Two Crows Watch from the Gallows Tree (part 7)

Ky nodded. That was good to hear, rather than Kazhra all but promising to maul her even after she was down.

Bay sat there, very consciously keeping his eyes off Gaius. "Any other questions?"

Ky glanced between them. If she said no, could she leave? She wanted to leave. “Um… no, I don’t think so… thank you for taking the time to meet with me.”

Bay dipped his head and rose. "Good luck, Ky." He glanced at Gaius very briefly, then opened the door and simply left.

“Thank you,” she murmured, watching him go, then she looked back at Gaius. She was unsettled at how weak he looked. And she didn’t know what to do. Should she, also, run away? Or should she stay here and try to comfort him? It seemed shitty to leave him alone when he was in a state like this. She cautiously walked around the chair and sat down across from Gaius, not sure at all how to proceed.

Gaius was still staring at the fire, and his breathing was just as rapid as before. His face twitched ever so slightly as Ky sat down across from him, and his good hand tightened on the arm of the chair.

Something was clearly very wrong. But she didn’t have the first idea about how to go about trying to help. The man was impossible to compliment — was it even worth trying to comfort him?

Of course it was.

She couldn’t just leave him to suffer by himself. She settled back into the seat a bit more, forcing the tension out of her body and doing to her best to be a calming presence.

Gaius finally pulled his gaze away from the fire and forced out a breath, closing his eyes. His nails dug into the chair. He wanted his wife or his brother desperately. He wanted to hide himself away where Loren Carthe's gaze would never reach him, where he wouldn't have to remember the things he and Michael were responsible for.

Would it agitate him if she spoke? For once, she was hyper tuned into his needs, rather than just feeling anxious about silence in general. He seemed to prefer the quiet. And she could shut up if that’d be helpful. But she wasn’t sure what to do. Aleth had never given her lessons on how to comfort people — only how to manipulate. She took a breath, then silently let it out, deciding not to push. Yet.

He shivered involuntarily and his breath quickened again, then he forced it to slow, trembling. He wanted Sara. He wanted Sera or Tomhas. Somebody. He wanted to bury himself under the covers of his bed like he'd done so many nights with only his nose and mouth visible and be warm, and safe. Instead he was stuck here with this girl who knew nothing, having a panic attack over a starving man who'd merely spit at him and called his name.
And held him down while Michael shoved pig shit in his mouth, and helped Michael beat him, and played 'hunt the fox' with whittled sticks when he and Michael were ten and Gaius was seven. And so many other things.

She was out of her element. How could she help? She didn’t know. The thought of hugging him somehow felt scarier than hugging Rönn, although she was willing to do it, if that seemed like it would help him feel better. But him hugging her when she was in a state like this would, in fact, do the opposite. And the last thing she wanted was to make things worse. She was silent for another long moment, then offered, voice gentle, “Can I help?”

Gaius's face stiffened for a moment and he felt a flash of irritation. Of course she couldn't help. No one could help. But...
"Sara," he said hoarsely.

“Okay.” Ky stood up with a nod and moved for the door. Fetching Sara seemed far easier than figuring out how to comfort him herself.

He stayed where he was, shutting his eyes tightly once more. He'd lose himself once she was gone, he was sure. But until she opened the door he had to at least pretend he was only upset.

Ky glanced back at him to be sure that’s what he wanted — for her to go fetch Sara — and when he didn’t say otherwise, she slipped into the hall and closed the door behind her. Her pulse quickened once she was out in the hall. When she was around Aleth, and, apparently, Gaius, she knew better than to have emotions of her own when theirs were elevated. But now that she was alone in the hall her anxiety hit her like a ton of bricks. She rushed down the hall, wondering whether Sara would be. She didn’t know the habits of this Keep, yet, to have any idea of where she’d be.