there is only us | wilbur soot x reader

Chapter 18 - Recovery

(Y/n) POV

Fun fact: getting stabbed in the shoulder hurts. A lot.

After I had collapsed in the forest, Wilbur had to carry me all the way back to the local infirmary. The doctors and nurses were reasonably concerned, but a handsome tip seemed to silence their questions. They took me to a secluded wing on the first floor, put me under again, and wrapped up my shoulder.

Then they left, coming back in for the occasional check-up.

Another fun fact: hospitals are really fucking boring. Especially when you're not allowed to do anything but lay in the same spot, all day.

I turned my head to look out the window; the only thing I could manage with all this vitals shit attached to me. The sun was just disappearing below the mountain caps, reminding me of Clay's last message. He was clearly demanding a battle. For what, I had no clue.

I rolled my eyes and started counting ceiling tiles for the umpteenth time. I faded in and out of consciousness, boredom eating away at my brain.

I woke up from another dreamless sleep to find a young nurse beside my cot, her curly brown hair tied back into a tight bun. Her scrubs were loose on her shoulders and her face was long and tired. She smelled faintly of roses that matched the decorated clipboard in her hands. She was scribbling away on her papers when I sat up with a groan, my arm sore.

She jumped up from her seat, eyes widening as if she'd been caught doing something she wasn't supposed to. Hurrying to form a sentence, she gripped her pen with white knuckles.

"Um. Your Majesty?" She dipped into a bow, flustered.

I smiled warmly, trying to seem friendly. Her frenzied state was starting to worry me. She took a minute to calm down. "Hi," she squeaked. "Um. So. One of the doctors just changed the bandages for your shoulder, and I was told to wait here until you woke up to give you an update? Said you'd probably want to know."

I only nodded, encouraging her to continue. She glanced down at her clipboard. "So there's no infection, luckily, and the blood loss was very little thanks to, uh, Wilbur."

She lowered her voice when she said his name, like she was afraid of summoning him with it. My guess? She probably wasn't supposed to refer to him on a first name basis.

"And we already applied the antibiotics, so you should be good to go by next week. Just make sure once you leave you change your bandages every day, and clean the wound before you rewrap your shoulder. It should be fine, as long as you keep cleaning. It shouldn't take more than two weeks to heal, but the stab was pretty deep so I would say about three weeks..." she trailed off, setting her clipboard on the bedside table. I caught a glimpse of several flower doodles. She glanced up, eyebrows raised as if waiting for any questions.

I cleared my throat, which was extremely dry. The nurse quickly moved to grab a cup on a discarded tray, handing the lukewarm water to me. I smiled my thanks and downed it all in one gulp.

"How do I change bandages?" I asked, my voice still scratchy.

She stuttered, seeming at loss of an answer. "Actually, I'm new here. Just started. It was an, uh, an internship. So I don't really know either."

I leaned my head back on the pillow and closed my eyes, which were already struggling to stay open.

The girl must have taken it the wrong way, because she jumped back in with slight panic in her tone. "But! The president can probably help you with that. He's had enough stabs himself to memorize the process," she added with a tired smile.

I tried to return it, forcing my eyes back open. "What's your name?"

The girl seemed surprised by the question, hesitating for a moment. "Hannah."