City of Kinetics

TEN ✴ Accept the Help

       Mila was surprised when Hunter was back only a few minutes later after he said he had to make a phone call. His face was expressionless, and he didn't say anything. She hoped that meant someone at Division was working on getting her a place, but she didn't ask.

       Hunter went through the papers in her medical file again, pulling out a scan and holding it up to the light. Mila glanced at it, realizing it was her x-ray. Hunter's eyes went over it carefully as he examined it.

       "Is it broken?" she asked nervously.

       He let out a breath. "No," he responded, making her let out a breath of relief as he looked at her, lowering the scan. "But there're multiple hairline fractures. Any more pressure and your whole wrist could have snapped."

       This made her frown as she fidgeted uncomfortably with her fingers.

       "How did this happen?" he asked.

       She frowned. "He grabbed it. He's a kinetic and he could... he was just abnormally strong."

       Hunter's jaw clenched again but he just nodded, before going through some more papers. He pulled out another sheet and looked it over.

       "Your CT came back clean, though. No concussion or any internal injury," he told her. "Are you feeling any head pain?"

       "Just on the one side where he hit me," she confessed.

       He dropped the file on the table again and pulled a small flashlight out of his pocket.

       "Look over my shoulder," he instructed.

       Mila tried to relax as he put a hand on her shoulder to steady her before shining the light into her eyes. At first, she squinted, but then did as told as he moved it slowly from side to side. After a few moments, he clicked it off.

       "Just try to relax, okay?" he told her, before carefully grabbing her arm with the injured wrist.

       Mila didn't feel much pain in it anymore since the nurse had given her such strong painkillers. Hunter slowly pulled off the light bandaging that was covering it and Mila tried not to feel sick at the site of all the purple and blue blotching her skin.

       "You're going to need a cast," he said, his eyes going to her. "And a lot of painkillers. This is going to hurt once the morphine wears off."

       "Morphine?" she asked, confused.

       "Your file said the paramedics gave you a dose," he told her as he re-wrapped her wrist. "Can you lie back and lift your shirt for me? I'm going to check your stomach."

       A flood of embarrassment rushed through her, but she tried to remind herself that Hunter was a doctor, and he was just doing his job. She laid back carefully, wincing from her aching muscles and painful bruise.

       She lifted her shirt enough so that he could see the light bruise beginning to form over her abdomen. His eyes went over it and he shook his head, thinking.

       "Did you throw up?" he asked.

       She frowned. "No."

       He gave her a confused look. "He got you right under the stomach. Any food would've been expelled right away."

       "I've been working all day," she said. "I didn't really get the chance to eat."

       Hunter's face held disapproval only for a second, but he didn't voice it. Instead, he stepped aside and grabbed her file, writing something down into it. Mila put her shirt back down and listed herself back up into a sitting position.