The stress of the previous day woke Edmund up, it seemed, from something of a waking dream that had clouded his thoughts for the past few weeks. But that had been yesterday. Yesterday had been panic and fear and desperate prayers that he wouldn't have to lose someone again so soon. It had been jarring and left him quite literally shaking, but now, though he felt awake, he felt tired, too. It felt as though the emotions of yesterday -- of all the past few weeks really -- had been too much for him and, though he felt it all now, he wasn't prepared to feel them all.

He sat down beside Claire's bed regardless of that tiredness, visible in the corners of his eyes and the slight pallor of his skin that made his freckles stand out even more. He couldn't shut these things off now which meant he couldn't ignore them either.

"Don't do that ever again, Claire," Edmund said quietly. "Please."