totally meta

chapter 13

Henry winced as Dr. Harris dabbed a cool antiseptic on his burned shoulder. The skin was already scabbing over, but the sting still shot through his body. He sat on the medical table in the Seven Labs facility, his suit discarded beside him, charred and torn from the fire.

Dr. Harris clicked her tongue, clearly irritated. "What were you thinking, Henry? Engaging with another meta-human, especially one with fire powers? You could've been seriously hurt—or worse, killed!" Her voice was sharp, her brow furrowed with concern.

Henry sighed, wincing again as she pressed a bandage against the fresh burn on his arm. "I know, I know. But I couldn't just leave him there. He was terrified, and if I didn't do something, he would've kept setting things on fire, whether he wanted to or not."

Dr. Harris paused, glancing up at him with a mixture of frustration and disbelief. "You could have died out there, Henry."

He met her gaze, feeling the weight of her words but not backing down. "But I didn't. And neither did he. Look, if I hadn't jumped into that pool with him, that guy would still be out there, scared, and accidentally torching half the city. I had to make a call, and that was the best option I had."

Dr. Harris sighed, shaking her head as she moved to check the burns on his back. "You're lucky your cells are healing so fast. With your speed, it seems your body can recover rapidly as well. You should be fine in a couple of hours; the burns are already scabbed over."

Henry glanced down at his arms, seeing the wounds closing faster than any normal person's would. He hadn't noticed before, but now that Dr. Harris pointed it out, it made sense. "Well, that's... good news, I guess?"

Dr. Harris rolled her eyes, though her expression softened. "I'll give you that. But still, next time, don't engage unless you absolutely have to. We're trying to help meta-humans, not get ourselves killed in the process."

Henry nodded, taking her words seriously. He knew he had taken a risk, but in the moment, it had felt like the right thing to do. "I understand."

She finished applying the last of the bandages, then took a step back, crossing her arms over her chest. Her stern look lingered, but then she cracked a small smile, shaking her head.

"You're cute when you have a valid point," she said with a smirk.

Henry blinked, caught off guard by the comment. He chuckled nervously, not sure how to respond. "Uh, thanks? I think."

Dr. Harris just waved him off, moving to clean up her supplies. "Don't get used to the compliments. I'm still annoyed with you."

Henry grinned despite himself, the tension easing slightly. He looked down at his bandaged arms, feeling the pain starting to dull as his body continued to heal. "I'll be more careful next time. I promise."

"Good," Dr. Harris replied, her tone firm again. "Because we need you in one piece. We're just getting started."