Ob(li)vious

2. Injury

"A building on the construction site collapsed!" A voice emerges from beside Alhaitham. "Sounds like a few people were hurt."

Alhaitham had been working in the desert for some time. He was vaguely aware that Kaveh was working on a project of his own and that they were only a few minutes apart. He'd already compelled himself to go see the architect when he finished up for the day, but with what he overhears, worry seeps into his bones.

The Scribe goes over to the construction site, where heavy dust obstructs the air and people run around in chaos. He looks around, hoping to find Kaveh unharmed, but to no avail. Until he hears an agitated yelling coming from one of the temporary tents.

"You're impossible!" "Sew yourself up for all I care!" A woman's voice pierces his ears, and he suspects he knows exactly who is responsible for the dispute.

He steps inside and his heart rate settles down when he sees Kaveh, who appears to be fully intact aside from a torn and bloodied shirt. He's sitting on a makeshift bed that was probably set up to care for the injured after the building collapsed.

Kaveh's ruby eyes meet Alhaitham's teal ones, and the latter recognises the panic in Kaveh's eyes. Alhaitham sighs and walks over, not looking at him but at the clearly fed up medic next to him.

"What do you need?" He asks, ready to bully Kaveh into submission.

The medic is stunned for a moment, processing the situation and unsure how this newcomer will change the impossible architect's attitude.

"I need to examine his wound. Take off his shirt." She instructs.

"Gladly." Alhaitham taunts with a sly grin.

He pushes the tattered fabric upward. Surprisingly, the architect offers little to no resistance. A hiss escapes him as he raises his arms with the Scribe's assistance, allowing his ripped shirt to slide over his head.

Alhaitham cringes visibly at the deep cut adorning Kaveh's side, just below his badly bruised rib cage. The worry that had settled before returns, but he doesn't let Kaveh notice.

"That will require stitches, and there's a good chance your ribs are bruised, if not broken." The medic says, already on her way to get the necessary supplies.

Kaveh flinches at the mention of stitches.

"Kaveh, you're too old for this." Alhaitham sighs.

Regardless, he takes Kaveh's trembling hand in his own and offers him whatever comfort he requires as the latter places his head on his junior's shoulder, shielding himself from the sight of the needle the medic had so innocently brought back to them.

She watches as the architect mumbles into his partner's neck, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes as he endures the sting of the disinfectant she applies.

"Afraid of needles, I take it?" Kaveh doesn't respond, but Alhaitham nods to confirm her suspicions. He quickly returns his attention to the trembling man next to him, hushing him and whispering sweet words of comfort to distract him from the needle needed to patch him up.

The medic gets right to work, taking no pleasure in any patient's discomfort. "It's a good thing your boyfriend is there to help you get through it." She smiles, genuinely glad that someone was there to deal with the obstinate architect.

Kaveh is too preoccupied with his pain to notice the remark. Alhaitham, on the other hand, gives her a strange look.

"We're just roommates." He counters, a little flustered.

"You certainly are." She walks away, laughing.