His voice was soft, the hint of an accent coloring his words. He took the cigarette out of his mouth, stepped closer to her. She was shaking so much that it was visible, and his free hand touched her shoulder in a gesture that might have been used to calm a terrified animal. He knew what shell shock looked like.
"Breathe through your nose," he advised her calmly. His fingers were still, but she would have been able to feel his warmth through the thin cloth of her pajamas. He'd talked comrades-in-arms out of this state before. He was fortunate she hadn't screamed. Even in this city, someone would have noticed.
"In through your nose, out through your mouth." It was a mantra, one with a mixtures of accents. "Let yourself count to ten."
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ninetydegrees
no subject
on 2013-09-24 07:19 am (UTC)His voice was soft, the hint of an accent coloring his words. He took the cigarette out of his mouth, stepped closer to her. She was shaking so much that it was visible, and his free hand touched her shoulder in a gesture that might have been used to calm a terrified animal. He knew what shell shock looked like.
"Breathe through your nose," he advised her calmly. His fingers were still, but she would have been able to feel his warmth through the thin cloth of her pajamas. He'd talked comrades-in-arms out of this state before. He was fortunate she hadn't screamed. Even in this city, someone would have noticed.
"In through your nose, out through your mouth." It was a mantra, one with a mixtures of accents. "Let yourself count to ten."