Bitter Heart √

Fourteen

Skylar's POV

Opening the first drawer as fast as possible, I rummaged through the various things present inside but failed to find the only thing I was looking for right now.

The first aid box.

I couldn't believe searching for such an obvious thing could prove out to be so hard in such a situation--an emergency.

After what felt like hours, I finally spotted a small transparent box in one of the lower cabinets. Snatching it out, I exited the kitchen and rushed back towards Caden.

"I'm not really good at doing this. Why can't we just go to the hospital?" My hands were shaking a little as I opened the box. "I'll probably injure you more."

I might not have, now that I think about it. But I had never been in a situation like this. With a boy, injured and bleeding on my couch. Nerves were eating me up alive. What if I messed him up more than he already was right now?

"Not the hospital." He shifted a little on the couch, his hand reaching out for the first aid box. I ignored it and set it beside him, quickly opening it up. I didn't have to look at him to notice his frown. He was hurt yet he still was trying to hide it. Just looking at the wound on his arm was making me rethink the whole hospital thing.

Caden was being stubborn. Way more stubborn than I usually was.

"Okay." I nodded and unrolled a thick white bandage, trying to reassure myself more than him. I truly sucked at this; the panic brimming inside me confirmed that.

His jacket was already discarded aside. But as I sat down on the couch beside him, facing him, I heard him inhale slowly before--oh--taking off his shirt in one go.

Then I grimaced. The wound didn't look that bad, mostly grazed by the knife, but the blood was smudged everywhere. I didn't understand why my parents wanted me to pursue medicine when just the sight of too much blood made my mind go blank.

"It'll hurt, all right?" I whispered to him, furrowing my brows in concentration.

Then I took a small piece of cotton, dipped it in the antiseptic, and started to touch his wound with it.

You can do it, Sky.

"I c-can't." I pulled my trembling hand away.

Caden tipped his head back against the couch and briefly closed his eyes. His hand, once again, reached out towards me, silently asking me to hand it over to him.

I stared at him with wide eyes, then inhaled sharply. "No, no, I can do this. I'll just have to suck it up. You need help."

"It won't be much help if you faint on me."

"I won't faint on you," I told him, gritting my teeth, and softly gripping his forearm as I picked up the ball of cotton once again.

Caden didn't say anything at all. All he did was slightly hiss at the start, then he kept silent the whole way as I cleaned most of the wound. If I were in his place, I realised, I would've been bawling my eyes out.

When I was done and the wound didn't seem to be bleeding anymore, I took the large bandage and wrapped it slowly around his arm. It looked decent enough, not that messed up like before. A small shudder went through me and I pulled away from him, my hands going limp on my lap.