Curse of the Weretroll (rewrite)

Chapter 64

     "Is all of this really necessary?" Branch asked, the survivalist being forced to lay perfectly still in a hospital bed as doctors rushed around him, the medical professionals trying to quickly clean up his wounds before they became infected, although it already seemed as if they were far too late for that... "I'm fine."

He tried to sit up to prove his point, a sharp stabbing pain immediately shooting through his entire body the moment he did so, the agony of it causing the young boy to gasp sharply as he lay right back down, his eyes involuntarily squeezing shut...

     "You'll be ok, Branch," Poppy assured, the young princess sitting in a chair beside the gray troll's bed, her hands finally remaining in her lap after being swatted away several times when she had tried to hold the village grump's hand. She could see the pain on his face... and it just broke her heart so much to see her friend suffering... "Just relax... you'll be ok..."

"I know I will," Branch replied stubbornly, forcing his eyes back open to look at the pink troll beside him. "I'm already ok. Just let me go home!"

     Again, he tried to sit up, but this time, Poppy gently pushed him right back down, forcing the young boy to stay in the bed he was currently laying in...

     "You need to rest, Branch..." she stated softly, causing the village grump to sigh angrily with a slight eye roll, his survivalist instincts having completely left his mind as all he wanted to do was go home and get out of this awful place despite the damage he knew it would certainly cause to not properly treat his injuries...

     "I already told you, I'm fine," Branch insisted with the slightest attitude. "Let me leave!"

Again... he tried to sit up... but again... Poppy pushed him right back down...

     "Ok... what's really going on here?" the young princess asked softly yet firmly, the pink troll knowing something was bothering her friend... something that he wasn't telling her...

     "Nothing!" Branch yelled angrily as he slapped one of the many surrounding doctors' hands away from himself in frustration. "I just want to get out of here, ok!?"

     Poppy crossed her arms at that answer, giving the young boy in front of her a look saying; 'don't you dare lie to me'... and... after only a few seconds under the pressure of his secret love's firm glare... Branch finally sighed in defeat, the little gray troll turning his gaze away from his only friend, doing his absolute best to try and avoid eye contact...

     And then... he caved...

     "Ok, ok... I... I don't... like hospitals..." he admitted softly, muttering his confession under his breath so the young princess would hopefully not hear it, the survivalist crossing his arms as he kept his 'angered' gaze focused on the window...

     "Aww, Branch!" Poppy cooed, quickly catching the survivalist's attention once more. "You're afraid of hospitals!?"
"I'm not afraid!" Branch denied, quickly looking back to her to stop the pink troll from shouting out his deepest secrets to anyone in ear range. But... there was no denying his true feelings towards this place he was currently trapped in... "I'm just... a tiny bit... terrified..." he muttered softly in shame, once again lowering his head as the village grump's ears drooped down low in complete embarrassment...

"It's ok, Branch," Poppy assured gently, the young princess placing a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder as she saw the overwhelming fear plastered clearly all over the gray troll's face. "You've been here before. Remember? When... when Creek... shot you..."

     "That's kinda different, Poppy," Branch objected, looking back to the young princess once more as he quickly shrugged her hand away. "I was unconscious... I wasn't really aware of all people, and the germs, and the... needles..." He shuddered at the simple thought of the sharp metal slipping it's way painfully through his skin and into his bloodstream...