The Undecided Title Of Sara Miller *Hobbit Fanfiction* (Thorin/OC)

Chapter 8: Assumptions

"What do you think of this one?" asked Sara, holding out her rough wooden cat for Bifur to see. He took it and using the signal she had taught him gave her the thumbs-up. He pointed out several small flaws before handing it back.

She was almost finished fixing it when the knife slipped and cut into the pad of her thumb. She let out a soft curse and popped it into a mouth as Bifur looked up from his work to see her sucking her thumb. He held out his hand, and she pulled the digit from her mouth for him to inspect. He frowned as blood dripped to the ground.

"Don't worry I've had worse," she said, taking back her hand. "I'll be fine. I'm just going to get my first aid kit. I have something that should help."

She was digging her first aid kit out of the bottom of her pack, her belongings spewed all over the floor in her tent when someone behind her spoke.

"Ms. Miller?"

She turned to see Oin standing outside her tent, a bag in one hand and hearing horn in the other. "Bifur said you might require some medical attention."

"It's just a small cut on my thumb, no big deal," she said. "I should be fine."

"Bifur was quite insistent. May I see?"

Sara held her hand out for Oin to examine. He didn't move at first and she noted his unease as he examined the tent doorway. She crawled to sit within his reach. Looking relieved, he took her hand.

"Not too serious," he said after a moment. "Would you like me to put a stitch in it?"

"No," she said, pulling her hand back to smear the antiseptic cream on her thumb. She unwrapped the band-aid. "It's not too deep. I have triple antibiotic and a butterfly band-aid, I'll be fine" He watched as she secured the tape in place.

"What is triple antibiotic and what use will a butterfly be to you," he asked.

"Just some of the rudimentary first aid supplies in my kit. Would you like to see?"

He seemed skeptical at first but his curiosity won out in the end. He nodded and sat just outside the door, not willing to enter her strange portable dwelling. She showed him all the supplies in her first aid kit, which was sorely lacking in anything of real use. There were some Band-Aids, a few bandages, some anti-itch cream, triple antibiotic, Benadryl, Tylenol, a suture and thread kit, and a pack of quick clot gauze. Nathan had given her the quick clot and even insisted on teaching her how and when to use it. It had required watching quite a grizzly video on YouTube, but better safe than sorry Nathen had told her.

"I just threw some stuff in a box," she explained. "There are even better kits you can buy in stores. We have whole moving vehicles full of first aid equipment called ambulances, and even ones that fly through the sky called helicopters."

"Did you say you can fly through the sky," said Oin readjusting his hearing trumpet with a look of disbelief.

"Yep," she said eagerly. "We can travel all around the world and even overseas in just a day."

"You must think me an ignorant fool," he said scowling.

"No, really, I'm not trying to trick you. It may seem impossible to you, but you have to understand that to me this all seems impossible as well. I have never thought that dragons were real, but here you are, a band of dwarves, marching to take back your home from one. And Gandalf is a real live wizard. Your world is just as fantastical to me as mine is to you."

He regarded her for a moment, still not looking convinced. After a few moments, he returned to his questions about her medical supplies. He especially liked the little pills and it asked what each one did.