Sanction -Minho-

Chapter 8

Grace sat on the ground. Her hair pulled back into a tight ponytail with the use of a strand of yarn. Her fingers were weaving new yarn over the old on the beds in the Med-Jack hut. It would make them sturdier and support weight better.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Grace looked over the top of the bed and saw Winston leaning against the frame. "Hey, Winston. What can I-" the words faded from her mouth when Grace saw the blood dripping down his hand.

"I need some help," he lifted his hand. Grace reacted quickly and hurried across the room. Her arms wrapped around Winston and she helped drag him towards a bed. Grace was terrified. Winston was bleeding from a deep gash across his palm. She had never been responsible for an injury of this magnitude before. It terrified her. Typically, this was Clint's job. "Where are Jeff and Clint?"

Grace began pulling out the necessary medical supplies. "They're eating lunch." A look of fear flashed across his face. "But don't worry. I can do this." Grace was still trying to convince herself she could do this. "This may sting." She began wiping the wound with an alcohol pad. Winston closed his eyes and took a shaky breath. "Normally, people have a worse reaction."

"I've done this before," he explained.

Grace smiled, "Slicer, right. I'm sorry you got stuck with that job."

"I'm not," he continued the conversation. "I'm good at it, and it helps the Glade. I couldn't ask for a better job." Grace put down the pad and grabbed the needle and thread. "This part I hate."

"Then don't think about it," Grace spoke. "Think about something else."

"Like what?"

She tried to think, "anything. Tell me something you like about the Glade." Grace began stitching his injury. Winston remained silent. "Winston?"

"Sorry," he stared at her. "I like the people."

"The people," Grace repeated with a laugh. "The people are good. What do you like about them?"

"I hated being here at first," he explained. "I still do most of the time, but it's different now. Having friends helps."

"I understand that." Her focus was on restitching the wound while trying to distract him. "I like the bonfires."

"Really," that surprised him.

"Yeah," Grace's first bonfire was interesting. "I like seeing everyone so carefree and happy." The next bonfire was already two weeks away. It amazed Grace was about to celebrate her second month in the Glade. "Tell me something else."

"The food's good," Winston watched her work.

She smiled, "I agree with that." Winston took a deep breath, "what happened that caused the injury?"

"I was laughing at something Lei said." That was someone Grace didn't know. "I know better."

"Don't be too hard on yourself. Look at the positives," he raised an eyebrow. "You'll get an extra sandwich tonight, and you got a break in the middle of the day."

That caused him to laugh, "I guess that's a good way to look at it."

"Hey," Clint rushed into the room. "Lei found us. We got here as fast as we could." Jeff was behind him.

"No worries," Grace pulled away from Winston. "I'm done."

Clint walked closer, "wow."

"Wow is right," Jeff appeared on her other side. "Look at you, She-Bean. All by yourself."

Grace smiled to herself. "Clint, will you wrap it for me?"

"Yeah." She pushed away and collected the trash scattered around them. Clint began wrapping Winston's injury.