𝐔𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 ➶ 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐢

t w e n t y - o n e

Entirely speechless at the younger womans demands, this time the ginger haired woman didn't falter in caring for the gaping wound staring back at her.

"You have to keep it elevated, you idiot." Cheryl snapped as she grabbed a hold of Toni's upper arm and lifted it, without even thinking of the repercussions.

A loud wince slipped past the young woman's throat, her eyes travelled to the pale face before her, sending her a glare. "What do you think I've been doing?"

With one swift motion the redhead had decided to open the first aid box and let the comment slip; there was no need for a commotion when they had such a fresh open wound to heal. The sterile saline had been retrieved from the first aid box and tipped perfectly onto a cotton ball, and she lifted her manicured hand towards the wound, haltering slightly as if she was waiting on confirmation. A curt nod was thrown towards the older woman, and she wasted no time in dabbing around the surface of the wound before discarding the used cotton ball to stop any spread of infection.

Brown eyes snapped shut, squeezing a tear that threatened to spill from between the lids. Cheryl didn't say anything, the atmosphere tense enough to slice with a knife. She poured more saline solution onto another cotton ball, dabbing tentatively to clean the dried blood away. When the strong solution touched the cut that stretched across Toni's forearm, she winced for a second time but didn't move knowing it would only cause more discomfort. Cheryl worked delicately and patiently not stopping until the wound was clean once more and visible, there was no way she was letting the young adult stitch herself up not knowing the specific whereabouts of the cut.

The injury wasn't as bad as she expected, now that it was clean of the thick, dried blood that surrounded it. But the sight was still enough to flinch in disgust.

Anyone who would have stumbled upon Toni making her way back to Cheryl's would have thought that she had murdered someone, her torso painted red. The natural caramel colour of her skin, just a shade or two lighter.

Cheryl lost her balance and almost fell backwards as Toni abruptly stood up, her brown orbs now opened and determined. The redhead steadied herself on her hands and stood too, following the pink haired woman marching out of the living room and into the bathroom with the first-aid kit in hand. She watched from the door as Toni began to rummage through the box, multiple plasters being discarded onto the floor with no use to her at all.

A satisfactory grin tugged at the corners of Toni's mouth, a needle and thread between her shaky fingers. She knew the next thing she needed was some sort of open flame, preferably a lighter, which she didn't have on her body at this current moment having left at the old maple factory.

"Do you have a lighter?"

"I should have one somewhere." Cheryl announced, stepping out of the bathroom heading straight towards her kitchen.

After rummaging through several of her drawers wasting precious moments, the redhead made a beeline for the bathroom.

Toni took a step closer towards the older woman grabbing a hold of the red lighter covered in cherries, feeling the urge to comment on the recurring colour; although a sharp pain had pulled her back to the gaping wound in her forearm.

"You might want to step outside for this." The brunette warned, knowing it was going to be a gorey ten minutes.

"No, I can handle it. Besides, someone has to be here to pick you up and take you to the hospital when you inevitably pass out." Cheryl retorted with arms folded, worry lacing her thoughts.

Toni shrugged, her thumb grazed over the coil of the lighter as it had an hour or so before, pressing down as she attempted to ignite the flame. She reached for the needle once more, opening the protective seal around it before placing the needle above the flame. A piece of flannel was shoved into her mouth, getting herself ready for the agonising pain that was about to occur. She pierced the now sterilised needle into her skin, threading evenly stitches through her open wound. Her skin hadn't puckered which meant she was doing a great job so far, it was almost as though she was a professional. The wound was almost completely stitched, the finishing touch being a surgeon's knot that was a pretty shitty attempt but good enough to keep her stitches from unraveling.

With the cloth still tightly clamped down between her teeth, she twisted the tap awaiting the water to become hot. Thankfully Cheryl's water took a mere second to heat and she placed her arm beneath it. The searing pain coursed through her like electric, a shudder running down her spine, eventually leaving her to pull away from the heat.

"Let me do the rest." Cheryl offered, taking an inch towards her student. It was evident that the brown eyed woman could barely continue, the only thing remaining was pretty simple, dressing and a bandage. Nothing she'd struggle to do. "Here."

With hesitance, the professor rested her hand against the small of Toni's back, ushering her out of the bathroom. Cheryl's stomach churned at the stains of blood in her sink, but scooped up the last of her dressings and headed after her current roommate.

As her eyes fell on Toni, who now slouched over her kitchen island. It was clear as day to see the sweat dripping from the tip of her nose, to think the young woman had done something similar to this before swelled something in Cheryl's chest.

A sigh tumbled from her mouth, "I'd ask you if you'd taken a class in nursing, but I'm afraid of the answer being no."

The partially pink haired girl didn't even bother raising her head, "You pick up things as you go, I guess."

But Cheryl knew this wasn't just something anyone 'picked up'. It was a technique you learned from personal experience, and that fact terrified her. She settled herself beside Toni, swivelling her stool to an angle where the woman was perfectly in position to wrap her arm.

"I know in some way, that you're here against your own will," The professor began, her eyes trained on her work, but the sensation of eyes burning into her skin told her Toni was listening. "But...but I intend to help you, Toni, I want you to feel like you can confide in me. That whatever you have to say, it'll remain solely between us."

The words of affirmation would've melted the twenty year old on the spot, but doubt flooded in. Warning her that letting her guard down now, for a woman she barely knew, was beyond idiotic. Any time she'd opened herself up in the past, she'd be shut down just as quickly.

"Thank you." Was all that left her lips, she had so much more to say, but she knew she wasn't ready.

Cheryl tore off a tough piece of dressing tape with her teeth, ensuring the bandage in no way could come loose as she taped it down. Toni's arm almost looked as though it were in a cast, the redhead having gone a little too thick with the bandaging. But the student didn't complain, simply pushing herself from the stool, and moving towards the sink for a glass of water.

"So why did you kick me out? Was Heather here or something?" It was an innocent question, but one she'd been thinking about since Cheryl had shooed her out.

With squinted eyes, Cheryl shook her head, "No, I have no intention of letting her back in here. What would you think she'd say if she saw someone else staying here?"

Toni scoffed, pressing the icy glass to her lips, "It's none of her damn business."

The redhead rolled her eyes, "It isn't that simple, Toni. Heather is persistent, she could easily find out you're staying here and then we'd both be in a lot of trouble."

The brunette knew she was right of course, if anyone saw her going in or out of this apartment and informed the school, they'd both be in the shit. But the idea of someone having such control over someone as considerate as Cheryl, caused an unsettling feeling inside her. It wasn't fair in the slightest.

"You'll find out what I was up to tomorrow, I think you'll rather enjoy it." Cheryl told her, finally answering her question. "You didn't think we'd be hauled up in here for our term break, did you?"

A sparkle danced across brown eyes, intrigued in whatever was to come tomorrow. By the sounds of it, Cheryl was planning some sort of trip. Something the student had yet to experience in life, having never left the town's border.

"You didn't..."

With a grin, stretching from ear to ear, Cheryl replied, "Oh, but I did. Roadtrip, baby!"