Sharp pain, like needles, tortures my brain until the pricking throbbing suddenly stops and repeats the action all over again just as quickly as it had stopped. I grunted and turned over towards my side as I pulled the sheets up over my head blocking the sunlight that warmed my body. Wait...sheets?
My eyes dramatically fluttered opened as I scanned the odd room, gripping the softness of the sheets in my hands. A plain white spread, blue trimming, and this dull atmosphere. I looked around confused. Where the hell was I? Clearly not at the refugee camp. I chopped on my inner jaw, letting my teeth sink in as I anxiously looked around the room. Gray walls, a desk with medical supplies, a window, skies, and clouds. On my right was a bookshelf filled with novels and serval binders filled with papers.
Upper towards the right was the door. I quickly managed to hop on my feet, and dashed towards the door clumsily and without hesitation turned the knob. I only stood on my feet for a few seconds, but the few seconds that I stood up felt like minutes standing as a wave of dizziness and nausea overcomes me. Still, I pulled open the door and tried to leave the room, but of course, something had to get in my way of me doing so...or should I say...someone.
"You?" I muttered, while still gripping the handle of the door I felt my strength adding the longer I was up. The pale clown stared down at me impassively as he held a tray with a glass of water, medical cream, pills, and a single needle. I uncomfortably stared at the needle feeling my body twitch. "Geez."
"Is that any way to greet your doctor?", he grins suddenly displaying a look of greed. I squinted my eyes curiously at him as he brushed past me. I followed behind slowly shutting the door behind me as eased my way down on the bed crossing my legs on the bed.
"No, I didn't mean it in that way...well I did, but not because of you. Ugh!", I groaned irritatedly as I swatted at my forehead stopping myself from saying any other stupid comment. I heard Hisoka chuckle as he turns around to look at me. For a split second his eyes are lost looking at me. I probably looked a mess since I had just woken barely five minutes ago.
"You look...better. I'm glad, for a second you scared us. I mean Siren, Tonpa, and that kid. But I assured them that you would be okay." He grins slightly as he lifts his head and plasters a cheeky smile upon his lips. I frowned, but quickly as I had I replaced it with an equally fake one.
I stared down as my brain buzzed as I had just awakened from being in a trance. I hardly could remember anything right now and it bugged me. I sighed softly as I shut my eyes tightly and looked up towards Hisoka. "Hisoka, I—," as the words slithered off my tongue, I suddenly shook in pain as I grabbed the side of my head dragging my head down into the pillow.
"Woah, hey," Hisoka quickly comes to my aid as he lowered himself down while he rested his hand on my forehead. I groaned achingly as I lunged myself forward resting my head and face into his cold body. He jumped back slightly but quickly welcomed me near as he helps my head and rubbed his hand through my hair smoothing me. I shut my eyes tightly waiting for the pain to go away as it had quickly come. I hummed into his body as I lifted my head slightly meeting the golden eyes of Hisoka's. He slowly let me go as I turned away in embarrassment. "You okay?"
"Y-yeah, it's my head," I said muttered as I pushed myself up on my feet. Hisoka makes a low moaning sound as he grabs a pill bottle from the tray in the small plastic cup and holds it out towards me.
"These are for the pain headaches", he says look towards me with no depleaded of emotion. "Your headaches are either an effect of the mix or the pain you've endured, but these will help." He shakes the plastic bottle slightly and looks at me urging me to take the pills. I blinked slightly still in a daze as I held up my hand to receive the pills. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you." He smirked playfully putting on a front that he was joking about, but I knew clearly that he was telling the truth, besides, he hasn't lied to me.
I hummed in reply as I stared at the pills then quickly swallowed one down. I groaned softly feel the dry medium-sized pills lowly travel down my throat and wished I would have drunk the glass of water before taking the pills. "Why am I in here?" I asked as he picks up a container of medication cream and holds it out for me.
"This is for your leg, and arm, and well...back," he says as his dominant eye twitches slightly as he stares at me lost as if thinking as he avoids my questions from seconds ago. He looking up at me and hummed softly as he scanned my body as his hand gripped around the container of cream intensely. "What's the last thing you remember?"
My eyebrows raised slightly at the question as I began to open my mouth but then closed it a split second as I had to recall the clouded details. "The last thing I remember?" I shook my head as the memory suddenly came, "I had fought that monster, right?"
"Yeah...that's why you're here." He smirked looking up at me," You gouged out the main head eyes. With that much blood loss it's going to likely die in a few days or maybe it's dead already," he snickers while reviving the needle from the tray. I looked at him curiously as he examined the end of the needled. From the corner of his eye, he looks over at me examining the expression on my face as he erupts into a grin. "It's probably not poison."
"Yeah...," I gulped looking towards him and frowned as I watched the needle in his hand and a sudden swelling inside of me mixed with an indescribable feeling circled. I smiled despite the emotions and looked towards him. At that moment he met my eyes and his cheeky smile slowly drowned. "It's could be poisonous, but I would trust you anyway."
Maybe it was the smile or the fact that I had said those words, or probably both, but whatever part it was that threw Hisoka off completely made me grinned at the fact that I could actually get to him. The way he looked at me sent indescribable shivers whether good or bad, I couldn't tell. I smiled calmly avoiding the look of confusion on his face as I held out my arm for him to stick the needle inside my skin. He opens his mouth to say something but shortly stops as he quickly gathered himself and stares at my arm and his previous dulled look finds its way back on his face. "This is gonna help your body heal up faster it's a large douse cause of your back injury so you'll probably feel like you're starving afterward. Ready?"
"No, but— Dammit! You didn't count?!" I squealed as he takes the bandaid off its peel and gently with his cold fingers placed it on my arm.
"You're not a baby, why would I count?" He smirked as he grabbed hold of the medical cream in my hands. "This...you put on your leg, back, and arms. You've been knocked out for a little while so you're almost healed up on your leg and arm but your back is likely gonna need more time it was deep so you might experience minor sharp pain in your spinal nerves, but the shot should help. That pain would be your spin getting adjusted to the pressure it went through and getting re-justed."
"Wait, you said I was knocked out for a while? How long is a while?" I questioned as he sits the cream in my open hands.
"Two days," he casually replied.
"Two days? How? The exam!? Am I disqualified?", I blurred frantically.
"No. Your injuries drained you, but you passed the second phase. Right now we're on our way towards the next phase. This phase shouldn't be as hard on you so don't worry about pushing yourself. Take it easy...or don't." Hisoka frowned slightly but avoids looking at me as he started to pick up the metallic tray placing them on the desk, and needle on top of the tray as he balled up the trash in his hand and leaves the bandaid wrap on the bed.
"What are we in?" I questioned as my eyes wander over towards the moving sky I been staring at since I woke up.
"In the company Hunter's blimp, it's carrying everyone to the next examination which is in the mountains of Göra. So you don't...", Hisoka stops sharply as his intense eyes stared at me, looking at me.
I looked at him for a moment and openly smiled at him as he stared at me without a single expression morphing into or out of place. As Hisoka looks up towards me his tensely guarded body flattened as he looked at me. "What, Hisoka?" I asked. For a moment he just stares at me but peels them away finally.
"Just focus on getting your strength back. You're already lacking the basic skills of nen needed. You almost died twice and nearly a third, so stop trying to be a hero in this exam and focus on yourself. Do you want to die gaging on your own blood?" He glared at me eyes filled with burning rage and engulfed in hatred. I peeled away from him as I tried to recall what I had said to make him despise me so suddenly. Whatever it was I don't dell on caring what it was. I knew I was weak of course, but he didn't have to make me feel any weaker than I felt. I clashed my teeth together clenching my jaw as I took a step back from Hisoka feeling displeased tension. Hisoka obviously must have noticed this and immediately his burning rage disbanded. His eyes looked at me with unreasonableness and slowly he lowered the tray as he avoided my eyes once again. I scoffed clutching my fist slightly. "We'll arrive at the next exam in two days. So, get some rest." He spoke as if whispering as he walks past me folding the tray under his arm and carrying the needle in his hand as he tosses the trash in the nearby bin and begins to leave out of the door but before he could completely leave out, by repulsive instinct I grabbed hold of him. It was as if my body was begging for him. I don't know why I said what I did next but I felt like an idiot.
"Umm...I need you." I spoke as if I was an helpless toddler acting on my feelings. Immediately I curse myself as I realized how weak that made me sound. God, could I be more pathetic right now? Annoyedly, I let go of Hisoka yanking back my harm so hard that my stitches loosen. I didn't at first realized how badly I was bleeding until Hisoka turned around towards me and stares at my arm.
"Your stitches," he says as he grabs my arm and holds it out towards him. I flinched slightly but dealt with the pain holding back any sign of any more weakness in front of him. Not because I cared what he thought, but because I had shown enough lacking of strength. I needed, for myself, to prove how strong I was. I let him grab my arm and do what he thought was best. He slowly unwraps the bandage as I started watching his every move, remembering the detail just in case I was ever hurt again like this. As I stared at the stitching in my arm I smiled softly remembering the way that she would stitch me up whenever that blond idiot and I spared. I missed Machi
"These stitches...?" I chuckled to myself as I recalled a distant memory.
"Are amazing," Hisoka smirks at me as I carefully observed the stitching. He pulls on the loose stitches then refilling them so that they wouldn't loosen again.
I scoffed as I glared at him, "You stitched me?" I questioned him.
"Yeah...I did," he says as he slightly holds up my arm proven what he doing.
I clenched my jaw tightly before speaking, "Why would you even stitch me up?" I questioned, "I'm lacking basic skills as you said. I need to know how to stitch myself up by myself. I shouldn't need you, so why are you caring for me like I'm broken?" I growled as I clutched my leg forcefully, "I'm not broken Hisoka, and I'm not weak! And I certainly don't need you to make me feel like I am nor do I need your help. So why are you doing this? And don't say something stupid cause you feel like it or something! Is it because you know my father? Is this some kind of favor you're doing for him? Is that dumbass even still alive to care about us!" I yelled, but Hisoka doesn't acknowledge my anger as he remains at a steady paste stitching up my arm and disinfecting my blood and the sight only pissed me off even more."I might not how to fully use my nen abilities, but I do know that out of the hundreds left...I will pass and I don't need a fucking clown to tell me how weak I am!"
In the split second, I ripped my arm away from him, and at the sudden jester, I watched as the new medical stitching was ripped out of from my arm and a deep dark rosy red poured from the gash in my arm. I winced in pain but with my good arm, I squeezed my wounded arm trying the squeeze the pain away as I had often done. I smirked slightly looking at my arm and feeling absolutely horrific pain. I wanted to ball up and cry, but not in front of him. I would not in front of him. I had to stay strong. I had to prove them wrong.
"Are you done?"
My brows curved as I down at him and as if I was just hit by a truck as seeing light, that light being the realization I seen upon his face, making the rumors about him seem scarier than actually were. The look on his face was pure horrifying. I had grown used to see the lack of expressed emotions on his face but after today I don't know how I could ever view him as I had once done previously. Upon his face was the most chilling yet horrifying grin I had ever seen on any human's face. His smile was abnormally wide almost as if his smile had been cut to be this wide as his eyes enlarged, almost as if would pop out of his head and as if that was enough his laugh made it even worst. It wasn't...human. He wasn't human and that laugh definitely couldn't have been human. It was something that words couldn't even describe.
Despite the state of fear I was in at that moment I didn't and wouldn't let him make me feel inferior. So with the toughest smile, I could manage, I stared directly at him, deep into his burning eyes. "You don't scare me, and never will. I'm not them."
As the words left my lips I watched as Hisoka's horrifying face slowly start to fall back into its normal face with the exception of a weirdly plastered grin that settled in place as he looked at me. I narrowed my eyes at him curiously as he suddenly grabs my injured arm and pulls me down filling the gap between us. I gulped as I stood an inch away from his face staring dumbfoundedly. He smirked as I was frozen in shock, but the sudden pain brought me back to realization. I yelped in pain as he squeezed my arm, causing me to grip the edges of his shirt filling the inch. "What the hell, that hurts!"
"Oh, now you're thinking about your arm?" He replied smugly.
I groaned, "Well I'm bleeding a lot now you asshole."
"Doing that whole charade you were bleeding, now when your tantrum is finally over you finally noticed it." He says as he grabs a disinfectant whip and abruptly wipes away the blood that trailed down my arm. From the side of his jaw, I could see his muscles clenched inside while looking at my wound. Without looking up at me he speaks. "I never said you were weak...I never thought that of you at all. Careless, and foolish, yes, but weren't weak. You're so engulfed in the ideal that you are weak that you would stupidly get hurt to prove you weren't weak without thinking. I helped you because I wanted to. Not because I thought you weren't weak, if anything you're strong, stronger than you know. I wanted to help you cause from the day I saw you, you didn't fear me as a monster, you didn't even know me." He doesn't even look at me as he redoes the stitches I just pulled out and with quickness in his hand's he stitches faster than he had ever done before. I watched in amazement as his fingers moved with complete grace and skills. It doesn't take long for him to finish as he wipes over the stitches and then wraps my arm up in the bandage. "Guess now you might see me as one."
I looked up at him and frowned as he wrapped me up. Monster? Is that what he thinks? I scoffed softly to myself, "Don't assume that I easily believe others".
"I didn't, but with what everyone is saying... I couldn't help but wonder if that's what you thought, right?" he grinned as begins to pin the bandage down. "Well, it's true...I am a monster. So now you shouldn't have a problem with thinking that about me."
I scoffed displeased as I straighten myself and stared directly at him, "You don't know me very well, and as you said, I don't know you. And I don't believe you honestly. One thing I can for sure believe is that you're crazy."
Surprisingly that causes a chuckle to escape through his lips as he looked up at me. A distant smile crosses over his features as he mumbled softly to himself, "So, I should probably get to know you then huh? That seems kinda boring don't you think?" I rolled my eyes as I pushed him away lowered my face. Hisoka grinned as he turned away to throw the bloody wipes in the trash. I stared at his back at the back of him trying to manage a word out but I couldn't utter a single thing to him, as I stared paralyzed until suddenly I could do something.
Just as he was grabbing for the doorknob to leave again I stop him once more. "I-I can't reach my back where I was attacked. I need your help."
I couldn't tell if he wanted to help or just leave as his hand slowly recedes from the doorknob as he turns around to look at me unsurely. "You want my help with that? I thought you didn't need my help for anything?" He grinned. I rolled my eyes as I stared at the taller man and even though I hated him he still managed to make me like him in some way. "Usually the female nurse does the cream after I douse you up".
"You must have watched over me?" I asked.
"Only to make sure no one messed with you while you slept," he answered nonchalantly like the question meant nothing.
I made a seemingly innocently oh sound and smiled as I could tell the next few minutes would be awkward. "Well, you're here now. If you could, I would appreciate the help or I can just wait for the nurse, it's fine either way, "I smiled as I gripped my elbow nervously feeling that sudden acceleration of my heart beating from my chest. He let out a sigh which seemed neither annoyed nor relieved as he pats down on the bed for me to sit as he stood over me and began opening the medication cream jar. I slipped off my shirt as I stared down at my body while a spread myself down with cream.
"Sad to have to tell you, but from the looks of things, I think it's going to leave a scar here", he says.
"It's fine, it's a marking to remind me of what I've been through," I smiled. He hummed in reply as we sat in silence while he rubbed the cream on my wounds. At first, there was this sharp stinging pain but then it went away and only the cooling sensation was left.
We sat in silence for what seemed like two or three minutes until he finally spoke, which at first makes me jump since it was so unearthly quiet. "What do you remember after you fought the monster? Do you remember what happened in the bathroom?"
"Huh? Oh, that, "I chuckled slightly as my nail dug into my skin.
"Yeah, you didn't mention it, I was wondering if you..never mind," he dismissed quickly.
"No, what's wrong what do you want to ask me?" I questioned.
"Well, why were they attacking you for one?"
"Cause I'm so strong! Look at me they felt threatened by me, but of course who wouldn't fear me? I don't blame them."
"Yeah...of course they were so intimated by you", he tsked. I could tell he was serious even without seeing his face. For some odd reason him knowing why they wanted to kidnap me felt like a bad idea for him to know. At least that's what I was felt.
Instead of telling the whole the truth about why they wanted to attack me, I decided to bend it slightly. "Oh, Umm they were just pissed at me for damaging their food supplies and saving a girl that was stealing from them. They sure can hold a grudge," I snicker.
"That's it? That seems a little extreme for them seeing as they threw a dagger in your back," he questioned.
I chuckled, "Yeah, exactly what I thought, but that's all. Do you know those guys?"
"Yeah, a few run in's with their leader, but nothing I couldn't handle", he replied casually as he continued to smooth his hands among my back.
I smiled slightly humming as I recalled Hisoka was there in the bathroom...and how he saved me. I peeked slightly around towards the bright pink-haired male from behind and me, "thank you...you know for coming to save me. I-just thanks."
"It's not my job to save you from each other only poisoning the entire competition, but I heard you...I'm just sorry I was late. "You don't have to worry about that happening again. I won't let them hurt you anymore." His voice lowered but even when it does I'm able to still hear the declaration of his sworn to protect me and I chuckled.
"Next time, those guys are mine to defeat," I chuckled. Hisoka scoffed as he finally finishes "Thanks, "I smiled as he looks up towards me and a huge grin spreads over his face.
He stared at me for a second then grins as to looked down at me. "Admit it Hikari".
"Admit what?"I chuckled as I looked up at him and he grins wider.
"You just wanted me to touch you," he cheekily replies as he stares at me hungrily.
I frowned feel the heat from my cheek began to burn as I choked trying to gather my words to speak. With my good arm, I gripped his shirt pulling him into punching distance. "Yeah right, perv! Don't overthink this".
"I find it so adorable how badly you crave for me Hikari...it excites me how pervy you are," he grinned sinisterly as I loosen my grip and backed away. "Come on perv you've got to be hungry being asleep for days".
"Y-you're the perv, pervy clown!"I growled as I pushed past him angrily.
"It's adorable that you won't admit it to yourself," he chuckled as he followed behind.