HIRED GUN // H.S AU

six

AMARA

I shrieked as I landed a few metres away, into the deeper water. The water surrounded my body, my arms flailing in the water to reach the surface. Water flooded into my mouth as a rock smashed into my rib cage, my scream being muffled by the thrashing water.

My head finally reached the surface after what felt like hours, my hands pulling the hair from my face. My eyes watered as I coughed out water, scratching at my burning throat. My body must've being pushed back to the shallow water, thanking it when my feet touched the ground.

"Finn, what the fuck!" I heard a commotion in the water beside me, but I ignored it as I struggled to walk out of the water, my legs jiggling. I cried out when my fingers came in contact with my side, panting when I looked down to see my rib cage covered in blood.

"Fuck," Harry lifted my chin up to meet his eyes, my panicked state relaxing slightly. "I'm so sorry."

I would've asked him why if I wasn't in shock, everything happened so fast, I wasn't sure what really happened just yet. Harry had rested his arm across me, his hand gripping my hip, careful to not touch my sensitive ribs. I stumbled slightly when he began walking us away, his grip straightening me up.

"Would you like me to carry you?" I ignored Harry's words, not wanting to admit to the pain I felt when I walked. I took another step, my legs buckling in disapproval. I grumbled in distaste when Harry lifted me into his arms, not liking the fact that I couldn't walk myself.

"So stubborn," Harry rolled his eyes, gently placing me into the passenger seat of his car. I zoned out as I heard the four people we'd come here to meet talking to Harry from outside the car. My head laid to the side, masking my view from them. I stirred as the driver's door opened, Harry jumping in beside me.

"I'm taking you to the hospital, looks like you've fractured a rib," Harry shook his head, his hand curling into a fist around the steering wheel. I sighed at the word 'hospital', the word bringing up memories I never wanted to think of again.

"Sleep." Harry must've noticed my tired eyes opening and closing, his gaze fixated on me. I hummed at him softly, closing my eyes and not opening them again.

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"Amara," I was awaken by my arm being shaken, Harry's deep voice mumbling my name. I rolled my head to the sound, my eyes opening to meet Harry's. "We're here."

I held onto his shoulder for support as I slid out of the car, Harry's hand holding my other arm to keep me steady. I was relieved to realise my side didn't hurt as much now, and I could walk without the pain being unbearable.

Harry's hands left me as we walked to the entrance of the hospital, angry at myself when I leaned into his figure, in want of his touch again. He must've noticed, because his hand returned to my clothed hip. I looked down at my body, noticing a black t-shirt had been placed over me.

"I put it on you before I woke you up, was a challenge but I assumed you wouldn't be comfortable with everyone in the hospital seeing you like that," Harry must've seen me glancing down at the shirt, his voice rasping towards the end.

I wanted to thank him, but was interrupted by a nurse hurrying towards us at a fast pace. "What can we do for you?" She rushed her words, worried eyes spanning over my flustered face.

"She got in a bit of a, uh, swimming accident? I think she fractured a couple of her ribs," Harry spoke for me, the nurse guiding us to a room close by.

"A doctor will be with you shortly." Harry thanked her as she walked out, sitting me down on the bed in the middle of the room.

"Thankyou," I finally opened my mouth to speak to Harry, his head flicking up to me.

"It's my job," Harry shrugged, his expression slightly changed from the one previous. Right. He wasn't doing this for me, he was doing this because it's his job.

"Good afternoon, miss," a doctor strolled into the room, a chart held in his hands.

"Svenson," I answered for him, laying down on the bed when he gestured for me to. I felt uncomfortable as he lifted Harry's shirt from my body, bunching it up under my chest.

"How did this happen?" The doctor asked, trying to take attention away from where he was poking and prodding at my ribs. I screeched when he pressed a certain spot, my hand flying out to push his away.

"Careful," Harry warned, his body now towering over the bed, watching the doctor cautiously.

"I'm just doing my job mate," the doctor stopped his poking and prodding, taking off his gloves to dispose of them. "I'm not too sure, but I think you have broken at least one rib. We'll have to take a scan to make sure, if that's okay with you?"

"That's fine," I whispered, closing my eyes as the pain in my ribs subsided.

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Once the scans were done, it was confirmed that I'd broke not one, but two ribs, due to the impact of my fragile body smashing into the rock in the water. The doctor recommended staying in bed for about a week, and avoiding serious physical activity for about two weeks.

We were asked to come back for a check after those two weeks, the doctor prescribing me some pain medication and even giving me a lollipop as an apology for poking my rib too harshly. He offered Harry one too, who answered with a death glare.

"What are you doing?" Harry's voice pulled me from my thoughts, stopping my actions of buttering bread.

"Making a sandwich?" I looked at him strangely as he narrowed his eyes at me.

"You should be in bed," he nudged me out of the way, grabbing the knife from me to continue making the sandwich.

"I was hungry," I grumbled, growing angrier by the second. "I am capable of making myself a god-damn sandwich!" The medication made me moody, and I'd only been on it for an hour.

"You should've just asked me."

"Don't tell me what to do," I raised my voice at him, pushing him out of the way. I cried out at the fast movement I'd made, hunching over in pain. Harry was back by my side in seconds, his hand resting on my lower back.

"Are you okay?" His voice had lowered to a whisper, my eyes clenching closed as the pain meds failed to do their job.

"I'm fine," I sighed heavily, waddling away from Harry back to my bedroom, tears spilling out of my eyes. It was pathetic, crying over not being able to make a sandwich. I felt stripped of my independence, and my obsessive need to do things myself was overpowering all my emotions.

I threw all my pants and skirts onto my bed from out of my closet, placing the blacks in the wardrobe first. Whenever my mum would stop me from doing something I needed to do, I'd re-do my closet, arranging the clothes by colour over and over again.

I stopped my arranging when a knock sounded on my door, Harry's head popping in after. He pushed the door open as I stayed silent, his hands holding a sandwich placed on a plate. I smiled thankfully as he placed it on my bedside table, turning to continue my re-arranging.

"Do you want me to do that while you eat?" Harry gestured to my wardrobe, his figure floating by the doorway.

"No, that's okay, thank-you," I rejected his offer, placing a grey skirt into the right place. I heard him walk away, the door closing behind him.