*39. who's nina?

WHO'S NINA?

✧･ﾟ: * "Get the- get the napkins!" Jonathan keeps pressing his hands against the security dude's stomach where his bullet wound is.

"Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit," Nora hears Argyle saying as he drives up front like some kind of mantra.

"Here! Here are more napkins," Will and Mike frantically press them against the wound as Max stays huddled in the far corner of the van where Nora is trying to comfort her.

"Hey, look at me, Max," Nora says softly, trying to tune out the yelling voices. "It's okay, okay? You're alright. You're gonna be alright. Just keep looking at me, it's okay," Nora tries convincing as Max stays in a huddled position.

"I'm fine," Max assures, but she's unable to look away from the bloody sight even as Nora holds her hands so tightly she's sure it's going to cut off her circulation. "I'm fine. I'm okay."

"Yeah, yeah, okay, you're okay. It's okay. Everything's fine. Just fine."

"Are you trying to convince me or yourself?" Max tries lightening the mood despite the yelling in the background.

"Myself," Nora answers truthfully, mostly just trying to look Max in the eye so she doesn't have to direct her gaze to the bloody sight behind her or the feeling of sticky blood on her hands and clothes from when she was helping before she felt like she was going to pass out.

"I can't, I just can't do this," Max looks down again, tucking her knees close to her chest as Nora moves so she's criss-cross in front of her, still holding her hands.

"I get it, okay. It'll be fine. We're almost at the hospital, then it'll all be okay. Okay?"

"This reminds me of- no, I'm fine. I'm okay," Max is obviously going through something mentally that she's not quite ready to share with Nora, especially not now as everyone's now yelling about some pen.

"Hey, guys," Argyle's voice brings Nora out of her nauseous state for a moment to allow her to realize everyone's stopped talking over each other. "Why is it so quiet back there?"

No one answers, but Nora doesn't need them to for her to feel Max hold onto her hands even tighter. She shoots a concerned look at her, but the redhead's eyes are shut and she's clearly trying to force herself to take deep breaths.

"Is he dead? Oh my God, did he die?!"

"We should get off the road," Jonathan states, looking at something through the back window.

"Argyle. Ar- Argyle, get off the road now!" Will gestures more frantically, and Nora's curiosity forces her to sit up a bit to see a suspicious car starting to trail them.

It's darker outside now, so she's almost blinded by the aggressiveness of the headlights, but Argyle's sharp turn to the left makes her immediately fall over into Max, her hands against the wall so she doesn't head-butt the van, Max's knees holding most of her weight as her abdomen falls into them, Nora's head leaning over Max's so the two are making eye contact as Nora's hair falls around Max's face, framing it.

"Is now really the time, Harrington?" Max refers to the dire situation as Nora's breath fans her face softly, their lips centimeters from each other's.

Before Nora can return her own remark, Argyle turns sharply again, causing her to fall to her side, right next to Max who's now laughing amused at Nora's frantic state and the way Mike has fallen right on top of her.

"Personal space, Mike?" Nora uses her legs to push him off of her.

"Sorry, didn't see you there," he stares annoyed, falling to the other side of the van after Nora kicks him, right where Will happens to be.

Before they can get jostled around anymore, Argyle stops the van, and they all immediately move to pile out, Nora being the first to throw up on the sand of whatever desert they've ended up on.

"You alright?" Jonathan stares, kind of disgusted, as Max goes to hold Nora's hair back.

"Absolutely not."

—

✧･ﾟ: * After they've all gathered their bearings and changed out of their old clothes, Jonathan announces how they simply have no choice but to stay the night out here.

It's too dangerous to go back home, and they have their necessities with them, so they should stay out and off the grid for as long as it takes them to get to El.

Will filled Max and Nora in on the Nina thing as they all carried the - now dead - security guy out into the sand, and made the unanimous decision to give him a proper burial when it's not incredibly dangerous for them to be out in the middle of nowhere at who knows what time at night.

They all emptied out their jackets and especially oversized shirts from their bags to cover the floors of the van, using the pillows Argyle has conveniently stored back there to get a good night's sleep, all piled around each other.

Nora and Max stayed together in a corner closest to the back of the van lying with their legs facing the driver's side while Will and Mike slept next to each other with their heads to Nora's side as they slept perpendicular to her and Max, and Argyle and Jonathan laying similar to Mike and Will, parallel to the front seats.

Nora shifts around a bit once they've all settled, feeling a bit overheated, and Max similarly has to move so that her arm that isn't around Nora's waist starts to fall asleep.

"Sorry," Nora whispers as she feels her leg somehow kick lightly against Will's arm.

"It's okay," Will whispers back, but also moving at the sudden contact.

"You guys okay?" Jonathan's also whispering, but Nora doesn't really understand why anymore since everyone's probably awake.

"Yeah, we're good," Mike whispers back to answer, finality in his tone.

"Dude, is this your arm?" Argyle's voice says quietly, and Nora shifts again as a way to muffle the sounds with her ears to her pillow.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Jonathan whispers back, moving at Nora's feet causing his other hand to hit her sock. "Oh, sorry, Nora," Jonathan whispers again.

"It's okay," Nora whispers back, now bending her knees so she's in a ball, only hitting Will again. "Shit, sorry."

"That's fine, could you just move to the right a bit."

"Your right or mine?"

"My right. . . wait, no-"

"Here, I'll move," Mike whispers his offer, shifting more so his head hits Nora's arm. "Is that fine?"

"Yeah, here, Will, try moving up."

There's more rustling.

"I think that's good."

"Do you wanna switch spots?" Jonathan whispers, most likely to Will as he moves around a bit more.

"Maybe you could move your arm closer," Nora tries as she feels someone's limb brush against her leg.

"To me or to you?" Will whispers a bit louder over the movement of the clothes.

"To you," Nora also overcompensates. "And I'll move my leg further."

"Nora, that's my face," Jonathan's muffled voice comes through as Nora feels her sock hit something hard.

"Oh, sorry," she rustles in her spot, accidentally nudging Max's arm. "Shit, sorry."

"Next person to talk is sleeping outside," Max states normally, sitting up slightly.

Everyone's quiet after that.

a/n:

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