Tended Wounds
Disclaimer: I do not own Dungeons and Dragons or any of the characters. This fan fiction was written for recreational purposes and not for any profit.
A/N: Written because I love the brother/sister relationship between theme two characters. Enjoy, and please review.
"Now hold still Bobby, this may sting a little." said Sheila to her younger brother. She was holding a wet piece of cloth over a nasty looking graze, her brother had acquired fending off yet another one of Venger's attacks.
"Okay Sheila, I'm not scared." replied the younger sibling closing his eyes and looking just slightly tense as he prepared himself for the slight pain that was to follow.
Sheila softly squeezed the wet cloth over Bobby's knee and the water gently dripped onto the graze. As she'd expected her brother gave a small gasp of pain and winced slightly, but aside from that he was the very definition of calm.
Sheila smiled warmly to herself. Ever since she could remember, Bobby had always been putting on what she referred to as his 'brave' act. Even when he was just three years old and he suffered a very nasty fall off of his first tricycle he'd taken it better than most kids his age would have. As he'd got older this 'brave' act, this toughness in the face of physical pain had only intensified. Going to a school full of bullies, this was by no means a bad thing, and Sheila knew this. Being the older sibling, she saw it as her job to keep her impulsive and at times fiery tempered brother out of trouble. In school this often meant coming in between Bobby and a bullying assailant. In the realm of Dungeons and Dragons however it meant stopping him rushing hastily into a battle full of otherworldly monsters. Seeing as the stakes of conflict were very often higher in the latter of the two locations Sheila had learnt over time that it was necessary sometimes to let Bobby run into danger, to risk his life for the greater good of them all. After all, when compared to armies of savage monsters, school bullies pale in comparison. Of course though, this did nothing to ease her concern for her brother every time he did risk his life for them, and the encounter with Venger today had been no exception.
Soon all the water had been squeezed out of the rag. Bobby slowly opened his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks sis." he said gratefully. Sheila gave her brother an affectionate pat on shoulder. "Just sit here for a while. Try not to put too much pressure on it." she told him with an almost motherly tone, but she couldn't help it she practically was his mother now, as well as his sister since they had become lost in the realm. Bobby rolled his eyes but chose not to object. Sheila had grown used to her brother's nonchalant approach to sustaining injuries and risking his life in general. Even so, this did tend to worry her. In fact no! It didn't just worry her, it scared her too. No kid at Bobby's age would act the way he does towards pain, not to mention danger. It was just something they'd all been forced to adapt to in their new life inside the realm.
Sheila looked at bobby again, and noticed that he was looking at her, slightly concerned. Coming out of her thoughts Sheila ruffled his hair affectionately.
"Is something wrong Sheila?" Bobby asked her. Sheila didn't answer for a moment, then without thinking she pulled her younger brother into a loving embrace. Bobby reacted favourably to this physical show of affection and returned the hug, nuzzling Sheila's shoulder.
For a good minute or two that was how the scene remained. Two siblings locked in a loving hug, in the middle of a magical realm far, far away from their home. At least they knew that in amongst all the adventures and danger they had and would still continue to encounter, at least they had their friends and most of all they had each other.
Gently breaking the hug, Sheila looked Bobby directly in the eye and spoke to him with an air of utmost seriousness. "Bobby if..." Sheila then paused trying to find the right words. "Yes Sheila?" her brother asked. "When... when we get out of here... do you still want me to take you for that chocolate shake?" Bobby looked at his older sister for a few minutes as if being lost in the magical world they were in had finally driven her mad. Then all of a sudden it came back to him.
The night before the event that would change both their lives forever, before both Bobby and Sheila had made that fateful decision to accompany their friends to the new amusement park that had just opened up, the two siblings, normally so civil and caring towards each other had had a rare argument.
Bobby was eager to try out a new flavour of chocolate milkshake that was available at the local ice cream parlour. Their overprotective parents had forbidden him from going out alone after five in the evening, except if Sheila accompanied him. Usually his sister would have been willing to go with her brother but unfortunately this night was different. Sheila had decided in a rare act of spontaneity to accept an invite to a party being held a couple of blocks away from their own neighbourhood.
Usually the cautious redhead avoided social activity, preferring to focus on her studies but this time with persuading from Diana and Hank she had decided to attend. This of course meant she'd have to sacrifice taking her brother out in place of getting ready something which Bobby had not reacted favourably to.
Bobby began hurling words of anger at Sheila, which she had promptly returned, hurt and offended in the heat of the moment. Bobby had then locked himself away in his room and not come out for the rest of the evening. Downbeat and subdued Sheila had gone to the party feeling awash with guilt about the argument both she and her brother had had.
The next morning at breakfast the two siblings were reserved but friendly towards one another and by the time they had agreed to meet their friends at the theme park their brief conflict seemed all but forgotten about.
Returning to the present, smiling up at his sister, Bobby nodded joyously. "Yes please Sheila. I'd like that." he said happily. The two siblings hugged briefly once more. Sheila once again allowed herself a smile. 'That's more than one wound tended to.' she thought happily to herself.
Once again, for another few minutes all was quiet. Just two siblings, holding onto each other in a strange and dangerous world.
It was a simple but happy scene to behold. One day they would both return to the world they had been forced to leave. They would both return to their loving parents and the lives they had previously enjoyed. Most of all though, they would return to the chocolate milkshake Sheila had never brought Bobby.
After all, sometimes even the smallest of things are worth fighting for.