Hatchetfield Stories

Class Dismissed

Something light and fun just because I want to :)

I've had this idea for a while but I never did anything with it so here ya go

TRIGGER WARNINGS:
-Very minor injury
-Taking care of said injury (just disinfecting + bandaging so nothing heavy this time)

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"Ah, fuck!" Emma exclaimed, dropping the scalpel she'd been using for an experiment they'd have to write an essay about. She instinctively stuck her bleeding finger in her mouth, the metallic taste making her nauseous.

"Emma, dear? What's wrong?" Professor Hidgens asks, concern clear in his voice as he rushes to her table.

"Shit, I cut myself!" she told him, her words barely audible because of the finger in her mouth.

He gently tugged on her wrist. "Can you let me see?"

Emma nodded, showing her blood- and saliva-covered finger, trying to ignore the many eyes of curious students who thought this was way more interesting than any experiment.

"That's pretty deep, you should go to the hospital."

Emma huffed. "It's just a scratch, Hidgens. I'm not going to the fucking hospital for some stupid cut. I'll just put a bandaid over it when I get home, it'll be fine."

"No, you're not," he cut her off, standing up. "Guys, you can go to the cafeteria and study for next week's test while I help Emma here, I'll see you tomorrow."

Most of the students immediately stood up, shoving their books in their bags and rushing out of the classroom, only a few of them saying goodbye to the professor on their way out.

"Now," Hidgens started, grabbing a big box from a shelf before turning his attention back to Emma, who was still sucking on her finger. "Come over to the sink," he instructed, turning on the water and grabbing Emma's wrist to guide her hand under the cold stream while he searched through the first aid kit.

First, he pulled out several bandages and plasters and bottles of antiseptic, more than she would ever need for a small cut on her finger. Hell, even if she had chopped off her entire finger, they would probably not even need that many supplies.

She drew the line when he pulled out a suture kit and struggled to force the thread through the eye of the needle with his shaking hands.

"Hidgens, it's just a scratch! Just put a bandaid on it and it'll be fine!"

He sighed, putting the suture kit back. "You're right, let me see."

Emma turned off the water with her uninjured hand, sitting down and placing her hand on the table so he could look at it.

"It's bleeding a lot, but I don't think it's too deep," he told her, taking her hand to take a closer look. "You might be right about not needing to go to the hospital. At least, not if it doesn't get infected. So let's take care of that, shall we?"

He walked to his desk to grab a tissue and sat down on the other side of the table, unscrewing the bottle of antiseptic. Emma's face scrunched up when the all-too-familiar stench of disinfectant filled the air.

"Alright, this might sting," professor Hidgens warned, putting his hand on her wrist to hold her hand in place, before pouring a bit of the antiseptic onto the cut.

Emma sucked in a breath through gritted teeth as he wiped the access drops away with the tissue, as well as the blood that had already formed a small stain on the table below her hand.

"Shit, sorry about the table," she apologized, pulling her hand away.

"Dear, I think we have more to worry about than I table that I didn't even pay for." He grabbed a roll of bandages and held his hand out, gesturing for her to give him her hand so he could bandage her finger.

She winced when he put a light pressure on the cut to hold the bandage in place until he had wrapped it around a few more times, but brushed off his apology. "It's fine, Hidgens. Really, thank you."

He smiled as he cut the bandage and taped the end to make sure it wouldn't come off. "Do you need a ride? I don't have any classes after this, and I'd be more than happy to drive you home."

Emma shrugged. "Sure." She waited by the door as Hidgens gathered his stuff and turned off the lights, before following him to his car and giving him her address, although he probably knew it already.

"This is better than taking a bus or walking, am I right?" she laughed, falling silent when he didn't even smile at her shitty attempt to crack a joke.

"Make sure you change the bandage often," he told her when the car slowed down in front of Emma's house.

Emma nodded, fidgeting with the zipper of her bag. "Thank you, professor. Really, it means a lot."

Hidgens chuckled. "See it as a thank you for the groceries you got me last month, alright?"

Emma smiled, getting out of the car.

"Oh, and Emma?" he asked her before she could close the door.

"Yeah?"

"Good luck with studying for next week's test. If you have any questions, you know where to find me."

She nodded with a smile, closing the door and watching him drive away.