Work Text:
"Hey, Leon, slow down for a second."
He twitched, turning from the half-boarded window with an incredulous expression.
"Oh, now you want me to slow down. You're the one always reminding me to hurry."
"Yeah well, that was…" Helena took a deep breath, turning her head away and snatching bandages and antibiotics off of the counter. "Before," she finished, looking at him with an expression drawn with pain. "Nobody to hurry to now."
She shrugged, and his shoulders relaxed, softening his posture as he moved towards her. The three remaining lights in the tiny clinic flickered dully and when he glanced across to the one going out she could see how tired he looked. How drawn. How much this was all weighing on him too.
"I'm sorry." He looked like he wanted to say more, but she knew there weren't words. Not really. The sympathy in his grey eyes was enough.
"Look we can't stay here long but you've been running on fumes and I had to stab you twice. I'd like to see to your injuries properly before we move on."
Leon shook his head. "I'm fine, no bites so you don't need to worry."
She almost laughed, but his expression was too earnest.
"Because the virus is suddenly the only thing that can stop a heart," she said sarcastically, rapping his jacket with her knuckles. "Just…" her touch softened and she rest her hand instead. "Just humor me? You almost died. A few times."
"Hey, so did you," he said, catching her free hand as it reached for the stethoscope on the counter. She paused, nodding once without looking at him before picking the tool up anyway.
"But I didn't take two needles to the chest," she said, fitting the earpieces and testing the diaphragm with a tap.
He raised an eyebrow. "You know what you're doing with that thing?"
She met his look with a raised eyebrow of her own. "I knew what I was doing when I stabbed a needle between your ribs."
"Did you? Thought you got lucky."
"Oh make no mistake, Leon, I know where your aortic valve is and I could have stabbed it if I wanted to. Now don't talk."
He obeyed, plopping onto a stool with a metallic thunk when Helena pushed on his shoulder. His shirt was thin and she had no idea how long they had before infected found them so she pressed the stethoscope to his chest without moving more than his jacket. Immediately she was rewarded with a rapid, steady thumping, the soft wash of breath behind blood melding with the sound as she slid the chest piece over to the valve she'd threatened.
It was working perfectly and for a moment the crackling of a car on fire outside and the memory echo of her sister's screams fell away.
Little existed but the easing thud of Leon's heartbeat. It was slowing because she'd made him sit but it was also unmistakably strong, steady. Alive.
It was probably her exhaustion, but a wash of peace flooded through her and her expression became distant, her fingers slipping on the tool to trap it beneath her palm instead. Her fingertips rest on his warm body, the next breath he drew lifting her hand.
"--lena. Hey. Helena?" She blinked, meeting his eyes. He looked even more concerned and she drew a breath, blinking again as she looked down at his chest.
"Everything okay?"
His voice sounded strange through the stethoscope and she pulled back suddenly, taking it off. The return to the sharp sounds outside of his body was jarring and she winced, rubbing at her temples.
"Sorry...Leon. I'm sorry. I just…"
He frowned lightly, catching her hand.
"I'm alright," he said softly. "Really."
"You're not but thanks for lying," she said with a broken smile.
"Well, my heart is still working at least, so that's a good starting point. It looked like you got a little lost there."
"I'm sorry...it's. It's stupid."
"Yeah. Exhaustion. What a dumbass thing to experience."
She laughed, leaning her hips against the counter behind her and burying her face in her hands. "Shit….it's just all been so nuts." She ran her hands through her hair, and when she looked up, she was crying, a tear striking down her cheek as she sniffed. "The past days have been just….horrible, fucked up chaos and it….it felt really nice to hear something alive. Something really alive. Not the horrible groans and tearing and…" she shook her head, a shudder on her breath. "And I got kinda stuck for a second," she said finally. "I'm sorry."
Leon stood, slowly moving closer and taking her hand. "We have a few minutes," he said gently. "I don't mind. Feels good to slow down and...remember I am still alive. Easy to forget when all you can do is run on instinct to stay that way. And...I can admit it. I wouldn't still be alive without you so if you want to listen to your handiwork it feels earned."
"But...I caused this. At least some of it…"
"Because some maniac had your sister," Leon said, his voice almost aggressive. "Don't take blame that's on him."
She bit her lip, more tears spilling as she nodded and wiped at her eyes. "Yeah…." She sighed, a bone weary, surrendering kind of sigh and thud her forehead against his sternum. He grunted softly, and she murmured a "Sorry" into his chest as she turned her head and folded herself into him.
This time the sound wasn't as clear, but in a run down, blood spattered room that suddenly felt cold his warmth was a blessed trade off. He wrapped his arms around her and rest his chin on her head, and all she could feel and hear and focus on was him.
He smelled like sweat and blood, but he was warm in a way that comforted the chill of grief at her core and the sound of his heart pumping centimeters away was the greatest balm she could ask for. She sighed, sliding her hand across his chest until her fingers sunk between ribs and muscle and she could feel as he reacted to her touch, muscle twitching before allowing her to do what she would.
She could feel the thud of his heart beneath her fingers and it was welcome after gripping the handle of a gun and feeling no pulse but that of bullets and her own terror.
"Thank you," she whispered, and she closed her eyes and listened to him take the breath to answer.
"You're going to be alright."