Young Writers Society

"Okay. That's alright, we can focus on that later. Can you expose the cut for me, dear? I need to stitch it up now." She glanced over at Tomhas. "I'll be with you in a moment, sir."
Tomhas nodded wearily. "Take your time."

Ky was so tired and breathing took so much of her energy. But she needed to obey. Disobeying is what made her get hurt in the first place. She couldn't remember how or why but it's how it always happened.

Ky peeled back the bloody sleeve and looked down at her arm dumbly. The blade hadn't gone quite all the way through, but it'd entered from the bottom and went deep. There was a jagged cut maybe an inch long, skin gaping open slightly and it was still bleeding.

"Why did I deserve this?" Ky murmured weakly, reaching around with her right hand to pat Tadaaki. He'd know. "What did I do?"

"You didn't do anything," Tadaaki murmured. It hurt so much that she was still in so much survival mode that she feared Aleth this much. But he, again, couldn't say much.

"I always do something," Ky murmured, closing her eyes. "I'm always so bad."

Zander felt sick. He barely resisted the urge to lose it on her and tell her she didn't deserve it and never had and never would. But his anger wasn't helpful right now. He needed to keep it to himself.

(Ha it just occurred to me this wound is almost exactly like the one my dad had when he accidentally pierced himself with a kenjitsu sword)

Tomhas felt another heavy shudder go through him, but this one was out of anger, not revulsion. He should have turned Aleth over to Gaius. Gaius would have dragged it out--no. That would be something Michael would do. Neither of them were Michael. They were better than that. They did justice, not atrocities. But Aleth...oh, Aleth was a horror.

(omggg that entire statement is just wild xD how did that even happen?)

"You weren't bad at all," Tadaaki said gently. He was supporting her with his right arm and chest, and he reached up his left to gently brush her hair off her now-sweaty forehead. "I promise."

Ky nodded. Her eyes burned and felt so heavy. Her entire body felt heavy. And it was still so hard to breathe. Her eyes were closed again now. "Where are we, Aaki? I don't know this room."

"We're with Tomhas and Anneke," Tadaaki said. "We're at their house."

Ky swallowed hard. She hadn't meant to let them see her messing up like this. "Are they mad at me? I didn't mean to be bad."

(Back in grad school he used to take sword lessons and he got distracted while doing some moves. My mom and my sister and I got a call from him while he was in the ambulance and when he got home he had this wild zigzag scar across his left arm because the doctor messed up. His hand still doesn't work the same)

"No, we're not mad." Tomhas shifted toward her, eyes still averted. "We could never be mad at you, kiddo. Not for this. You're going to be okay."
Laura washed the wound and then readied the suture. "I'm going to start," she warned Ky.

(Owwww)

"That's good," Ky breathed, nodding weakly. Tomhas wasn't mad. That was good. She clenched her teeth and held her arm out.

(Yeah it was wild, my mom was so mad. I just thought it was super badass)

(And now my brother is taking fencing, so we'll see how that turns out)

Laura began to see up the wound, careful to watch Ky's reaction.

(haha wow your family is incredible I love it)

She inhaled sharply on the first stitch and didn't let the breath out for a long, long moment. She was silent when she finally did exhale. She swallowed hard. Stitches weren't so bad. They didn't last very long. She focused on keeping her breathing as steady as possible.

(Pff they're pretty cool, just a bit silly.)

Laura finished in a few minutes and tied off the wound. "Okay. That's that, is there anywhere else you're hurt?"

Ky shook her head, but in the process her collar shifted, revealing bruising starting around her throat.

Laura examined the bruising. "Mm, we should keep an eye on that. Can you swallow alright?"

Ky swallowed to check, then nodded. "It just hurts a little. But it's okay."

"Okay, good. If you're not hurting anywhere else I'm gonna have you rest here, drink some water or tea, and sleep. Lord Loquitur?"
"Mhm." Tomhas had his hands buried in his hair.
"Are you hurt anywhere?"
"I took a knock to the head, is all. I just, I just need some tea, and some quiet. I'll be okay." Laura nodded; he was probably right about that.
"I'll see to it you get some. I'll be right back." She departed.

Tadaaki started to lay Ky down, but she wrapped her arm around him and grunted in disapproval. So he held her upright instead, against his chest, supporting her as he listened to her labored breathing. At least she wasn't bleeding anymore. That was good.

Zander looked between the three of them helplessly. He was agitated and wanted to start pacing, but was afraid that would bring negative energy to an already tense room. He sat down on the edge of a cot behind where Tadaaki and Ky were sitting.

Tomhas's breathing was more even now, but he still couldn't look at Ky. He could smell the blood on her and that still made him dizzy, but at least he could clear his head a tiny bit.