~She wasn't used to being the one left behind.~
On the Frontline
She wasn't used to being the one left behind.
In her time within the game of Sword Art Online she'd always been on the frontlines. Always been the one to rush out first, accompanied by comrades and facing whatever danger that lay ahead, head-on. She was used to being the one fighting for her life, fighting for other's lives, fighting for freedom, not the one sitting back and hoping for the best.
A new kind of nervousness that clenched her stomach into a rock, swept over her as she laid her hand on his in the hospital bed, her eyes glued to the TV screen depicting the battle he was going through with the man in the hood.
She'd always thought that being on that frontline was the most nerve-wracking place to be, and the one place that was –despite the adrenaline rush and joy when the fight was over- quite honestly the worst possible place to be deployed.
But she'd been wrong. This… this sitting and waiting and knowing that she had no control over the outcome was the worst. She couldn't protect his life and his well-being with her own hands anymore. She had no power whatsoever, and it was sickening.
She clenched his hand harder, trying her best to keep the tears from welling into her eyes. It was only a game this time, and while she didn't know the specifics, or exactly what kind of danger he was in, it wasn't Sword Art Online, and he'd be okay. Despite her reassurances, her stomach still dropped with every bullet that was shot his way.
Because she wasn't used to being the one left behind, the one hoping for the best outcome, the one praying that the one she loved would be alright. And in every fight to come, no matter how difficult, she'd remember her moments sitting and clutching his hand helplessly, thankful in a way that she was able to be on the frontline and at his side once again.
The Number Sequence and Lots of Prompts Challenge - #10 - abaft