Yerp, here it is. I'm copy-pasting it because i have no mental energy right now, so deal with it.
ALSO PUH-LEASE CHECK OUT MY CONVERSATIONS BOARD I'M TRYING TO GET REQUESTS FOR BOOKS TO UPDATE AND THERES LITERALLY NO ONE THERE
Warning: Spoilers ahead. Also, Warning: information may be incorrect, I apologize for the inconvenience.
What if Ro stopped Keefe before he left (after Unlocked)?
Keefe raised his hand, crystal dangling from his fingers. But before he could leap away, Ro ripped herself out of the bedsheets, grabbing onto his leg at the last possible second. All Keefe could think was I was so close.
Slowly, Ro dragged herself up, careful not to let him go, despite his fingers desperately prying at her iron grip.
All Keefe could comprehend was the panic, coming from both of them, before it overwhelmed him.
Sleep! The command formed into a monster, clawing its way up his throat.
"Please," He said, subconsciously scratching at his throat with the tips of his fingers.
Keefe couldn't remember a time he had been so desperate. With the words pushing their way up his throat, his and Ro's panic, and his goal was so close, it was all he could do not to vomit all over the floor. Spots danced in his eyes, and Keefe welcomed the darkness.
He fell into Ro's arms, limp.
_________
When Keefe could feel his body again, he had one second of blissful ignorance, before he realized what had happened.
Aaaaand then reality came crashing down. Keefe winced as a headache started pounding at his brain. Squeezing his eyes shut, he tried his best to listen to what was going on outside.
"Keefe? Can you hear me?" Keefe's body jolted at the sudden increase of his hearing abilities, and Elwin made a humming sound.
"All right, he should be able to move right about... now," While Elwin continued to talk, Keefe could feel the energy setting into his bones.
"Don't go to fa- too late" Elwin sighed as Keefe painfully pushed himself up
"What happened?" he asked in a whisper, scared to talk louder, only to realize his voice was hoarse and scratchy
"You passed out on me." Keefe swiveled his head around, finding Ro standing in the doorway. He didn't need to be an Empath to know she was worried. The creases in her forehead, the rigid way she leaned on the doorway, Ro was worried about him.
"You passed out" repeated Elwin, and Keefe could feel the pity rolling off of him in waves
Not pity, empathy Keefe reminded himself
"It was sort of hard treating you without touching you, but we managed," Livvy said from another room, making Keefe turn his head around wildly, trying to see if there was anyone else.
"How many people-" Keefe stopped himself. For them, he repeated mentally. I have to stay quiet for them. What happened can't happen again.
Running his hands through his hair, Keefe tried to find a combination of signs to ask who else was there. The best he could do was draw a question mark in the air and make his fingers walk in his palm, leaving Elwin and Ro confused.
Keefe threw himself back onto his bed, cringing when he hit his head on the headboard.
Elwin made an odd face and told Ro to stand at the door, but Keefe didn't care. He had to act like everything was normal, and the first step to that was to mentally prepare himself.
