Healing | Merluca

Night 3

I was in the mood to write today... So, new chapter 💕

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Meredith had a nightmare, that he knew for sure when he woke up as she got more and more restless in her sleep. How to help her, he didn't know.

Andrew carefully touched her shoulder in an attempt to calm her down, to provide her some comfort without getting too close, too intimate. And it seemed to work for a moment, until her breathing started to get faster again, And then she woke up. The panic in her eyes visible, as she tried to take deep breaths, not succeeding. Her hands went to her chest, trying to control her breathing. But whatever thought had tortured her during her sleep, seemed to still be on her mind, as her breaths only got shorter and faster, instead of calming down again.

And now he couldn't act otherwise than to let his hands caress over her arm, providing her comfort, while he soothingly started to whisper to her.

"It's okay, Meredith. You're okay."

The more often he repeated his words the more her body started to relax, as her labored breathing got slower, and the panicked look in her eyes, slowly turned to tears running down her cheeks.

"It's okay." He whispered once more when she looked up at him for the first time since she woke up. He wanted to assure her that he didn't mind holding her as she seemed to relax more and more into the embrace, he was now offering to her.

.

Meredith was too tired and exhausted to act on it because it just felt good and right. It was just what she needed and longed for. She felt safe. His arms provided her safety. And while she still tried to keep her breathing under control, preventing herself from having another panic attack, she focused on Andrew's touch and voice. Her tears got less, but the torturing thoughts didn't seem to disappear. And so, it felt like a constant fight to keep them from overwhelming her. Her breath getting quicker at times, as she tried to calm herself down again. And with every time her tears got more, and her breaths got quicker, Andrew tightened his embrace a little more, which she gladly accepted at that moment, just wanting to escape from her own mind.

.

Andrew wasn't sure how long they just laid like this, Meredith cuddled into his side, as he held her, hoping all the panic and thoughts torturing her would disappear eventually. He felt lost. He wanted to help her so badly, but he didn't know how. How far could he go, providing her comfort, without pushing her to something she might not want. Yet, she so willingly accepted his embrace as the panic seemed to overcome her again and again. He knew this wasn't just a nightmare. It was more than that, and it broke his heart how much she seemed to be hurting in this moment. So, he just stayed with her, hoping it would help.

Once she got calmer, actually calming down, her tears finally started to dry off. And for a moment there didn't seem to linger another panic attack just around the corner, like it was the case the past hour. Andrew felt how she got out of his embrace, as she rolled onto her side a little more. He noticed how she seemed to get more aware again, the moment she realized how close she was to Andrew, that she basically tried to disappear from all her worries into his embrace. When she met his eyes, he could see the discomfort, the embarrassment she felt at the situation. She tried to turn away, but he stopped her.

"It's okay." He whispered "I don't... mind... If you need or want some space that's okay, but if you don't... then... I don't mind holding you for as long as you need." He offered her, giving her a small encouraging smile, as he saw some tears forming in her eyes again. She looked up at him one more time before she let herself roll back into his embrace. She needed this.