[The nudge almost gets a sound, a softly indignant one, but Will swallows it just in time. He's not loud by nature, he's quiet, he's good at hiding, he's good at disappearing, but right now he wants to scream. Maybe that'll make the world split apart, maybe it'll hurtle them all into someplace different. Maybe it'll just mean him dying.
Does it matter, if he's already dead?
But he doesn't, because there are other people here. There's this man who's holding himself together with tense shoulders and held breath, and Will doesn't know him and Will doesn't trust him, but Will also doesn't want to put him in any danger.
And then the man breathes and Will hadn't realized he'd forgotten to. He follows, automatically -- in, hold, hold, hold, out -- and he can remember waking up screaming, forgetting how to do this most basic thing and he can hear Joyce's voice, soft and soothing and exhausted, breathe, baby, just breathe, it's okay, it's okay, you're safe now, you're safe.
He's not. Neither of them are. But Will's turned fully towards the man now, watching him breathe in and out, following along as best as he can. See? He's good at following directions.]
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Does it matter, if he's already dead?
But he doesn't, because there are other people here. There's this man who's holding himself together with tense shoulders and held breath, and Will doesn't know him and Will doesn't trust him, but Will also doesn't want to put him in any danger.
And then the man breathes and Will hadn't realized he'd forgotten to. He follows, automatically -- in, hold, hold, hold, out -- and he can remember waking up screaming, forgetting how to do this most basic thing and he can hear Joyce's voice, soft and soothing and exhausted, breathe, baby, just breathe, it's okay, it's okay, you're safe now, you're safe.
He's not. Neither of them are. But Will's turned fully towards the man now, watching him breathe in and out, following along as best as he can. See? He's good at following directions.]