Hellcat

Chapter 82

(A/N: Trigger warning - s**cidal thoughts)

After a while, I took to bandaging a wound on Karen's arm. Matt had shifted from the stairs and began pacing slowly. I had moved Karen to a wooden chair before wrapping some gauze around her forearm. "Thank you," she whispered to me. I managed a small nod, continuing to tend to her as I kept half my attention focused on Matt.

His heartbeat was only slightly elevated, the remnants of his anger still holding on. But he didn't seem too tired anymore, though he limped every now and again.

He stopped pacing suddenly, tilting his head to listen for just a moment. And then he began to pace again as if nothing was wrong. I heard the footsteps on a set of side stairs from the outside of the church. They were light and familiar, though a bit hurried. "Thank God," I heard Sister Maggie's sigh of relief. My back was to her, and I glanced back momentarily before returning my gaze to finish helping Karen.

"It's not safe for you to come out yet," she warned us gently. "Yeah, we know. I can hear them," Matt responded with a shortness to his voice. Guess he's still mad at her for lying. He shifted away, disappearing into the half-hidden corner where the bed was. "I can come back with food, but in the meantime, you should get cleaned up," Maggie said, her gaze mostly on Matt, though she spared a glance at me and the bruises forming on my face. "We have fresh clothes. Donations for the poor," Maggie offered, shifting to a pile of clothes by the laundry machine.

I finished with Karen's arm and stood, taking a step back from her. Karen stood as well, awkward and questioning whether or not she should talk to Maggie. At least, that's what her hesitation told me. "Um, thank you," Karen started slowly, moving towards where Maggie was crouched by the bag of clothes. "Sister, uh... for what it's worth, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have come here," she offered. "This wasn't your fault," Maggie said, gently squeezing Karen's hand.

I stepped back into the corner, spotting Matt sitting on the edge of the bed. He was just sitting, hands clasped together between his knees. I knew he sensed me but seeing him like that made me not want to disturb him. I had seen him pray before and knew this wasn't that, but he looked so lost in thought I didn't want to interrupt.

Eyebrows pulling together, Matt tilted his head for a moment. I just watched him, leaning against the wall in an attempt to give my knee a break. When Matt stood from the bed, slowly walking past me, I let him. I just shifted to watch in silence. "These should fit you," Maggie said, offering Matt a small pile of clothes. He didn't take them as he moved past her, head tilted up towards the church itself. Maggie sighed, setting the clothes on the bed before turning back towards Matt.

"I'll come back as soon as I can. You'll be safe here," Maggie tried to assure him. "No, we won't," Matt muttered in response before turning towards us all. "They brought in search dogs." The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as I straightened myself, reaching out with my hearing. He was right; I could hear their paws on the concrete and their panting breaths.

"I'll deal with this," Maggie muttered before rushing up the stairs. "Deal with it how?" Karen asked Matt and I since the nun could no longer answer. "My guess? Lie," I suggested as we began to wait once more. Silence enveloped us as Matt and I listened, Karen waiting for any news.

"They're taking the dogs next door," Matt finally spoke up. "Maggie had one of the baby nuns say she saw us heading for the orphanage," I clarified as Matt went back to the bed and began to rummage through the clothes Maggie had left him. "Buys us some time," he grumbled as he did.

Matt gave a soft grown as he pulled off his black shirt. "Jesus, Matt," Karen muttered under her breath at the sight of his fresh wounds, bruises, and scars. "Couldn't put it on in front of her?" Karen began with an argumentative tone. I noticed then that there was an extra change of clothes on the bed for me. "You know, something just kinda hit me," Karen continued as Matt tucked the shirt into his black pants. "Watching you... wall yourself off from her."