Having taken that instruction for a lifeline, Evander had thought of little else but keeping her head and shoulders steady until Alfred set her feet down; Evander lowered her down in the hallway, the slam of the door somehow subdued against the thudding of his heart.
He’d barely noticed the lack of light until the Lumos took effect, but Caroline’s unconscious form looked worse for it, ragged and pale. Evander touched her wrist and then her cheek – no response – and he couldn’t tell whether her skin or his fingertips were the more numb, but cradling her head under his arm, he leant down and put his face near hers, unable to see any rise and fall in his chest. What was he supposed to do if she was – oh. There was a tickle of breath on his cheek from her mouth. Without looking away, he nodded in answer, but – not sure if his brother had caught it, he forced out the words. “She’s breathing,” he said.
And at least she was inside now – he rummaged for his wand again, casting shaky drying charms over her sodden clothes. But she wasn’t responding... so he twisted in place and looked up at Alfred, half-pleading and half-grateful for all he had already done, an unspoken thank you in his eyes. “Will you see... see if you can find a healer?” That was hardly Alfred’s responsibility – his brother should be with Zelda if he was anywhere – and he wasn’t sure if that was an impossible task, in whatever chaos had become of the ballroom by now, particularly if there were worse casualties to treat. And he had never much liked being indebted to his brother for anything – he had never been more indebted to him than he was now – but the fact remained that he didn’t dare leave Caroline alone.
He’d barely noticed the lack of light until the Lumos took effect, but Caroline’s unconscious form looked worse for it, ragged and pale. Evander touched her wrist and then her cheek – no response – and he couldn’t tell whether her skin or his fingertips were the more numb, but cradling her head under his arm, he leant down and put his face near hers, unable to see any rise and fall in his chest. What was he supposed to do if she was – oh. There was a tickle of breath on his cheek from her mouth. Without looking away, he nodded in answer, but – not sure if his brother had caught it, he forced out the words. “She’s breathing,” he said.
And at least she was inside now – he rummaged for his wand again, casting shaky drying charms over her sodden clothes. But she wasn’t responding... so he twisted in place and looked up at Alfred, half-pleading and half-grateful for all he had already done, an unspoken thank you in his eyes. “Will you see... see if you can find a healer?” That was hardly Alfred’s responsibility – his brother should be with Zelda if he was anywhere – and he wasn’t sure if that was an impossible task, in whatever chaos had become of the ballroom by now, particularly if there were worse casualties to treat. And he had never much liked being indebted to his brother for anything – he had never been more indebted to him than he was now – but the fact remained that he didn’t dare leave Caroline alone.
