Title: Hold My Hand

Rating: K

Description: A continuation of Blood. Robert wakes up after his trip through the tear.

By the time Robert awoke from his deep sleep, the midday sun was already streaming through the window. He blinked, eyes slowly beginning to focusing on the the ceiling above him. Robert was filled with that special type of confusion that one feels when waking up in a place that isn't their own bedroom and, as he lay there on what felt too hard and short to be a bed, he racked his brain to remember where he was.

And then, as if a switch had been flipped, he remembered what had happened. He remembered all the tests and planning that had lead up to that one moment, the moment he would pass through the Lutece tear and meet his other self in person for the first time. He remembered walking through the tear, his sister standing on the other side with her arms outstretched, in case he became disoriented and fell over. He remembered the strange and indescribable feeling of being transferred from one world to another. But, after that, everything went foggy.

He vaguely recalled hearing his sister voice somewhere far off in the distance and him trying to call back only for his words to come out jumbled and confused.

"But it appears to have worked. The experiment was a success." Robert murmured and smiled to himself.

He tried to sit up but was immediately overcome by dizziness, and had to quickly lie down again, lest he risk passing out. Turning to the side he noticed for the first time a figure seated in a chair next to him. Blinking through the strange grey static that seemed to be clouding his vision, he saw his sister in a nearby armchair. She was sound asleep.

He reached out, somewhat timidly, and touched her hand that hung limply over one of the armrests. He wanted to make sure that she was tangible, that this wasn't another dream. And he got his answer when he gently held her small, warm hand in his larger one.

Rosalind stirred, blinking slowly before snapping her eyes open as she realized someone or something had a hold on her hand and soon realized who it was.

"Robert, you're awake." he could hear the relief in her voice.

"I am. It worked sister." He beamed and she returned his expression of joy with her own tired smile.

"Yes, it did."

They sat there in comfortable silence, just sort of marvelling at the fact that they were inhabiting the same world.

Robert was the one to break the quiet. Realizing he was still grasping his sister's hand he let it fall and proceeded to speak.

"How long have I been unconscious?"

"About thirteen hours."

"And how long have you been awake?"

"For about twelve. Can you remember what happened?"

"I.." His mind seemed to go blank. He had just had it a second ago but now he couldn't remember. He was starting to feel dizzy again.

"I… we were…doing a test…"

"Don't strain yourself."

He felt something wet on his upper lip.

"You're bleeding again."

He touched under his nose lightly and saw blood on his finger tips.

"Strange. I've never gotten nosebleeds before."

"Well, you've been having quite a few of them recently, brother. Can you sit up?"

He tried and began to fall forward, but Rosalind caught him.

"Sorry. I should have had you propped up in the first place, but with you hemorrhaging the way you were I-"

"What exactly happened to me, sister?"

"I explain it to you later. Pinch your nose."

He did as she asked and she went grabbed a clean towel. He noticed several blood stained ones on the floor around them.

"Don't rub your nose." She pulled the hand he was not pinching with away and set it down by his side.

"Sorry."

As they sat there in silence, Rosalind cleaning his face with a towel in one hand and him pinching his nose to slow the bleeding, he realized her other hand was still grasping his. And despite the circumstances, he couldn't help but think that he liked it when they held hands.