The Hatchling

Torn Fabric

Beck's body began to slump down, his knees giving way beneath him, and I saw the whites of his eyes as they rolled in the back of his head.

I scooped down and caught him before he hit the ground. Aiden tried to grab him from me, but I refused.

"No I got this," I groaned as I pulled his massive body up on my shoulder.

"You need to be training," he tried to argue with me.

Glaring his way, I began to carry Beck inside. "Yeah well my teacher is currently unconscious."

Aiden saw arguing with me further would go nowhere and let me leave with Beck's bleeding body.

I first went to clinic. The nurse, unfazed by his appearance, simply handed me what I needed and sent me on my way. Looked like fights like these and injuries similar to his came in often.

They didn't seem life threatening, but I really needed to clean them off and bandage them for the moment.

The guards outside his room didn't seem to care that I was hauling in his body on my back.

How did he do this to me again? He showered me, cleaned my wounds, bandaged them, and then let me sleep. How often did I do that?

No matter. I'm sure he'd be awake before the evening came.

Carrying him in the bathroom, I threw down some towels and set his rag doll body down on them as I started some hot water and poured in the antibiotic wash the nurse gave me.

In the little basket, there were half a dozen creams and ointments, a whole roll of gauze, and pill bottles for various ailments.

Once the water was hot enough, I stared at Beck. The pants were a problem, not only for the shower, but for me.

He had claw marks on his thigh all the way up to his ribs that needed washing, but I sure as hell didn't want to remove his clothes. Maybe just no sweatpants would be fine and I could leave the underwear on.

I slowly pulled off the bottoms and stared at him again. The underwear would still be a problem. Oh Lord, I couldn't do this. Could I? This felt like rape, but even I felt terribly gross and uncomfortable with it.

I picked him up and set him in the bathtub as it filled with water. Propping his head up, I looked down at him again. Oh God, I really had to remove this guys underwear. I should've let Aiden handle it.

Shutting my eyes, I felt my hands trembling as my fingers went below the waistline. They began to tug down, and I couldn't help but to whimper with sadness.

I screamed as a rough hand snatched my wrist and stopped me. "I'll handle that," Beck panted. "Just help me clean my back please."

Someone above was surely looking out for me. I was convinced.

Beck leaned forward and twisted himself to where his shoulders faced me. The damage was nauseating. His skin and flesh hung like torn fabric. I could feel the vomit rising in my throat, but I tried my best to swallow it back down.

Grabbing a cloth, I dipped it in the water and hesitated on where to start. It all looked too terrible and painful to touch.

"It's okay. Just do it, he whispered.

Unwillingly, I set the cloth on the middle of his shoulders where most of the damage was and pressed down just barely.

His entire body tensed, but no words came from his mouth for me to stop, so I continued.

Dip. Press. Dip. Press. Continuing that pattern, I hurried to finish the painful area, so when I did, it felt like the world was lifted off my shoulders.