The Drowning Girl

four

I gasped as I woke up, shooting up and rolling off of the couch and onto the floor. I sat on my hands and knees for a few moments, gasping, when the pain from everything came rolling back. I grit my teeth, water springing up to my eyes as I tried to force myself to calm down.

"Rowena?" I sprung back, backing up until I hit the wall with a small thud. My hand automatically reached for the small knife I usually kept with me, the small knife that currently was in my bag.

And not on me.

My eyes searched the shadows before they flickered to the bar in front of the kitchen, Axels dark figure barely standing out against the small lights from the kitchen appliances. I let out a breath, wincing as all of my pain came running back to me.

"Your pain medicines probably worn off, I'm surprised it didn't earlier. Doctor Green said you had some injuries, but he never mentioned anything about a busted lip." He said the last part mostly to himself, my fingers clutching the shirt I wore tightly.

"I'm fine,  I don't need anything." I whispered, mostly to myself than him. I've had much worse, this, This was nothing to me. I could handle it.

I blew out a breath as I pushed myself up, staggering slightly. I looked up to find Axel staring at me, his eyes trained on my side as I glanced down. My eyebrows furrowed as I looked at my shirt, a wet spot causing the shirt to stick to my side. I pulled it away gently, my fingers touching the spot gently before pulling up to the light.

Blood. Dark red blood.

"Shit." I whispered to myself, the sound of footsteps approaching as I looked back up. Axels eyes blazed a fury that caused me to back up a few feet, his own stopping himself before he reached me.

"I'll go get some bandages, sit." I grit my teeth to stop me from smarting off to him and sat down at the bar, a leather stool with a padded seat. I ignored the sound of his soft rustling in the bathroom before he came out, holding what looked like gauze and some type of bandage, as well as an aerosol can.

I furrowed my eyebrows as he sat everything down, my fingers wandering without my consent to pick up the can and start reading while he slowly lifted my shirt. I heard him suck in a breath as the air hit my skin, my eyes pointedly looking away from him. I eyed the can as I felt his fingers gently begin to move across my skin, wincing ever so slightly.

Saline.

I hummed as I handed it back to him, soft footsteps causing my to glance up. I could make out the body of what looked like Marc in the shadows, his torso bare as he wore some type of basketball shorts. I let out a deep breath as Axel shook the can, Marc taking a single step into the living room.

"This is going to sting." I made a soft noise as he sprayed, sucking in a deep breath.

"Is everything, okay?" The corner of my lip quirked as Axel looked up, moving my shirt down lower as he straightened up.

"Yes, but," He eyed me, my own eyebrows quirking as he sighed and straightened up. "Marc is trained in first aide, better than I could be."

I looked down, holding my breath before sighing. "I guess, I don't really care."

I grimaced as I spoke, watching Axel stand up and Marc move forward to take his place. Marc looked at Axel warily before sitting down, glancing at me slowly before his hands moved. He began lifting my shirt, his breath sucking in quickly as he dropped my shirt like it was fire.

"Did, did you–"

"We're not going to talk about this." I cut him off, staring straight ahead. I didn't dare to glance at him as I felt his hands move again, my shirt moving up again.