"Shh, shh," Adam crooned in my ear.
"That's over.
It's over and done with." He held me, sitting on the bathroom floor with me on his lap, while I shook and the flashback faded.
When I could breathe normally again, I sat up with an attempt at dignity.
"Sorry," I said.
I'd thought that last night would have taken care of the flashbacks, the panic attacks--I was cured, right? I reached up and grabbed a hand towel and wiped my wet face--and found that it just kept getting wet.
I'd been so sure everything would be back to normal now.
"It takes longer than a week to get over something like that," Adam told me, as if he could read my mind.
"But I can help, if you'll let me." I looked at him, and he ran a thumb under my eyes.
"You'll have to open up, though, and let the pack in." He smiled, a sad smile.
"You've been blocking pretty ferociously since sometime on the trip back from Spokane.
If I were to guess, I expect it was when you let Stefan bite you." I had no idea what he was talking about, and I guessed it showed.
"Not on purpose?" he said.
Somehow, I'd slid off his lap and was leaning against the opposite wall.
"Not that I know." "You had a panic attack on the way home," he told me.
I nodded and remembered the warmth of the pack that had pulled me out of it.
Remarkable, awesome--and buried under the rest of the events of the past two nights.
His lids lowered.
"That's better ...
a bit better." He looked up from the floor and focused on me, yellow highlights dancing in his irises.
He reached out and touched me just under my ear.
It was a light touch, just barely skin to skin.
It should have been casual.
He laughed a little, sounding just a bit giddy.
"Just like Medea, Mercy," he said, dropping his hand and drawing a breath that sounded just a little ragged.
"Let me try this again." He held out his hand.
When I put mine in it, he closed his eyes and ...
I felt a trickle of life, warmth, and health dribbling from his hand to mine.
It felt like a hug on a summer's day, laughter, and sweet honey.
I spread out into it through him, sliding into something I just knew were warm depths that would surround me with-- But the pack didn't want me.