His size and his locked stance weren't the thing that really made it difficult getting him out; as Tifa continued to ignore his protests and drag him back, it was the strain in his voice, the incoherent gaze in his eyes that pained her to push him still.
They'd waited too long. A heavy guilt filled her that she hadn't recognized it sooner and pulled him out before he'd reached this point. He should never have come to it this badly, and she could have stopped it.
Past the caverns where the large insects had first plagued them, to the water where they'd entered. Practically shoving the mouth piece into his mouth, she spoke before replacing her own, looking him in the face once more, trying to walk him through it even if he couldn't hear her. It helped her stay calm to verbalize, and part of her hoped in some corner of his mind he understood her.
"Keep that in, we're swimming back. I'll help get you out, but try to swim."
It was the last thing he needed, she knew, to submerge in the cold, dark water once again. It had probably been the first thing to drive his mind towards the edge, but there was no choice. One step at a time.
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They'd waited too long. A heavy guilt filled her that she hadn't recognized it sooner and pulled him out before he'd reached this point. He should never have come to it this badly, and she could have stopped it.
Past the caverns where the large insects had first plagued them, to the water where they'd entered. Practically shoving the mouth piece into his mouth, she spoke before replacing her own, looking him in the face once more, trying to walk him through it even if he couldn't hear her. It helped her stay calm to verbalize, and part of her hoped in some corner of his mind he understood her.
"Keep that in, we're swimming back. I'll help get you out, but try to swim."
It was the last thing he needed, she knew, to submerge in the cold, dark water once again. It had probably been the first thing to drive his mind towards the edge, but there was no choice. One step at a time.