VIOLENT TIDES (gxg - editing)

11

The next few minutes passed in a blur for Ainsley. All the control she had felt summoning the dragon disappeared in an instant, replaced by a haze of pain and confusion. She was vaguely aware of stumbling into the darker depths of the ship, led by a steady older man and with Gael trailing close behind. The right side of the captain's face was bloody, but she was calm and self-assured, guiding the few injured pirates in through a door and into the galley. There, a man with a graying beard and dark eyes was unpacking a sack full of medical supplies.

"Captain," he called, sounding nervous but still remarkably controlled. Beside the barely coherent Ainsley, Gael shook her head.

"Take care of the princess first," she ordered.

Ainsley blinked, not protesting as she was guided to the heavy wooden table and sat down on it. The pain had become more localized, and she realized it was coming from her left arm- a deep gash curving down from nearly her shoulder to her elbow. Ainsley had always had a strong stomach, but the sudden sight of so much of her own blood sent a wave of panic through her. She reached to push herself off the table with trembling hands, but was gently held back.

"It's alright, princess," Gael was assuring her. Ainsley struggled to focus on her bloody face. "Holman's the closest thing we've got to a medic on the Finch, but he knows what he's doing. He'll take good care of you."

Ainsley barely noticed as her sleeve was cut away, baring the injury to the stale air of the galley. Nervous shudders wracked her frame. Gael murmured a few words in a quieter tone to Holman, who answered. Ainsley only picked up a few words, but they were enough to make her go pale.

"No!" She exclaimed, once again trying to escape the table where she awaited treatment. "You can't stitch the wound up. I won't allow it!"

"Ainsley, it's too deep for just a bandage. Just try to stay calm and it'll be over soon, alright?" Gael asked, giving her a smile. Ainsley swallowed. She could call on a dragon again. Could summon a beast to her aid. She had the power now to destroy every one of these pirates.

But she wouldn't. They really were trying to help her, she realized.

Holman opened a jar full of something thick and awful-smelling. Ainsley wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"To help with the pain," he assured her, setting it aside and then picking up a cloth that he wetter with a flask nearby. Ainsley watched, slowly trying to calm down, as he began to clean the wound, making her cringe every time the cloth send a stab of pain through her arm.

It wasn't that she'd never been hurt or seen blood before. Training and sparring with Luca had guaranteed a patchwork of cuts and bruises all throughout her childhood. But she had never experienced pain or injury on this scale before.

When he was finished, Holman dipped two fingers into the salve and smeared it over the wound. Ainsley sucked in a sharp breath, spots clouding her vision suddenly for a moment as he worked it inside the gash.

"Is this really necessary?" She complained through gritted teeth, knuckles white where her fingers gripped the coarse edge of the table. Gael only gave her a sympathetic smile.

"That'll need a moment to do its job. Captain, let's take a look at you next," Holman suggested. Gael shook her head.

"Tend to the injured men first. I can wait."

He shook his head, annoyed but apparently not expecting much else from her by this point. From the group of crewmen, which had almost all made their way into the galley at this point, three or four shuffled forward, sporting various injuries, though none quite on the same level as Ainsley's. Holman got to work immediately, unrolling bandages and applying salves. Gael leaned her weight against the table Ainsley sat on.

"Your father's going to have me hanged," she said, staring critically at the wound. Ainsley glanced down at it, then regretted it and looked away again, choosing to remain silent for a short moment as her stomach squirmed.

"It's going to scar, isn't it?" She asked at last.

"Yes. Sorry about that."

Ainsley managed a shaky smile. "I don't mind." It was the truth. And her father would be angry, which pleased her.

Silence reigned between the two of them again, both of them watching as Holman tended to the other injured sailors. Ainsley tried not to look at Gael; she knew she wouldn't be able to not look at her head wound. She knew the captain was probably fine, and the wound was only bleeding a lot, but it looked awful.

"That was unlike anything I've ever seen before," Gael said at last, shifting her position. She didn't need to elaborate. "I've seen dragons before and I knew you could do that, but...." she shook her head. Ainsley swallowed.

"Hearing it described and seeing it happen are two very different things," she agreed quietly. Gael nodded wordlessly.

Her entire upper arm was growing numb. It was an uncomfortable stinging sensation at first, but before long, it faded until she couldn't feel her arm at all. It was strange, but a nice relief from the constant pain. She touched bloody fingers to the area around the wound tentatively, a little uneasy about the way her skin didn't register or feel the contact at all.

But without pain to cloud her thoughts, Ainsley found herself relaxing slightly. The cuff was off, for however long that would last, and she finally felt like herself again. Despite still being a hostage on a pirate ship, a warm contentment settled over her for the moment.

Holman finished up with the men, cleaned his hands on a rag, and turned to face Gael. She gave him a faint smile and shook her head knowingly. He sighed begrudgingly and reached inside the bag for a needle and thread. Ainsley glanced at Gael.

"You... really should get that taken care of," she said at last, feeling awkward.

"I will. Your stitches won't take very long. I can wait."

Ainsley rolled her eyes.

"Listen, princess, if I was the most grievously injured person on this ship, I would allow myself to be treated first. But I am not, so my crew comes first."

"I'm not part of your crew."

"No, but you're on my ship and you're hurt. Besides, you're still royalty."

Ainsley huffed, a little uncomfortable with the distinction for reasons she couldn't make sense of. Her attention fixed on Holman, who'd positioned himself beside her, preparing the needle. While Ainsley knew she wouldn't feel much, the sharp object was large enough to make her uneasy.

When the needle pricked through her skin for the first time, she knew instantly she wouldn't be able to watch the process. Stomach heaving for the second time that day, Ainsley turned her face away, swallowing shakily and gripping the edge of the table until she was certain she wouldn't be able to unlock her fingers after the process was over. There was no pain, thanks to the salve, but she could feel the needle push through her skin with every dip it took, the coarse thread pulling the wound closed and rubbing along the exposed flesh beneath. She stared at the ground between her feet, willing herself to think of something else.

To his credit, Holman finished the sutures quickly, tying the thread and then snipping the leftover length away. Ainsley felt herself go limp in relief, glad to finally be finished with the process. The moment the needle was cleaned and put away, the small group of sailors still with her in the galley, burst into applause. Ainsley couldn't resist a shaky smile and dipped herself forward in a bow, playing along. Gael grinned.

Holman finished by wrapping a bandage several times around the closed wound, tying it off and then giving her a smile. She thanked him, once again amazed by the fact that she was doing so for a pirate, and slipped off the table on unsteady legs. Gael was by her side in an instant.

"Come, you should probably rest for awhile-"

"Captain," Holman snapped, giving her a glare. He waved the bandage he was holding at her and she smiled reluctantly.

"Alright. Well, Nathe will take you, then. It seems our doctor insists I stay."

The captain hadn't made any move to replace the cuff yet. Nathe was by her side, holding an arm out to her in a surprisingly gentlemanly manner. Ainsley let herself take his elbow to be led away.

Maybe she should try to leave before someone decided the safest option would be to take away her abilities once more. Now that she had this, she wouldn't allow them to take it away again. She wouldn't allow anyone to take it away again; she had decided that much.