She couldn't cry out loudly enough to exorcise this pain, and every time she tried and failed she felt worse; what kind of a tragic muse couldn't bring herself catharsis? But she couldn't, couldn't bring herself any relief and she didn't think the nitrous oxide wasn't doing a godsdamned thing.
Melpomene kept a tight hold of Alan's hand, but Thalia's too, when she and Calliope appeared beside her bed in Apollo's place. She managed a grimace of acknowledgement, grateful, but not about to expend any energy on making a big deal of her gratitude.
But when Alan mentioned leaving - she turned to him in alarm. "Don't leave me-" She was so greedy, so selfish and greedy to want him to stay when he'd done more... more than she thought possible. "Please-"
"Melpomene, we've got you," Apollo said, his voice gentle as he lay his hands on her ankles, withdrawing from the poor doctor.
Greedy. Selfish. Scared. Melpomene couldn't take her eyes off Alan, even when her face crumbled into tears.