(no subject)

[guppy_sandhu]

Guppy comes into the bar from the back door and goes over to the bar. He takes a small map of the world from his pocket and puts a cross next to one of the vertical lines.

He gets a cup of coffee and sits next to the fire. He looks tired and keeps dozing off, but forces himself to wake up again each time.

Eventually he just can't keep his eyes open and flops onto the side of the chair.

Comments

[prettyhelen.livejournal.com]

A soft, warm blanket is draped over him.

Helen takes a seat in the comfy chair next to him.

[guppy_sandhu]

Now and again he sort of twitches, clearly troubled by what he sees. He is even thinner than last time Helen saw him, pale and looking unwell.

Scampi wanders over, jumps on Helen's knee and purrs.

[prettyhelen.livejournal.com]

As the cat jumps on her knee, Elena, who is occuping the other knee, purrs happily. "Hey, Scampi!" Helen smiles a bit and pets the cat behind the ears. But she is distracted. She watches Guppy with soft, concerned eyes.

(ooc--slowtime may need to be invoked:-)

[guppy_sandhu]

He whimpers a little. Scampi looks up. When Guppy's body tenses the cat leaps off Helen's knee and goes straight over to him, licking his Mummy's hands.

[prettyhelen.livejournal.com]

Helen follows Scampi, tucking Elena under one arm. She runs a hand through Guppy's hair, gently. "Hey there," she whispers softly.

[guppy_sandhu]

The reaction is probably not what she expects.

He cries out and frantically runs his hands up the back of his head like a man trying to get a spider off.

"Please, get it off, please, I don't want to die!"

[prettyhelen.livejournal.com]

Helen tears her hand away from his head, and grips his hand. "Guppy! Guppy, it's me! Wake up!"

[guppy_sandhu]

His eyes snap open and he looks around, breathing very fast. He looks down at his hands, whimpers and starts to wipe at them with his handkerchief. They are clean.

"Don't let it touch your pretty hands it doesn't come off and I try but it won't go away."

[prettyhelen.livejournal.com]

Helen blinks. She takes both his hands. "Guppy, dear. There is nothing there. Shhhh."

[guppy_sandhu]

The frantic eyes and heavy breathing persist about another minute. Then he blinks, looks up into her eyes, bursts into tears and clings to her.

[prettyhelen.livejournal.com]

Woah....This was not what she expected. Then again, she has not been around much. So she takes him into her arms and cradles him, wrapping him gently in the blanket.

[guppy_sandhu]

"He's dead Helen. He killed himself and he's dead and it's all my fault."

[prettyhelen.livejournal.com]

Helen is stuck on how to reply to this one. Lots to take in for her. She stares for a minute, then holds him close to her. "It is not your fault. You did not kill him." Then, softly, "But may his soul find peace."

[gorlim.livejournal.com]

Gorlim sits beside him, rubs his back, and hums as he reads some book he'd acquired someplace. It looks suspiciously like a children's book, but then, he doesn't read English well. Perhaps he's practicing.

Or perhaps The Night of Wishes is just a really entertaining book...

[guppy_sandhu]

He whimpers and twitches now and again, his dreams clearly very troubled.

Then his whole body tenses up.

[gorlim.livejournal.com]

Gorlim calmly puts the book down and tugs Guppy into his lap, still humming.

[guppy_sandhu]

Sweat pours down his face, his breathing getting faster and faster. He tenses again.

And screams.

[gorlim.livejournal.com]

Gorlim holds Guppy close. He lets him scream into his chest, so the whole bloody bar can't hear. Rocking him gently, Gorlim mutters to him in his own language, softly, softly, it's all right, it'll be over soon, it's all right...

[guppy_sandhu]

Luckily it's not too loud a scream. But when he tries to draw breath and finds clothing in the way, he panics and struggles.

[gorlim.livejournal.com]

Gorlim lets him ge back a little so he can breathe, but holds his shoulders so he can't get away and maybe get hurt.

"Guppy. Wake up, love. It's over now."

[guppy_sandhu]

His eyes are open now. He looks at Gorlim, but it isn't certain that he sees him.

"Need to... find my Dad. Ghosts, in the forest, get the right midnight."

His breathing is shallow and increasingly rapid.

[gorlim.livejournal.com]

"GUPPY. Wake up. Now."

He gives the man a slight shake to try to knock him out of it.

[guppy_sandhu]

"I am awake." he focuses on Gorlim, feeling rapidly through his pockets as he continues to gasp for breath.

"Paper bag."

[gorlim.livejournal.com]

"Papar... bag?"

He's puzzled, but runs to the bar and returns with a paper bag. He hands it to Guppy.

[guppy_sandhu]

He puts his head between his knees and breathes in and out of the paper bag until his breathing starts to calm down again. He is white as a sheet, drenched with sweat, and looking dreadfully tired and ill.

"Thanks." he whispers.