There's Just Hope // Lottienat

Chapter 4

I put my hand on Vans shoulder as she sat curled beside Tai and Mari, her knees pressed against her chest. Tai was attending to Mari's cuts on her shins.

"Are you ok?"

The speed of her sudden movement startled me as she jumped to her feet, turning to greet me with a tight squeeze. My arms laid trapped beneath her hold as i stiffly tried to move them to hug her back.

"Thank you Natalie."

"It's nothing Van."

"It's not nothing. Seriously Nat, thank you."

I tightened my hold on the girl returning her hug more passionately with the overflowing flood of emotions.

"Shit ow." Van murmured, instinctively stepping back clutching her side as i loosened my grip

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing sorry." she said fixing her posture

I squinted skeptically before taking a step forward, grasping the lower part of her t-shirt as her hands attempted to fight me off. I easily overpowered her, lifting up her shirt to reveal a deep set red mark, resembling the shape of a vertical line, rest on her lower abdomen. My anxious eyes shot up to hers as she rolled hers in defeat.

"Did i do that? Did i hurt you?"

"No." She said harshly, pulling her shirt back down. "You saved me Natalie."

I exhaled deeply looking to the dirt beneath me.

"Jesus christ Nat your fucking head."

"I'm fine!" i said dragging my fingers delicately across the forgotten wound.

Lottie then approached cautiously behind Van. "Hey, i found some Steri-Strips for your head."

"You didn't need to do that."

"Yes i did. You'll bleed out otherwise."

"It's not that bad." I argued not wanting to waste any valuable supplies

"It really is Nat." Van chimed in, tracing her thumb down my cheek before removing it to reveal my blood on her hand. My eyes widened and I wiped the side of my face with my hand briefly to confirm the same result. 

"Please." Lottie pursued

I sighed as Van patted my shoulder before leaving my side, sitting back down quietly.

"Sit." Lottie continued

I rolled my eyes as i sat down on a near fallen tree log - a direct consequence of the planes collision. Lottie followed, closing the gap between us as she stood between my legs. She looked down at me, her hair falling against the sides of her cheeks. "Hold this." She ordered as i took the disposable piece of paper from her hand that used to lie against the sticky side of the bandage. 

"Your bossy." I said teasingly, as i fiddled with the piece of scrap trying to ease my mind in the midst of anarchy 

"Shut up Scatorccio." she said sternly, taking hold of my jaw before tilting it up to meet her face. She wasn't meeting my eyes, rather studying the wound just above them. Impulsively i glanced to her lips, flustered by the proximity and control Lottie had over me at that instant. Looking back to her eyes i saw her once serious expression fade into a sombre bane as she loosened her grip on my chin - now cradling it more so than holding it in place. I stared feebly - wishing in that moment only to please her. She brought her free hand up to my cheek as her thumb gently followed along the cut just above my brow. It took everything in me not to crinkle my face under the pain, but i wanted Lottie to believe i was fine, to not worry and go back to her light-hearted self. A lot to desire from her considering the circumstances, but as long as I wasn't contributing any more to her distress.