Opposites Attract

Infirmary

Pain.

A dull pain, but a main nevertheless. My arm throbbed, and everything came racing back:

Save the Citizen training;

The water;

The burning...

My eyes fluttered open. Instinctively, I looked down at the arm in question. It was tightly wrapped from my wrist to elbow in a bandage.

I realised I was laying down on some kind of table, so I used my free arm to push myself up into a sitting position. My hand shot to my head as a pain ran through it, in protest at my sudden movements.

"Oooh you don't want to be overexerting yourself like that, dear," a kind voice said, as I felt my hand being gently moved away.

I let the old woman fuss over me, for a few seconds, before asking, "Who are you?"

"Nurse Spex, my dear- I'm the... well I'm the nurse here- you're in the school infirmary."

"I fell..." I recalled stupidly.

"And quite a fall it was as well, by the sound of it- it's all over the school already. I've had people banging on my door asking to see you, but I told them you were simply in no fit state to entertain visitors. That boy who brought you in as well... he looked traumatised- so yes, I'd say it was quite the fall."

Everything she said was swimming around in my head, as I tried to get a grip on which thoughts and questions to voice first.

"How long have I been out?" I asked.

"Nearly all day, dear- it's home time in about ten minutes. You've done extremely well though- you've got quite a burn on that arm, and I dread to think what kind of pain you were in before you passed out. From the looks of how bad it was, most people would have been unconscious for much longer... so I suppose you got your Dad's strength in a different way, eh?" she winked.

I smiled softly, before my eyebrows furrowed.

"You said people tried to see me?"

"Ah yes- your brother and co. He's a lovely boy your brother; I saw to him only yesterday... it's coincidental that most of the injuries come to me from Coach Boomer's classes," she chuckled, "Anyway, he came with two girls and two young men, all asking to see you. I said if you weren't awake by home time, they would have to go and see you at your house, but them seeing you any earlier would have honestly slowed down the process. But if you can make it outside on your own, my dear, you can always meet them at the bus... I'll phone Ron now- ask him to come and escort you... You're free to get your things, dear- feel free to grab a lollipop on your way out."

As I swung my legs off the side of the table, I headed towards the door, sinking my hand into the glass pot to fish out an apple lollipop. I reached for the door handle.

"Hang on," I said.

She turned around, phone in hand as she prepared to call Ron.

"You said someone brought me here?"

"Ah yes, dear. It was Mr Peace. He didn't say much, but from what I gathered, he was your partner in training, and he is the one who burnt your arm accidentally. You might want to have a word at some point, dear, let him know you're alright- the poor thing looked like he'd seen a ghost."

"Will do..." I trailed off, "Thanks Nurse Spex."

"Not a problem, dear- I'll get Ron to meet you at your locker!"

I wandered through the unusually empty corridors towards my locker. 

I was absolutely not talking to Warren Peace about this. It was that hothead's fault I was in the school nurse's office in the first place! Traumatised or not, he had no right to play the victim- I didn't even know if he'd meant to burn my arm.