When the volley of light punches began, Elliot didn’t even bother to try to stop her. It hadn’t occurred to him until now that she would be in a state of not recognizing him, but faced with Rae’s blind fear, all Elliot could do was halfheartedly deflect her fists. He didn’t try to restrain her, not while she was trapped in whatever nightmare vision the scientists here had locked her in.
In the back of his mind, there was a feeling of pride. His Rae was still fighting. She hadn’t given up. At the same time, though, pangs of sadness stabbed at his heart. Was this how she’d spent the entire week? Begging people not to hurt her? What had they been doing to her, anyway?
His eyes flicked to her arm as she drew back for another punch. Angry bruises covered the crook of her arm, evidence of whatever cruelty she’d been through. He stopped blocking the punches. Suddenly that minimal pain was nothing compared to what he felt on the inside. Sadness, anger. Regret. He hadn’t been able to protect her, and this is what happened. Was their baby even still alive?
Elliot wasn’t aware Evan’s attempts to talk reason into Rae, or even the constant soft whimpering coming from the farthest corner of the room. All his focus was on the woman he loved and whatever nightmarish scenario was playing out behind those hazel eyes. The moment her senses began to return, he held his breath and waited for her to acknowledge that it was him… and that she was safe.
A tightness formed in Elliot’s throat when he heard her speak and it took some effort to get himself to nod. “It’s me, babe. I’m here,” he said, extending his arms and taking a few cautious steps toward her. The last thing he wanted was to send her into another panic, especially since they needed to get the hell out of here as soon as possible. “I came to get you out of this fucking place.”