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"Could you grab me the salt, Adrien?"
It was the first time Nathalie felt well enough to get out of bed in a while, allowing her and Adrien to eat at the main table instead of the retractile one she had in her room. While it was smaller than the table at the Agreste dining room, it was still big enough that anything on the other side was out of reach.
It was a nice change, but more space meant she had to go the extra mile to even grab anything across the table or move her wheelchair. Her old exoskeleton could have made it easier, but she was not wearing that thing again. It was one of the first things she left behind in the mansion.
Besides, to get it, she would have to reach across Adrien. It was easier that way.
"Oh, sorry, sure," the boy replied. "My bad, forgot to put it back in the center".
Nathalie laughed. He used extra salt on his meals so often she had joked more than once about getting him his own salt container.
"It's okay, just remember not to have too much. Or at least have enough water."
"I know, but I've been drinking enough for once!" Adrien spoke as he moved to reach for the small container. "My friends were awed when they saw my lips were not chapped for once. Alix said it must be the end of the world for it to happen. Can you believe them? Sure, I know I don't usually drink enough water, but-"
His elbow made contact with the glass of water at his side.
Clink.
The glass exploded as soon as it made contact with the ground, making a hundred tiny shards fly away from the biggest intact part.
His eyes widened in horror, his jokingly outraged expression switching within a moment to one of fear.
"I'm so- I'm so sorry," he stuttered.
"Adrien-"
He pushed his chair back, his movements oddly timed. He looked as if he were to dash somewhere, but he simply stood there frozen beside the table, eyes watering.
"I'm- I'll- Let me-" The words died in his throat before they could get out properly.
Suddenly, he kneeled down, frantically trying to grab as many pieces of the glass as he could. Muttering incoherently, he didn't even gasp as multiple shards began piercing his skin.
"Adrien?" Nathalie asked softly.
He didn't seem to respond, still muttering nonsensical, broken words.
Nathalie pulled her wheelchair back, carefully moving forward so as not to hit him with the wheels.
Adrien froze as he noticed the movement, unsuccessfully tried to stand up, and fell on his hands, more glass shards hurting him.
"I'm sorry, I just- I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm-" he cried out between rushed breaths. He was hyperventilating, his vision turning blurry after each breath.
Nathalie stood up, and leaned down as carefully as she could so as not to startle him into backing more into the glass.
"'m sorry, 'm sorry, I'm sorry, I-" His ragged breathing was not slowing down.
Tentatively, Nathalie reached for his hand, grabbing it as softly as she could.
"'don't wanna go back, don't lock me up please, don't... lock..." he continued frantically.
Oh, Nathalie was going to murder Gabriel.
"Adrien, it's okay, it's just a glass. Try to breathe with me."
"Please don't- dont' lock- 'm sorry," he said, completely out of breath.
"Adrien, try breathing with me," Nathalie tried again. If he didn't calm down soon, he was going to pass out. If she could only get to his left hand, she could touch the ring and instruct him to breathe. She didn't like the idea, but at that rate-
Almost as if he read her thoughts, another stream of pleads came out.
"'m sorry, 'm s'rry, 'm s'rry, don't- the r'ng-" His words were becoming more and more incomprehensible by the moment, but he backed his Miraculous and amok hand as if his life depended on it.
"It's okay. I'm not mad at you. I'm not going to." Nathalie said with a sigh, completely discarding the idea. She held his hand tightly, careful not to make the cuts of the shards deeper.
His breathing seemed to ease a little at her words.
"You're okay, I'm not going to punish you. It's a mistake, it's okay. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm not going to use the ring on you." A second after, she added. ”He’s not going to hurt you.”
Those words seemed to do the trick. His faded vision started to come back, and his eyes began to open again.
"Can you try breathing with me?" Adrien heard Nathalie beside him. While he couldn't see her clearly yet, her voice was soothing enough that he involuntarily began following her pace.
Inhale, one... two... Hold it now. One... two... Exhale...
"You're doing great, breathe a little more."
His senses began to come back. Suddenly, sharp pain attacked his hands.
Breathless pleas turned to pained sounds as he became more and more aware. Somehow, the sudden wave of pain after feeling his hands go numb was far more effective.
"Are you okay?" Nathalie asked as he tried blinking to shake the feeling off.
"My hands-" Adrien realized with horror as he examined them. About a dozen tiny pieces of glass pierced his skin, while some finer speckles gave the bloody area a sickening glimmer.
Suddenly, he looked to his side.
"Oh no, Nathalie-" he said in horror at the realization she was out of his chair.
"It's okay, I only struggle with walking," she replied quickly at the concern in his voice.
"I'm really, really sorry, I made a mess and now my hands-" Adrien tried to apologize.
"It's okay, I'm more concerned about the cuts. Do you feel any other than the ones in your hands?"
Adrien shook his head.
"Let me examine them," Nathalie added softly as he obeyed, extending his other hand.
“That looks… painful. Do you think you can help me get up? I could try treating it, but I would much rather have you checked by a doctor.”
The boy offered his arm to help her stand up and return to her chair, before speaking.
“But the glass-”
“It’s okay, Adrien. I’m not mad at you,” she said, smiling softly at him. “Like I said, the cuts worry me much more than a broken glass.”
“Why aren’t you mad? It was my fault, you’ve told me not to put my glasses to close to the edge of the table and I keep on forgetting and disobeying you,” Adrien said, his voice still constricted from the crying.
“It’s a mistake, Adrien. Everyone makes them.”
“If you’ve told me something and I can’t even do something as simple as not dropping a glass without someone commanding me to do it-”
A bout of rage ignited inside of Nathalie. She knew that the fact Gabriel had used the amok on the boy hit him like a truck, but she never expected him to get to that. Believing he wasn’t capable of anything without being manipulated- It was going to make her sick.
“Oh, Adrien-”
Hesitantly, he spoke.
“It- it kind of feels as if he’s haunting me, if that makes sense. Like- like nothing will ever really go away.”
Nathalie’s heart broke as she heard those words. Over the time she had spent with Adrien, she realized more and more how the true extent of Gabriel’s -she couldn’t even call it parenting- whatever had been.
“He’s not coming back, I promise, dear. And, if he ever tried to, I wouldn’t hesitate using whatever Miraculous I had to just to protect you. Now, let’s find your driver to get your hands checked, okay? I’ll call the cleaning staff,” she said as she grabbed her phone from one of the wheelchair’s pockets.
“You’re not mad at me?”
“Not a single bit, dear.”