Of Sinners and Saints

𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝟦

"Would you mind finally telling me the truth about what happened?"

As he rubbed at the dark circles beneath his eyes, the doctor leaned against the doorway. He studied Cairo from a safe enough distance to not disturb him, but the idle tapping of his fingers against his notebook only seemed to make him move more erratically. He walked with short, irregular steps and no tangible sense of direction. He acted like a caged animal with little room to move.

"I already told you," Cairo snarled as he came to a halt mid-stride, "so why don't you go help my friend. If he dies because of you I'll—"

"You told me he fell off of a cliff and then you told me that he was kicked by a horse," The doctor said, pinching the bridge of his nose as he inhaled sharply, "I need to know what happened so I can help him."

"Fine!"

Cairo spun around as he aimed a venomous glare at the doctor. "We were attacked and he got shot."

"And? He's bruised all over his body. That didn't come from a bullet wound."

Cairo blinked a few times, attempting to ignore the heaviness that threatened to pull his eyelids shut. His hands balled into white-knuckled fists as he resumed his sporadic pacing. The doctor had spent the past hour bugging him instead of helping Esteban for reasons he refused to understand. He didn't want to lose him. Not like this.

"He was beaten up in a fight."

As he read over the unintelligible scribbles strewn across the page, the doctor tapped his pencil against it. He appeared content enough with the response he had received, and his gaze briefly met Cairo's. There was no emotion present in them, just cold calmness.

"You should leave. I have work to do and I don't want you here any longer."

The doctor waved his hand towards the door and Cairo threw up his hands as he walked away.

"I don't have any fucking money. Where am I supposed to go?"

"Figure it out."

Cairo could only stand and watch as the doctor disappeared into a side room. He was on his own now. His shoulder slumped as the fight he once possessed melted away, leaving him with a feeling of numb emptiness that spread throughout his body. Going back to camp wasn't an option and he couldn't afford a hotel room.

When he stepped outside, the air had a bite to it that he hadn't noticed before. It was a breath of fresh air, but it also served as a reminder that he would be sleeping under a blanket of stars. Somewhere. He cast a glance up at the sky and shook his head as he noticed the collection of colors beginning to gather on the horizon.

He found himself sitting on a bench across the street, tucked away from prying eyes. He began to consider what could happen now and he soon found himself unable to steady his shaking hands. Even forcing himself to concentrate on things that usually warded off his intrusive thoughts failed to calm him. As he rested his palms on his lap, he allowed his eyelids to flutter shut. All he could do now was try and sleep. There was nothing else he could do.

He was awoken the next morning by rough hands shaking him awake. His eyes snapped open and after taking a moment to let his eyes adjust to the light, he found himself face to face with the doctor. He could only stare at the man before him as he rubbed his eyes, blinking away the remaining bleariness.

"What is it?" Cairo grumbled as he slung an arm over the back of the bench, "can't you see I'm trying to sleep."

"Your friend wants to see you."