Water, Water Everywhere

[iamnotgod]

Date: March 1st ; ETA: March 2nd
Characters: Walter Weekes, Sadie Moore ; ETA: Walter Weekes and Benjiro Thorne

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It hasn't even been a full week, and though Walter's learned much he is still struggling without sight apart from the not-quite-darkness of webspace.

More mundanely, the house is still barely livable after the disastrous flooding; Ben's assistance, among other things, has been vital towards getting the place drained and dry.

Other visits - like Sadie's - are much appreciated, and Walter is well aware of what chaos Echoes have been wreaking in her life lately.

His mind keeps coming back to that water, though, and he can never quite settle, never quite relax-

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The next day comes the first chance to test a possible workaround - finally, finally, by Walter's account, though he still feels guilty for having the notion.

After all, he's not in charge of the passage of time.

Comments

[iamnotgod]

The preteen - Mildred, as Sadie might overhear one of the children that stayed on the bank shout in thanks - is the only one not making any noise.

There are six children stuck in the river; each one she fishes out carefully, laying them in the recovery position away from the river one-by-one, applying what can be recognized as rudimentary CPR when they're all out, getting more soaked and bedraggled all the while.

The work is not done, even as the children regain consciousness; one of the younger children (whom Sadie can note has the same hair color as Mildred) points out someone's gotten stuck in the current.

Again there is no hesitance; she dives back into the river and starts swimming.

"Yay Millie! My big sister is the best," the child who'd pointed out the straggle cheers, consciously trying to not shout.

"Not yours, Haley, ours," a sandy-haired boy corrects. He looks to be about the young girl's age.

Sadie might recognize that name, as well; it's not as if Walter's hidden his sister's identity during his time in Mossgate.

[dragoonrouge]

Sadie hunkers down on the river bank next to where the children from the river are being placed, jaw clenched tight in frustration at not being able to do anything. Just like with Ben, she has no choice but to watch the past play out.

The names of Millie and Haley catch her attention, Walter had mentioned his little sister Haley but never any other sibling, and he never spoke of anyone called Millie. Sadie grimaced, a picture was starting to form in her head, and if it was true then this was a massive invasion of privacy.

[iamnotgod]

It is some minutes before Mildred returns, further mussed and soaked, carrying the child that is clearly the smallest of the lot in her arms.

It's not easy to tell if he's breathing (making the other kids quiet down as they try to discern such for themselves), but subsequent application of CPR brings the boy back to wakefulness.

The rest of the kids - including those previously rescued - huddle close and hold hands. Their voices raise in wordless harmony, an echo of the melody still ringing from upstream...

As the memory Echo ends, the girl in the center of it all still does not sing.