Bloody Noses & Crack'd Crowns

Chapter 13

I DO NOT OWN THIS STORY. All credit goes to TheWeaverofWorlds on ao3

Ever since Monday after school, Eddie had been uncharacteristically quiet. He had had trouble meeting Bill and Mike's gaze that night. He hadn't told them about sneaking out, he liked thinking it was his and Richie's secret, but he couldn't help but feel guilty. After all the bars were his fault, and were just another reminder of how far Robert's knowledge and power influenced their lives. It was his selfishness that had caused the constant reminder of the cage on their windows, and he hated himself for indulging his weakness in following Richie that night. He should have never done it. He stayed quiet in school, only Richie picked up on his discomfort, but because they were always in a group he never had a chance to ask Eddie about it. Mike and Bill had stopped trying to ask him what was wrong by Wednesday. It was clear that they were trying to respect his space, but that didn't stop Georgie from finding him in his room after dinner.

"What do you want, Mike?" Eddie snapped.

He felt guilty as soon as he turned to find the younger Denbrough standing there. Georgie shifted his weight uncomfortably toying with something in his hands. Eddie recognized it immediately as wrappings.

"Um I was wondering if you could teach me? You promised."

Eddie closed his eyes. Despite all the good that had occurred in the past week, nothing could stop Friday from coming. There was another fight, and despite Beverly's belief that they would bring an end to it all, there was no stopping the passage of time.

"Sure, Georgie. Bring Mike back in here and I'll help you." Eddie said. The younger boy disappeared to go get Mike.

When the two of them returned, Eddie moved to his bed. Mike and Georgie entered, closing the door behind them.

Eddie sat down and gestured for Georgie to do the same. "Can I have your right hand, Mike?"

Mike offered it, palm down.

"You're going to start by hooking the wrapping around his thumb. You want to go away from the thumb so that it doesn't slip as he's fighting. Then you wrap it around his wrist, like this," Eddie demonstrated as he spoke. "Three times. Next you're going to wrap it three times around the hand."

Eddie unwound the wrapping and passed it to Georgie. "Try it, before we go on."

Georgie did so. Once he was finished Eddie examined Mike's hand. "How does it feel?"

"Hard to say since the wrap isn't done, but I think it could probably be tighter."

Eddie unwound Georgie's work, "try again."

Georgie re-wrapped Mike's hand, thrice around the wrist, thrice around the palm. Again Eddie inspected it and looked pleased. "Better. Next you're going to go around to the back of the thumb, like so, and create three Xs by going through the fingers. The first one goes between the pinky and ring finger and back between the pointer and thumb, that's your first X. Second X goes between the ring and middle finger, your final X between right and index ending at the back of the thumb. You wrap the thumb next. Flip the hand and wrap the thumb again crossing the palm instead of going all the way around. This locks the wrap into place. Then three times around the knuckles. Secure the excess, and velcro around the wrist. Got it?"

Georgie nodded.

Eddie undid the wrapping. "Do it from the start."

Georgie's movements were clumsy and slow, but as Eddie watched he knew that Georgie had been paying attention. When he finished he asked, "how's that?"