In The Beginning, Chapter 111
Once Daniel had turned around on the stool, I moved to his side, my hand slipped into his naturally as the other entwined itself into the hair above the nape of his neck.
“I’ll go as quick as I can.” I saw Ethan nod to us in my peripheral vision, but Daniel and I were frozen, staring at each other. I hadn’t noticed how dark the circles below his eyes had gotten, how ragged his beard looked, how tired and hurt he looked. I’m sure he was noticing my own dark circles, his eyes and investigating the differences in my face and hair, even for such a short time, our self-imposed isolation from one another was showing. I’m sure anyone watching us would have assumed every flash of pain in his expression to be from the wounds, but I could see how each one corresponded to a change he spotted as he, like me, took advantage of our temporary truce to take account of the damage each fight had caused. Equally, any reaction they saw on my face could easily be attributed to Daniel’s physical injuries, but it was the ones I had inflicted that pained me the most.
“You haven’t been sleeping.” I said first, through the link.
“Neither have you.” He replied softly.
“Where have you been... not sleeping?” I asked when the silence became too uncomfortable to bear.
“Does it matter?” He asked, resignedly.
“Would you want to know if you had no idea where I was sleeping?” I asked, and he growled softly, but disapprovingly, and in so proving my point, I raised an eyebrow in defiance. Letting him know our conversation was over, unless he chose to answer.
“The barracks, on Ben and Maria’s couch... or the spare bedroom upstairs... I was trying to give you space, not...” He groaned out loud, obviously frustrated. “Maria said-”
“You told Maria?” I interrupted, hurt and upset, the one thing I had been clinging to was that no one knew.
“I needed help... Nothing I said came across how I intended, which led to more fighting... I was lost... I thought you were going to leave me.” He confessed hesitantly. “She told me to give you space, that you knew I hadn’t been in control, but that didn’t take away the hurt of seeing... So, I started coming home after I knew you would be asleep. It killed me to leave before you woke, but every morning... it just became too hard...”
“What we’re you going to say?” I pressed. “About the mornings, you stopped yourself, but I’d like to know.”
“Every morning I would wake up, and our bodies had reached out for each other in the night... But my last morning in our bed, you were whimpering in pain, in your sleep, and crying... you kept asking my how I could’ve been fooled by her, and I knew you would wake yourself up soon, and I should leave, but your arms were wrapped around me so tight... I couldn’t do it!” He begged me to understand. I remembered that morning, waking up with his arms wrapped around me. He had been whispering over and over that he was sorry, I was surprised, and embarrassed, I went to splash some cold water on my face and calm down, hoping we could talk, but when I came back, he was gone.
“Finished with this leg Alpha, I’m afraid this wound,” he indicated the deep laceration to Daniel’s peck, will impede your movement if I don’t remove the scar tissue that’s started to form.” He explained.
“What does that mean?” I asked, kinda sure I already knew but hoping I was wrong.
“I have to cut the scarred tissue away, allowing Alphas healing to replace anything I cut away and heal correctly.” Ethan explained carefully, while I tried not to vomit at the thought.
“But you can use anaesthesia for that?” I asked, feeling like I had to be missing something for everyone to be so calm.
“We can, but it can slow the healing process, so I would advise against it.” Ethan replied, Daniel gave my hand a little squeeze.
“I’ll be fine.” He said softly to me. “Get on with it, doc. Time is tissue remember!” He said sarcastically to Ethan, but his eyes never left my face.
“No, Daniel, let me try, please?” I begged, putting my hand over the wound and gathering my power.
“No, you’ve used too much power today already, I can handle it, I promise.” He brought my hand to his lips, kissing my wrist again. “I knew being near me was hurting you... leaving is the hardest thing I’ve ever done.” He confessed through the link.
“I wasn’t trying to hurt you.” I replied guiltily.
“I know.” He replied instantly, both of us chuckled awkwardly and I felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment at what everyone around us thought.
“I miss you.” I admitted, almost against my own will.
“Charlie...” He began.
“Deep breath now.” Ethan instructed, Daniel complied almost absentmindedly, wanting to continue our conversation, but grunting with pain as the doctor completed his work.
“Oh god!” I cried, at a loss of how to help him if he wouldn’t let me use my powers.
“I’m okay... I’m okay.” Daniel panted aloud. “See?” He groaned after looking down and seeing the wound begin to mend. “We done now doc?” He grumbled.
“As soon as your banana bag is empty, I’d say... ten minutes tops.” Ethan replied, eyeballing the bag critically.
“Would you suggest a bath for the healing muscles or a shower?” I asked, looking at the smears and dried streaks still present, even if the wounds beneath were gone.
“A bath may be more beneficial, but a shower is fine, just no strenuous activity for the next twenty-four hours, and a good night’s sleep.” I felt my cheeks heat yet again as Ben giggled behind me. “Any redness or issues could be an infection, so call me immediately.” Ethan added as he began packing things away and disposing of the bloodied gauze.
“Anything else we should watch out for?” I asked him, as he worked.
“No, but you will be tired, achy for a day or so.” He looked a Daniel, silently letting him know something I couldn’t understand.
“Fine.” Daniel replied with a nod, and I found myself looking back and forth between the two men trying to work it out. “Its nothing bad, he was just warning me about over-exerting myself, it’s not about sex, so don’t blush. Its about some things I said when I woke up, things like tracking down every last vamp I could and ripping them limb from limb. Ethan can take things quite literally, and was checking I wasn’t actually planning to avenge my own abduction and torture.” He explained through the link. I nodded, too embarrassed to say anything, and wanting the ground to swallow me whole. “Charlie please stop blushing; you know what it does to me!” He groaned through the link while shifting uncomfortably to cover his growing problem.
“What... what kind of doctor are you?” I asked Ethan, trying to change the subject, and not stare at Daniel’s massive erection. I knew it most likely hadn’t grown, and maybe it was an effect of not seeing it everyday, but it looked bigger.
“I’m a trauma surgeon, but here I run the ER.” Ethan smiled politely.
“Oh, stop being humble, its disgustingly nice.” Ben interrupted. “Ethan, is our resident genius, double board certified, trauma and paediatrics. Don’t try and work out how, he did everything early, like Doogie Howser.” He teased, and I saw Ethan let out an exasperated sigh.
“There isn’t a Doogie Howser, or Sheldon Cooper joke in existence I haven’t heard.” He sighed, tiredly.
“How old were you in college?” I asked, suddenly curious.
“I graduated high school when I was fifteen.” He shrugged.
“So... how old were you when you were tutoring Daniel?” I asked, sensing I had found the source of the tension.
“Fourteen.” Ethan nodded, throwing the last of the gauze into the trash and tying the bag up.
“You should have seen it when he showed up the first day, Daniel was in his bed, cast on his leg and arm, and about a dozen claw marks that were still healing.” Ben froze his upper body, and stuck his leg out straight in front of him. “I’m not having some kid tutor me!” He grumbled before laughing, returning to his previous position.
“I hadn’t had my growth spurt yet.” Ethan confessed, and I found myself biting my lips trying not to laugh, while Daniel just glowered at Ben, encouraging him further.
“Okay, Ben, do you have any other business for the Alpha this evening?” I asked pointedly.
“Uh, yeah...” Ben stopped laughing, and messing about, getting serious. “I called the families of the humans that were killed at Appletree, as CFO, as far as the world is concerned you were injured during the explosion, but Robert is gonna have to send someone for your statement, I’ve written it, and left it on your desk.”
“You offered to pay for the funeral, keep in touch during the investigation?” Daniel asked him succinctly.
“Yes, they said they would think about it, you should call them tomorrow.” Ben sighed with a slap to Daniel’s shoulder as he passed. “Night Charlie. Ethan.” He waved to me and nodded to Ethan as he left.
“That bag is just about empty, so I will be out of your way soon too.” Ethan smiled.
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