Love In Quarantine

Fourteen: Kason

He hadn't been asleep for long. He'd only managed to doze off after lying awake for a couple of hours when he heard sounds of distress coming from Fern's room. At first, he wasn't sure he'd heard anything at all. It could have been a dream that woke him, for all he knew. But within seconds, an undeniable cry came from Fern's room, and Kason shot up out of bed, racing to her side.

It was dark, and he had to stumble his way to her. Would she be more frightened waking up disoriented and seeing the dark form of him standing over her? This was his temporary hesitation as her body writhed and tensed in front of him, so he did all he knew to do.

He reached out and touched her.

His hands gripped her arms, firm but with care, and her eyes flew open, not yet seeing him.

"No!" Her voice came out shrill and terrified, and she yanked her body trying to free herself from her captor's grasp.

"It's Kason, Fern. It's just me. You're safe," he said as calmly and quietly as he could manage and still get through to her. His hands remained firm.

As soon as the words sunk in, he could feel her body stop fighting, though she remained tense.

Her breaths came fast and shaky. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she said, and he could tell she was crying.

He felt the strong need to comfort her, and he knew she took comfort in touch, so he did what any caregiver-at-heart aims to do. He gave her what she needed.

He moved in closer and sat next to her on her bed, bringing her in for a hug. She didn't fight him but moved into him willingly, letting her head rest on his bare chest. He stroked his hands lightly up and down her back until her breathing slowly returned to normal.

Finally, after several long minutes, she spoke.

"I never wanted anyone to see me like that," she admitted. Her voice was still a bit shaky and quiet. He could barely hear her over the white noise machine that still whirred its steady stream.

"You're okay, Fern. You don't have to hide this from me. I'm not easy to scare."

Her chest lurched with a mock-laugh. "I guess it's obvious I am."

He shook his head. "It's okay to be afraid. It just gives you more chances to be brave."

She had no reply to that, so they just sat there together in the quiet, holding onto each other for a long time, until he felt her slowly drifting off to sleep once more.

He tried to ease her down and himself out of her bed, but as soon as she stirred, she let out a small whimper of panic, and so he pulled her blankets up over her and laid atop them next to her, cradling his arm around her and pulling her in close.

And that - naked but for the briefs covering his most intimate parts - was how she woke to him the following morning.