Skellig reaches for her arm, first, and then for the shoulders of the boy (he really is not a light child, even with the water adding a bit of assistance in keeping him afloat) to haul him up onto the pier. He kneels beside the boy's still form, ignoring the puddle of saltwater that is soaking into his jeans at the knees.
He doesn't check for a pulse.
He doesn't roll him on his side to force him to choke out the water.
(The mother is still yelling, but he tries to block her out as best he can. He needs to focus.)
With his hands on either side of the boy's face, he leans in close. Close enough to let his forehead fall against that of the boy's.
(The onlookers are rushing towards them. He only has a few seconds.)
And Skellig reaches--
and he does not have to reach far, because the boy is not that far gone, yet. he will be in a moment. he is laughing. there is a balloon, blue, bobbing along behind him. there are birds overhead, on the air, rippling in an unnatural rhythm (heartbeat) in time with the (heartbeat) clouds.
"Come on," he grumbles.
the boy turns and looks at him, waving. and then he goes to run away, laughing, but before he can take a step in the opposite direction, he is hit with a wave as he stumbles and falls to the ground. his face crunches into pain and fear. he opens his mouth.
-- the boy screams, and Skellig sits back hard on his heels, almost as if hit by an unseen impact.
(She will notice that he, too, is breathing harder than he should be. His eyes are closed behind the sunglasses, and his lungs are burning with the sting of saltwater. That was harder than it should have been.)
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2012-03-01 06:09 am (UTC)He doesn't check for a pulse.
He doesn't roll him on his side to force him to choke out the water.
(The mother is still yelling, but he tries to block her out as best he can. He needs to focus.)
With his hands on either side of the boy's face, he leans in close. Close enough to let his forehead fall against that of the boy's.
(The onlookers are rushing towards them. He only has a few seconds.)
And Skellig reaches--
and he does not have to reach far, because the boy is not that far gone, yet. he will be in a moment. he is laughing. there is a balloon, blue, bobbing along behind him. there are birds overhead, on the air, rippling in an unnatural rhythm (heartbeat) in time with the (heartbeat) clouds.
"Come on," he grumbles.
the boy turns and looks at him, waving. and then he goes to run away, laughing, but before he can take a step in the opposite direction, he is hit with a wave as he stumbles and falls to the ground. his face crunches into pain and fear. he opens his mouth.
-- the boy screams, and Skellig sits back hard on his heels, almost as if hit by an unseen impact.
(She will notice that he, too, is breathing harder than he should be. His eyes are closed behind the sunglasses, and his lungs are burning with the sting of saltwater. That was harder than it should have been.)