Chapter Text
Blood. Searing pain. Trying to run but unable to move. Echos of voices all around her. Blinding green light and then sudden darkness.
Moira woke with a start, thrashing in the plush Orlesian bed, hair damp with sweat and a scream in her throat.
“Moira, Moira, shh, darling, shh…” Cullen murmured as he clutched her shoulder tight.
“Cullen? Wh-what are you doing here?” Moira scrambled to sit up, screaming in pain as she put pressure on what remained of her left arm. Cullen uncorked a potion and raised it to her lips.
“Drink, come on now," he urged. His brows were knit together, frustrated that he couldn’t take away her pain. He would rather he was in her place, so she wouldn’t have to suffer.
“Creators damn it. Fuck!” Moira growled. “It hurts,” she said as she squirmed in pain.
“I know, darling, I know. Just let that potion work,” he said as he dabbed at her face with a cool, wet cloth. He watched her as her eyes glazed over and her body seemed to relax.
“W-what,” she started, then shook her head as if to clear the fog from her mind, “what happened? Is everyone okay?”
“Everyone is fine, perfectly safe. Don’t worry about anything.”
“My-my arm? It’s gone?” Her voice was a tremulous whisper, barely loud enough to be heard.
“Y-yes. I’m sorry, darling, it couldn’t be saved.”
“So the Mark, it’s gone too?” She seemed to deflate at this, body slumping and eyes downcast.
“Yes. Just relax, it’s going to be okay.” He tucked a wayward curl behind her ear as she began to drift off back to sleep. “I’m here,” he whispered.
When Moira awoke again, Cullen was still there, head slumped forward in sleep, her hand loosely held in his. Moira stayed very still, just listening to his deep, even breathing. Waking up together was one of the things she missed the most about their relationship. She sighed louder than she had meant to and he jerked awake.
“Moi! Are you okay? What’s wrong? Are you in pain? What am I saying, of course you’re in pain…”
“Cullen, it’s alright, calm down,” she said. “The pain is, well…” She grimaced.
Cullen looked at the clock in the room. “It’s almost time for your next dose, might as well take it now,” he said as he uncorked a bottle for her. He stared at her with frantic, searching eyes as she gulped the potion down. Searching for what, she didn’t know.
“Cullen, you don’t have to stay here. Y-you don’t-” She didn’t know what she was trying to say.
“If you want me to leave-”
“No!” she said abruptly, cutting him off, then in a smaller voice, “no, of course not. I’m glad you’re here.”
“Of course,” he said before clearing his throat. “No matter what happens between us, I will always love you and be here for you.”
Moira mumbled something that Cullen couldn’t quite catch, already dozing back off, and he gave her hand a squeeze as he sat back down to resume his vigil over her.