A Shadow Inside (Sequel to "The Star Story")

Arguments and Pain, Mental and Physical

(This all is about a day after Ortega wakes up)

(MORE CUSSING IN THIS CHAPTER THAN USUAL, YOU'LL SEE.. IF YOU WANT)

I frown slightly, and try moving my wrist. Fuck, that hurt a lot.

"Why did you do that?"

I look over my shoulder guiltily at the sound of Void's voice, "I wanted to see if it healed at all..!"

She laughs, "That is not how that works! It's not gonna heal in one day, Ortie!" she looks at my wrist, frowns, then starts digging through her bag, eventually she pulls out a wrap of some sort.

"What's that?" I ask her.

She shakes her head in disbelief, "It's a bandage, you know, one of the ones you would wrap around a sprain?"

I stay quiet at this though, not knowing what to say, she suddenly grabs my wrist and pulls it closer to her, "Hold it like this." she orders me. I hold it still, and watch as she takes my glove off and wraps the bandage around my wrist and around my hand.

"No! That's stupid!"

I snap my head around as I hear someone shouting, not one person, but.. multiple? I stand up and walk towards the door of my extended room, the main voice had come from Giacomo, no doubt about it, but there was more faint talking from Eri, I open the door, and peer around it.

"I think tha-"

"I don't care what you think!"

Giacomo immediately slapped his hand over his mouth, he looked guilty, I look over at Eri, she was.. crying? She starts walking in my direction, relatively quickly, I open the door wider and she bursts through, Mela behind her, I glance back at Giacomo, his face with the same expression, and close the door.

"Well fuck that." Mela says quietly.

Void looked over at me, I walked over to my bed—the place Void was sitting—and sit down, Void immediately grabs my hand and holds it, and turns her head to look at Eri.

"I can't believe that dumbass would hurt you like that Eri.." Void whispered.

Mela nodded, "He's a fucking idiot!"

I stayed quiet, cheering people up was not exactly my specialty.. they all knew that.

"Is he though..?" Eri murmured.

I nod, "If he thinks he can go around and say that, he might as well be."

I look over at Void, she looked thoughtful, as she did most of the time.

"Let's go to a different region!" Mela suddenly says.

Void looks up, "We should go to Galar, since me and the boss are from there."

I laugh, "I'll pay for it!"

Everyone turns to look at me, "What, am I not allowed to help my friends?" I ask.

Mela frowns, "Well, yeah you can help us if you wa-"

I smirk, "I never said you were my friend."

She glared at me, "Wel-"

I interrupt her again, "You always make fun of me, so I don't think it's wrong exactly.."

"Will you two just shut up for once?"

I look up at Eri who was now standing in between us, looking down at us menacingly.

"He started it!" Mela exclaimed.

"WHAT?" I shout.

Eri frowns, "You guys are fighting like small children-"