![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fredbassettTitle : Sing a Song of Sorrow and Grieving
Author : fredbassett
Fandom : Primeval
Rating : 15
Characters : Claudia/Nick, Finn
Disclaimer : Not mine (except Finn), no money made, don’t sue.
Spoilers : None
Word Count : 1,200 (written as linked drabbles)
Summary : Grief is never far below the surface for Claudia, and sleep brings no respite.
A/N : Written for the![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
primeval_denial monthly challenge for October for the song prompt
Claudia turned over in bed; hot, uncomfortable and unable to sleep. Even a light sheet was too much for her.
She’d left the curtains and the window open, but barely a breath of wind was stirring as London stifled in the middle of a heatwave that had confounded all expectations and pushed the sales of ice-cream to an all-time high.
Even Sir James Lester had been seen to loosen his tie in the office and it was rumoured that someone actually had photographic proof.
Since Nick’s disappearance, sleep had become a commodity in short supply and tonight was no exception.
****
When sleep finally came, it felt threadbare and brought her no ease.
She wandered alone in a dark forest, while all around her trees whispered words that she couldn’t make out, no matter how hard she tried.
Walking was difficult, as though she was caught in shadow nets that wouldn’t loosen their grip, despite all her efforts to push through and move on.
She’d last seen Nick in the Forest of Dean three months ago, and yet she was still searching for him every night, calling and calling, even though she knew there was no one to hear her voice.
****
“Rough night, miss?” The young solider held out a mug of strong black coffee to her in the kitchenette in the breakroom.
“Thanks, Rob.” She took a packet of biscuits out of her bag and offered one to him. “Far too hot to sleep.”
He nodded sympathetically, and gave no sign that he thought the dark shadows under her eyes might have had another cause.
The soldiers were good like that. They were no strangers to loss, and found a hundred simple, unobtrusive ways of letting her know that they understood.
She’d have to start drinking decaf at this rate.
****
She was back in the forest, but now silvery moonlight filtered through the canopy, combing its pale grey fingers through her hair.
A wordless song threaded through the trees, a haunting melody that drew tears from her eyes; a song of sorrow and grieving that she knew would echo in her heart forever.
She walked and watched her own dream, conscious, but unable to wake up.
It was 4am in the morning; she could see the clock beside her bed, but the dream had not yet loosened its grip on her, no matter how hard she tried to break free.
****
Claudia finally clawed her away to wakefulness, her heart pounding in her chest and the sound of gunshots echoing in her ears.
She ripped away the sheet that had tangled around her in the night and reached for the glass of water on her bedside table. It was lukewarm, but she still gulped it down greedily.
A light breeze made her curtains billow into the room and she felt the sweat starting to cool on her forehead.
6am now, and there was no point trying to go back to sleep. She had no desire to visit that sodding forest again.
****
Friday night, alone in her flat.
She’d accepted the soldiers’ invitation to their end of week drinks in the pub near the ARC, but two glasses of red wine had been more than enough.
After a microwaved ready meal, she was desperate for her bed and even more desperate for sleep, but the thought of wandering that wretched forest yet again held little appeal.
She managed to stay awake as the clock advanced inexorably towards midnight but eventually there was no option other than to admit defeat and allow her eyes to close.
This time, though, there were no trees.
****
Acrid smoke caught in her throat and Claudia coughed, opening her eyes and wondering what the hell had caught fire.
Instead of the light camisole top and thin cotton shorts she wore to bed, Claudia was now dressed for work, wearing her favourite coat, red blouse, beige trousers and sensible shoes.
She was in a dark corridor, lit only by the orange-red glow from flickering flames.
It made a change from the forest, but she couldn’t say it was a change she welcomed.
A gunshot broke through the lethargy of shock. A sound she was now all too familiar with.
****
The smoke proved as hard to push through as the shadows of the forest.
Claudia fought against fear. She had to keep moving. There was something she needed to do. Somewhere she had to be. Someone she had to see.
She fought for breath, coughing and choking. None of her other dreams had involved smoke, or fire, or gunshots. This was different. This was real.
With every step she took it became easier. The smoke parted to let her through.
She pulled her scarf up over her mouth to make breathing easier.
She could do this; she knew she could.
****
The smoke cleared enough for her to see two figures sitting side by side, leaning against a section of undamaged wall, while all around them the building burned.
Her eyes widened as she recognised both men.
Connor looked older, his hair was shorter, he had the eyes of a man who had seen too much. The boy she remembered from that morning in the breakroom had turned unto a man.
His companion’s hair had grown longer and now framed a too-pale face as he fought unsuccessfully to keep his eyes open.
Had she found Nick only to lose him again?
****
She could see the dark blood spreading across Nick’s teeshirt. She’d been around soldiers long enough to recognise the effects of a gunshot wound.
She pulled her scarf from around her neck, balling it up to press to the wound.
Neither man paid her any attention.
Connor was begging Nick not to leave him, telling him they’d always done everything together, but it wasn’t working.
Nick was slipping away a place where neither of them could follow.
Claudia dashed tears from her eyes. She needed to find a way to push through, to reach him before it was too late.
****
The grey mist swirled around them, more shadow now than smoke.
Claudia drew in a deep breath and could smell wet leaves instead of burnt wood and plaster dust.
She reached out and took one of Nick’s hands in hers, holding it tightly, focussing on him and only him,
She could do this; she knew she could.
“Nick, don’t leave me!”
But his blue eyes stared obstinately through her.
“Nick, listen to me!”
“Tell Claudia Brown…” he mumbled. “Tell…”
“Tell her yourself!” Claudia ordered.
She had no idea if he’d heard her words, but she kept hold of his hand.
****
The sound of banging jerked Claudia awake.
For a moment she thought the sound was the hammering of her heart, then the noise resolved itself into the thump, thump of someone’s fist striking the door of her flat.
She staggered groggily to her feet, half-expecting to still smell the stench of death and destruction.
“I’m coming!” She grabbed her dressing-gown, opening the door to Rob Finn, beaming all over his face.
“He’s back, miss, the professor’s back!” he announced.
The shadows of night receded, leaving her bathed in sunlight, knowing that the trees no longer sung a song of grief.
Author : fredbassett
Fandom : Primeval
Rating : 15
Characters : Claudia/Nick, Finn
Disclaimer : Not mine (except Finn), no money made, don’t sue.
Spoilers : None
Word Count : 1,200 (written as linked drabbles)
Summary : Grief is never far below the surface for Claudia, and sleep brings no respite.
A/N : Written for the
primeval_denial monthly challenge for October for the song promptClaudia turned over in bed; hot, uncomfortable and unable to sleep. Even a light sheet was too much for her.
She’d left the curtains and the window open, but barely a breath of wind was stirring as London stifled in the middle of a heatwave that had confounded all expectations and pushed the sales of ice-cream to an all-time high.
Even Sir James Lester had been seen to loosen his tie in the office and it was rumoured that someone actually had photographic proof.
Since Nick’s disappearance, sleep had become a commodity in short supply and tonight was no exception.
****
When sleep finally came, it felt threadbare and brought her no ease.
She wandered alone in a dark forest, while all around her trees whispered words that she couldn’t make out, no matter how hard she tried.
Walking was difficult, as though she was caught in shadow nets that wouldn’t loosen their grip, despite all her efforts to push through and move on.
She’d last seen Nick in the Forest of Dean three months ago, and yet she was still searching for him every night, calling and calling, even though she knew there was no one to hear her voice.
****
“Rough night, miss?” The young solider held out a mug of strong black coffee to her in the kitchenette in the breakroom.
“Thanks, Rob.” She took a packet of biscuits out of her bag and offered one to him. “Far too hot to sleep.”
He nodded sympathetically, and gave no sign that he thought the dark shadows under her eyes might have had another cause.
The soldiers were good like that. They were no strangers to loss, and found a hundred simple, unobtrusive ways of letting her know that they understood.
She’d have to start drinking decaf at this rate.
****
She was back in the forest, but now silvery moonlight filtered through the canopy, combing its pale grey fingers through her hair.
A wordless song threaded through the trees, a haunting melody that drew tears from her eyes; a song of sorrow and grieving that she knew would echo in her heart forever.
She walked and watched her own dream, conscious, but unable to wake up.
It was 4am in the morning; she could see the clock beside her bed, but the dream had not yet loosened its grip on her, no matter how hard she tried to break free.
****
Claudia finally clawed her away to wakefulness, her heart pounding in her chest and the sound of gunshots echoing in her ears.
She ripped away the sheet that had tangled around her in the night and reached for the glass of water on her bedside table. It was lukewarm, but she still gulped it down greedily.
A light breeze made her curtains billow into the room and she felt the sweat starting to cool on her forehead.
6am now, and there was no point trying to go back to sleep. She had no desire to visit that sodding forest again.
****
Friday night, alone in her flat.
She’d accepted the soldiers’ invitation to their end of week drinks in the pub near the ARC, but two glasses of red wine had been more than enough.
After a microwaved ready meal, she was desperate for her bed and even more desperate for sleep, but the thought of wandering that wretched forest yet again held little appeal.
She managed to stay awake as the clock advanced inexorably towards midnight but eventually there was no option other than to admit defeat and allow her eyes to close.
This time, though, there were no trees.
****
Acrid smoke caught in her throat and Claudia coughed, opening her eyes and wondering what the hell had caught fire.
Instead of the light camisole top and thin cotton shorts she wore to bed, Claudia was now dressed for work, wearing her favourite coat, red blouse, beige trousers and sensible shoes.
She was in a dark corridor, lit only by the orange-red glow from flickering flames.
It made a change from the forest, but she couldn’t say it was a change she welcomed.
A gunshot broke through the lethargy of shock. A sound she was now all too familiar with.
****
The smoke proved as hard to push through as the shadows of the forest.
Claudia fought against fear. She had to keep moving. There was something she needed to do. Somewhere she had to be. Someone she had to see.
She fought for breath, coughing and choking. None of her other dreams had involved smoke, or fire, or gunshots. This was different. This was real.
With every step she took it became easier. The smoke parted to let her through.
She pulled her scarf up over her mouth to make breathing easier.
She could do this; she knew she could.
****
The smoke cleared enough for her to see two figures sitting side by side, leaning against a section of undamaged wall, while all around them the building burned.
Her eyes widened as she recognised both men.
Connor looked older, his hair was shorter, he had the eyes of a man who had seen too much. The boy she remembered from that morning in the breakroom had turned unto a man.
His companion’s hair had grown longer and now framed a too-pale face as he fought unsuccessfully to keep his eyes open.
Had she found Nick only to lose him again?
****
She could see the dark blood spreading across Nick’s teeshirt. She’d been around soldiers long enough to recognise the effects of a gunshot wound.
She pulled her scarf from around her neck, balling it up to press to the wound.
Neither man paid her any attention.
Connor was begging Nick not to leave him, telling him they’d always done everything together, but it wasn’t working.
Nick was slipping away a place where neither of them could follow.
Claudia dashed tears from her eyes. She needed to find a way to push through, to reach him before it was too late.
****
The grey mist swirled around them, more shadow now than smoke.
Claudia drew in a deep breath and could smell wet leaves instead of burnt wood and plaster dust.
She reached out and took one of Nick’s hands in hers, holding it tightly, focussing on him and only him,
She could do this; she knew she could.
“Nick, don’t leave me!”
But his blue eyes stared obstinately through her.
“Nick, listen to me!”
“Tell Claudia Brown…” he mumbled. “Tell…”
“Tell her yourself!” Claudia ordered.
She had no idea if he’d heard her words, but she kept hold of his hand.
****
The sound of banging jerked Claudia awake.
For a moment she thought the sound was the hammering of her heart, then the noise resolved itself into the thump, thump of someone’s fist striking the door of her flat.
She staggered groggily to her feet, half-expecting to still smell the stench of death and destruction.
“I’m coming!” She grabbed her dressing-gown, opening the door to Rob Finn, beaming all over his face.
“He’s back, miss, the professor’s back!” he announced.
The shadows of night receded, leaving her bathed in sunlight, knowing that the trees no longer sung a song of grief.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2016-10-19 05:10 pm (UTC)That was powerful. I still have goosebumps.
The triptych worked perfectly: the forest where she lost him, the connection so strong that brought her through to the ARC, and the determination to bring him back. Amazing use of suggestion - did she actually do it, or did she just see what was happening anyway?
Brilliant.
no subject
Date: 2016-10-19 07:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-10-19 05:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-10-19 07:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-10-19 05:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-10-19 07:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-10-19 07:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-10-19 07:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-10-20 01:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-10-20 07:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-10-20 09:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-10-20 09:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-10-21 07:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-10-21 07:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-10-24 04:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-10-24 09:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-11-06 06:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-11-06 08:23 pm (UTC)