Episode 46

Flinch had been standing quietly behind Scarlet, unable to move. He'd been trying to navigate his way through his shock and horror and process all the information that had been laid out before him. But when Scarlet's file had finally been opened, he couldn't stand to keep his eyes on what lay there.

He quickly became nausious and dizzy, causing him to make for the nearest pale. By the time he was done, there was no remnant of food left in his stomach. He quickly went to the sink to rinse his mouth. It was only then that he realized his whole body was shaking. His grip on the sink tightened, causing his knuckles to go white as he tried to force his breathing to calm.

---

Scarlet was so lost in her thoughts that she never even heard Flinch throw up; she couldn't hear anything but the dull thrumming of her own heartbeat. She felt as if she were trapped: floating in a cold, lifeless abyss like the one she'd seen in her dreams.

But then, from out of that void, she felt a pair of arms wrap about her, and her vision blackened. Warm and firm, those arms seemed to pull her from that cold place and submerge her into somewhere warm and safe. Encased in that warm darkness, she could hear someone whisper in her ear.

"I've got you, Scarlet. It's going to be alright. I've got you."

It was only then that she closed her eyes and leaned into that warmth.

Helfeirch had seen how the look in Scarlet's eyes had turned dull and lifeless. It was as if she was drowning in some faraway place. He could not allow that. And in the next moment, he pulled her into his embrace with her back against his chest while one of his hands reached up to cover her eyes.

Only after he'd whispered to her, did the tension finally leave her body. And in its wake, he could feel her body begin to tremble. His hand covering her eyes became wet with tears as she held onto him. He continued holding her there in silence as his eyes settled on the display.

He had been telling the truth when he'd said that she talked in her sleep. Between the broken sentences, one-sided conversations, and pleas, it was clear that she often suffered nightmares. But given what he now saw with his own eyes, he could more accurately guess just what was in her nightmares.

The tears escaping Scarlet's eyes were unbidden, but she seemed to have lost control of her body and the emotions suddenly washing over it. At some point, she'd come to realize that the voice in her ear had been Helfeirch, and that the reason she couldn't see anything was because he was holding her and covering her eyes.

A part of her berated herself for crying. She'd only just opened her own file. How could she let herself get so worked up over something she had already known had happened? But all the self-lecturing couldn't stop the tears until they were ready to stop.

Once she'd gotten her breathing to even out, she felt Helfeirch's grip on her loosen. He continued to shield her eyes as he turned her to face him so that he was the first thing she saw upon removing his hand. She took a moment to stare into his blue eyes, which were now fully focused on her.

Then she remembered her tear-stained face and began to fervently wipe all traces of her tears from her eyes and cheeks.

'Get a hold of yourself, Scarlet. You've got a job to do. And that job requires that you research what these people did to you,' she scolded internally.

"We can take a break if you need to. No one will blame you or think less of you." She then heard him say. "You don't have to push yourself so hard."

Scarlet couldn't help but grimace at how he seemed to see right through her. She took in a deep breath as she considered his words. Her eyes found his once more before they searched the room for Flinch, who still stood near the sink staring at her with a complicated expression. Looking back at Helfeirch, she nodded.

"I just need a little air. Then I'll be alright."

She felt Helfeirch stroke her hair with his warm palm before she left the room, keeping her back to the display.

---

When Flinch had finally managed to turn back to face Scarlet, he found the sight waiting for him feeling nauseated for an entirely different reason. Seeing Helfeirch hold Scarlet firmly in his arms, supporting her while she cried, made him curse himself for not having the stomach to stand there. Unknowingly, his hands curled into fists as he watched Helfeirch gently turn her and cradle her face.

His fear that he was too late was becoming more and more solidified as reality. Only when she finally looked his way did he realize that he must have an unseemly expression. But even then, he couldn't bring himself to do anything about it. He could only stand there and watch as she disappeared into another room.

It was only when he heard footsteps approaching did his eyes turn away from where Scarlet had gone. Helfeirch now stood only a few feet from him, his intense gaze staring him down.