Unlocked (Ida x female reader)

Chapter 8

When I wake up, my arm hurts worse. It's so bad that I call Martac while I grip the bandage with my free hand to apply pressure. It seems to make it feel better but it lets me know that it's also very hot to the touch.

"It's way too early for ya to be awake, lass" Martac grumbles when he answers after the third time I try to call.

"Is Chris still with you?"

"Yeah. Why? Everything alright?" The tiredness is out of his voice in an instant and it sounds like he sits up.

"It's just my arm. I think it feels worse than it should."

"He's still here. Are you already on yer way?"

"Just woke up. I'm going to get dressed and bop over if you're okay with it."

"Ya must be sick, lass. Ya never ask to come over, ya just show up." There's a note of worry in his tone and I take that as my invitation to rush over. He is right. It isn't like me to call before breaking into his apartment.

"See you soon" I hang up before he can say anything else. It's pretty early in the morning, which makes sense after going to bed before the clock even turned to double digits last night.

In record time, I'm in front of Martac's door and I knock before opening it.

"What seems to be the issue?" Chris asks, meeting me in the entry way, shirtless with his pajama pants slung low on his hips. He runs a hand through his bed head which only makes his hair messier and frustratingly good looking. "Mar said something about your arm being worse?"

"Yeah it's really hot today and I'm a little concerned."

"Come sit, I'll see what I can do." He sleepily walks to the couch and I sit down next to him, wounded arm on the side he's sitting. He unwraps it and prods the edges. "Definitely infected at least."

"Can you help me?" I ask, my heart pounding at the possibility that he can't.

"Yeah of course." He covers the wound with his hand and the warmth picks up to a burning feeling as my flesh stitches itself back together. Eventually, the pain yields and Chris lets go. The only evidence that I was hurt is a thin scar where the gash was.

"Thanks" I say feeling along the scar and feeling ten times better.

"There was definitely poison or some toxic chemical on the blade that cut you." Chris replies, holding his head.

"Oh shit. Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah, I'll just have a wicked headache today. Whatever it was would have killed you eventually. It's a good thing you came when you did. It would have gotten much worse very quickly.

"Was Martac's blade tainted too?"

"No. His was a standard weapon."

"Odd"

"Yeah. You could say that." He drops his hand and looks at me very intensely "can you give him a week off? We're in a really good place right now and I have the time to take from work. I'd really like to spend the time with him."

"Yeah. Of course. This week has already been cleared"

"Good" he sighs and leans against the couch. Now that I'm not so focused on my arm, I hear the shower running in the apartment and I finally have a chance to pry into a topic that Martac won't discuss with me.

"Can I ask you something kind of personal?"

"Sure."

"Why do the two of you keep breaking up when you so clearly care for each other?" I ask. Martac never answers me when we broach the subject and it's the only time he ever really yells at me.