Adi🕯️

Trinity goes from regressing a few times a week to never after Dennis moves in. It’s not even a conscious choice at first, she is just so anxious about him finding out and then becoming weirded out about it that her brain just shuts it off completely. But then after a week of hospital shifts, where she sees people with the worst injuries, people dying, and children coming in with bruises, she actively has to push it down. 

The first night that Dennis is there, after their shift from hell, in which Trinity wants to do nothing more than snuggle up with her plushies and watch Clifford The Big Red Dog to forget about her day, is spent gathering anything that may be seen as ‘too childish’ in her apartment and thrown into an old cardboard moving box. Her baby bottle with sharks on it that had just been washed up, her collection of bug plates and bowls that were the only thing she used to eat from, her sylvanian families that are spread miscellaneously around everywhere. Every single bit of gear also goes in the box, which is then hidden under her bed, where Dennis won’t find it. 

The thought of Dennis finding out that she regresses is absolutely terrifying, because no one knows, and she’s scared if anyone finds out they’ll think she’s not fit to work, and she’s worked so hard to get to this point. She also really doesn’t want to have to explain why she regresses, because it’s very personal and she barely even knows him. Something in her knows he’s not a threat, as he’s completely different to the men who have hurt her in the past, completely different to Langdon, but a part of her is still wary.

She thought suppressing her regression would work, despite her many previous attempts of doing as such being a failure. Dennis finds out about her regression after a particularly bad shift for her.

It’s a bad shift for Trinity because it’s so triggering. There’s a teenage girl who’s showing apparent signs of sexual abuse, but she can’t do anything about it because she won’t tell anyone. She keeps bothering Robby to help do something about it, but he tells her they can’t do anything unless she says something, and Kiara says the same thing. Trinity tries everything, asks every question in the book, promises she can help her, but she still doesn’t admit anything. So, Trinity has to discharge her, and let her leave with her Mum, who seems oblivious to what is going on. 

After that, it’s clear something is wrong with her. Everyone picks up on the change of demeanour right away. Robby keeps telling her to take a break, Victoria keeps staring at her with her big doe eyes, and Dennis keeps asking if she’s okay. She joins in one last trauma and forgets to do a vital part of the primary survey. Robby gets angry with her, and tells her to go home. She doesn’t argue, just gets her stuff from her locker and sits in the break room waiting for Dennis, with glassy, wide eyes. 

Dennis finds her and doesn’t know what to think. He’s never seen Trinity so…far away. He tells a joke and she doesn’t even acknowledge it. Dennis drives them home and she remains expressionless and silent. 

She picks at her nails, the repetitive motion soothing her. She already knows it’s over when a tear falls as soon as they enter her apartment. She tries to go to her room straight away to hide, but Dennis stops her and asks her what’s wrong. The dam breaks and she starts sobbing, tears falling rapidly. She lets Dennis pull her into a hug, Trinity sobbing into his shoulder. He repeatedly whispers that it’s okay, everything's okay, which only makes her sob harder. He reminds her so much of her best-friend, it’s like she’s back there crying over an injury from gymnastics and having her comfort her. And that brings up so many old feelings she never wanted to think about ever again. 

She’s not sure how old she regresses to, she just knows it’s younger than usual. She’s normally old enough to take care of herself, she can recognise her surroundings and can get herself food and water and be independent. But once she takes her head off his shoulder, she realises she can’t do any of that right now. Her brain is stuck. Like it’s so overwhelmed to the point it won’t let her talk or even move for herself. Dennis is patiently waiting for her to tell him what she wants to do, but she can’t. All she can do is fling her hands around like it’s the first time she’s ever noticed them. Trinity puts a few of her fingers in her mouth, Dennis eyes softening. 

Dennis leads her into Trinity’s bedroom, guessing that that’s where she’d be most comfortable. She grabs her childhood plushie that Dennis has never seen before from under her pillow, a small brown monkey (I’m picturing my lil monkey friend Banana) that looks very well-loved. He sees her smile for the first time after the patient, at the monkey, so he asks her if she has any more plushies, to which she nods. He asks where they are, and she points under the bed. Dennis retrieves the cardboard box and opens it with her on the bed. Trinity squeals after seeing all her favourite items, like she had forgotten their existence. Dennis doesn’t even question it, he’s just so glad to see her happy. He’d never seen her so happy the whole time they had been living together. 

Dennis gets her laptop to set her up with a show as he knows she likes to watch something while eating and before bed. With her permission, he opens youtube to find her logged into an account he’s never seen before. An account specifically made to watch cartoons. Dennis asks her what she wants to watch to which Trinity cries “Cliffa!”, so he clicks on an unwatched Clifford The Big Red Dog episode on her recommended page.

Dennis then leaves to work on making her something to eat, taking a bug plate from the box with him. He makes avocado on toast, something he always sees Trinity eating. She is very happy by it, munching on it immediately after he gives it to her, having forgotten how long it had been since she’d last eaten something. He takes the opportunity to look at the box in more detail, taking in the small bottles, the toys, the plushies, the comfy clothes with cartoon characters on and the picture books. He realises that this is something that has been happening for a long time. Something that is a big part of her, and yet he knew nothing about it because she’d hid it from him. He wanted to go and research straight away, but Trinity kept looking over at him from where he sat beside her with a soft expression on her face, and it made a part of him melt because he had no idea how she could go from being very upset to content in a matter of half an hour. Judging and being weirded out by it didn’t even cross his mind. As long as Trinity was happy, he was happy.

Once she’d finished eating, she started to get very sleepy. But she was in clothes that weren’t appropriate for bed. So he chose a set of pyjamas with Snoopy on them and (once again only with her permission) helped her change into them. 

When Trinity was all settled under the covers with her plushies, Dennis was going to leave, but she grabbed his arm before he could get up. “‘Ont ‘eave.” So Dennis got into his own comfy clothes and laid next to her watching the cartoon, and waited until she fell asleep to close her laptop. He stayed there, because he couldn’t break his promise, quickly falling asleep to the sound of her gentle breaths, reminding him she is still here. 

The next morning, Dennis wakes up and Trinity’s not there. He finds her sipping her morning coffee in the kitchen, a frown on her face once again. He tries to bring last night up. He wants to tell her it’s okay if she wants to do that again. Wants to tell her he’s not weirded out by it. Trinity shuts it down, brushing it off as a one time thing that won’t happen again. He goes to open his mouth again but Trinity shoots him a fearful look, so he stops himself. 

Sleep never came easy for Nat. Even before the crash and after the rescue.

Most nights she sat on the couch, idly watching television. But tonight was different. A thunderstorm had rolled in, the ceiling shaking from the force of the winds, rain pounding on the roof, thunder and lightning crackling off in the distance.

Usually it’d put her right to sleep, but instead she had a very tiny Lottie tucked in her arms, the little one's wet face tucked into her chest with tiny whimpers.

Nat didn’t mind this, even if she wasn’t entirely a fan of physical touch, this was different. Lottie needed her comfort.

“Baby bug..” Nat started, gently nudging at Lottie who lifted her teary face up to look at Nat.

“Do you want some warm milk in your baba?” Nat offered, figuring the warm drink might settle the baby a bit.

Lottie nodded before quickly tucking her face into Nat’s chest with another whimper as lightning lit up the sky once more.

“Shh, it’s okay.” Nat soothed, carefully standing up. Her arms secure around Lottie, it was clear the baby was not going to be put down any time soon.

Heading into the kitchen, Nat flicked on the light - thankful the power had stayed on.

One arm held Lottie while the other prepared the bottle.

“Do you wanna watch a care bear movie too?” Nat offered. Usually she wouldn’t allow Lottie to watch anything so late, but the little one wasn't going to sleep and so maybe a movie would help.

Picking her head up slightly, Lottie nodded.

“Okay pumpkin.” Nat smiled, kissing her forehead as Lottie let out a little giggle.

This earned a smile from Nat.

“Okay, how about I set you up in the living room while I get your bottle ready okay?” Nat explained, feeling Lottie’s grip tighten.

“I know I know, it’s okay. I’ll be really quick.” Nat promised as Lottie finally gave a reluctant nod.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Nat sat lottie down on the couch, wrapping her blanket around her shoulders and handing her the prized deer plushie Nat had won her a few months back.

After that, Nat had set up the tv before heading back into the kitchen.

As the movie started up, Nat had came back into the kitchen, warm bottle in hand.

“Here you go.” Nat spoke, sinking into the seat beside Lottie who eagerly took the bottle.

As the movie played, Lottie started to relax more and more. Half way through, her eyes started to drift shut. She was leaning heavily on Nat.

Nat herself was starting to feel sleepy too. Moving to position her and Lottie to stretch out on the couch now.

Lottie immediately curled up on Nat, her head resting on Nat’s chest. Bottle now discarded on the coffee table and a heavy quilt draped over the two.

“Night night..” Lottie whispered, giving an affectionate nuzzle to Nat’s face who smiled.

“Goodnight baby.” Nat whispered, kissing Lottie’s hair line as the little fell asleep, comfortable against Nat.

Nat soon enough followed, her hand protectively resting over Lottie’s back.

she does try (key word try) to quit smoking, especially around you.

always having snacks and things to keep you occupied in her bag in case you get whiny/restless.

super duper overprotective… duhh she’s a mama bear :3

she sometimes does your personal hygiene when you’re too small to do yourself (brushing your teeth, washing your face)

“alright, let mama see those pearly whites of yours.”

if you had an accident or something of the sort, dana would just brush it off because she sees stuff like this all the time at work. she’s used to it and she could never make you feel ashamed for it.

all of the nicknames ever, but mostly “sweetie”, “kiddo”, and sometimes “baby bear”.

dana being careful with your plushies whenever she wants to lay in bed with you :(((

having sterile pacifiers in her pocket or purse in case you really need one.