unpredictable, after all.
At least this way he can try to calm his brother down.
"Y'might-- fuss too much for it to help just now, Ed."
At least this way he can try to calm his brother down.
"Y'might-- fuss too much for it to help just now, Ed."
"Be better than this."
Anything would be, of course. Very little in the would could possibly be as utterly horrible as being stuck outside without even the proper distraction of the rest of the war.
"Or-- they need to tell us to-- go home."
Not that it was the sort of thing most people felt comfortable telling a fuming Edgar Eicheln.
Anything would be, of course. Very little in the would could possibly be as utterly horrible as being stuck outside without even the proper distraction of the rest of the war.
"Or-- they need to tell us to-- go home."
Not that it was the sort of thing most people felt comfortable telling a fuming Edgar Eicheln.
"I don't fuss."
Not that he hasn't been practically glued to his youngest brother's side since they let him in to see Toby. Not that he isn't still compulsively coming back again and again to the circuit of care all of Lorraine's sons got after years of watching Edgar ram his way through life--checking pulse, checking pupils, checking through simple questions.
"You know what day it is, right?"
It's the same day it's been since the last time six times he's asked, but such is life.
Not that he hasn't been practically glued to his youngest brother's side since they let him in to see Toby. Not that he isn't still compulsively coming back again and again to the circuit of care all of Lorraine's sons got after years of watching Edgar ram his way through life--checking pulse, checking pupils, checking through simple questions.
"You know what day it is, right?"
It's the same day it's been since the last time six times he's asked, but such is life.
"You wouldn't go home if they told you to," comes his Jack's incredibly patient reply.
"Ed, it was-- Their Ace helped dig her out. She told me how-- how bad it looked. It's going to take some time just for them t'make sure she's still able to-- breathe on her own--"
And he can't help that that gets his voice cracking with hurt. He's no Diamond, and his cousin might be dying. It's not an easy time.
"Ed, it was-- Their Ace helped dig her out. She told me how-- how bad it looked. It's going to take some time just for them t'make sure she's still able to-- breathe on her own--"
And he can't help that that gets his voice cracking with hurt. He's no Diamond, and his cousin might be dying. It's not an easy time.
A long-suffering sigh.
"'s the same day it's been since the last time you asked me." The longest, possibly worst day ever, really, "See what I mean? Fussing."
"'s the same day it's been since the last time you asked me." The longest, possibly worst day ever, really, "See what I mean? Fussing."
"--hey."
Focusing in on Andrew is probably better than pacing. Sweeping in closer, where he can get his hands on his oldest friend's hair and shoulders and cheeks, is enough to get the frustration back down out of his voice.
"Hey. Drew."
Focusing in on Andrew is probably better than pacing. Sweeping in closer, where he can get his hands on his oldest friend's hair and shoulders and cheeks, is enough to get the frustration back down out of his voice.
"Hey. Drew."
"You need to be fussed at, though." And, just briefly, that's going to mean Edgar's fingers closing around his brother's wrist for confirmation of the younger man's strong, steady pulse. "You've gotta stay awake another couple hours."
What an odd blessing, to have this familiar injury to worry about. It kept his mind from spinning too often toward the room he wasn't being allowed into.
What an odd blessing, to have this familiar injury to worry about. It kept his mind from spinning too often toward the room he wasn't being allowed into.
Leaning his cheek into his best friend's hand helps. Letting a single tear escape into the other man's fingers does, too.
"What if she--?"
It's not fair, he knows, to be letting himself lose it just now, when Edgar loves her so much, too. It's just that, of the two of them, Andrew has always been the one to let his worries spiral into assuming the worst rather than impatient frustration.
"What if she--?"
It's not fair, he knows, to be letting himself lose it just now, when Edgar loves her so much, too. It's just that, of the two of them, Andrew has always been the one to let his worries spiral into assuming the worst rather than impatient frustration.
Edited 2016-09-04 21:21 (UTC)
"'m fine, Ed. Not even tired, 'nd I'm not dizzy or anything. He barely got me."
Which can't be said of everyone. But they're trying to avoid that particular topic.
"Anyways, Max would've punched his lights out 'f he hadn't poofed again."
Which can't be said of everyone. But they're trying to avoid that particular topic.
"Anyways, Max would've punched his lights out 'f he hadn't poofed again."
It's good that they worry differently. It means that Andrew's always there to hold Edgar back when he starts swinging, and that Edgar's always there to brush at Andrew's tears when they start falling. It's a balance that's never quite been shaken fully off its pedestal, even when things had turned briefly dark between them.
"Stop. Just-- stop right there. There is-- no one in the world who can fight as hard as Rach."
And there was still so much to fight for.
"Stop. Just-- stop right there. There is-- no one in the world who can fight as hard as Rach."
And there was still so much to fight for.
That gets a bit of a snort, his hand lifting from his brother's wrist to pat carefully at the younger Club's cheek instead.
"Don't think I'm not gonna go fuss at him too."
Something had to occupy his mind. Something had to keep him from falling into the pit of anger and guilt he'd been at the edge of since hearing the report.
"Don't think I'm not gonna go fuss at him too."
Something had to occupy his mind. Something had to keep him from falling into the pit of anger and guilt he'd been at the edge of since hearing the report.
"I-- Y-yeah."
He doesn't sound quite like he believes it, the first time he says it. He has to take another deep, trembling breath before he nods.
"Yeah, she w-will."
And they'll help her deal with anything else.
He doesn't sound quite like he believes it, the first time he says it. He has to take another deep, trembling breath before he nods.
"Yeah, she w-will."
And they'll help her deal with anything else.
A light, fond kiss to his brother's hand, then.
"I know you will."
But it's a really quite survivable thing. Besides, he's managed to get Edgar to admit he's fussing. That's a victory in and of itself; has him smiling just a little.
"I know you will."
But it's a really quite survivable thing. Besides, he's managed to get Edgar to admit he's fussing. That's a victory in and of itself; has him smiling just a little.
"Nothing's gonna keep her down, Drew."
It's half for himself. Really, even smoothing protectively at his friend's cheeks is half for himself.
"This isn't gonna stop her fighting. You know that."
It's half for himself. Really, even smoothing protectively at his friend's cheeks is half for himself.
"This isn't gonna stop her fighting. You know that."
"Never be too old for it."
Still, he manages to sit down with the faintest bit of a huff, hand coming loose to dig through his own hair.
"Just..." It had been mostly English for a long time between them. It's soft, letting German filter in now. "/What would you do if it were Anneke, hm? How would you be able to-- sit still at all?/"
Still, he manages to sit down with the faintest bit of a huff, hand coming loose to dig through his own hair.
"Just..." It had been mostly English for a long time between them. It's soft, letting German filter in now. "/What would you do if it were Anneke, hm? How would you be able to-- sit still at all?/"
"I know."
And really, this affirmation back and forth is for both of them. It's easier, to sit here and tell one another she's going to be all right, rather than wait impatiently to be told that she will be.
He still wishes they'd be told she will be.
And really, this affirmation back and forth is for both of them. It's easier, to sit here and tell one another she's going to be all right, rather than wait impatiently to be told that she will be.
He still wishes they'd be told she will be.
"Ridiculous."
But it's incredibly affectionately said. Sitting absolutely has Tobias shifting to lean more against his brother.
It takes a moment, to remember the words he's looking for.
"/I'd have-- you there./" It's honestly said, and entirely full of trust, "/That'd help a lot. And I guess I'd-- trust that th'doctors knew what they were doing, and how important she is to me, and that they'd tell me when I was able to see her./"
A beat, before he adds, "/I probably would still pace a bit, though. But I wouldn't be-- yelling./"
Unlike a certainEdgar someone.
But it's incredibly affectionately said. Sitting absolutely has Tobias shifting to lean more against his brother.
It takes a moment, to remember the words he's looking for.
"/I'd have-- you there./" It's honestly said, and entirely full of trust, "/That'd help a lot. And I guess I'd-- trust that th'doctors knew what they were doing, and how important she is to me, and that they'd tell me when I was able to see her./"
A beat, before he adds, "/I probably would still pace a bit, though. But I wouldn't be-- yelling./"
Unlike a certain
His hand drops from Andrew's cheek to find his fingers instead. Clinging will help them both.
"So-- deep breath. None of this, okay?"
"So-- deep breath. None of this, okay?"
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