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There was no ti open doors until he found a restroo her on the wide black ceramic benchtop beside the sink, he waved his hand for ater Keiko stared blankly into space, herinside her head

“Hey, princess, come back to me” There was no response He wanted to roar, but he kept his voice gentle and his

Brushing her silky hair back from where it’d fallen over her face, he tucked it behind her ear and let his fingers find the pulse in her throat It was racing out of control Her pale, aled out of his shirt and wrapped it around her before it lost its war was shallow and fast If it didn’t slow, she’d hyperventilate

“Keiko, baby, I need you to focus on , when he wanted to shout and rail

There was no response

Her pupils were enlarged, her eyes glassy and unfocused Wherever she was, she was stuck there His stoht, and his hands shook as he picked up a soft cotton hand towel froleaned about shock during his time in the army, he knew he had to cal, and keep her warm

Running the towel under the ater, he added several purant soap in the hope that the scent would fill the air and take away the ister his presence at all Gently, he lifted one foot and then the other, taking care to wash every trace of blood from them

“You need to coet you out of the building without your help”

There was no response

Mace felt soht to his heart, where it slammed into him He stumbled back a step It took a second for his stunned mind to realize what it was, because the last time he felt it hen he’d watched his mother die

It was fear

He was afraid that he wouldn’t be able to bring Keiko back to him Afraid he couldn’t protect her

Afraid

With shaking hands, he tossed the blood-soaked towel into the basket beside the sink and grabbed a fresh one to dry her feet

He couldn’t understand it He’d sworn to himself as a child that he’d never let anyone ain after his randfather had beaten him, he hadn’t been afraid He’dhe could do to stop it When he’d been kicked out of foster hoain, no fear, only acceptance There’d been no fear on the battlefield with his Arer unit, either No fear in the few minutes after the bomb hit and he knew his country had betrayed him And no fear when he woke a century later, in a different world froenetics than he’d been born with