"Apology"
Emily couldn't sleep. She was still thinking about their experience in the void. She was also worrying about Trellis. He had seemed… different after that. Both sad and angry at the same time. She had tried to comfort him, but that just hurt him more.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid." Emily whispered to herself. She decided to apologize to Trellis, see if she could fix anything that she had done wrong.
Emily knocked on the door to Trellis and Luger's room. There wasn't any answer. She hadn't expected one. The door was unlocked; probably Luger had left it like that. Trellis always locked the door, even if he was only going out for a few minutes. Emily walked in and sat on the edge of Trellis' bed. He had been lying facedown on the bed, but had jumped up when he heard the door open. He was understandably angry about the intrusion.
"Emily! What are you doing in here!?" Emily didn't speak, but pulled him down onto the bed beside her. Trellis tried to pull away from her. Emily pulled him closer and he gave up. After a long silence, Emily spoke.
"Trellis… I'm sorry." Trellis started, shocked.
"Why? What are you sorry for?"
"Remember right after the void? What we both learned?" Emily asked. Trellis' face darkened. To Em, it looked like he was going to cry. She squeezed his shoulder as he spoke.
"Yes, I remember that." He said slowly, fighting the urge to lean into Emily's protective arm. He didn't have to, as it turned out. Apparently Emily could read his mind, because she moved her arm so Trellis' head was on her shoulder and then turned around so she was facing him. She put both her arms around Trellis. She hadn't been a big sister for ten years for nothing; she could tell when someone needed to be comforted.
"I'm so sorry." she said into his hair. "I know you don't want to talk about this." Emily heard a small gulp. Trellis was trying very hard not to cry but a few tears leaked out onto Emily's shoulder. Then more. Finally, he was sobbing. This was completely unlike how Em had ever seen him act. Poor boy, she thought. I came to help him and I just made him cry. But maybe that's what he needed. She noticed a sudden quiet. Trellis had fallen asleep. Emily smiled to herself and sat there for a long time