Seer's Eye // Bruno Madrigal Angst

Ch. 3 Julieta the Lifesaver

"I promise."

"Ok." Bruno said. "I've been having involuntary visions. They just come to me randomly and I can't- I can't seem to shake them off or fight them off. Whenever I try, it hurts, and they're always so scary-" he seemed to be panicked now, forgetting about his injuries, "They make me feel so tired and dizzy and I think maybe they are caused by stress or maybe me not using my gift for so long and I just wish they would stop because I never know when they're going to happen and I don't want it to happen in front of you guys-"

Bruno suddenly hunched forward in pain with a whimper, clutching his stomach.

"It's ok, it's ok, she's almost done. You'll be fine in no time." Dolores said softly, a look of concern on her face. "Thank you for telling me. I understand how stressful that must be..."

"Here!" Pepa popped in a doorframe, a dark thundering cloud following her as she leant down next to Bruno with a washcloth. She gently began washing the blood off his face with it. Even once Julieta healed him, he would still have the dirt and blood on him from his quarrel.

Mirabel and Abuela followed, hands over their mouths and eyes wide and sympathetic.

"Tio Bruno, I'm so so sorry, I didn't-I didn't think anybody would be out!" Mirabel exclaimed.

Bruno gave her a soft look that said "it's ok" wincing slightly as Pepa cleaned his face. He brought his hands up to stop her as Julieta entered the room, carrying a small quesadilla and a glass of water.

"Step aside, step aside, give him space." Julieta said, causing everyone to step away from their disheveled family member.

"Sorry I'm just worried!" Pepa exclaimed.

"I know, I know, it's ok. He'll be in top shape in no time." Julieta placed the glass of water on the wooden table beside Bruno, and gently set the quesadilla in his lap. "Go on, eat."

"Thank you Julieta." Bruno said softly, earning him a worried kiss on the forehead.

"Now you have many injuries so you will still be sore in the morning but this will help tremendously." Julieta said, urging him to eat the quesadilla.

She turned to face the others as Bruno shakily brought the quesadilla to his mouth.

"When it's just one injury, like a broken bone or swollen eye, I can easily heal them! But Bruno's got injuries everywhere so I'm afraid It'll take a couple days to heal him."

She turned her attention back to her brother, who had taken a couple bites. His eye looked better and the bruises on his arms had disappeared.

"You feel better Bruno? What still hurts?"

Bruno nodded his head and swallowed. "I..I feel better. Don't worry, I'm alright."

Julieta sighed in relief. "You have to be careful! You scared us so bad!"

The seer lowered his gaze, setting the remnants of the quesadilla aside and grabbing the water with stabler hands than before.

"I know, I'm sorry."

"It wasn't his fault!" Mirabel exclaimed, "he was jumped. Abuela and I told him to go on a walk for his mental health and...and Dolores said she heard something and ran out with Pepa and.." she turned to Bruno, "Tio Bruno I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault. I'm alright, see?" He smiled at her and showed her his freshly healed arms and face, though his sides were throbbing with sharp pains she couldn't see.

Dolores glanced at him in worry, hearing the slight increase of his heart rate.

"Now you need to get to bed." Bruno said, "you shouldn't have stayed up so long worrying about me, I'm fine, we're fine. We're safe." He instinctively knocked on the wooden table and tossed salt over his shoulder, Dolores stepping to the side so it wouldn't land on her.

"It's only 9:30-"

"He's right." Julieta said, "Why don't you all go to your rooms so Bruno can rest?"

Mirabel exchanged glances with her family before they all dispersed, leaving Bruno, Dolores, and Julieta.

"You too Dolores."

"I'll walk him to his room." She said softly.

"Guys I'm fine." Bruno said, lifting himself off the couch with a strangled expression.

Dolores and Julieta exchanged glances. "Are you sure you don't need help to your room? I can tell you aren't completely healed." Julieta said.

"Yep, I'm fine now. I didn't mean to make the whole family worried, I feel much better. I'm just..tired, so I'm going to go to bed, ok?"

"Ok Bruno." Julieta said. "Good night, take it easy. I'll make something else for you in the morning."

The seer made his way up the stairs as Julieta eyed the half-eaten quesadilla.

"He's not fully healed." Dolores whispered.

"I know but there's nothing we can do about it right now. I'll help him more in the morning. I just hope he rests tonight and doesn't try to have any visions. He's seemed so drained after them lately." Julieta walked back into the kitchen to clean up the mess she'd made in such a hurry.

Dolores watched as Bruno carefully made his way to his room upstairs.

What was it he had said about his involuntary visions?

"I think maybe they are caused by stress or maybe me not using my gift for so long and I just wish they would stop because I never know when they're going to happen."

Dolores pursed her lips.

'I really hope the stress of tonight doesn't give him an involuntary vision. I don't think I'm sleeping.'