Allegiance | Kylo Ren

VII

Mason came back a little while later. He seemed calmer upon his return, which was good, because I was still twitchy. The blood was gone from my hands, but the stress of the experience was far from it. When the doctor came in, he gave me a gentle smile.

"Time to pack up." He checked my vitals, then unlocked my bed.

"What?" I was confused. Was I being released early?

"We've cleared out a room to move you into." He gave me a reassuring look, his eyes darting over to the other bed. "You'll be moved into a separate facility, which will reduce traffic in this room and will help both of you rest better and therefore heal faster."

"Oh."

Right.

I glanced over at my roommate as Mason continued to unhook me from various machines. Kylo was watching us with dark eyes, his expression unreadable. I gave him a small smile.

Bye. Thanks for not killing me. It's been fun.

I could have sworn I saw the corners of his lips creep upward, but maybe I was just imagining it.

Mason finished with the tubes, and gave my bed a pull to get it in motion before turning it towards the door. The door slammed shut, seemingly of its own accord.

"No." The word was spoken quietly.

Mason and I exchanged a glance, certain that we were hearing things. Slowly, he turned around.

"I'm sorry, Lord Ren?"

"She's not leaving."

"But, Lord Ren, you said earlier—"

"I know what I said earlier." Kylo gritted his jaw. "Listen to what I'm saying now. She stays."

Mason hesitated, but then gave a curt nod and wheeled me back into place, relocking my bed and reconnecting my tubes. His face was creased with concern as he set me back up, silently asking me if I was okay. I gave him the tiniest of nods to ease his worries.

"Is there any way I could take a shower soon?" I asked, changing the subject in an attempt to ease the tension.

Mason bit his lip. "I don't really want you standing for another couple days. You could be given a sponge bath?"

I grimaced. "That sounds... lovely."

He gave a breathless laugh. "I know, it's a bit intrusive. If you don't mind waiting a couple more days, we'll get you a shower as soon as we can."

"Alright," I sighed. "Thanks, Mason."

He nodded, then dug in his pocket, pulling out a comb. "In the meantime, I'd recommend using this."

I gave a sheepish smile, reaching up to run my fingers through my hair. "Is it that bad?"

Mason gave another laugh and handed me the comb without answering. I watched him leave, a small smile residual on my features. Then I dug a small hand mirror out of my bedside table and surveyed the damage.

It was horrific. My light blonde strands stood on edge, tangled and matted and kinky. I cringed away from the image, wishing I had thought of this sooner, but set to work with the comb anyway.

I tried to be quiet so as to not disturb my roommate, but I couldn't help the occasional squeak or "Ow!" that escaped me as I fought with my tangled mess of hair. After about twenty minutes of pulling and yanking, I let my aching arms fall to my sides. I checked my reflection again, not terribly impressed but too tired to do anything more. I dropped the comb on my bedside table and began to braid.

I felt Kylo's eyes on me again as I expertly twisted my hair into three separate braids that ran along my scalp, tying them together where they met behind my head.  The rest I left loose, the ends brushing the tops of my shoulders. I wanted to remind him that staring was rude, but I bit back the words and focused on my work. As I finished, I examined the braids in the mirror. They were a bit messy, but they kept the hair out of my face, and I almost felt normal again.

My roommate had not stopped watching me. With a sigh, I turned to him. He looked weary. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his face seemed pale. I found myself wondering how much he had slept lately.

I offered him a small smile. "Your hair is long... do you want me to braid yours?" I intended it as a joke, not sure what I was trying to accomplish besides filling empty air with conversation.

He gave me a strange look. "No."

I laughed quietly. "I think it would look good."

He frowned. "No."

"Isn't that why you kept me here?" I teased, playing with the end of one of my braids. "So I could braid your hair?"

He stared at me, looking like he wasn't quite sure what to make of me. "No."

I laughed again, falling back onto my pillow. "Let me know if you change your mind."

Kylo let out a long sigh, but I could see some of the rigidness had left his shoulders. "I won't."