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Her voice was soft, a simple mutter into my ear, "Corbeau." Shaking, shuddering, but also half asleep from the chaos.
"Don't try and talk your way out of this, Professor," I adjust my arms around her leg and arm. It wouldn't be optimal to carry her in front of me right now, especially since I need to focus. And she does everything to me that forces me not to. "You're hurt and I'm not letting anyone take you. They took you away from me once, I'm not letting it happen again." I'm so stupid. I should have been sending back up for her during her research. I shouldn't have let her go out on her own. With rumors floating around that she's become an important asset to me– no, the Syndicate– she's on all of our rivals' radars.
"I'm not." Autumn sounds sad and pathetic. She's typically loud when she needs to project herself, quiet when there's no one else around. Quiet with me. But she's not just quiet; I can hear the pain in her voice. Hesitance she never has, confidence that she's just lost. "Thank you."
I'm confused. I look over my right shoulder where her face is attempting to hide into me, while also avoiding making my shirt a disaster. Messy and bloodied, her soft, unfocused gaze looks back at me. "For what?"
"For caring," Her hand moves to my arm, likely to support herself. Or maybe it's comfort. I can't tell. "You came for me. Yourself."
"Why wouldn't I?" It comes out firm, "They stole you. They took what's not theirs and I'm simply taking it back."
Autumn's laugh is sudden and soft. For a moment, I forget I'm carrying her to the medical wing. She sounds so careless. "Are you implying," She catches her breath, "That I'm yours?"
My left hand tightens on her leg. A grunt from her, however, she's still giggling like a hurt, little girl. "N–No! I– I don't– What kind of drugs did they inject in you?" Change the topic, Corbeau, change the fucking topic!
Her laugh cuts through my mind, genuine but soft. "Some sort-da muscle relaxer. I didn't hear a name." She says it so casually, burying her face into my shoulder.
No wonder she's acting like this. Curse me for not assuming she was drugged earlier. I said it as a joke, for fuck's sake! "I'm getting you home."
"Damn right you are." Her hand grazes the lapel of my blazer. This professor is insufferable.
She's going to be the death of me.