Silence || The Chronicles Of Narnia

38: I'll get you home

Edmund lay there with his head in Peter's lap for a while longer, before he squeezed his eyes shut tightly. "Everything hurts." He whispered.

Peter's heart broke. "I - I know." He murmered. "But I'll get you back to Cair Ed, I promise you I will."

Edmund gave him a small smile before burying his face against Peter's leg, taking deep breaths and trying to stay calm.

"Come on." Peter mumbled after a short while, once again slipping one arm under Edmund's knees and the other under his shoulders and very careful standing, lifting his brother up with him.

Edmund let out a choked gasp, and it took everything he had not to scream. He wrapped one arm around Peter's neck, keeping the other against his chest and as still as he possibly could. "Don't - dont you wanna sleep?" He choked as Peter began walking.

"I need to get you to Cair as soon as possible Ed." Peter sighed. "You need a healer."

"I'm surprised you aren't saying I need Lucy's cordial." Edmund said with a small smile as he rested his head against Peter's shoulder.

Peter swallowed hard. "You do." He mumbled. "But the magic the witch used to heal your neck now prevents the cordial from healing your wounds."

Edmund frowned. "Do you mean like, forever?" He questioned.

"No, not forever." Peter replied reassuringly. "Only for around a month, that's what Aslan said anyway."

Edmund sighed a little but didn't say anything else.

They were walking for around twenty minutes before Peter finally spoke again. "Ed?" He murmered.

"Hmm?" Edmund replied from where he had his head resting on Peter's shoulder, eyes half closed in exhaustion.

"The other day," Peter choked. "When you tried to - to you know." He swallowed hard, unable to say the words "kill yourself". "Did you do that so we wouldn't find out?"

Edmund sighed but nodded. "Yeah." He whispered. "I didn't know how much longer I could keep it hidden."

"But to go that far Ed." Peter choked. "Why?"

"Because I love you and the girls." Edmund replied quietly. "I wasn't about to let the witch hurt you, or worse. I - I knew you'd catch on eventually, you always do, and you did Peter, eventually you figured out something was going on, and I was terrified, because if you found out, the witch said she'd kill you."

Peter swallowed hard. "I cant believe you kept something like that to yourself for so long." He practically whispered. "I mean, you were gonna die and you still didn't tell anyone."

"Because I'd rather me be dead than you and the girls." Edmund mumbled, tears stinging his eyes.

"Don't say that Ed!" Peter said quickly. "Never, never say that again."

Edmund swallowed hard before burying his face against Peter's neck, taking a deep, shaky breath.

"You alright?" Peter asked, worry in his voice.

Edmund shook his head slightly. "Everything hurts so much." He whispered. "And I'm cold."

Peter thought for a moment. "Take my shirt?" He offered. "I'll still have my tunic, but you can have the shirt."

Edmund stared at him for a second or two before slowly nodding his head. "Thanks." He whispered.

Peter gave him a gentle smile before stopping and sitting Edmund extremely careful against a tree, where he then removed his tunic and then his shirt, before slipping his tunic back on and helping Edmund into the shirt.

Edmund hissed in pain multiple times, which only caused Peter's heart to shatter and tears to fill his eyes, but he looked especially worried when he noticed how sweaty Edmund's forehead was, and placing the back of his hand against it he found it was burning. "Ed do you feel okay?" He asked. "As in, do you feel ill?"

Edmund swallowed hard. "Yeah." He murmered. "I feel like I'm coming down with a fever."

Peter sighed. "I think you are." He sighed, brushing the hair back from Edmund's forehead.

Edmund nodded slowly before leaning forward hesitantly and resting his forehead against Peter's shoulder, two tears rolling down his cheeks.

"You'll be okay Ed." Peter said gently, placing a hand on the back of his head. "I promise you will be... why don't you get some sleep?"

But Edmund shook his head. "Everything hurts too much." He whispered, voice hoarse.

Peter's face fell. "You wanna carry on then?" He asked.

Edmund nodded. "I just wanna go home." He choked, voice shaking.

"Come on then." Peter murmered, picking Edmund up again and continuing to walk, being as careful as he possibly could. "I'll get you home." He sighed. "As soon as I can."

Edmund smiled weakly and rested his head against Peter's shoulder, his eyes closing even though it was clear he hadn't fallen asleep.

His breathing was even for at least an hour, before Peter heard it hitch and he just stopped breathing completely.

Stopping dead, Peter panicked and sat his brother on the ground, gripping his shoulders. "Ed? Ed come on, you can do this, breathe. Just breathe Ed." He said quickly, eyes full of worry.

Edmund's eyes were wide, and his hand reached up to grab Peter's as he obviously tried his hardest to breathe, and the pain he was in was obvious.

"Come on." Peter said gently. "You can do it, I know you can, just breathe."

It took another moment of two but Edmund eventually managed to take a deep breath, before he was gasping loudly and collapsing forward into Peter's arms.

Peter quickly caught him and continued whispering comfortingly under his breath until Edmund had managed to calm down. "There you go." He whispered. "I knew you could do it."

Edmund took another deep breath before slowly reaching up and wiping at his eyes. "I hate it when that happens." He grumbled, and neither of them could help laughing.

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Two more chapters left guys 🥺