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As she turned the corner, she saw blood. It coated the walls and floors of the little room they were staying in. The two white twin beds were dyed with blood and the mirror was clouded with it as well.
Her heart skipped a beat on seeing the room. Then her eyes fell upon Quynh, sitting crumpled in the middle of the disaster zone. She held a knife loosely in her hand. Bile filled her throat as she gritted her teeth. Her foot moved before her mind did, climbing over the mass of blood and guts to her soulmate. Kneeling down beside Quynh she moved her hand to wipe the blood from her face.
“Quynh, Quynh, Quynh, where are they?” She whispered using her shirt to clean off Quynh’s face. Silence was her only answer till Quynh jerked back to life.
“Andromache...what is this place?” Quynh muttered. She had an unfocused and wild look in her wild.
“This is home, your home. I need to know what happened” Andy soothed but her hands were shaking and her throat felt broken. She unbuttoned her flannel and pulled it around Quynh.
“I..don’t know,” Quynh mumbled. She melted into the thick fabric. Her hands began to come back and she wiggled her fingers to test this.
“Wait...what did you do?”Andy accused hand stopping midway through her long black hair. She pulled her hand out of Quynh’s hair and knocked her knife out of her hand. The panicked look in Andy's eyes was frightening on the deepest level.
“I didn-”
“Quynh please try to remember,” She urged. Her leg moved to straddle Quynh both so she could look her directly in the eye and so she could not attempt to flee.
“Oh, I forgot. I slipped and then I forgot. I forgot, I I forgot. Again.” Her voice broke and she found herself repeating those words over and over again. She could feel herself tearing up, shaking.
“Please, Quynh stay with me. Stay alive, please” Andy begged, grabbing Quynh by the shoulders. She felt crazy and terrified. “I can’t lose you again.”
“I tried. I just...why do I keep forgetting.” She pushed her head against Andy’s chest and the thin black t-shirt she wore under her flannel. Andy’s arms met her there enveloping her and protecting her.
“I don’t know but I promise I will keep reminding you until the end, my heart.” Andy whispered softly into her ear, one arm reaching out to stroke her hair. A tear fell from Andy’s face and soaked into the soft top.
They sat there held in a strong embrace surrounded by blood but only aware of the warmth of each other's arms and the tears falling from their eyes. They did not speak. They could not because what could they say that could ease an ounce of the pain. The pain of forgetting. The pain of trying to help. The knowledge that it might never end, that it might never get any better.
“What were we doing today,” Quynh murmed an hour or so into their cuddle. It took a moment for Andy to respond thinking as she was of getting Copley to clean the room.
“Well we were going out to eat but we can stay in and do whatever you want,” Andy assured her softly, hand in Quynh’s hair.
“Then, kiss me.” Quynh said.
“What?”
“Just kiss me” She reiterated.
With a slow pull back Andy looked Quynh in the eye and smiled. Their lips met and Andy could feel her smile through the kiss. As they parted Andy grabbed her hand and kissed it. Eyes watching Quynh reverently. Her eyes still felt puffy but she couldn’t help but smile.
“You're the only thing that hasn’t changed after all these years.” Quynh said.
The world was hard and they didn’t know what the next day would hold but they had each other. Andy sent a text to the rest of the team excusing them and one to Copley to get a no questions asked cleaning service. They moved to the bed where they fell asleep entwined in each other's arms. For once, Quynh was the little spoon not that she minded one bit.