"Doc--" She knew it was coming even before his fingers tightened over her skin, and she said his name like a prayer, wincing even as she hoped it wouldn't happen.
But he shoved her anyway, and she went stumbling backwards, banging up against the edge of the table and scrambled not to trip over the chair, just barely catching herself on the table's edge with a skid of her heel. Left blinking roundly at him, startled both by the force with which he'd pushed her, and that it had come after a moment of seemingly shared comfort.
"Why?" she asked. "Wait--"
Something just as desperate shook her voice; it was like whatever he was feeling plowed into her, staggering her. Because she understood it. She understood the spill of blood and the bite of the lash. Having one's face shoved down into the mud, and how much worse it hurt when the hands that did it had been kind only hours before. A burst of empathy seared through her, leaving her wide open when all that rage of his skewered her right through the gut.
She gasped. It had never happened like this before. Usually it was some periphery emotion that grazed her, gave her a headache. Powerful Lust and love made her feel drunk. Bloodlust could make her vomit. But no one had ever aimed that kind of murderous intent at her before, just at her, deeply personal, nothing else in the room to dampen it, no emotions of her own to wrap herself up in.
Her knees hit the floorboards, even as she'd been trying to leave, trying to do what he asked. The world titled a little too far on its axis. He was going to kill her, and she couldn't get up, couldn't run. He had to kill her to keep himself safe, and she couldn't fight back. His brother had tried to slit his throat, ten years they'd relied on each other and he tried to cut him from ear to ear; trust hurt, it left scars as sure as a blade, as a noose, comfort and warmth only led to pain.
She felt like she might vomit and drown at the same time. Couldn't think. Sy had been too careful with her. The mark on her wrist, hidden beneath her sleeve and her glove, felt like it was on fire.
"Please don't," she choked, as blackness crept in at the edges of her vision, and she fought to stay conscious. "I won't do it again."