After Dark • Peter Hayes

Injuries and admissions

Pipers POV;

He'd dropped the top on a pile beside him, his eyes remaining on the wound and nothing else.

"So" I decided to speak to cut the tension even slightly, "how'd you know first aid?" I mentally slapped myself. What a kickstart to a conversation.

He chuckled slightly dabbing antiseptic on a bit of roll to wipe the dried blood that had ran down my arm first, "dad taught me pretty early on" he was gentle but seemed really off. Not that this was the situation he willingly wished to be in.

I stared at him, far longer than I should've, not that he looked at me enough to notice. His eyes followed his hands wiping my arm. His knee was bumping up and down. His hands were red.

"I'm going to clean it, I want you to grab my arm, squeeze when it hurts" he nodded quickly at me while getting the antiseptic and squeezing it onto a small towel.

"I don't need to hold your arm I'll be fine" I felt even more awkward after that fail of a conversation.

"Just do it Piper" his tone was stern.

I lifted my hand, hesitantly, to his arm, just above the bend of his elbow. I looked to the far window, avoiding looking at the contact I'd made. As well as not wanting to see when he was going to make contact so I wouldn't pull back.

His skin was warm. His arm tensed, it had done the second my hand touched his arm and stayed that way. I closed my eyes and but my lip, waiting for the burn I was about to feel. "God dammit Piper" he breathed. My eyes opened and I turned to look at him, he took my confused look as me asking what was up and answered before I could speak, "stop biting your lip" he paused looking down, "please"

Jesus.

"Sorry" I mumble looking away again. I would've pushed back on him, told him I could do whatever the hell I wanted. Although, I knew I was the only person he uttered that word to.

I was pulled from my thought was a whine as the stinging liquid connected with my wound. He kept cleaning and prodding. I tried my best not to need him, not to squeeze but it was an automatic reaction. He knew it would be, knew that's why I didn't want to.

I squirmed again as the feeling pulsated through my body. The pain a liquid could cause. I looked weak.

I pulled my hand away from his arm. "Put it back"

"Don't tell me what to do" I retorted, cringing at the pressure on my shoulder until it stopped.

"Put it back, now" he commanded me again. I laughed at his attempt. I was trying to think of what I should say, how I should snap back. I didn't get the opportunity to because the hand he was using to clean my wound grabbed the hand of mine I had just snatched away.

"Hey, stop!" I tried to pull back but I grimaced at the pain in my shoulder at the sudden movement, not to mention he was much stronger than me. My hand connected with his arm again.

"Keep it there, seriously" this time I didn't argue. Just looked away from him, looking relatively angry as I did at my lack of dominance against him. The stinging returned to my shoulder along with the towel. "Just 2 more seconds" as if that makes me feel better. I rolled my eyes. "Done" he pulled the towel away. "Now I need to stitch it" my eyes widened and landed on him straight away.

"Hell no" I recoiled letting go of him again.

"How else do you imagine it'll heal? Magic?" He scoffed pulling out any and all equipment he needed.

"Why should I trust that you know what you're doing?" I gave him a look, which he ignored.

"I've done it before, as I said, dad taught me, he worked in the medical team for Candor" that's the most he's ever really mentioned of his family, other than the fact they wanted him out the house as soon as possible. He didn't seem fond of the subject. I didn't push.