Loved -- Golden Guard

Chapter 3

TW: Medical ward, misgendering, infected wound, mentions of abuse

He woke up aching and in pain. His ears still had a small ringing and everything hurt, especially his side- god his side hurt so bad.

He cracked his eyes open (which felt as though he'd fallen asleep crying) and looked around.

He was, as expected, in the healing ward. He was wearing loose brown pants and a large shirt. These were the clothes given to any who needed to be cut out of their old clothes.

Meaning he'd need another new outfit. Again.

He wasn't complaining though. He was, after all, alive and not completely bled out.

He carefully sat up, wincing as the pain in his side flared up bad.

A nurse walking by his cot took notice of his newly found consciousness and stopped to talk with him.

"Golden Guard! You're awake!" He nodded, choosing to stay silent. "You lost a decent amount of blood, not enough to be life threatening but still quite a bit. The doctor who saw you earlier suggested staying in bed for a week or so. She's written you a note and given it to Kikimora and the Emperor, so no training, no staff, no missions for a week. After that we suggest you take it easy but- hey, no. Stay in bed."

She easily stopped him from standing with a firm hand on his shoulder, frustrating him further.

"Fine, a few days rest and then I'm back to normal. I don't have more time to spare than that, got it?" He snapped.

She took a deep breath and silently grabbed his legs, forcing him back to sitting on the uncomfortably stiff mattress.

"You have a mandatory week of rest and then we advised the Emperor himself to go easy on your missions for a couple weeks after that," she explained calmly.

"That's bullshit! I have shit to do, I don't have time to sit in bed doing- what am I even supposed to do?? Read a book? Watch the news? I don't have that kind of time," he hissed. He stands, ignoring the burning pain in his leg and side, grabbing his mask off the bedside table.

"Ma'am-" Hunter freezes, ice cold rage seeping into his heart and heartbreak finding its way to his throat. "- sit down now! You can't be walking yet, you just barely woke up-"

He limped out of the room, clipping the mask into place and ignoring the other patients peering curiously at him from their own cots. He made sure to slam the door behind him.

He grabbed his staff from the lobby and used it as a sort of crutch as he made his way back to his room.

So Belos wasn't lying- or bluffing. He really outed him to the entire castle and word was probably quickly spreading outside the castle.

Everyone knew now. Knew he was a girl, knew he isn't who he says he is. And it hurt.

It hurt bad.

But he couldn't change that. It wouldn't hurt if he had just told Belos he was a girl from the start, from when he was taken off of the streets two years ago.

It's his fault that he let it wind up this far only to slap back hard in his face. It was bound to happen at some point and it's his fault he let it go so far.

He slammed his door behind him and let his staff clatter carelessly to the floor as he stumbled onto his bed. Rascal flew out from one of the support beams in his ceiling and landed beside his head.

He chirped and whistled, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a tough mission today and now I'm supposed to stay in bed for a week," he groaned.