Brainwashed

Recovering

TW:// Self-Harm 

Naomi's head bolts up. She wasn't sure what had awakened her at first, but the sight of Natasha missing from her bed and light coming from the bathroom alerted her.

"Nat!" Naomi cried, jumping up from her mattress. Naomi scrambled over to the bathroom and pushed open the door. She was greeted by the sight of Natasha seated on the tile staring at her arms. Naomi could see Cobbler, Tanya, and Prince's heads poking into the room in the mirror.

"Are you alright?" The medical inkling says, pushing through the group of people. Natasha trembles.

"My arms." She whispers. The medical inkling carefully walks over to Natasha and motions for her to show her arms. Natasha stretches one arm out and the medical inkling takes a quick look at it.

"What's wrong? Er- what's your name?" Naomi says.

"Honey." The medical inkling says. "Also, it appears that she has several untreated cuts across her arms. I'll be right back." Honey stands up and heads back into the bedroom. Tanya waltzes into the bathroom and looks at Natasha's arms.

"Do you know how you got these?" Tanya asks. Natasha shakes her head slowly. Naomi slowly steps back and accidentally bumps into Cobbler.

"Sorry." Cobbler mutters.

"Why are YOU sorry?" Naomi whispers back. Cobbler shakes her head and shrugs. Honey comes back in with a medical bag.

"Please stand back." Honey says to Tanya. Tanya backs up and joins the rest of the group. Honey shuffles through the bag and pulls out some cleansing wipes and carefully drags them across Natasha's arm. Honey silently gestures for the other one and wipes that arm as well. Honey then shuffles around the bag once more and pulls out some bandages and carefully wraps them up Natasha's arms.

"There." She says standing up.

"Is she alright?" Aloha says suddenly.

"Holy cod Aloha I didn't know you were here." Cobbler whispers. Tanya shushes both of them.

"She's just fine." Honey reassures. "She'll just need to cleanse the wounds every now and then to make sure they heal correctly, since they're more likely to get irritated since it appears she used her hands to make these wounds."

"I don't recall doing that." Natasha whispers. Honey smiles sympathetically.

"It's alright, it's not just you. You likely did it when you were brainwashed in order to feel something." she says. A flash of sympathy and pain appears on Tanya's face for a brief moment.

"It's happened to other people?" Prince asks. Honey nods.

"Yes, some of the other patients I've taken care of after rescue have these same wounds, usually on the arms."

Natasha sighs. "Well... Guess I'll get changed." She says standing up. Honey nods and packs the medical bag. Tanya ushers the rest of the group away. Natasha changes into what she assumes are pajamas and glances at herself in the mirror again. She sighs again, before exiting the bathroom. Naomi is sitting on the mattress clutching her knees.

"Are you okay?"

Naomi perks her head up. "Er, yeah. Why do you ask?"

"You usually aren't this anxious." Natasha replies.

"Maybe it's Cobbler rubbing off on me." Naomi suggests. Natasha laughs a little.

"I suppose."

"How are you feeling?" Naomi asks.