" YUANFEN " genji shimada.

x | return of the vixen

yuanfen.
act four, chapter ten.
"return of the vixen"

_

THE SOUNDS OF LEO's groans of pain filled the medbay as Dr. Ziegler examined his wound. Dahlia stood nearby, doing her best to block out the sound of the recruit's distress. It was all she was able to listen to during the trip back to the base, not to mention the insults and accusations shot in her direction. It didn't surprise her one bit that even after saving her life, Leo was still reluctant to see past her persona as the Vixen. Despite this, however, Dahlia was met with nothing but praise and gratitude upon the team's return. Genji, who had refused to leave her side from the moment he found her and Leo in the forest, told the others all about her success; it seemed as though he was more proud of her than she was of herself.

Now back in the safety of the base, Dahlia was finally able to relax. She felt as though she was able to breathe for the first time since she had left on the mission, and exhaustion quickly overcame her body. She longed for the comfort of her bed, though she knew that she had to stay with Dr. Ziegler until she was sure that Leo was in a stable state. Although she probably saved his life by acting when she did, she couldn't help but wonder if there was something she could've done to spare him the pain. She disliked Leo, there was no doubt about that, though seeing even him yowling in pain with his leg caught in a bear trap was enough to make her blood run cold. She only wished that she knew how to handle the situation better in order to prevent any more injury to his leg.

Dahlia watched as Dr. Ziegler slowly wrapped a bandage around Leo's mangled leg, shushing the recruit every time he groaned in pain. The doctor had already given him more pain medicine than what was probably necessary in an attempt to shut him up; at this point, he was just being dramatic. Dr. Ziegler shot Dahlia a look over her shoulder, rolling her eyes in exasperation. Dahlia wouldn't have been surprised if the doctor slipped some melatonin in with Leo's medicine so that he would fall asleep and get out of their hair.

"It is good that you found him when you did," Dr. Ziegler said to Dahlia over her shoulder. Leo looked as though he wanted to say something, lips parted with a glare in Dahlia's direction, though he cut himself off with a groan as the doctor (probably purposefully) put a little too much pressure on the bandage wrapped around his ankle. "You probably saved his life, you know."

"How bad is the wound?" Dahlia questioned, her chest swelling with pride at Dr. Ziegler's compliments. She smirked towards Leo, who was currently rolling his eyes with an annoyed expression on his face.

"The trap cut him up pretty bad," Dr. Ziegler admitted. "I will try to save the tendons and bone, although his struggling has caused extensive damage."

"Are you sure it wasn't the traitor giving me improper treatment?" Leo accused under his breath.

"Quite sure," Dr. Ziegler retorted with a look of disapproval towards the recruit. She then turned towards Dahlia, her expression softening. "You may go now, dear. You've had a long day, and you've done enough to help. Get some rest."

Dahlia didn't bother arguing. She was exhausted, and if Dr. Ziegler gave her the option to retire to her dorm for the evening, she was going to take the opportunity. She mumbled a quick goodbye to the doctor before excusing herself from the medbay, the comfort of her bed calling her name. As she stepped out of the medbay, she was surprised to find that someone was waiting for her out in the hallway. Jesse McCree tipped his hat towards her in greeting, shooting her a warm smile.

"Hey, darlin'. I wanted to make sure you were okay. Need me to walk ya back?"

She was surprised that McCree had waited for so long, suddenly feeling guilty for staying in the medbay for as long as she had despite not knowing that he was there. Although she was grateful for his kindness, she wasn't necessarily in the mood for anyone's company, so she shook her head. "I'm okay, Jesse. Thank you though. Go get some rest."