There were little in this world Shona hated. Actually, she did her best not to hate at all. It was an entirely unproductive feeling that she had learned how to best channel into different emotions. Emotions that could be useful instead of only weighing you down and clouding your mind. Such as determination. That was a good emotion. One she used daily to achieve and get trough her goals of the day. She couldn’t remember who had got her started on goals. In some ways, she’d always had them, though back when she was younger, goals had been and appeared more as abstract dreams and wishes. Until you were forced to make them into reality. Not because you thought you could or knew how, but because it was life or death. It was about survival. And she supposed that when you could no longer bear to watch the impact your one living parent had on the only brother you loved, you would do anything to ensure he was protected. Got a better future, a less damaged childhood. Sitting there in that chair, staring at her supposedly sleeping younger brother, she wondered if she had indeed succeeded. Right now, it did not feel as if she had. Because he wasn’t protected. He wasn’t safe or even whole. He was hurt, his lung was damaged, his body suffering. Had she been a less rational person, she would be yelling at doctors, crying in the hallway and cursing at nurses. As it were, she managed to wrap all that, neat and tidy up inside her own chest, hiding her inner turmoil from the naked eye. It would serve no one if she were to lash out. It certainly wouldn’t help Tyree in any way. And right now, that was all she could find it in her to care about. How best to help him, when she had no healing abilities. No skills that could do anything for him medically. He’d always been to smart for his own good. Too caring, and too invested in everyone else’s well being. Why do you need to save everyone else? Why can’t you just put yourself first for once? Maybe that was her fault. Maybe he felt as if he didn’t have to because he knew that she did. That no matter what she always put him first, and that created some strange room for him to put others first. Not that she should complain, she was sure he put her first too.
it was as if the longer she waited for him to wake up, the longer the list of lectures became. At this point, Shona was sure that all she had thought of telling him, she would not be able to remember when he came back into consciousness. Which might be just as well.. she might be exhausted with worry, she might be cold with fear, but neither would win any battles against her role as a parent. She might be frustrated and she had no trouble locating some anger, but none were born out of anything but fear of loosing him. So she could lecture, and she could implore, and she could be honest about just how much he had scared her, but she would not yell, and she would not place blame. Well, maybe some.. hero or not, he ought to take some responsibility for his actions. Even if their only true consequence was a terrified big sister and some serious pain and recuperation time. She almost jumped out of the chair as she could feel movement between her own fingers, fingers which had been holding his tightly for hours. Her own eyes widened considerably, with a mix of relief and disbelief. Was he really awake? Seeing those dark brown orbs for the first time in what felt like ages, she couldn’t help the choking sound that came out as she had to steel herself not to start crying right then and there. “H-Hi baby.” she said, her voice rather husky and low. Leaning forward she ran a hand trough some of his sandy blonde hair, pushing it gently away from his brow, a gesture she had been asked to refrain from doing when he hit a certain age, when it was somehow a bit embarrassing or too motherly for her to touch his hair. But right now she decided that she had to be allowed. That tiny smile had her throat closing up even more. Such a odd statement considering he had been asleep. Hard to miss someone when you were asleep. Then again she hadn’t been there. At the party, when he was hurt.. She should have been. “I love you.” She whispered, unable to hold back the tears any longer, taking deep breaths to keep from loosing herself over to them completely. “I can’t believe you’re finally awake.” Sniffing a bit, she noticed how he was crying too, which made her shake her head, dumb coming up to wipe it carefully away. “Its okay Tyree, its okay. The doctors have done everything they can. You’ll be fine, you just need to rest for a while.” Tone firm despite it all. Oh she was going to make damn sure every doctors note and recommendation was followed, even if she had to take time off work, or live in his bedroom. He would make a full recovery, and she would be there every step of the way.
Had this been any other day, had he been in any other shape, Tyree Coburn might have ducked his head away from beneath her hand. He might have made some quick, slightly humorous reminder that he wasn’t a baby anymore. But here he was, laying in a bloody hospital bed, feeling like he was dying, and there she was... holding his hand and calling him a name he hadn’t heard since he was a boy. Hearing his sister’s voice was enough to get the tears to fall down his face, his breath coming in choked sobs. “I thought--I thought I was... never g-gonna see you...ag-again.” He wasn’t the type to cry. Hell, he’d been through so much and hadn’t shed a tear. But here he was, not even a minute after coming back from the brink of death, and he was already crying. And why? Because he had almost left Shona, the one person in the world who mattered more than anyone else. For the first time, he was suddenly very aware of something: he had almost chosen his best friend over his sister. His sister, who was also his mother figure and role model in every thing he did. He’d never want to hurt her, and here he was, doing just that all because he had tried to save someone who couldn’t save herself.
“Mum...?” He asked softly, almost as though he had to make she was real. He tried to squeeze her hand, only to find that his own was weak from lack of use. “I--I’m so s-sorry.” He choked out, more fresh tears falling down his face now. He wanted desperately to make her smile, to bring out the brave, strong woman he knew she was, but he also knew that she needed a second to actually be vulnerable and show how she really felt. And if he meant as much to her as she meant to him, he was certain that the past however many days had been absolute hell for her. “I love you.” He repeated, this time holding her hand a bit more tightly in order to let her know that he really, truly was sorry for scaring her. And then her words registered in his mind and he paused, confusion coloring his features. “How... how long have I been out?” It felt like hours, but he’d assumed that it had been maybe a day or two, three at the most that he’d been out. The pain in his chest was only slightly better, and he could actually breathe, but he had been certain that he hadn’t been out too long..until she started talking like this was actually serious. It was then that his heart sunk. “I thought... I thought...” He closed his eyes, not wanting to use the energy for words he was struggling to find. Even through lids, however, the tears kept falling. He was awake. He was awake. Back in the ambulance he’d been convinced he was going to die, and here he was. Awake. He was awake, and his sister was there with him. And that was more than he could ask for.
