"You're bleeding," Hato says, reaching out to touch Kaito's back, only to retract his hand when Kaito flinches and pulls away.
"It's nothing." Kaito doesn't turn to look at Hato. He bends over, unlaces his boots, and slips them off. They're caked with mud and grime and will need to be rinsed off before Kaito enters the living quarters with them on.
"It doesn't look like nothing to me." Hato has learned the difference between dried bloodstains and wet bloodstains over the months he's been living with Kaito, and Hato can tell that the back of Kaito's coat is soaked. Even with the already dark coloring, Hato can see a red slash down the middle. "Take off your coat, let me wash it before the blood dries." Hato has already prepared a small basin of undrinkable water for Kaito's return. Clothes in good condition are difficult to come by so what they do have is washed regularly, and the children would worry if they saw Kaito covered in blood.
Kaito climbs to his feet and scowls at Hato, but there's no real anger in his expression. He shrugs off his coat and shoves it into Hato's waiting arms. Without the coat to cover his back, Hato can now see the clean rip in Kaito's shirt, and the gash underneath it.
"Kaito, you're injured." Hato sets the coat to the side, deciding this is more pressing than scrubbing out a bit of blood.
"It's already stopped bleeding, don't worry about it." Kaito's face hold his usual bland expression, not giving away any of the pain he must be experiencing. "I'll deal with it later."
It's easy for Hato to prevent himself from rolling his eyes, signs of disrespect were not tolerated at his old home. He still can't stop the wave of exasperation to hit him; Kaito has been living in this wasteland for most of his life, he should know by now the risks involved with leaving a wound open.
"How are you going to stitch it up when it's in the middle of your back?" Hato asks, knowing he's going to have to push before Kaito lets him help. He doesn't like doing this, all of his training has taught him to be respectful of his superior's wishes and be obedient to them, but Hato won't allow Kaito's stubbornness get him killed.
Kaito doesn't bother trying to explain himself, so Hato continues. "What are the children going to think when they see that? I thought you wanted to keep them away from the violence, not let them see what it's doing to you." Kaito's shoulders slump at that, no doubt thinking of how Haruto would react if he saw his big brother injured. Hato knows using the kids against Kaito is a low blow, Kaito would do anything for their sake, but he won't be able to keep them safe if he gets an infection and is in too much pain to move.
"Kaito, please," Hato says, trying another tactic. "Let me help you. You told me you trusted me, now let me prove to you that I can help." Hato detests using Kaito's emotions against him, he feels vile saying this, but it's all worth it when Kaito sighs and nods.
"Fine Hato. Stitch me up."
They move to one of the side rooms, out of the way where the children won't see them. Kaito carefully removes his shirt, it can be fixed later, and makes himself comfortable lying on the ground while Hato goes to gather the medical supplies and clean water to flush out the wound.
Hato uses a wet rag to clear away some of the clotted and dried blood so he can take a better look at it. The cut isn't deep or wide, but it's long, stretching from between Kaito's shoulders down to near his hip. Hato knows it came from a knife or something similar, and the blade wasn't sharp because it left a jagged slash.
They don't own any disinfectant cream, so Hato can only flush it with water the best he can before starting on the stitches. The needle is kept in a plastic bag, having already been placed in boiling water to kill off any bacteria, and the thread is in small ball. It's actual cloth thread, not like the surgical thread Hato is familiar with. Academia could afford the best medical equipment for its students; Kaito and Hato struggle to even find acceptable alternatives.
The cloth thread will work just fine, though Hato will make sure to take the string out as soon as possible. It's not what he would prefer to use, but he doesn't have any other options.
Hato begins at the top of the cut, carefully piercing the skin close to the cut and then connecting it with the other side. He zig-zags down the wound, closing what he can. Kaito doesn't make a sound or complain when Hato stabs too deeply in with the needle or tugs too hard on the thread. Hato doesn't ask if Kaito can even feel his back, or if the pain is too overwhelming. They don't have any pain relievers; pills were immediately traded for more important supplies, and if they did keep any around, the medicine would only be used for the children.
It doesn't take long for Hato to finish the stitches, he's had practice and the cut is mostly straight. He goes to find a clean shirt for Kaito to wear while Kaito rinses off any blood Hato missed with the rag.
"You did a good job," says Kaito when Hato returns. It's not a thank you, but it is praise, and Hato can feel warmth bubbling up and spreading inside him.
"No problem, Kaito." Hato is delighted he was able to help Kaito, and the feeling of happiness stays with him even as he goes to scrub the blood out of Kaito's coat and mends Kaitos' torn shirt.
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