CHAPTER - THE HEART
"Catcher?" Lara bent down. Next to him. Putting a hand on his shoulder. "Catcher, what's wrong?"
He couldn't stop wheezing. And he stuck up his hand. Putting it against her collarbone. Trying to push her away. He felt like she was invading him. Invading his air.
"It's alright," she spoke softly. Leaning in closer. Despite the hand. "I'm going to help you." As if it were the key. His hand dropped away.
"...ow..." the only word he could get out. Weak and mewed. He tried to roll over. Onto his face.
"Where does it hurt?" Her hands went to where his were. Peeling them back. "Does it hurt here? Your chest?"
He nodded. Eyes clenching shut. As she rolled him. Onto his back. Placing her palm on his chest. Trying to see if it was on the outside. "Is it your wound Catcher? Is that what's hurting you?"
He shook his head. "My heart..."
Agatha was crying behind her. Her little hands. Gripping her shirt. At Lara's shoulder.
"Agatha honey, it's alright, he's going to be okay." She tried to comfort her daughter. While Catcher clung to her wrists. She turned back.
Suddenly. He sprung up. His arms going about her. Hugging her close. His breath was in her ear. Fast and hard. His chest bumping against hers.
"Lara...Lara..." he was saying. Whimpering words. Between gasps. Like he'd done in the doctor's office. Like a little child.
Her arms closed around him. Hesitantly. Feeling odd. "It's okay," so strange. "I'm here."
"...Lara...Lara..." it was his whispered mantra.
"Catcher, I need you to calm down. Take slow deep breaths, okay? Can you do that?" He nodded. His chin bumping her shoulder.
As he tried. His wheezing got less. And less. Until his eyes closed. And his breathing became slow. Like she'd said.
"That's it." She replaced her head. Against him. Turned loose with one arm. And reached back. Pulling her daughter in.
She held them both. So close. Feeling them move. Until suddenly. They moved as one. For one brief moment. Their bodies moved as one.
"Keep breathing like that, you're doing good." The words came from her mouth. Like liquid. Soft. And warm. And comfortable.
She rubbed Agatha's back. Trying to calm her down. And did the same to Catcher. Rocking gently. "Does it still hurt?"
"No...it stopped..."
His hold on her. Became tighter. His lips. Brushing her ear.
"Watch my heart." He whispered. "I still want to play..."
"Catcher?" Lara bent down. Next to him. Putting a hand on his shoulder. "Catcher, what's wrong?"
He couldn't stop wheezing. And he stuck up his hand. Putting it against her collarbone. Trying to push her away. He felt like she was invading him. Invading his air.
"It's alright," she spoke softly. Leaning in closer. Despite the hand. "I'm going to help you." As if it were the key. His hand dropped away.
"...ow..." the only word he could get out. Weak and mewed. He tried to roll over. Onto his face.
"Where does it hurt?" Her hands went to where his were. Peeling them back. "Does it hurt here? Your chest?"
He nodded. Eyes clenching shut. As she rolled him. Onto his back. Placing her palm on his chest. Trying to see if it was on the outside. "Is it your wound Catcher? Is that what's hurting you?"
He shook his head. "My heart..."
Agatha was crying behind her. Her little hands. Gripping her shirt. At Lara's shoulder.
"Agatha honey, it's alright, he's going to be okay." She tried to comfort her daughter. While Catcher clung to her wrists. She turned back.
Suddenly. He sprung up. His arms going about her. Hugging her close. His breath was in her ear. Fast and hard. His chest bumping against hers.
"Lara...Lara..." he was saying. Whimpering words. Between gasps. Like he'd done in the doctor's office. Like a little child.
Her arms closed around him. Hesitantly. Feeling odd. "It's okay," so strange. "I'm here."
"...Lara...Lara..." it was his whispered mantra.
"Catcher, I need you to calm down. Take slow deep breaths, okay? Can you do that?" He nodded. His chin bumping her shoulder.
As he tried. His wheezing got less. And less. Until his eyes closed. And his breathing became slow. Like she'd said.
"That's it." She replaced her head. Against him. Turned loose with one arm. And reached back. Pulling her daughter in.
She held them both. So close. Feeling them move. Until suddenly. They moved as one. For one brief moment. Their bodies moved as one.
"Keep breathing like that, you're doing good." The words came from her mouth. Like liquid. Soft. And warm. And comfortable.
She rubbed Agatha's back. Trying to calm her down. And did the same to Catcher. Rocking gently. "Does it still hurt?"
"No...it stopped..."
His hold on her. Became tighter. His lips. Brushing her ear.
"Watch my heart." He whispered. "I still want to play..."