11:59 pm
Kate puts on her pullover and her leather jacket and then wraps her arms around her body. She is shivering and her teeth clatter silently. I don't know what to do. A part of me wants to take her in my arms and pull her close, try to warm her and offer her some comfort. But another part of me simply chickens out. What if she pushes me away? What if my touch hurts even more? What if.
"Nick?" she says suddenly, and I realize that we have been silent again for quite a long time.
I turn to her. "Yes?"
"It's almost midnight," she says. "I'm so tired I can hardly keep my eyes open. But I." She trails off.
As if in a dream, I watch myself reach out a hand and put it lightly on her knee. She winces at the touch; only for a moment, but I don't know why. Her knee is not hurt. Is it so horrible to be touched by me? I wonder.
"You don't have to be afraid," I say softly. "I'll watch over you."
She offers me another smile, but this time it crackles from her lips as her mouth twitches shortly. She quickly presses her lips tightly together, but as I look into her eyes I see that she's on the verge of tears.
The sight of my Kate almost crying hurts me more than any Link could ever do, and I find myself reaching over to her and take her hand into mine. Her fingers are like icicles. I take her other hand as well, keep them both between my own two hands, then I lift them up and press them to my chest in order to warm them.
I can see that something is going on inside Kate. Different emotions flicker through her eyes.
"Nick." she whispers hoarsely, and then her fear takes over. She flings herself forward against me, and I can barely prevent myself from falling over. When she clasps her arms around me, my heart starts to race. I can feel it thumping hard in my throat. Kate gives a stifled moan against my chest, probably because her shoulder hurts so much, and I try to avoid this part of her body when I finally manage to put my own arms around her.
I hold her tight against my chest and I feel her body twitch with sobs she's trying to suppress. I struggle for words, but I can't think of anything. So I simply pull her closer, put my head down on her silky hair and cradle her in my arms.
"It's alright, Kate, it's alright," I'm murmuring.
When her sobs finally subside, Kate reluctantly lifts her head from my chest. She avoids my gaze, but still I can see that her face is very pale but her cheeks are flushed and that her eyes look blank.
"It's getting worse, isn't it?" I ask tentatively.
Kate nods, still without looking at me. "I can't see clearly anymore," she tells me, her hoarse voice barely audible. "Everything is just a blur. My head is spinning and that wound is throbbing. I have the feeling that my heart beats slower." Kate stops and finally looks at me. Her eyes seem unsteady. "Nick, am I dying?" she whispers.
"Dying?" I am so shocked that I can only dully repeat what she has just said. This thought has never once even crossed my mind. that one of us could be lethally wounded on duty.
My Kate. dying?
Kate puts on her pullover and her leather jacket and then wraps her arms around her body. She is shivering and her teeth clatter silently. I don't know what to do. A part of me wants to take her in my arms and pull her close, try to warm her and offer her some comfort. But another part of me simply chickens out. What if she pushes me away? What if my touch hurts even more? What if.
"Nick?" she says suddenly, and I realize that we have been silent again for quite a long time.
I turn to her. "Yes?"
"It's almost midnight," she says. "I'm so tired I can hardly keep my eyes open. But I." She trails off.
As if in a dream, I watch myself reach out a hand and put it lightly on her knee. She winces at the touch; only for a moment, but I don't know why. Her knee is not hurt. Is it so horrible to be touched by me? I wonder.
"You don't have to be afraid," I say softly. "I'll watch over you."
She offers me another smile, but this time it crackles from her lips as her mouth twitches shortly. She quickly presses her lips tightly together, but as I look into her eyes I see that she's on the verge of tears.
The sight of my Kate almost crying hurts me more than any Link could ever do, and I find myself reaching over to her and take her hand into mine. Her fingers are like icicles. I take her other hand as well, keep them both between my own two hands, then I lift them up and press them to my chest in order to warm them.
I can see that something is going on inside Kate. Different emotions flicker through her eyes.
"Nick." she whispers hoarsely, and then her fear takes over. She flings herself forward against me, and I can barely prevent myself from falling over. When she clasps her arms around me, my heart starts to race. I can feel it thumping hard in my throat. Kate gives a stifled moan against my chest, probably because her shoulder hurts so much, and I try to avoid this part of her body when I finally manage to put my own arms around her.
I hold her tight against my chest and I feel her body twitch with sobs she's trying to suppress. I struggle for words, but I can't think of anything. So I simply pull her closer, put my head down on her silky hair and cradle her in my arms.
"It's alright, Kate, it's alright," I'm murmuring.
When her sobs finally subside, Kate reluctantly lifts her head from my chest. She avoids my gaze, but still I can see that her face is very pale but her cheeks are flushed and that her eyes look blank.
"It's getting worse, isn't it?" I ask tentatively.
Kate nods, still without looking at me. "I can't see clearly anymore," she tells me, her hoarse voice barely audible. "Everything is just a blur. My head is spinning and that wound is throbbing. I have the feeling that my heart beats slower." Kate stops and finally looks at me. Her eyes seem unsteady. "Nick, am I dying?" she whispers.
"Dying?" I am so shocked that I can only dully repeat what she has just said. This thought has never once even crossed my mind. that one of us could be lethally wounded on duty.
My Kate. dying?