Breathing is so much easier when he's being instructed to. His attention can stay focused on it much more properly when he's been given it as a task rather than a general admonition.
"...may..." Horatio is fairly certain she'll say no. He can't stop himself from asking. "...may I go-- look for him?"
The search party hadn't waited for him. In fact, the search party hadn't allowed him to join them, shoving him into this office instead.
“If you think it will— help, you can join the people looking on the battlefield for today,” she offers, “But I can’t have you leaving to try and find their base, and we’ll see if you’re able to— look more, tomorrow, if you need to. All right?”
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/huff
Her voice is a soft, gentle thing as he nods.
"That's good. Keep breathing."
<3
"...may..." Horatio is fairly certain she'll say no. He can't stop himself from asking. "...may I go-- look for him?"
The search party hadn't waited for him. In fact, the search party hadn't allowed him to join them, shoving him into this office instead.
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Which will already tell him what she’s fairly certain he suspects.
“No. I need you here, right now. The only way we’re absolutely certain to find him if he’s not— among the casualties will be to win this war.”
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But there's no helping the brief prickling of tears back to the corners of his eyes as he lets out a shaky breath.
"--please, ma'am?"
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“If you think it will— help, you can join the people looking on the battlefield for today,” she offers, “But I can’t have you leaving to try and find their base, and we’ll see if you’re able to— look more, tomorrow, if you need to. All right?”
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His head drops briefly, unbidden, back to Rachel's shoulder--the impulsive gesture of a child curling close to its mother.
"--thank you."
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And he’s absolutely welcome to keep curling close.