08-24-2025, 12:16 AM
Emily was there and Rachel was glad for her presence. There was a man next to her bed. Emily had told her that he would wear a mask, but he wasn't. It was probably a good thing. The mask might have made her scream. Maskless, he didn't seem scary, but at the same time, she was frightened of him. Rachel hated feeling scared of everything. She hated that she needed people to calm her down just to do normal things. The man had approached and knelt down. By reflex, Rachel had moved away, but she resisted as much as she could. It was such a simple thing, but it took so much energy.
The panic began to rise and Emily was there, her hand pressing down on her chest. For some reason that weight on her chest felt good and reminded her to breathe slower. Even if she was still afraid, she was calm. Emily was encouraging, reminding her that he was there to help and that she was safe.
As she gave Rachel the man's name, Rachel turned her gaze to him. "Iāson..." she said, her voice trailing off.
Rachel met his eyes, her breath hitching quietly as she did. Her eyes moved the the hand, held palm up. He had asked her if she would hold it, and Rachel realized that this whole time he had been waiting for her answer. "I'm...I'm sorry..." whether her apology was for being scared of him, moving away, or the fact that he had to wait for her, she didn't know. Maybe it was all three. "I'm trying."
Rachel tried to will her hand to move - to make her fingers release the blanket, but they didn't seem to want to obey. She felt Emily's hand, soft and warm over hers and focused on that one. Slowly, her fingers opened and Emily took her hand, squeezing gently. Rachel knew this was important. She knew she had to reach out. She had to make the decision to reach for that hand. She didn't know why that was important, only that it was.
Rachel closed her eyes, quiet sobs shaking her as she tried. She could feel the tears building behind her eyelids as she tried to push through the fear. "I..." she spoke through the sobs as she opened her eyes, hot tears beginning to fall down her cheeks as she looked at her other hand. Her hand slowly opened, giving in to her demands. She moved her shaking hand towards Iāson's and she looked back at him. "I...don't want to be scared anymore." As the words broke the silence, Rachel's hand took Iāson's and she squeezed, her eyes pleading for his help.
The panic began to rise and Emily was there, her hand pressing down on her chest. For some reason that weight on her chest felt good and reminded her to breathe slower. Even if she was still afraid, she was calm. Emily was encouraging, reminding her that he was there to help and that she was safe.
As she gave Rachel the man's name, Rachel turned her gaze to him. "Iāson..." she said, her voice trailing off.
Rachel met his eyes, her breath hitching quietly as she did. Her eyes moved the the hand, held palm up. He had asked her if she would hold it, and Rachel realized that this whole time he had been waiting for her answer. "I'm...I'm sorry..." whether her apology was for being scared of him, moving away, or the fact that he had to wait for her, she didn't know. Maybe it was all three. "I'm trying."
Rachel tried to will her hand to move - to make her fingers release the blanket, but they didn't seem to want to obey. She felt Emily's hand, soft and warm over hers and focused on that one. Slowly, her fingers opened and Emily took her hand, squeezing gently. Rachel knew this was important. She knew she had to reach out. She had to make the decision to reach for that hand. She didn't know why that was important, only that it was.
Rachel closed her eyes, quiet sobs shaking her as she tried. She could feel the tears building behind her eyelids as she tried to push through the fear. "I..." she spoke through the sobs as she opened her eyes, hot tears beginning to fall down her cheeks as she looked at her other hand. Her hand slowly opened, giving in to her demands. She moved her shaking hand towards Iāson's and she looked back at him. "I...don't want to be scared anymore." As the words broke the silence, Rachel's hand took Iāson's and she squeezed, her eyes pleading for his help.