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[i]Thump-thump
Thump-thump
Thump-thump[/i]

[color=dc918e]Kelly[/color] couldn't hear anything over her own panicked heartbeat, and the voice that kept replaying:

[i][b]You will die.[/b][/i]
[i][b]You will die.[/b][/i]
[i][b]You will die.[/b][/i]
[i][b]You will die.[/b][/i]

Then she jerked as she felt something touch her knee. At an unknown touch, [color=d1fffc]Alja[/color] would probably be fine. She was balanced. If it was a particularly strenuous situation, she might punch the touch. But on the whole, she was pretty hard to shake. 

But [color=dc918e]Kelly[/color] was not. Kelly was in a state of [i]perpetual[/i] shaken-ness. And so instead of looking sharply up at what was on her knee--her eyes still staring listlessly into nothingness--she only cringed away from the touch, burying herself further into her knees.

[color=92278f]“Alja, sweetheart."[/color] 

[color=d1fffc]Alja.[/color]

[color=92278f]"Shhh, shh. It’s okay. Look at me.”[/color]

[color=dc918e]Kelly[/color] lifted her--lifted [color=d1fffc]Alja's[/color]--head from her--[color=d1fffc]Alja's[/color]--knees. Her eyes--[color=d1fffc][i][b]Alja's[/b][/i][/color]--still streaming tears, met Seele's, and a moment of utter shame [i][b]ripped[/b][/i] through her. She closed her--[color=d1fffc]Alja's[/color]--eyes. [i][color=dc918e]You're disgusting. Less than nothing. Weak, selfish, useless [b]coward[/b]. Who are you to think that you could help these people? Any people? Anybody? Any situation? You can't even help yourself. You lock yourself away in a video game--you neglect your studies--you neglect what few friends you have--you neglect your family. All to fulfil this [b]fantasy[/b] of a world where you mean something to somebody. But you don't. You never have. And now you never will.[/color][/i]

[color=92278f]“Right here, hey. You’re okay. You’re okay, you’re going to be okay. I promise.”[/color]

[i][b]I promise.[/b][/i]

The two words slashed through the chains of self-pity that were holding her in place. And in front of her in her mind's eye--was [color=d1fffc]Alja[/color].

[color=d1fffc][i]Oh, shut up.[/i][/color]

[i][color=dc918e]I...[/color][/i]

[color=d1fffc][i]No. Shut up. You [b]listen to me[/b]. You have a chance here. You [b]finally[/b] have a chance to do something. Something that really [b]means[/b] something. Something that will help people. Isn't that what you always wanted, Kelly? To help people? Why else are you going into medicine? Why else did you roll a tank in Pariah? You finally have that chance. You're good at what you do. And if you die--if--then you'll die in service of helping other people. So [b]get off your whiny ass[/b] and do some good, huh?[/i][/color]

Then she opened [color=d1fffc]Alja's[/color]--[b][i]her[/i][/b]--eyes, and looked around. Seele was comforting her. Rael and Kalie--she almost laughed. She slowly pulled her hands away from her head, and began to uncurl. She met Seele's eyes. Her voice, when she spoke--"[color=d1fffc]Thank you, Seele[/color]"--was tiny. It was fragile.

But it was [b][i][color=d1fffc]her's.[/color][/i][/b]

Then [color=dc918e]Kelly[/color] breathed deeply. And [color=d1fffc]Alja[/color] stood.