Today Could've Been The Next Day of The Rest Of Your Life [for vowedtostay]

[traumatized]

He's in a meeting with a visiting Orlesian general when Josephine comes into his office. He can tell by her expression the news is anything but good, she excuses him and takes over the negotiations so he can head to the chambers he shares with his wife and their little boy, Cai. He was only a few days old, and very small and precious. They had hired the best healers they could find to take care of him, he visited the Chantry every day to pray for his survival.

He had never wanted a family, never dared to hope for one but now that had one? He wants to keep them no matter what.

When he gets into the chamber his stomach drops and he can tell by the expression on Betrys' face what happened -- that he's too late to say goodbye to his first child. He swallows thickly, trying to steady himself before he finally speaks. He doesn't want to make this harder for her.

"What happened?"

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[vowedtostay]

Since the moment she picked their son up from his cradle and realized his tiny chest was no longer rising and falling, Betrys has been stomping down the desire to fall to pieces. There were healers to be shouted for, Josephine had to go for Cullen, and she had to watch Cai and beg him to breathe, please breathe, Maker, why isn't he breathing? And then, when it was clear that the healers couldn't do anything to change the Maker's mind, she couldn't seem to do anything but nod mutely and sit down at the edge of the bed.

But seeing Cullen--more than anything, hearing his voice--changes that. She rushes to him, throwing herself into his arms, muffling her sob into his armored chest as best she can. It rips out of her, a jagged, hateful sound, more animal than human.

She'll answer his question as soon as she can get hold of herself, but all she can do at this moment is weep, fingers clinging to the fur at his shoulders.