Behind the Mask | Garroth x Reader

| Part Nine | Awake and Moving |

Lady Aphmau had decided to wait to tell Garroth about what Brendan saw when he got shot. Between her fighting off Zenix herself when saving Lord Burt and the fact that he almost killed Garroth, she didn't want him to stress about it too much until he could safely return to work. Dale has informed the guards about taking Zenix into custody if found and has warned them that he is extremely dangerous now. He was different from the young man that he once knew. It hurts to think that he would have to use such force on someone he trained and acted as a father figure for, but he couldn't let his feelings cloud his vision. He had to put Phoenix Drop first. 

As for me, I have been meticulously studying the journal that Dr.Doctor gave me. From every word written down to inspecting the plant samples he added. Did it make much sense right now? No. Not at all. It was a lot of information and some of the herbs had very similar effects but one drastic thing would set them apart and I worried that it might be what costs me my place at Dr.Doctor's side.

I let out a slightly frustrated sigh and set the journal aside again. My attention turned to Garroth. His chest rose and fell steadily. No wincing. No wheezing. Just silent sleep. It was music to my ears. While his wound may be healed it seemed his body wasn't fully recovered from the stress of everything. He slept without interruption all night. And maybe that had been too much sleep. He would shift a bit under his blanket. One of his arms was pulled up and reached for his face, only to hit the metal of his helmet. He groaned and let it slide down the front and onto his chest. I couldn't help but snicker. Slowly he turned his head and looked up at me. 

"Y... Y/N..?" His voice was a bit scratchy, probably from being dry and not used over the past few days. I moved my chair a bit closer and smiled at him. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh. You wouldn't let us take off your helmet at all while you were healing. You can be quite stubborn even when you're injured." There small nervous laugh that came from him as he turned his head away. He would try to push himself off of the bed, only to groan while doing so. "Hey, moving around too much probably isn't the best idea." I tried to place a hand on his shoulder and push him back down but he didn't budge. Even without his armor, he was sturdy and his muscle tensed.

"I am just stiff... I need to stretch..." He groaned. He pushed forward and managed to prop himself up against the headboard and placed a hand on his chest where he had been injured. "And stop..." He let out a hiss as he tried to bend slightly. "Water..." He glanced around the room and settled on the pitcher that was out of his reach. 

"Right." I quickly stood and grabbed a fresh cup and poured him a full glass. The man has been asleep for a while and hasn't been able to take in as much water as he probably needed so better to have too much than not enough. I offered it to him and went back to grab a cloth and a bowl of water. "You might want to clean yourself up a bit. It might not be the best idea to get up right now, so this may be your best option." I set it down on the nightstand beside him and followed his gaze down to his cup.

"May I be alone..?" His voice was soft, and based on how he couldn't bring himself to look up at me and his tense muscles, he was clearly uncomfortable. 

Does the idea of his face being seen make him that uneasy? Is he self-conscious?

I keep my thoughts to myself and put some distance between us. Before I leave I take one of the shirts Dale grabbed from Garroth's room and laid it at the end of the bed. "You might want this too. And please, don't push yourself and try to stand just yet." I hoped that Dr.Doctor was wrong and that Garroth may listen to my advice. I didn't question his silence, just chalking it up to a sore, dry throat and taking my leave. I didn't go too far, mainly just stepping outside and tidying up some of Brendan's tools. Dr.Doctor apparently hates clutter and demanded to put the tools outside. Thankfully they were still in good condition. No rust, chips, or even additional scratches- at least I don't think so.