A year as a Narnian || 365 Narnia one shots (Part two)

326: I can't do this - Part Two

November 22nd - Prompt: Headache

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Peter smiled weakly as he entered the small living room, relieved to see Edmund still there. "Ed?" He murmured. 

Edmund's head snapped up, and he couldn't help but sigh in relief at the sight of his older brother. "Peter," He breathed. "You're okay." 

Peter nodded slowly, walking over to join him on the sofa. "I took your advice." He mumbled, and when Edmund frowned he added: "I exploded." 

Edmund bit his lip, and nodded slowly. "Feel better?" He asked quietly. 

Peter swallowed hard. "I do." He replied. "just got a pounding headache now."

Edmund gave him a weak smile, nodding in understanding but no saying anything in reply.

Peter hesitated a little, biting his lips. "Also..." He murmured eventually. "Aslan showed up."

"Aslan?" 

"Yeah," Peter whispered. "We talked, he helped me... a lot."

Edmund smiled weakly. "Well that's good." He said gently. "Did he - leave after?"

Peter nodded a little. "Yeah," He choked, looking really upset by this, but her understood at the same time, Aslan couldn't stay forever. He was silent for a moment, before taking a deep breath. "I'm gonna take the day off tomorrow." He told his brother. 

Edmund seemed a little surprised by this, but happy by it too. "I say that's a very good idea." He said with a nod. "You need it."

Peter took a deep breath. "Yeah," He mumbled, before patting Edmund's shoulder. "You wanna grab something to eat?" 

Edmund smiled, before smirking. "Obviously."

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Peter rubbed his eyes as he headed down the corridor towards his room that night. His breakdown earlier had exhausted him, and his eyes were sore he was so tired, so he decided to turn in for the night, very much looking forward to a lie in tomorrow morning. 

He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a lie in, and couldn't help but smile a little as he thought about it, although he stopped walking just outside of Edmund's bedroom, wondering if he should pop in to say goodnight. 

He was just about to carry on walking, thinking his brother might already be asleep and not wanting to disturb him, before he heard a choked gasp followed by a dull thud. 

Fearing the worst, Peter drew his sword and quickly but quietly opened the door, his heart skipping a beat when he saw Edmund, collapsed on the floor, with the assassin stood over him.

Not hesitating in the slightest, Peter dashed forward, and before the assassin could even react, his head was rolling on the floor, his body joining it soon after. 

Peter swallowed hard, dropping his sword with a clatter before falling to his knees at his brothers side, praying that he wasn't already gone. 

He quickly found the wound that the assassin had caused, and was terrified to see that it was near Edmund's chest, but relieved to see it was too far down to have pierced his heart, which must've just been an accident on the assassins part, or the result of Edmund fighting back, and Peter guessed it was the second, if he knew his brother.

"Edmund?" Peter choked out, grabbing his brother's shoulders. "Edmund, if you can hear me, please let me know, if you're awake please say something, anything!"

It took a few agonising seconds, but Edmund eventually let out a pain filled groan, his eyelids flickering but not opening. "P - Pe're." He slurred, before coughing, blood splattering his lips as he did. 

No, no, no, no, Ed." Peter choked, cupping his cheeks with his shaking hands, not caring that blood stained his palms. "Stay with me, keep breathing Edmund, just keep breathing. LUCY!"

Edmund swallowed thickly. "I - I can't" He coughed.

"Yes, yes you can Ed, breathe!" Peter snapped. "LUCY! SUSAN! ANYONE!"

"N - No," Edmund slurred, breathing becoming more and more choked as he forced his words out. "H - Hurts." 

"Just keep breathing Ed," Peter growled, pressing his hands to the wound and pushing down hard to try and slow the blood flow. 

Edmund let out a sob at the flare of pain this caused. "I - I can't do this-" He coughed. 

"Yes you can!" Peter said quickly. "Yes you can, Lucy will be here in a moment, just keep breathing. LUCY!" 

The second Peter had screamed this time, Lucy came running into the room, gasping at the sight she was met with, and the fact that she had her cordial in her hand told Peter that she'd just known someone had been hurt by the fear in his own voice. 

"Quickly." Peter muttered, sitting back a little to give Lucy room. 

Within seconds Lucy had let a drop of her cordial fall into Edmund's mouth, and he soon drew in an easy breath, coughing a few times as his body got used to that amount of oxygen again. 

Peter pulled Edmund close, burying his face in his shoulder. "Thank Aslan you're okay." He whispered, shaking slightly. 

Edmund swallowed hard. "That - That hurt more than it should've." He choked out, voice cracking. 

"The knife..." Lucy murmured suddenly. 

Peter and Edmund turned to her, seeing her hand hovering over the blade of the dagger that the assassin had had and used on Edmund. 

"It's warm." She mumbled, sounding horrified. 

Peter's heart skipped a beat. "He burnt you." He whispered in terror. "No wonder it hurt more than it should've! The knife was scolding when he used it! It burnt through your skin and anything inside." 

Edmund swallowed hard, looking down at the floor for a moment before taking a deep, shaky breath. 

"Ed?" Lucy breathed, sounding worried. 

"I - I'm okay." Edmund choked out, before looking up. "Really." 

Peter swallowed hard, tears stinging his eyes which he forced back, before he took hold of Edmund's arm. "Come on," He whispered. "We need to get you cleaned up." 

Edmund nodded in agreement, licking his dry, blood stained lips and shuddering at the taste. 

"At - At least he can hurt you no longer," Lucy whispered, staring at the body on the ground. 

Peter stood, helping Edmund up beside him before laying a hand on Lucy's shoulder. "Come," He murmured. "You shouldn't see this." 

"Yeah, "Lucy whispered. "I'd rather not, we can go to my room." 

"Can we go to Peter's instead?" Edmund stepped in, trembling where he stood. 

Lucy stared at him for ages before slowly nodding. "Course." She murmured, giving her brother a small smile. 

Peter bit his lip, wrapping an arm around Edmund's waist for support. "He can hurt you no more Edmund," He whispered, voice firm. "That I promise you now."

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