Her Monster's Wraith

Head damage and scared thoughts

Kaz walked into his room, it was just after five, and he was finally alone. He locked his door and went over to the wash basin, peeling off his gloves and dipping his hands in the chilling water.  He felt blood drip off the tip of his nose and cupped water in his hands, splashing it on his face, washing off the blood and turning the water pinkish reddish.  His head hurt, and he fingered the dent in it, cursing as he felt blood trickling out of it in a steady stream.  He looked at his bruised face and the little knick in his crow's head cane.  Also, his leg was throbbing.  He sighed, how had he left them hurt him so?

(Earlier that day, behind the Emerald Palace)

Kaz walked behind the Emerald Palace, the midday sun cold and harsh upon his back.  He heard two sets of footsteps behind him and turned around, the sun blinding him for a moment. Two figures, one clothed in all green, the other in black.  He looked at them calmly, and they tipped their hats to him.  To a non-skeptical person, they would like they were normal passer-byers.  But to Kaz, he saw the bulge of guns on their hips, and the glare in their eyes.  Kaz drew out his gun and cocked it, they stopped.  He was glad they were out of sight.  The large buildings loomed over them, and even the sun seemed to dim in anticipation for the coming show.

"What a nice day, isn't it gentlemen?"  Kaz shot right in the space between their heads as they whipped out guns.

"Oh, are you going to attempt an attack?" he laughed harshly, "I advise you refrain from anything of the sort."

"Shut up, bastard," said the man in green, he had a lilting accent.  Kaz tsked him as he shot at him.  Kaz moved, almost liquid-like, and avoided it.  Kaz shot the man in the foot, and the man didn't even know it had happened until the pain made him stumbled back.  Kaz smiled.  Wylan had modified his gun so it shot silently.  The man in brown fired multiple shots, and when the smoke cleared Kaz was gone.  The man grunted, turning around.  Kaz loomed over him.

"Boo."  Then he smashed the crow's head of his cane into the man's nose.  The man slapped his knee with a ringing blow as he went down, and Kaz kicked him in the side.  The man in green limped up behind him.  Kaz whirled around, black coat flying.

"Really?  You're still going?  Who sent you?" he asked as the man shot at him.  Kaz attempted to dodge it, but it still cut through his coat and shirt and grazed his skin.  A turmoil of un-repeatable words that Inej would be ashamed of spilled out of his mouth.

"You pile of shit," he seethed, shooting the man in each kneecap.  The man's scream was music to the pale boy's ears.  Kaz didn't even hear the man in brown throw his gun.  But it struck him in the back of the head.  Kaz stood there in shock, then turned around, his eyes blazing.  He took out his gun and pressed it to one of the man's temples.

"Who are you working for?" he growled.  The man whimpered and cried something, snot dribbling out of his nose and over his lip.  Kaz sneered,

"What was that?"  The man made more noises, but Kaz shot him in the head, blood spattering on his face.  He turned to the other man, this time his cane raised.

"Who?"  The man just glared at him throuhg the pain, but as Kaz brought down the cane on his shoulder he sobbed,

"Rollins!"  Kaz nodded.

"Well, tell Rollins he shouldn't send boys to do a man's work."  Then he stood, kicking the man for good measure, before striding out of the bloodied alley.  Ah, now he could be nice with his anger not pressuring up inside him anymore.

(Back in the present)

Kaz cleaned himself up, changing into a new set of black clothes, while pressing a towel to his head.  Someone knocked on his door.

"Who is it?"

"Inej," Inej responded while walking in.  She took in the bloody cloth and the water and walked over to him quickly.

"What happened?" she asked, forcing him to sit down as she removed the cloth.  Kaz winced internally, as it peeled of his skin because it had started to stick.

"Oh Kaz!  What in the all Saints' names did you do to yourself!?"

"You think I did this to myself?" he growled through gritted teeth as she prodded the wound.  She stopped and swung her head around in front of him, her hair falling in a sheet behind it.

"Don't take that tone with me."  He huffed a breath, knowing she was trying to take his mind off the wound.

"I'll stitch it up Kaz, but it'll hurt."

"I've had worse," he shrugged as she rifled through his drawers to find the needle and thread.  She found it and Kaz watched her clean off the needle, and then she wet a clean cloth and cleaned out his wound, and she grabbed a bottle of alcohol off his desk and he heard her pop the cork and spit it out on the ground.  Kaz grimaced as she poured a little on the wound to clean it.  She dried it off and then he felt the needle pierce his skin.  He hissed, and clutched the chair's arms as his skin was pulled together and then tugged on as she tied it off.  

"All better.  Tomorrow I'll just have to check it."  She put everything away.

"There.  All good.  I'll just have to check it tomorrow to make sure it's not getting infected."  he nodded at her.  As she emptied his water out the window and then was refilling the white marble bowl with water from a pitcher she said sarcastically,

"It's okay, you don't have to reassure me you're fine."  He stood up, walking over, leaning against the dresser the basin sat on and looking at her.

"Oh no, you're mad at me.  What did I do?"  She set the pitcher down loudly, blowing out air and looking into the water.

"What if you'd been hurt worse?  What if you'd died Kaz?" she said, and she choked a little on the words.  His brow creased.

"Don't do this, you never worried before.  Don't start because we're–uh–together.  I don't want you to worry."  She looked up at him, eyes shining.

"But I did.  I just didn't voice it.  I couldn't bear it if you... died," she sobbed, her voice cracking on the last word.  He was confused.  He wasn't going to do, he was young and healthy and one of the best Barrel Bosses.

"Inej," she looked up at him, "I'll tell you if I'm going to die."  She punched his shoulder.

"Don't joke about this."  He winced and put a hand over his shoulder.

"You've gotten stronger."  She laughed harshly through the few tears that escaped down her cheeks.  She wiped them away roughly and he drew her to him, running his bare fingers through her hair.

"I promise I'm not going to die Inej till we're both old and can't walk or piss without help.  I'm not leaving you."  She clutched him tightly.

"If that had been deeper you could have been seriously hurt."

"I'm fine," he insisted.

"I know, but I'm still scared."  he shook his head, kissing the top of her head.  If only she wouldn't worry, it made him sad.  And he didn't need her worrying about something as trivial as his damned life.

Hey peeps!  So I know, not amazing, but I thought Inej should voice worried feelings.  I'm sorry if you didn't like it.  Hope you did, and please pardon any mistakes.  Please comment your thoughts, I love to read them and I'll respond as best as I can.  Thanks!

–MOJ

P.S.  Thanks to everyone who's been commenting and voting, it means a lot!