It's the Healing that Hurts (Openish)

[Tyreese Gla'dour]

Gods, if he wasn’t so damn tempted to snap his teeth at the shaking phlebotomist and show him how much he ‘wasn’t going to hurt him.’ Just the thought of his woman’s precious blood spilling from her body- necessary or no- was enough to make him sick to his stomach. His big body practically shook from the need to protect, to hit something, to go all out caveman on someone, if only to make the primitive growling in his head stop. It was so freaking weird; going from living without caring about anything for centuries, to feeling like he would tear the world apart for a slip of a human woman.

Whoever, or whatever, had hurt his Kayla would be hunted that night. Once she was safe- preferably locked away in his apartment…damn, was it wrong to seriously consider moving her into his place without her knowing?- he was going out and someone was going to FUCKING die.

But okay, deep breaths, big guy; he mentally commanded himself. Deep, calming breaths. No one likes a burly, muscled guy who looks like he’s about to snap and go homicidal maniac on everyone in the room. No doctor would react well to that, and Kayla needed the doctor.

…Though, when she started asking stupid questions, like ‘can she talk freely in front of him,’ he was starting to wonder how much she was needed.

Covering Kayla’s hand with a scarred one of his own, he bit back the caustic retort that stung his tongue and glanced sideways at the smaller woman. For a split second, he was half tempted to believe that she would indeed ask him out of the room; she’d lied about being held up a few weeks back, hadn’t she? She, with her abnormally big heart, was always looking to make people feel more comfortable, and she probably had no idea how much it hurt to have her think she needed to protect him. Hell, given her tiny stature and mortal status, she was the one others should be concerned about!

Damn, there went those urges again. How much did an army of bodyguards cost? Would Wulf know?

At the attempt at humor, Ty just shook his head and shot a martyred look in Kayla’s direction. Only the tiny café owner would think to make fun of the situation she was in. Given the dire look on the doctor’s face, the news she was about to give them wasn’t exactly going to be in the happy territory. Mentally girding his loins, he did his best to look as ‘laid back’ as possible.

…And given the bleached white face of the nurse behind the doctor, he failed miserably. Godsdammit.

“Just as her what you need to, Doctor,” He said in a ‘I’m really, REALLY trying to be nice, here’ growl. “You beat around the bush for much longer, and we’ll all be dead from old age. Spit it out.”

[Mercedes Rowe]

Mercedes nodded as Kayla mentioned that she could speak about anything in front of Ty. She wasn’t so sure the woman would think that way when she said what she had to say. She opened her mouth, about to get completely honest with Kayla when she asked if it was rabies. “Rabies? What? No,” she shook her head and laughed.

“Let’s start from a clean slate here.” She waved her hands out in front of her. “Kayla, I know it was not an alligator attack, so you don’t have to pretend that you have rabies or some weird virus from wild animals.” She made a face then. “Well, it is wild, but we both know it wasn’t a typical animal that attacked you.”

She sighed then and glanced towards Ty. That man was all muscle and looked like he was about to rip her head off, and she is the one trying to help Kayla here. She cleared her throat before continuing on. “I know it was a Redcap that attacked you, which is why I’ve been holding you here. I’m afraid that you might get an infection from it or some other strange thing. I did not want to take any chances. Kyle was supposed to look into it for me because I honestly don’t know that much about Redcaps.”

She brought her hands together out in front of her, clasping them together in front of her white lab coat. “So, that’s why I need you to stop with trying to cover this up. I need to know anything you are feeling, if there is something strange or out of the ordinary.” She glanced back at the door. “But only share with us in the room. You tell anyone else about this they’ll throw you into the psychiatric ward.” And that she was not kidding about.

She glanced between Kayla and Ty, wondering if she should have forced him to leave. It was Kayla’s decision to let him stay and listen, but something told her that he was not going to be very happy at what he heard.

[kayla]

That look from the man beside her only served to bring a bright smile from the woman in the bed. That martyred look was just so adorable. Bringing his hand up to her lips she placed a small kiss on the back of it. What was it about this man that would normally send people scurrying for cover with a glance brought out the tenderest of feelings in her? He was so big, so strong, so capable of handling whatever life threw at him and yet...she still felt like it was her duty to protect him and look out for him.

After all, everyone else likely assumed he didn't need it, which made her all the more determined to be the one to show him gentleness and tenderness. She hadn't said it out loud yet, even to herself, but she knew in her heart that she loved him. Totally and completely.

Smiling softly she stroked his forearm as he sniped at the doctor and said softly, a hint of reproach in her tone. "Ty....be nice. She's only trying to help."

Her gentle strokes back and forth along his forearm continued as she looked over to Mercedes and turned that smile to her, a hint of an apology in her eyes. The Doctor's laughter brought a relieved sigh to her lips as the possibility of rabies was ruled out. That was some nasty business that she wanted no part of.

But as the good Doc went on her smile slowly melted from her face and her hand slowed to a stop on Ty's forearm, freezing as the truth was spoken aloud. The thought of the funny farm had already crossed her mind, hence the 'alligator'. But....this woman...she believed her.

She didn't even realize that the hand holding Ty's had turned into a death grip, tight as a vice and just as cold as a fine treble of fear rippled up her spine. Fear for many reasons.

Eyes sliding off the Doctor's and down before stealing a glimpse of the not-so-happy face of her honey she swallowed hard and nodded once as she tries to take it in that someone other than the two of them that had been present actually believed what the thing was. She barely believed it herself and she was there!

Her voice stuttered a little as she spoke, the volume barely above a whisper. "So that's what that thing was...a redcap." Memory tickled at the back of her head. Stories her Granpa had told her from the Old Country but she couldn't remember them exactly, not at the moment.

Shaking her head a little to clear it she blinked a few times and shivered all over, her body's movements transmitting from her frail little frame to Ty's through the hand that still gripped his tightly. "I was afraid ....afraid y'all would think I was nuttier than squirrel poo if I said anything.I...", but her voice faltered as she took a deep breath that had her wincing at the pain of it.

Big brown eyes swimming in her pale face as she looked up at Mercedes her bottom lip trembled a bit as she tried to stay brave as she told the good doctor of her pain, being honest but blancing a little and stealing glances once again toward Ty before giving him a reassuring pat on the arm. "It hurts really bad now and then. A hard, throbbing sort of pain. From the wound but it sends waves from pain all the way to my toes. It...it made the little heart beeper thingie off beat for a bit but it evened right out and it isn't consistent. Probably just the shock of it all right? Me being a big wuss when it comes to handling pain?"

The last part wasn't entirely the truth. She was a small little thing but her pain threshold could put many a grown men to shame. In her opinion it was better to hide the pain than to let others see. it was her own and she took that ownership and held it tightly.

"Nothin' a little rest and some of that funny medicine won't take care of. I...I don't feel sick or, or delusional or anything." She was at least able to say that part with utter honesty as she looked back and forth between the two of them, that horrible feeling of waiting for the other shoe to drop weighing on her heavily.