Solve Me

(10), In Which Old Wounds Are Reopened

Lily was scurrying down the hallways, desperately trying to find a first aid kit or something. She was beginning to think she was lost when she reached another dead end that had only bedrooms, and turned around. She came fact to face with Robert, and shrieked, jumping backwards. He smiled a bit sheepishly, glancing behind him quickly.

"Hi," he said, his voice echoing through the empty hallway. Lily frowned. "Hi," she replied uncertainly, fidgeting her hands slightly. She was desperate to get her hands on a needle and some thread to fix up Tad. She glanced behind him as well, towards the end of the hallway, before speaking.

"Um, listen, I'm looking for some medical stuff for your brother. He got beat up pretty bad, but I was missing something in the bathroom, so I was wondering if you could direct me to a room where there might be some extra supplies?" She made a face as he thought about it for a second, seemingly considering his options.

"I could tell you where they are," he mused, pursing his lips. "Or, I could send someone else to fix him up, and you and I could have a little chat." He spread his arms, grinning. Lily was disgusted. How could he be considering leaving his won brother to the hands of some servant who might not even know anything about medicine?

"Sorry, Robert, but I really think I had better handle this. Please point me in the direction of the supplies I require." She folded her hands over her chest, staring back into his steely eyes. His expression had run cold, but he didn't say anything. He just handed her the supplies she needed, much to her surprise, and walked off. After a moment's hesitation, Lily ran off down the hallway, retracing her steps quickly. When she entered the bathroom, Tad was still sitting there, but someone was there with him. It was a nurse, with long black hair and freckles dotting her cheeks. She had bright green eyes framed by circular glasses, and a shy look about her. She was pressing a cloth against his wound, and looked shocked to see Lily standing in the doorway.

The brunette scowled at her, clutching the items in her hands so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She wasn't frustrated because someone else was helping her employer, she was more frustrated that Robert had sent someone when she had deliberately told him not to.

"O-Oh. Were you here to take care of him?" The girl asked, gesturing to Tad. He was watching Lily curiously, and the girl knew she must be quite red in the face as she nodded. "I'm sorry. I'll be on my way then." Green-Eyes hurried out the door with a small smile at Lily, who found the will to smile back, forcing her expression to relax. The maid's shoulders visibly lost some tension before she closed the door behind her, leaving Tad and Lily alone.

Lily's expression immediately sank back into one of anger as she stalked towards Tad, dropping her stuff and plopping down beside him.

"What's that look for? Come on, love, don't be mad, May was just trying to help." Lily scoffed, waving away the hand that was tucking her hair behind her ear. Instead, she pulled her hair up into a messy bun and out of her face so she could get to work.

"It wasn't her that I was mad at." The brunette proceeded to explain what happened as she poured a bit of alcohol on the cut, making Tad hiss. She shushed him sharply and she cleaned up the injury gently, scowling as she focused on her work. It was silent for a few minutes before she pulled out the needle and stitches to patch him up. His eyes widened slightly, but he didn't say anything as she prepared. She glanced up at him, catching his gaze as she moved to start, and caught a glimpse of the anxiety in his eyes. She smiled, taking his hand gently for a moment and squeezing it. He smiled before she let go, and made quick work of it, trying to make it as painless as possible. When she was done she poured a bit more alcohol and put bandages over it.

"There," she murmured, tracing the edge of the bandaid lightly. Her fingers just barely grazed against his skin, and he shivered, causing her to pull away quickly. The two stared at each other for a moment, an uncomfortable silence settling in on them. Finally, Tad began to sit up, wincing slightly. Lily helped him slide carefully up the wall, and instead of letting him settle back down, slung his arm around her shoulders and helped him out the door. She allowed him to lead her through the hallways, as he knew where his room was better than she did. Finally, after what seemed like ages, they stood outside a door.