[cl] 30. Stitches
[Set in fooledtheworld, sometime between 502 and 504. ohgodkillme_now is used with permission and love.]
“That looks nasty.”
She had been sleeping, he had let himself in. She couldn’t say she minded-at this point he had a key, so it didn’t matter. But coming in beat up like this, that she minded. It was a sign that he was starting to get a little reckless, and reckless on Dean was never a good thing. This time he had come in with a large gash on the arm that he was favoring. When he looked up at her, she could tell that he hadn’t wanted her to see it, but it was a little late for that now.
“I’ll live,” he sighed, sitting down at the table. “Do you have a-”
“In the bathroom,” she sighed, before heading toward it. “Come on.”
“I’m good.”
“It’ll be easier to clean it up in there. Come on.” Dean gave her a bit of a look at that, but he did as he was told, following her into the bathroom. She sat him down on the toilet, and pulled up his arm to have a look at it. “What happened?”
He shrugged. “Vamp got the drop on me, turned my machete on me. No big.”
“You didn’t-?”
“No, he didn’t turn me. I’m fine.” He winced a bit as she moved his arm under the faucet to wash away the excess blood. Without the blood staining his skin, it doesn’t look any prettier, deep and jagged.
“This needs a doctor, Dean.”
“I can’t afford another trip to the hospital this month, Bela, we’ve already got Bobby on the insurance-”
“I can pay for it,” she said softly. “I have the money. I know you don’t like taking it, but this needs stitches. I can’t do it, and you can’t do it with one hand.”
“Bela-”
“Please. For me.” He looked up at her, and there was something wrong, she could see it, but she wouldn’t push for now. She just hoped that he would let her do this. His gaze faltered after a moment before nodding as he got up. “Thank you,” she sighed, before grabbing her coat to get him to the emergency room.
***
The gash had gotten the doctor’s attention to them quickly enough that they were seen relatively quickly. Dean dozed off between the initial assessment and when the they came to irrigate and stitch up the wound, and Bela just waited with him, stealing a magazine from the waiting room to read. It was still a few hours, but they managed to get in and out of there without too many questions. It wasn’t long before they were back at her place, getting ready to head to bed.
“Where’s Sam?”
It was the question that had been on the tip of her tongue since Dean had arrived, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to know the answer to it. Sam would have never left his brother in that kind of shape. She knew both of them well enough for that. Dean didn’t seem to want to answer it-she could tell by the way his jaw set as he climbed into bed next to her, wrapping his arm around her to pull her close.
“Can we talk about this in the morning?”
“Dean.”
He huffed a sigh, before sitting up again. “I don’t know, alright?”
She frowned. “What do you mean you don’t-”
“He quit,” Dean said with a sigh. “He’s getting out of the hunt, so I’m pretty much on my own.” She gave him a concerned look, and she started to say something but before she could he leaned in and kissed her softly. “Can we just talk about this in the morning? Please?”
She nodded, before settling in under the sheets next to him, letting him pull her close. She wasn’t sure what was going on, but she was sure that it wasn’t good either. Not that there was much she could do about it right now. No matter how much she may have wanted to.
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“That looks nasty.”
She had been sleeping, he had let himself in. She couldn’t say she minded-at this point he had a key, so it didn’t matter. But coming in beat up like this, that she minded. It was a sign that he was starting to get a little reckless, and reckless on Dean was never a good thing. This time he had come in with a large gash on the arm that he was favoring. When he looked up at her, she could tell that he hadn’t wanted her to see it, but it was a little late for that now.
“I’ll live,” he sighed, sitting down at the table. “Do you have a-”
“In the bathroom,” she sighed, before heading toward it. “Come on.”
“I’m good.”
“It’ll be easier to clean it up in there. Come on.” Dean gave her a bit of a look at that, but he did as he was told, following her into the bathroom. She sat him down on the toilet, and pulled up his arm to have a look at it. “What happened?”
He shrugged. “Vamp got the drop on me, turned my machete on me. No big.”
“You didn’t-?”
“No, he didn’t turn me. I’m fine.” He winced a bit as she moved his arm under the faucet to wash away the excess blood. Without the blood staining his skin, it doesn’t look any prettier, deep and jagged.
“This needs a doctor, Dean.”
“I can’t afford another trip to the hospital this month, Bela, we’ve already got Bobby on the insurance-”
“I can pay for it,” she said softly. “I have the money. I know you don’t like taking it, but this needs stitches. I can’t do it, and you can’t do it with one hand.”
“Bela-”
“Please. For me.” He looked up at her, and there was something wrong, she could see it, but she wouldn’t push for now. She just hoped that he would let her do this. His gaze faltered after a moment before nodding as he got up. “Thank you,” she sighed, before grabbing her coat to get him to the emergency room.
***
The gash had gotten the doctor’s attention to them quickly enough that they were seen relatively quickly. Dean dozed off between the initial assessment and when the they came to irrigate and stitch up the wound, and Bela just waited with him, stealing a magazine from the waiting room to read. It was still a few hours, but they managed to get in and out of there without too many questions. It wasn’t long before they were back at her place, getting ready to head to bed.
“Where’s Sam?”
It was the question that had been on the tip of her tongue since Dean had arrived, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to know the answer to it. Sam would have never left his brother in that kind of shape. She knew both of them well enough for that. Dean didn’t seem to want to answer it-she could tell by the way his jaw set as he climbed into bed next to her, wrapping his arm around her to pull her close.
“Can we talk about this in the morning?”
“Dean.”
He huffed a sigh, before sitting up again. “I don’t know, alright?”
She frowned. “What do you mean you don’t-”
“He quit,” Dean said with a sigh. “He’s getting out of the hunt, so I’m pretty much on my own.” She gave him a concerned look, and she started to say something but before she could he leaned in and kissed her softly. “Can we just talk about this in the morning? Please?”
She nodded, before settling in under the sheets next to him, letting him pull her close. She wasn’t sure what was going on, but she was sure that it wasn’t good either. Not that there was much she could do about it right now. No matter how much she may have wanted to.
672 words