We're Done For

Chapter 7 | Happy

Over the next hour, Nick sat Ashlie down and finally explained the entire situation to her. The redhead easily registered what he was saying, but more of her attention was focused on his voice.

It seemed so... hollow. It was almost as if he didn't care much about the situation. Like it was such a normal nightly routine. She hesitated to bring her observation up to him.

"Nick?" Her soft voice quickly stopped Nick in the middle of his next sentence.

"What?" He questioned, watching as her face seemed to switch across confusion, hesitation, and confidence.

"Are you okay?" Her words baffled him. "You don't seem like you're exactly... there. Like your mind isn't exactly connected to your words."

"I've kind of just stopped thinking about this whole thing as if it's a big deal," Nick explained after thinking through his thoughts. "It gets to the point that it's as normal as brushing your teeth or eating. Just more dangerous." He gave a small shrug before crossing his arms and leaning forward against the counter. "It kind of makes you apathetic against it."

Ashlie frowned as he spoke. He was... apathetic against such a terrifying situation? That didn't scare her. It worried her more than anything else. 

"Why do you keep doing it then?" She asked him. That seemed to catch the other's attention. "I mean if you're so apathetic against it, why are you trying? Is there really any need to? Or are you really hoping you'll get out?"

The mention of hope easily made Nick relax and faintly smile. "I guess that I am hoping to get out. It's so normal that I've accepted it, but not enough to give up hope. It's kind of weird, isn't it?"

A smile appeared on Ashlie's face as well. The aura of the room had quickly shifted from a darker and tenser one to a more lighthearted and hopeful one.

"You can't think like that anymore, alright?" She gave him a small nudge. "No more of that not caring. Not when I'm around." 

Nick let his eyes focus on her, the smile still evident on his face. "Okay. I can agree with that," he responded, giving a short, but still powerful nod.

The redhead couldn't help as a joyful laugh escaped her and hugged Nick. She had known him for barely a few hours, but when it was just the two of them in a terrifying situation it was hard not to be so impulsive with her actions.

The hug startled Nick, but that itself wasn't surprising. He took a beat before slowly hugging her back. It had been so long since the last time he actually spoke to someone else, let alone have any physical contact.

For the first time in a long time, he was truly happy.