Stained

Chapter 52

"Excuse—." The doctor begins, but Damien cuts him off. "She's going first." He nods his head in my direction without sparing me a glance.

"Coward," I cough the word into my hand, not making much of an effort to conceal it.

The reaction I get is worth it — he whips his head to face me. "What did you just call me?"

"I didn't call you anything. I'm just stating the plain and simple truth. You're a coward. It is a fair solution to our predicament, but you're obviously a proud male who knows he's going to lose against me."

"It's a ridiculous child's game, hazel."

I pop a shoulder precisely like said a child would.

Damiens looks to the nurse, to no doubt demand he checks me first. "Give us a minute," he surprises me by saying.

"I'm sorry, but—."

But Damien's already grabbing my hand and pulling me away from him. "Damien, what are you doing?"

He turns me around until his back is to the nurse and lets go of my hand. "I... I don't know how to do it."

"What?" I question, momentarily confused as to what he could be referring to. Surely not that. He has got to be joking to get out of it.

"Hazel," he presses, seeming annoyed and maybe even a little embarrassed.

"You've never played Rock Paper Scissors?" I whisper without even realising it. I find that so hard to believe, though. "You have to have played it as a kid?" Every kid has. Right?

"Hazel, I said I didn't, so drop it."It takes everything in me not to blanch at the sudden harshness in his voice. "I'm sorry. I was just shocked."

"Rose," his voice is soft to the point where I wonder if I was speaking to a totally different person. But it was him. It's always been him. The good and the bad. Yet he somehow always manages to strike that strange place inside me when he's sweet, so much so I forget he was ever cruel.

He tries to grab my hand as I'm walking back to the nurse, but my fingers slip out of his grasp.

"So, who's going first?" The nurse doesn't hesitate to ask.

"I am," Damien surprises me by saying.

My eyes widen, and I whirl on him. Am I hearing things? Then again, he's so confusing. One minute he portrays an emotion whilst saying something, then in the next second, it's the complete opposite. I don't understand him.

"What?" I ask, not bothering to mask my shock. I have to be hearing things. So he was cruel to me for no reason. Despite it coming at the expense of him being mean to me,  I'm almost ashamed to admit — even though it's to myself — I'm glad he's agreed to go first. And not because of my PTSD. Strangely that's the last thing on my mind right now. But because he was bleeding so much.

"I said I'll go first," he repeats. Then once he reaches me, he grabs my hand. At first, I'm too shocked to grab his back, but I quickly find the ache of his words won't allow me to do so. On the other hand, I can't find it in myself to pull my hand out of his. I must look and seem so pathetic to him. As much as I hate to admit it, I need the comfort of his touch.

I can feel Damien looking at me even as I keep my eyes pinned on the nurse.

"Is it that one?" The nurse points to his bandaged hand.

Damien huffs and gruffly turns to face the nurse. "What do you think?" He rolls his eyes.

The nurse doesn't seem to care. "Can I?"