Every inch of Ellie that has survived for months on ruthless mistrust and hateful grief and cold-blooded readiness to fight back at any sign of threat tenses as the woman approaches. Her breath picks up; her muscles tighten and brace; her watchful gaze is pinned on the woman like an animal ready to lash out. Ellie watches her kneel in front of her and she rakes an icy watchful look all over her – at the rifle the woman has slung over her shoulder, at the medical supplies in her hands, at her face. She hurriedly scrambles over the woman’s offer – Do you want me to do it? – in her racing thoughts.
After a chary deliberating beat, she relents: there is no way she can tend to her ribs or even her raw wrists on her own. She has no choice but to trust this woman. Root, she repeats to herself, turning the name over again in her mind. She nods as she lets her weight rest upon her elbows propped on her knees.
Ellie swallows, and ugh, her tongue is sandpapery, her throat is parched with thirst. She licks her dry and cracked lips, tongue dragging uselessly across it. Her hands, hanging slack between her knees, are trembling from pain, from exhaustion, from unnerved adrenaline at the nearness of this woman kneeling right before her.
“Why?” she asks. It’s a question to Root confirming that she had dragged her all the way here, wherever here is. “Why didn’t you just… save yourself?”
Root isn't about to try to convince her to trust her, to relax or calm down or feel safe. There's an absurdity to the idea that is distasteful to her. Back home she'd been faking who she was most of the time, taking on and discarding identities like clothing; here, the ratio is flipped. She only pretends once in a while, like when they were both held captive and Root was trying to be convincing as a hapless, defenseless woman so they'd let their guard down.
Most of the time, she just isn't around another human being long enough for it to matter what they think of her. And if Ellie does lash out, so what? Root can handle a little -- or a lot of -- pain. There's a stapes missing from her right ear that can attest to that.
Conscientious that they might be together for some time out of necessity if nothing else, Root answers honestly.
She pauses before trying to tend to her, hands raised and lingering midair as she meets her gaze steadily. "I used to know someone," she says, calm but with grief lining her eyes. "She thought I was the kind of person who saved people. I guess I'm not ready to let go of that yet."
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After a chary deliberating beat, she relents: there is no way she can tend to her ribs or even her raw wrists on her own. She has no choice but to trust this woman. Root, she repeats to herself, turning the name over again in her mind. She nods as she lets her weight rest upon her elbows propped on her knees.
Ellie swallows, and ugh, her tongue is sandpapery, her throat is parched with thirst. She licks her dry and cracked lips, tongue dragging uselessly across it. Her hands, hanging slack between her knees, are trembling from pain, from exhaustion, from unnerved adrenaline at the nearness of this woman kneeling right before her.
“Why?” she asks. It’s a question to Root confirming that she had dragged her all the way here, wherever here is. “Why didn’t you just… save yourself?”
no subject
Most of the time, she just isn't around another human being long enough for it to matter what they think of her. And if Ellie does lash out, so what? Root can handle a little -- or a lot of -- pain. There's a stapes missing from her right ear that can attest to that.
Conscientious that they might be together for some time out of necessity if nothing else, Root answers honestly.
She pauses before trying to tend to her, hands raised and lingering midair as she meets her gaze steadily. "I used to know someone," she says, calm but with grief lining her eyes. "She thought I was the kind of person who saved people. I guess I'm not ready to let go of that yet."
A beat of silence.
"Where do you want me to start?"