"Sir let her go!"
"Shut up and run shorty, before I change my mind and come after you."
Laura takes a deep breath and runs toward the guy. Thanks dad for forcing me to take those Krav Maga lessons she thinks right before she runs up to the man who let's go of the girl and swings his arm at Laura. She ducks under his arm and knees him in the groin twice before he falls to the ground. He gets up fast but Laura is prepared for this and kicks him at the back of his knee while simultaneously ducking for the arm that comes swinging her way again. When he is on the ground the second time Laura tells him to get lost right before kicking him in the groin one last time.
After the guy runs away Laura turns to look at the woman on the ground. She has a little trouble breathing and is rubbing her throat.
"Hi, my name is Laura, can I get you to a doctor or the police station?" Carefully Laura walk towards the woman but she stop as soon as the dark-haired woman starts to scramble away.
"I'm not going to hurt you miss, I'm just here to help you if you need me to"
"Leave me alone!" The woman on the ground says through gritted teeth. "I'm fine"
"You look hurt and I'm not going leave you here by yourself" Laura takes of her backpack and makes herself comfortable on the ground.
"I'm just going sit here and when you're ready to leave I'll take you wherever you want to go."
Carmilla closes her eyes. Why can't this angel leave her alone, It's not like she deserves help or kindness. This is her own fault, she was to trusting and forgot to pay attention to her surroundings.
The girl is right about Carmilla being hurt though. She's probably got a broken wrist and some serious bruises on her back. While shifting she feels something push into her lower back. That must be the camerabag. At least I still have my camera. She moves to get into a more comfortable position and can't stop a groan. When Carmilla opens her eyes she sees this Laura-girl look at her with concern. "Please let me take you to a doctor, your wrist looks like it is badly injured"
She decides to ignore the tiny girl and closes her eyes again. After a couple of minutes Carmilla can't stop herself and looks at Laura again. Laura is still looking at her. This girl is a mystery. First she saves a complete stranger from a man twice her size and then she stays to make sure nothing else happens to Carmilla. Something inside her wants to get to know this girl but there is a little voice in the back of her head telling her not to go there. Last time she tried to get to know a girl it ended badly.
After a couple minutes she realises she's still staring at Laura. She looks away from those beautiful eyes and conclude it is time to end this. Pushing through the pain Carmilla gets on her feet. Fighting the urge to look at Laura one last time she walks out of the alley. When she spots a store she walks in and asks for directions to a doctor. That wrist really needs to be checked out.
Laura is confused and impressed by the broody woman. By the looks of it her wrist is broken and she took a bad fall so she probably has several bruises besides the one on her neck. Despite the pain she must be in, she gets up and walks away. Laura decides to follow her at a distance. She just wants to make sure she's alright, right?
When the woman walks in a store Laura waits outside. When she comes out she sees her. "I told you I don't need your help" "Well I don't care if you think you don't need my help, I'm going make sure you get home safe. Because if I were ever to be in your position I would like for somebody to make sure I was fine." "You realize that if you want me to get home safe you would have to fly with me to Austria?" "I don't mean home, home. I mean your home here like your hotel." "Sure cupcake, whatever makes you sleep at night. As I said before, I don't want your help so get lost." "I'm not going to get lost. You can ignore me all you want I don't care but I'm staying close until you get to your hotel safe. You don't have to talk to me, hell you can even ignore me, but you won't be able to push me away. As you might have seen back in the alley, I'm stronger than I look"
After Laura's little speech she falls back a few steps and walks behind the woman for what feels like hours. She doesn't try to speak to her again. Obviously the girl doesn't want to talk about what happened and that's okay. She'll talk when she is ready to talk until then Laura will be here for moral support. After about half an hour she sees a hospital sign. So she does have some common sense. She follows her into the hospital, when the woman is brought to a room Laura is stopped by a nurse. "Only family is allowed in miss." "Unfortunately this annoying ball of sunshine is my niece" Laura tries not to look surprised. Did her Broodiness just make sure she doesn't have to leave?
"Are you coming in or what?" Laura rolls her eyes but follows the women into the room none the less.
"Before you start. I still don't want to talk and I still want you to get lost, but you did follow me all the way here so I thought you might need a little bit of rest before you get out of my life." "Okay" Laura decides this isn't the moment to press further so she takes a seat and takes her notebook and tablet. She might as well start with the article while sitting here.
Carmilla can't believe she just asked Laura to stay. Well she didn't exactly ask, she just didn't take the opportunity to get rid of her. This is confusing.
While waiting for the doctor she can't stop looking at Laura. She took a notebook and a tablet and seems to be writing something. "What are you doing?" "I'm working. I write for a travel magazine and I'm here to make an article about New Zealand." "Sounds like a nice job." "Well it's more than nice, it's the best job in the world" The way Laura smiles when she says that makes Carmilla's legs go weak and forget about the pain in her wrist. That smile might be all the medicine she needs. When Laura starts talking again Carmilla snaps out of it. "What is your job?" "I actually have the best job in the world, no offence." "And what could possibly a greater job than travel journalist?" "I'm a photographer. I'm specialized in nature pictures. So while you try to describe all these beautiful things you see when you travel the world I give the people the pictures of those place." "Wow a photographer, obviously my job is the greatest, but yours is a close second!" "Whatever you say creampuff." They stay silent for a while. Laura continuous her writing and Carmilla retrieves her phone to see if she's heard anything from Will. Carmilla doesn't understand and although they don't get along she's getting worried about him. It's not like him to be late or forget an appointment. Before Carmilla can get to worried the doctor walks in to examine her. He tells her that she probably broke her wrist but that the rest is just bruises. He wants to know what happened and Carmilla tells him she fell. He clearly doesn't believe her and Laura's shocked face isn't helping. It makes Carmilla doubt her decision for a brief moment but she knows this is for the best, she can't press charges and she can't have the doctor notify the police. That will definitely end badly for Carmilla and possibly Laura.
Why doesn't this mysterious beauty want to press charges and why does she lie about how she got hurt. Laura is puzzled and can't help getting curious. As soon as the doctor walks out she starts questioning the girl. "Why did you lie?" "None of your business." "You clearly don't want the police to get involved. I think you have your reasons for that decision, what are they?" "If I were to tell you that I would lose my air of mystery wouldn't I?" "Arghh! You're impossible, but just so you know I did study journalism so I will find out every one of your secrets." "Only if I keep you around Cutie" A nurse walks in to takes the patient for x-rays. Laura stays in the room until she comes back about an hour later with her wrist in a cast.
"Still here buttercup?"
"Yeah. Can't have the doctors thinking you lied about me being your niece can we?"
"Sure sundance. Don't worry though I can leave so you only have to keep up the cute niece act for a couple more minutes." "Why won't you press charges? That guy abused you and he should be held responsible for his actions."
"Aarrggh this generation doesn't understand obligation. It's like an undersea anker impossible to escape." "Ahh worried you're not living up to expectations?" The woman looks at Laura a little taken back. "Only child of a massive overprotective dad here."
They stay silent while the girl puts on her boots and jacket. When they walk to the exit Laura feels the girl look at her every now and then. When they walk out of the hospital Laura feels uncomfortable. Part of her knows she has to let her go because she got to a doctor and is safe now, but another part of Laura wants to know more about this mystery of a woman she is.
"So cutie, how well do you know your way around Auckland?" "Ehhh, I have a map" "Okay, so can you maybe help me find the B&B I'm heading to?" "Sure" You take the note she is holding out for you and read it. "You're staying in the same B&B as I. Follow me."
Carmilla can't believe she actually asked for the angels help. But here she is following her and actually listen to her babbling about the sights they walk by and her plans for the next month. She is way too nice and cheerful for Carmilla to deserve to have her in your life, yet she can't let her go.
"Here we are. Check-in is behind the second door to your left." "I don't need to check-in I'm staying with my brother. He arrived a couple of days ago." "Why didn't he pick you up at the airport?" "Thanks for your help and enjoy the rest of your time here cutie" "So you're not going to answer?" "Nope." "Alright goodbye."
While she is walking up the stairs Carmilla sees Laura following her. "You do know I'm safe and you can stop following me right?" "My room is this way." It turns out that Laura's room is next to Will's. Somehow that soothes Carmilla's nerves. She knocks on Will's door and waits for him to let her in. Carmilla takes a look over her shoulder to hopefully sneak a last glance at Laura. To her surprise Laura is still in the hallway looking at her, the door to her room not open yet.
"Hi Kitty" "Hello William" He looks at Carmilla's wrist and his eyes darken with anger. "What happened to your wrist and where is your luggage?" "I got robbed in an alley nearby" Carmilla feels very uncomfortable under his gaze. "What did you do and what else happened?" "I didn't do anything." "I've known you my whole life, if you got into trouble you've done something to deserve it, and you usually only tell half the story. So I ask again. What else happened and what did you do?" "I took the bus since you weren't at the airport to pick me up and there was this guy. I asked him for directions and he offered to walk me to the B&B and carry my luggage. Is wasn't paying much attention to where we were going and we ended up in alley. He there gave my luggage to a wanderer and he… ehh …. he…" She can't bring herself to say what he did. While she's stuttering she sees movement in the corner of her eye. Carmilla turns her head and Laura is right beside her. See grabs Carmilla's hand and starts to talk to Will. "Your sister got assaulted and broke her wrist when trying to fight the guy off."
Carmilla immediately recognizes the anger that appears in Will's eyes and can't help but squeeze Laura's hand. "How many times has mother told you to behave and dress less provocative? You asked for this to happen you little whore." Carmilla feels like she actually shrinks when Will is yelling at her. He is right, this was all her own fold. She asked for it. Suddenly Carmilla's hand feels cold and she realises that Laura let go of it and took a step toward Will. "Excuse me? Did you just blame your sister? There is only one person to blame and that is the guy who doesn't know that no means no. This what you are doing is victim blaming and it is the reason why so many women are afraid to talk about assault when it happens to them. It is the reason why women feel shame and the name calling? uncalled for! You should get the same punishment as an assaulter gets. Come Kitty I'm not leaving you with this ass." Laura grabs Carmilla's arm and she follows her into her room. After she closes the door Carmilla lets go of a breath she didn't know she was holding.