Bleeding Steel

Chapter Eight: Falling

 Of all the people who had to walk in and find her on the floor, it just had to be Rhys. The Knight hesitated in the doorway, his usual frown deepening into a scowl.

"Knight Hart, you're a mess and a disgrace." As he spoke, he strode towards her, leaving the door open behind him. "You're so high on the med-X, you can't even tell how weak your body is!" He grabbed her roughly under the arms, but she couldn't feel the iron grip as he hauled her off the floor and dragged her unceremoniously back to the bed.

"It's just my leg!" Nora protested, "besides, I'm sick of this room and I'm sick of the bed-"

"Well I'm sick of listening to whining rookies!" Rhys snapped, practically throwing her on the bed. "Now Haylen's going to have to make sure you didn't do any more damage to yourself!"

Nora rolled her eyes, huffing as Rhys stalked out of the room.

I'd have thought leaving the Cambridge Compound would have done him some good.

He'd left the door open and she pulled herself up to the head of the bed, trying to peer out of the doorway, desperate for a glimpse of something that wasn't a discoloured wall. It had been two days since Rhys and Haylen's arrival and under the Scribe's care, she was feeling much better.

Although, admittedly, that could be in large part thanks to the med-X.

She heard a heavy tread ascending the stairs and silently cursed Rhys as Paladin Danse stepped over the threshold, his scowl blowing Rhys' out of the water. He closed the door behind him and marched towards her.

"Rhys tells me you were collapsed on the floor."

"He's blowing it out of proportion." Nora sighed, feeling annoyed. "I got up and I stumbled, that's all!"

"Did you hit anything?"

"No sir!" Nora shook her head, although if she were being truthful, she couldn't really be sure. She wouldn't have felt it if she had.

Danse's eyes narrowed slightly and as she watched, he reached one gloved hand out to her face.

"...What is it?" She asked, feeling his fingers gently brush her fringe aside. His lips thinned.

"That is it. No more med-X. You've cut your head and you don't even know it!"

Curious, Nora began to raise her fingers to feel for the cut, but Danse caught her hand and set it back down on the covers.

"You'll likely make it worse." He growled, striding over to where the packs were sat on the floor, removing his gloves as he went and dropping them on the armchair. As she watched, he opened Haylen's pack and withdrew an antiseptic wipe before stalking back towards her.

"Isn't that a waste?" She asked as he seated himself on the bed beside her, carefully sweeping her fringe out of the way.

"Negative. It's serving its purpose, and I shudder to think of the filth coating this floor. The last thing I need is to have to worry about you getting even worse." He frowned, gently beginning to dab at her forehead. "I would tell you to start reciting the litany of steel to distract yourself, but I somehow doubt you'll feel the sting."

Nora sat patiently as he wiped away at the cut, studying his face intently. This was the first time they had been alone together since the argument, and secretly she was glad of the minor head wound. It had certainly gone a ways to shattering the glacial wall that had been between them, although she supposed that the euphoria of the med-X also helped on her side.