𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐞; eugene roe ✔

PART FOURTEEN

Again, wrote this all on my phone so if there are typos I sincerely apologise.

Word count; 2,041

Valentina

Armin in my arms, I wandered to the kitchen window. I lifted the corner of the curtain, rain drops splattering against the glass. What was once silent pattering was now a harsh greeting; the rain collided with the land like that was the only option - violence. Dawn approached delicately, not wanting to disturb the dark clouds above. Armin cooed, reaching out a small hand. Since a few hours previous, he hadn't made a noise of any kind. My smallest finger slipped into his grip.

"Why hello there, little one." I beamed.

Rustling emerged from the room over and I returned to it, finding Eugene sat up and wiping his eyes. His hair fell in every direction, traumatised by the cushion he rested his head on. The dog tags sat on the white fabric of his shoulder and he forced them around, wetting his lips. He regarded me, sparing that same soft gaze. Then he noticed Armin, and that same warm smile surfaced. 

"Did you sleep well?"

He blinked away, like that was an answer in itself, and said, "Did he?"

I didn't push him for an answer, "I don't know what you did. He has been a treasure."

Eugene nodded softly, swaying his hands across the sofa in effort to find his combat jacket. During the night, he tossed over and it ended up on the floor. I had stayed up the entire night, sat in the same armchair with Armin in my hands; my presence alone in the room, acting as guard, had the medic asleep within minutes. When his jacket fell, I retrieved it and hung it up on the door.

"Over there." I directed.

"Oh." He smiled.

"Others will wake soon." I said as he moved across the floor. "Do you want anything?"

"No." He declined politely. "No, I'm all right."

I nodded, glancing down at Armin.

"Did you..." He began, unhooking his combat jacket and slowly drawing each arm into it, every muscle stiff. "Did you stay here? All night?"

"Maybe." I jested, bobbing my legs to rock the babe.

He turned around, fiddling with his buttons. I remembered when I had reached for it earlier, brushed my hands against the chest pockets.

"Why do you ask?" I probe, eyes still on Armin.

"No, just," He hesitated. "Nothing."

After that, I returned to Ida's room, having heard her heavy footsteps above. She thanked me graciously, interrogating how I managed to deal with him all night and bring him back in such a peaceful state. On the way out, I passed by Teo's room, finding no change in his demeanor. I tried to focus my eyes, waiting for the second his chest would fail to rise again but nothing came. The canister of tablets stood on his bedside table, as if taunting him that once more he had failed. That his pain would only now be worse. It almost smirks at me, prompting some vexed response which it knew I'd never give. The floorboards behind me creaked.

Eugene surfaced, halting once to make eye contact with me - asking if it was all right to enter. Once I gave my permission, he continued forward, digging through his medic bag.

"Eugene."

He hummed a note as an answer.

"Do... do you know why he did this?"

The medic froze, one knee on Teo's bed as he started to reach for the boy's arm.

"Considering he had experienced this before, why did he do it again?"