Waiting for News (Sethia)

[payton]

Emma paced the floor outside the hospital wing. There were too many people inside to hardly move, and they had started to try and they were trying to keep unnecessary family out. Pops and Mum were in with Payton, but the rest of them were here, just waiting. She paced across the floor again before stopping to look out across at the 9 other Moore children were sat waiting. It seemed so odd to be here of all places, in some magical school that her brothers had been attending for so long, but she had never been to see herself. Apparently the non-magical were not normally allowed on the grounds, but somehow, with the crisis, things had been changed to families could come. If it hadn't been only Dillion would have been able to come for Payton.

She looked over and let her gaze settle upon the uninjured twin, for one of the first few times since the day he was born, sat silent and still. But then most of them were silent and still. Logan was holding Andy in his lap, she always was the most attached to Payton and Emma couldn't imagine was she was going through.

It seemed that they had been here for days, or at least hours, but in truth she had lost track of time. All they had heard so far was that he would be fine, and that he would wake up soon they hoped. They had him in the section she had determined as the more severely injured, as it was the only section of the hospital wing where all the students were quiet and unmoving. It was also the section where the woman she deemed as in charge of all the healing was spending a considerable amount of time. She peered in and looked out across the far too many beds of injuries and stared at her brothers bed. She wished for a fleeting moment that the could all be there for him, even though she knew it was unreasonable with the number of them. She then wondered if Sethia would come. They were just leaving the house when her Mum said they would all have to wait just a moment and she scribbled a note and sent it off to the girl Payton had been so crazy about almost since school started. She said that if it was Pops who was hurt, she would want to read about in a way more personal than the news paper, and besides Payton would want her to come if she could.

[sethia]

Sethia was at her home in Yorkshire, it was 5 am and she was just putting on her jacket to go out and milk the cows. “I’m going down aunt Hetty,” she whispered as she pocked her head into her aunt’s room. Even though Hetty wasn’t able to move around and help she still rose even earlier that Sethia. Her hair was pinned up in a messy bun as she slipped her denim jacket over her yellow top and blue denim capris. She put her black boots on at the backdoor and stepped out into the cool morning air.

There was dew on the grass as she walked past the field towards the barn. It took her some time to milk the ten cows by herself but she managed and, when her aunt got better they would go back to a larger herd but at the moment ten was all Sethia could handle on her own. She then made sure the milk was stored properly before going back into the house to get the vitamins for the horses. She then set about bailing hay and feeding the horses; she still had to feed the other animals, the ducks, lambs, the pigs and then let out the cows and horses to graze, plus several other things she had to do by the end of the day.

It was late afternoon and Sethia was walking through the barn on her way to the house, she hadn’t eaten yet and she was starved. She was half way through the barn when an owl flew overhead, hooting frantically. She looked up, it was Payton’s owl, and a broad smile came over her face as the letter floated down into her hands. The owl landed on her shoulder and she walked over the roost she had made for her own owl and set it down. She pulled out a dead mouse and gave it to the owl. She ripped open the note expecting to see the normal salutations, but her smile fell as her eyes ran over the words. The note fell from her hand as Sethia took off running.

She was hysterical by the time she reached the house, tears running down her face as she rambled on trying to find her bag, trying to get someone on the phone to take her to town. Hetty walked in and saw all this, “Seth what’s wrong honey?” she asked. Sethia couldn’t stop, she sobbed, “Payton….there was an attack….he’s hurt…” she wasn’t making sense to her aunt. “What are you talking about?” she finally stopped long enough, “There was an attack in Diagon Alley, Death Eaters. Payton was there, he got hurt, I don’t know how badly. His family wrote me I have to go.” She rushed passed her aunt. Where was her stupid bag with her wizard coins? Hetty grabbed the phone and called Mickey, she explained the situation and he agreed to take Sethia into town. “Here,” Hetty said handing Sethia what she was looking for, “Mickey will be here any second, just sit down.” Sethia did as she was asked but she couldn’t keep still, this was too much. First her family dies, then her aunt gets hurt and almost dies and now Payton. Why did everyone she loved get hurt? Hetty put an arm around her and held her, almost knowing what her niece was thinking. “He’ll be fine, you’ll see. This isn’t you,” she added.

Mickey arrived ten minutes later and Sethia was out the door and in the car faster than she had ever moved in her life. He drove her to town where she disappeared in a little wizard pub that was located on a secluded street. A few minutes later Sethia was back at Hogwarts, the place she hadn’t seen in months. She ran up the stairs to the Hospital wing, which was overwhelmed with people, she had never seen before. She had learned that the injured had been brought there and their families were all present, muggle and wizard alike. She spotted Payton’s sister Emma and ran over to her, “Is he okay?” she said trying to fight her tears. She was terrified that he was seriously hurt or worse.

[payton]

Emma's gaze settled on Sethia and she tried to force a brave smile. She didn't know Payton's girlfriend very well, she had really only met her that week when she came to visit them for Christmas and the New Year. Sethia had stayed in the room with her and Caitlin, and they had chatted about everything girls chat about when they are together. Other than that though, Sethia was some distant part of Payton's other life that was now becoming a strong part of her reality.

She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around the younger girl for a supportive hug. It seemed the thing to do at the time, no matter how close or distant they were. What had happened was terrible, and it seemed the more people to ban together, the less helpless you felt.

"We don't know really...their not telling us anything. He was apparently unconscious, some sort of concussion. Some woman came out and told us that he was going to be alright, but hes not awake yet and we can't all go in to see him."
She glanced through the wide doors that opened into the hospital area. It was a ea of beds, with varying degrees of injured students. She looked immediately to the far corner where the patients still lay quietly. She couldn't quite make out Payton, but she could see Mum N sitting by the bed and Pops pacing back and fourth on the other side. She stared for a moment, not sure what else to do, and while she did, Pops stopped his pacing and looked down, intently at Payton. Maybe...just maybe....Emma looked back at Payton, then over her shoulder at their siblings who looked exhausted from worry.

"Why don't you go in? We can't all...but if there's any change...I mean....I think he would want you to be there."
Part of her wanted to go be there with her brother, but at the same time, she felt to lost in this world to be of any use. Adults had wands drawn...actually magic was happening right through those doors. She loved her brother, but it was a part of Payton's life...Sethia's life, but other than some distant knowledge of the truth, it wasn't a real part of hers. She swallowed hard and looked back at Sethia again.
"I want you to be there."

[sethia]

Sethia stood facing Emma, not sure what to say or do. It wasn’t like she had known her for a long time, or even that close to her. They had spent the week she had come to stay with them, sharing a room with her and Caitlin, and getting asked about her feelings for Payton and about her life a little. She hadn’t spoken to her since she left their house and here they were together again, under the most distressing circumstances Sethia could think of. If anything happened to Payton, Sethia would be lost. He made up a huge part of her life, she couldn’t think of not having him there.

Emma put her arms around her as she started to cry, and Sethia instinctively hugged her back. In crisis it didn’t matter how well you knew a person, even complete strangers needed the support of someone else to get them through, and Sethia needed it. After everything with her aunt, Payton getting hurt or the prospect of worse had her mind on fragile ground. She was helpless, like the four year old girl she had been, who watched her family killed before her eyes. She could do nothing then, she could do nothing to prevent her aunt’s accident and now Payton’s. They all die or get hurt around me, she thought again.

She wiped her face as Emma told her that they weren’t telling them anything. She nodded her head as Emma told her that they had at least said that Payton should be alright. That was a relief, but he wasn’t up yet. Sethia looked through the doors; never in her life did she ever dream of seeing the Hospital Wing in such a state. Every bed was filled, in fact she could tell that some had been brought in, cause they weren’t like the others. People were everywhere, those who didn’t have a bed were in wheelchairs between beds, some who could stand were resting against walls, their arms bandaged and their faces bruised. It was like a scene from a war movie, but just this war was real. She spotted Payton’s stepmum, Mum N and his father amidst the sea of people. She couldn’t see Payton from there.

Sethia looked at the others, she hadn’t even said anything to them so consumed with Payton’s wellbeing was she when she arrived. She looked at them, the strain of what had happened was written over each face. She wanted to say something, but what? This was something that wasn’t part of the world they knew. People didn’t hex people; people didn’t have trolls at their disposal. All this was something they knew nothing about, everyone but Dillion of course.

She looked back at Emma as she told her to go in. “No, you’re his family you should be in there with him right now,” she said, even though she wanted to be in there with him more than anything. She looked through the door to where Mr. Moore was standing, and then back at Emma. Finally Sethia nodded her agreement, “Thank you. I’ll be back with news as soon as I can,” she assured her before giving her the weakest smile Sethia had ever produced, and walking into the wing itself.

Sethia walked slowly past the beds filled with people she knew, people she saw everyday at school were lying in pain all around her. it seemed unreal. She slowly approached the Moores. “How is he?” she asked quietly, looking down at her Payton and fighting the urge to cry again.

[payton]

Mum N looked up from her seat when she heard Sethia's voice. She smiled the best she could at the girl then looked down at Payton who had begun to stir a moment before.
"You got my owl...I'm so happy your here. I think the more people here for Payton the better. That Healing woman, What was her name Max? Anyway, she just gave him something. She said he should wake up any time now..."
She looked down at her son for a moment. He was breathing loudly now, and one of his hands tensed and relaxed. After a moment, she glanced back at Sethia, then pushed herself up from her seat.
"You sit for a moment, I'm sure you had a hard trip. I need to stretch my legs."
That said she moved around to the other side of the bed to stand with her husband, who quickly wrapped a comforting around around her.


Payton remained about the same for another moment, then slowly, almost reluctantly his eyes cracked open, the light brining more pain to his already throbbing head.
"Where in Merlin's name am I?"

[sethia]

Sethia looked at Mum N, “I came as soon as I could,” she added as she looked at Payton. “Madam Pomfrey,” she said absently as Mum N asked Mr. Moore for the Hogwarts’ Healer’s name. She looked at Payton expectantly. If Madame Pomfrey said he would wake up soon, then he would. She had already administered some elixir of hers. Payton’s going to be fine, she thought reassuring herself.

Sethia watched Payton, in shocked disbelief; it still hadn’t sunk in that this had happened. Yet Payton was there, laying on a bed in the Hospital Wing, bruised and battered. Mum N, offered her seat to Sethia, saying she had to stretch her legs. “Thank you,” she said as she took the seat. The trip had been hard and long, she didn’t think she had ever been on so long a trip in her life, all she could think about was getting to Payton. Sethia gently brushed s few strands of Payton’s hair out of his face before taking his hand in hers and just holding it.

Sethia was looking at Payton’s hand, she was tracing little circles on it absently with her finger remembering his visit to her house only a short time ago and all the fun they’d had. It didn’t seem fair that he was there now. She looked up as she heard the words ‘Where in Merlin’s name am I?’
“Payton!” she exclaimed with joy at seeing him awake. She wanted to do nothing but through her arms around him and hug him forever, but he was hardly in the position to be hugged.

She looked at the Moore’s smiling, and then back at Payton. “You’re at school, the Hospital Wing, but you’re going to be okay. Madame Pomfrey says so,” she told him.

[payton]

Someone yelled 'Payton' and it was only then that he became aware of the fact that there was a girl right beside him, holding tightly onto his hand. He glanced down at this hand, which felt rather sore, like the rest of his body, and sure enough, there was someone else hand clasped around his. His gaze followed up to her arm and to her shoulders them up to the face. He stared for a moment, his eyes still almost close to protect himself against the light which still stung. He had a feeling she was someone he cared about, some distant feeling in the pit of his stomach that made him want to double over, but somehow sprout wings and fly away all at the same time. He let his eyes close for a moment, then opened them again, still looking at her. It was like something in his head was fighting to tell him who she was--like he knew her to well to forget her, but at the same time...he couldn't recall who she was.

She answered his question and said he was in the Hospital Wing, and said another name that he couldn't quite remember. Hospital Wing...that didn't seem to answer much....there were lots of hospitals.
"What hospital?"
He let his eyes sink heavily shut, but only for a moment, before pulling them open again and looking at her, completely away that her hand was still in his and that whether he knew her name or not he didn't want to let go.

[sethia]

Sethia looked at Payton with a smile. She was so glad he was awake she could hardly describe her joy. He looked at her, and she waited for that smile she got whenever Payton saw her, but it didn’t come. She looked at the Moore’s something was wrong. They didn’t know that she always got a smile from Payton whenever he saw her face, and since they had started talking to each other, even before they officially got together, he always greeted her with it. To not get that smile was strange. He stared at her like you would a stranger and this distressed her. Why was he looking at her like he didn’t know her?

What hospital? The words echoed in her ears. What did he mean, what hospital? “Not Hospital Payton, the Hospital Wing at school, at Hogwarts,” she continued. She was completely confused. He was staring at her but he didn’t know her. It was like a knife to Sethia’s heart as the realisation sunk in. To Payton, the guy she loved more than anyone, she was a stranger.

She looked at the Moore’s again. “Get Madame Pomfrey,” she told them. She smiled at Payton and let go of his hand, “I’ll be right back.” she walked to his parents and whispered to them. “Get Madame Pomfrey, he doesn’t know me,” she added. “He doesn’t know me.” Her face showed her heartbreak. “I’ll go tell the others he’s awake,” she added. She went back to Payton and wanted to kiss his forehead but that might be too much from someone he didn’t even remember. “I’m coming back,” she told him.

She walked away from his bed, the tears rolling down her cheek, but she quickly wiped them away, she didn’t want his siblings to see her like that. She stepped into the waiting room, “Emma,” she said taking the girl by the shoulder. “He’s awake,” she said with a faint smile. “There’s a problem,” she added quietly, “he doesn’t seem to know me,” she continued. “He doesn’t remember.”

[payton]

The hospital in the school. He went to a school called Hogwarts. It all seemed so distantly familiar almost. He didn't exactly recall it, but somehow it didn't seem strange. It was like with the girl. He couldn't remember her. He didn't know her face, he couldn't recall her name no matter how hard he tried, but somehow she felt so familiar to him, and he had this feel feeling of affection.

He felt her hand pull away and she said something about having to go and said a name he didn't recall. He leg his eyes close again as he felt her hand pull away. He didn't resist, but for some reason after it was gone he wished that he had. He heard her say something about how he didn't know her to some other people he guessed were standing there, though he didn't turn his head to see--everything hurt, and it seemed better not to move.

She came back and said something about how she would be right back, and he let his eyes flicker open again just in time to see a flicker of silver around her wrist. The image sent a shock of memory down his spine. He knew that. It was a bracelet, and he remembered it. While she was gone, the people who were standing on the other side of his bed moved around and started talking him. They called him Payton and said it was Mum and Pops and tried to tell him things about how they were worried, but he paid little attention. All he could think of was the bracelet, and the fact he knew it meant something.




Emma had heard Sethia yell "Payton" and she immediately rushed to the door, waiting for her to come and give them news. She watched Payton's girlfriend say something to her parents before walking over toward then, looking more upset that she thought she would be...Payton was awake now...right?
Tears formed in Emma's eyes, but she wasn't sure if they were happy or sad. At least he was awake...but Payton...he didn't remember?
"Just you...or...or everything?"
She couldn't think, she thought he would wake up and everything would be fine. Payton never had problems with his memory...he was the one that always remembered odd bits of information. She took a deep breath, trying to stop her negative thoughts. He had a head injury...of course his memory would be fuzzy...but it would come back. It had to come back.
"You go back to him...We can't overwhelm him...if he doesn't remember you, hes not going to remember us. We'll wait...go back in."

[sethia]

Sethia was outside looking at Emma distraught. “He doesn’t remember anything, school, Madame Pomfrey, your parents…nothing.” Sethia didn’t know what to think or do. How do you talk to someone about things they don’t remember? How do you explain that he was a wizard and he was in a school for witches and wizards, when he knew nothing about them, that magic even existed? She heard the sound of the charms on her bracelet clink against her belt.

She looked at the charms that decorated the bracelet, the shooting star; he had given her after they went to see the fireworks in Trafalgar Square in London for Old Years. Each charm meant something to her; he had given them to her to commemorate something they did together. The bracelet was the best gift she had ever been given and he wouldn’t even remember them. She stared at the charms till Emma told her to go back inside. She wasn’t sure she could.

She could only imagine what Payton must feel, not knowing anyone or anything around him. She wanted him to remember, they had so many good times together. Payton was always remembering the silliest things, like the snow in her hair the day they had a snowball fight before the Christmas holidays; or the first words she said to him the day they met in the common room. It was unthinkable that Payton should forget, of all people…not Payton. She looked at Emma, she couldn’t tell her that she wasn’t sure she could go back in, so she nodded and turned around. She must have stood there for five or ten seconds before walking back into the ward.

She walked slowly back, her fingers playing with the charms on her bracelet as she got closer to Payton’s bed. “Hi,” she said as she reached the bed. She walked over to the other side of the bed to let the Moores have room to talk to Payton. “I told Emma he’s awake, she’ll tell the others,” Sethia informed the Moores, she still hadn’t gotten to calling Mr. Moore, Pops, like he wanted. She gave Payton a smile, her fingers still toying with her charms. Please remember, she was thinking.

[payton]

He had closed his eyes after a while. He was slowly growing more use to the light, and some woman had come over and given him some rather odd looking green liquid that seemed to taste dry even though it tricked into his mouth. The liquid eased his throbbing, but it wasn't until the heard the girl speak that his eyes opened again. He was now certain that he knew her, he was sure of it, and he wished he could place her. He glanced over he face again, before letting his eyes shift down to the bracelet she was playing with. If only he could remember that...maybe he would remember more.



Pops nodded in response to Sethia when she returned, and gave her a gentle smile. He was glad that she was here to held deal with the business of things. It was so hard not having everyone here, but then if Payton couldn't remember, perhaps the less people the better.
"We've tried talking to him, but he doesn't seem to remember anything. I don't know what else to tell him, but maybe you can try. Madam Pomfrey gave him something for the pain just a moment ago, and if I know my boy he will be perking up again any moment now."
He smile at her again, trying to be optimistic, when in fact he didn't know what to think. He was rather sure though that Sethia had as good a chance as they did of getting him to remember anything.




He made and awkward uncomfortable noise after a moment, and tried to turn himself toward her slightly. Once he had positioned himself again he stretched an arm out toward the bracelet, now seeing that it had charms on it. The once closest to him was of a little book. He let one of his fingers brush against it, and in response the book fell open and the pages flipped. He stared at it for a moment, not quite remembering if charms were suppose to do that. He wanted so say something, but no words were coming to him. Instead he sat for another moment, then suddenly it hit him.
"You were reading."
He was rather sure there was more to it than that, but right now, that was all he could remember. He remembered her reading.

[sethia]

Sethia stood looking at Payton, every inch of her willing him to remember her, to remember anything. This was like a knife slowly twisting in her stomach. To not be remembered by someone who means so much to you, was more agony than anything. Sethia stepped closer to the Moores as Payton’s father spoke to her, she tried to hide the pain she was feeling, they didn’t need to see that after all Payton was their son. Sethia kept looking at Payton, his eyes were opened and he was looking her way, but the light of recognition wasn’t there, not even the slightest hint. She listened to Mr. Moore, “I’m sure Madame Pomfrey will fix him right up. The elixir will heal his pain, but I don’t know about his memory,” she confessed. She knew even in the wizarding world memory was a funny thing. The obliviate charm erased memories, but she didn’t know of a spell or potion to recover it. A terrifying thought hit her…What if Payton never remembered?

She smiled at the Moores, “I’m sure he will be. You know Payton, nothing keeps him down,” she said as cheerfully as she could. She wanted her Payton back as much as Mr. Moore and Mum N did. Sethia was looking at the Moores when she felt Payton’s hand touch her bracelet. She turned to him, and watched as he fingered the book charm on it, the pages opening. Each of her charms did something but the fact that Payton was touching it gave her hope that he recognised it, that was only increased when he told her that she had been reading.

She gave a nervous, happy laugh and looked at the Moores. He remembered something! She resumed the seat next to Payton, smiling at him. “Yes, I was. I was reading in the common room, in our dorm, when we met.” She brushed another strand of red hair from his face. “You gave this to me,” she told him, “so I would remember when we met. So we both would.” Her stomach clenched with desire and hope, if he remembered her reading then maybe he would remember other things. “Do you remember anything else Payton?” she asked hoping against hope.

[payton]

He listened carefully to the way that she described the book and her reading, his gaze steadily on her as he felt the affection he knew he had for her growing. She was reading...in the common room...he remembered, though everything was foggy. He remembered sitting down on the couch near her, and she was reading....it was a book....a book on....animals. The thoughts were moving though his mind when he felt her fingers brush against his forehead, brushing the hair out of his eyes. He flinched at the action, his eyes closing for a moment before opening them. He didn't remember what happened, how he got hurt, but he found himself reacting strangely anyway.

When his eyes opened again he gave the girl a soft smile. He liked her touch--even if he did flinch. The action made him loose his train of through, and it wasn't until she spoke about the charm an it making them remember that he regained his thoughts again.
"I gave it to you..."
His comment was both a statement and a question as he struggled to remember. Maybe that was why he though hew knew her bracelet.
"You were reading...about animals. I remember that."
His gaze was on her again, and he reached a hand out again toward her own hand. he could remember hardly anything, but he did remember her...at least somewhat.

[sethia]

Sethia looked at Payton with more hope than before. He remembered something, and if he remembered that then he would remember more, remember who she was to him and all the things they had done together. Sethia couldn’t forget that day; it was so amazing to her how it all happened. She was very quiet and shy and Payton was well, known and loved by many, he was even despised by the girls he had disappointed in their attempts to get his attention. When he started talking to her she was more than surprised by it, but she had crawled out of her shell and her book on animals long enough to start a conversation with him and from there things just developed on their own.

She pulled her hand away as Payton flinched, “I’m sorry Payton,” she said, thinking she might have hurt him somehow, however the smile she received afterwards told her that she hadn’t. She smiled at him when he told her that he had given it to her, the bracelet and its charms. “Yes you did give it to me it was my Christmas gift from you last year,” she continued trying to help him recall that day. She smiled and would have kissed him for it, so much was her joy.

He reached out towards her and she smiled brightly at him. She was happy that Payton was okay and he was safe. He would remember everything in time she was sure but till then she would be there to help him, no matter how long or how hard it was. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze to let him know everything would be okay.

[payton]

He nodded slightly when she said that it was a gift he gave her at Christmas. He didn't really remember it exactly, it was odd really, it was more like a feeling in the pit of his stomach. It was a similar feeling about her though. He couldn't have told anyone her name, and if he could not have exactly identified her as someone who he knew or cared for, it was more like a feeling he had. He saw her and his stomach tensed and his head spun like there was some message it was trying to get across to him that just wouldn't go.

After a moment he let his eyes close, his head was still throbbing and the light was doing nothing to ease the pain. With his eyes still closed he tried to think, to organize something in his brain, even if it seemed impossible to do so. Perhaps things were clearer now, or at least sinking in some what as he realized that she had said that he was in a hospital wing of some sorts. In a school, that was it, a school of magic that he attended. He couldn't remember anything beyond that, like how he got here, or why. He knew he was somehow injured, the pain gave that away, but he didn't know how. He left his eyes closed for another long moment and then looked over at Sethia.

"What happened to me?"
There seemed to be no other way to put it, and when he tried to carefully think back, he found nothing. She though, she knew him, maybe she could tell him what had happened.

[sethia]

Sethia couldn’t help but smile as she looked at Payton, even though he didn’t know who she was or remember all the moments they’d had together, he was still her Payton no matter what. Then the silliest thing hit her, something she should have done before…introduce herself. “I’m Sethia,” she said looking into his eyes, “Sethia Wagner.” It felt so strange having to do this, to tell him who she was because he was completely lost on that fact. She wanted to be back at Thistle farm, riding her horse with Payton and rolling around in the hay after bailing it for over an hour. They’d had so much fun then, and now he couldn’t remember it at all.

Sethia watched as Payton’s eyes closed and she brushed her hand back against his forehead and through his hair. He had been through a lot and he should rest, this was too much for him all at once. Yes she wanted him to remember, she wanted him to remember now but that was unlikely. “Rest,” she told him gently, however Payton had other ideas. He opened his eyes and asked her what had happened to him. She stared at him speechless for a moment before looking at his parents and then back at Payton.

“Payton I…I don’t know if we should talk about that yet,” she said hesitantly. “You’ve been through a lot, and you should rest. You’ll feel a lot better soon and we can talk all about that later,” she said. She wanted to kiss his head and watch him fall asleep, she wanted him to be her Payton again, like he always was.

[payton]

His eyes were closed when she said her name, but it sunk in anyway. Sethia. Her name was Sethia. It still didn't click completely with his memory, even if he wished that it had, but there was something familiar about it. She had told him to rest, but he wasn't ready. He wanted to remember something, anything. He still felt tired, and sore, every part of him hurt, even his head still throbbed, despite the thick layer of fog that had settled upon it. Finally he let out a deep sigh as Sethia said again that he should rest. She touched his forehead, brushing his hair, which was sticky with a mix of dirt and blood and sweat away from his face and he struggled not to flinch in response. He could not stop it, everything seemed to make him flinch, but at least he could make it less obvious for her. Finally he nodded, agreeing to rest, but before he did his eyes opened again and his gaze settled on her. He could feel the remained of her energy draining--his eye felt heavy and the little focus he had t form complete thoughts was leaving him, but there was something...one thing he really wanted to know.
"Sethia....did we...love each other?"
His eyes closed again for a moment, before he forced them open again and back onto her, not wanting her to leave.

[sethia]

She gave him a small, sweet smile as he agreed to rest. “Good. I’ll be here when you get up, we all will,” she told him, momentarily looking at his parents. The mentioning of her name didn’t seem to cause any flashing lights or alarms of recognition with Payton, but at least now he knew her name.

He didn’t flinch when she touched him this time, which was good she supposed. She looked at him as he closed his eyes, seeming to drift off. He was tired, it was obvious, after all he had been through it was expected. There was no resting for Sethia however, there wouldn’t be for a while, she was simply too worried to think about closing her eyes for even a second. She was about to get up and go back outside to his brothers and sisters, when Payton spoke and his question surprised and pleased her. She sat back down.

Did they love each other? It was so odd to hear him ask that, but he wanted an answer. She looked at his parents and then at Payton. She had never said these words before anyone else before, “Yes. Yes we do…did love each other Payton.” She wasn’t sure what tense to use, present or past. He didn’t remember loving her so; technically he didn’t love her now. It was all so confusing to think about, but what she was sure of was that she loved Payton very much. “I’m sorry I can’t help you remember that,” she said softly.

“Don’t worry about Payton. You rest, we’ll talk more when you get up,” she told him with a smile. This was going to be difficult.

[payton]

He eyes stayed closed while she answered, but he didn't say anything back. He listened, and stayed still, and she finally told him to rest, and that they would talk about this later. He had loved her, even if he didn't remember it anymore. Somehow he could feel it, something he saw in her, and it was almost painful that he didn't remember it and that he didn't remember how and why or anything about her really. He let out a deep breath and gave into the exhaustion that had over come him. There would be time to think about it all later, even if there was no pushing the well of feelings back completely.

He drifted off into a restless sleep that lasted a few hours. Somehow his head kept hurting in his sleep, but the rest of his body felt numb. When he finally woke up the hospital was dimmer than it had been before, but not dark, and the room seemed far less chaotic. He stayed still for a moment, trying to get a thought, any thought to form clearly in his mind. Slowing things came back to him. He remember where he was, and that there had been an attack. He remembered people were there for him...his family, and then he remembered a girl. He couldn't remember, but he thought she said that she would stay...
"Sethia?"

[sethia]

Sethia watched him sleep for sometime only leaving him on brief occasions to talk to his sibling and his parents. They were all worried and stressed out, and everyone was tired to different degrees but no one was going anywhere, not till Payton was definitely okay including his memory.

She sat outside with Emma both of them talking about Payton and some little thing he had done that always made them smile. For Sethia it was the way he raised is eyebrow every time he had something he wanted to hide, or the way he smiled at her or the way he surprised her with little gifts. She had so many memories in the short time they had been together, but now all those memories were lost to Payton. There was no one who could really understand how she felt and what each moment really meant.

The sun slowly began to lower itself in the sky, it wasn’t quite setting but it was definitely a little darker. Sethia was on her way back in when she heard Payton call her name. She ran to him immediately, “Yes Payton I’m here,” she said as she slipped into the seat. “How are you feeling now?” she said with genuine concern.