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“Yeah, let him go,” Mark grunted. “I’m sick of the crying.”
“Mark, you’re not helping!”
“I can’t breathe,” Gerard strangled out, turning to look at me, gray eyes wild with panic as he began to suck in deep, sharp gulps of air. “I can’t breathe, Claire.”
My eyes widened in horror. “You can’t?”
He shook his head, looking terrified. “I’m drowning.”
“You’re drowning?” Yelping out a startled cry, I sprang to my feet and pulled him with me. “It’s okay, Gerard. You just have to open your mouth and let the air go in.”
“I c-can’t!”
“You can’t?”
“N-no…”
All hell broke loose after that.
“What’s happening to him?”
“He’s having a panic attack.”
“Gibs?”
“Gerard, sweetheart, it’s me, Sinead. Can you hear me?”
“I can’t breathe!”
“Help him!”
“No, don’t l-let g-go of my h-hand!”
“I won’t, Gerard.”
_______________
Lying in the darkness, I stared up at the ceiling and tried my best to be a brave girl. I didn’t like sleeping in the dark, but I was staying in my brother’s room tonight, so I didn’t get to choose. It wasn’t too scary, though. The moon was big and bright and shining through the window like a night-light.
“Are you still awake?”
That was Hugh.
“Yeah.” I whispered back. “Are you?”
“Obviously. I asked you a question, didn’t I?”
“Oh yeah.”
“Is he still holding your hand?”
I looked down at where mine and Gerard’s hands were still joined and nodded. “Yep.”
Pulling himself up on his elbows, my brother leaned over Gerard’s sleeping frame and whispered, “Do you need to use the bathroom before you go to sleep?”
“Super bad.” I chewed on my lip, feeling worried. “What if I wet the bed?”
“Don’t you dare wet my bed.”
