Touch you | Winrina

19

Karina wants to tell her she's feeling fine. That pain is barely noticeable and the only discomfort she's experiencing is due to waking up somewhere other than her house, wearing something other than her clothes. But first things first. "Could you get me water?" she practically pleads. Her throat feels like sandpaper.

Winter nods, winces at what Karina's sure is an inevitable cramp in her neck, and grabs a bottle from a small table next to her chair, pouring some in a plastic cup. "Do you think you can... I mean, should I..." Winter gestures at the cup, and Karina blinks before realizing what she's suggesting.

"Oh. No, I can drink by myself." She gratefully accepts the cup, struggling to pace herself as she gulps the water down. It tastes heavenly. She's pretty sure it's actually mediocre, but right now, it's the best water she's ever had. Winter has to refill the cup several times before Karina finally puts it down with a satisfied sigh. "Thank you," she says sincerely. Her voice is no longer that of an avid cigar smoker, but Karina clears her throat just in case. "Am I gonna die?"

Winter's wide eyes and a quivering lip quickly alert her that it was not as funny as she thought it would be. "I'm kidding," she hurries to explain. "Just kidding. What happened to me?"

Her step sister takes a shaky breath, relaxing in her chair. Their hands find each other, and Karina squeezes Winter's fingers once, trying to reassure her. "You split your head open. There was blood." Winter's voice trembles at the last word, but she swallows and continues. "You lost consciousness and we were really worried. An ambulance came very quickly, thank God. They..." she takes another deep breath, and Karina's hold on her hand tightens. "They didn't let me ride with you. Your father drove us to the hospital. Oh, they had to shave some of your hair, around the wound, you needed stitches." Karina nods. Makes sense. "And you wouldn't wake up. They said it was okay but I just wanted to make sure."

Winter's recollection of the events is a bit jumbled and shaky, much like the girl herself, and Karina feels a surge of sympathy in her chest. She doesn't know how she would have reacted if something like that happened to Winter.

"Well, I feel okay," she lets Winter know. "How long have I been out?"

The girl frowns, thoughtful. "Several hours. You have a mild concussion. You'll probably be on bedrest when we get home."

Karina raises her eyebrows. "Are those doctor's orders or yours?" she asks. But Winter's still too shaken up to respond to her teasing flirting.

I'm scared, she reads in her eyes. You scared me.

I'm here, she tries to let her know, brushing her fingers across her knuckles. I'm okay.

Winter lets out a heavy breath and, when her shoulders slump with stressed relief, Karina knows she succeeded.

"You wanna climb in?" she asks quietly. Winter simply nods, and she scoots over, lifting the cheap hospital blanket for her. They both heave a sigh when Winter stretches beside Karina, carefully placing her head on her shoulder.

"This okay?" she asks Karina in a low voice that sends shivers down her spine. She remembers, quite vividly, the events that lead up to her unfortunate fall, and her body responds immediately.

"Yes," she whispers back. More than okay. Winter's gaze finds hers, and she's surprised to find it gets easier to breathe when she sees fear fade from Winter's eyes.

She thanks whoever it is up there – and her minor head injury – for her being too slow at capturing Winter's lips with her own, because Ms Narae and her father chose this exact moment to walk in. Karina sits up a little straighter when she hears their footsteps. Winter is already halfway out of her bed, her eyes scared for a whole other reason.

Adults don't seem to notice anything, however. "Winter, you shouldn't smother her like that," Ms Narae scolds her daughter. "Karina's been seriously hurt."

"Oh, dear, she was just comforting her big sister," Karina's father chuckles good-naturedly. Both girls struggle not to cringe. "It's okay. Right, Karina?"

Right.

"How are feeling, honey?" Ms Narae places a comforting hand on her shoulder and quickly touches her forehead. "Does anything hurt?" Sometimes, Karina forgets just how alike the Kim women can be.

She clears her throat, glancing at Winter and then back at Ms Narae. "I'm alright. When can I go home?"

"You'll have to spend the night, I'm afraid," Ms Narae says apologetically. "Tomorrow morning we'll come get you."

"It's gonna be okay, Karina," her father chips in. It's slightly unnecessary, Karina thinks. But then, he lays a hesitant hand on her other shoulder and tentatively squeezes, and – she can't claim she gets him, but she gets him in this exact moment. It can't be too fun watching your daughter bleed out on the floor.

She lifts her gaze to meet Winter's again, over Ms Narae's shoulder. Her smile doesn't quite reach her eyes, but it's enough for now. 'You're okay,' Winter mouths at her, and she nods.

As long as you are, she's surprised to think.

Winter's the last to leave her room, with a lingering kiss pressed to Karina's cheek. Karina thinks if she turns her head just slightly, just right, brushing her nose against Winter's skin, their lips will meet. But Ms Narae and her father are standing in the doorway, waiting for Winter, and so she doesn't do that. Instead, she squeezes Winter's hand and tells her she'll see her in the morning.

The look Ms Narae gives her when they depart is confusing, but she chalks it up to a stressful day and her own exhaustion.