Chapter 7: A Peculiar Accident
Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.
As the two girls walked back home, a hum of content filled the air. Magnolia was trying (unsuccessfully) to hide the blush that crept across her face every time she let her thoughts drift towards Millard and Emma had wrapped her arms around herself, hoping Abraham would hurry up and visit them soon. Resolving to write to him the moment they got back, she hurried her pace along the beach.
In a valiant attempt to keep up with her friend, Magnolia changes her pace from a walk to a brisk job. Unfortunately for her, she was still not as adept to the treacherous slope as Emma was. Within mere seconds, she places her foot wrong on the rock below her. There was a quick twist and Magnolia let out a breathy gasp of shock before clutching the rock for support.
Turning at the sound, Emma blanches at the sight. Rushing over to Magnolia, she slips an arm around her shoulders to steady her. "What happened?"
Letting out a shaky breath, she offers a small grin before replying, "It's my ankle. I . . . I think I twisted it."
Not looking away from Magnolia's foot, Emma asks her, "Can you walk?"
"Not very well but I should be able to manage," Magnolia assures her as she moves away from the rock.
Securing her grip around Magnolia's shoulders, Emma gives her a pointed look. "Are you daft? If you think I'm going to just let you waltz back up there on your own then you have most certainly lost your mind. Get over here." With that, Emma starts to help Magnolia hobble up the slope. Turning to her, she adds with a feigned smile, "Now I'm no Bronwyn but I can certainly get you up to that house, bird help me."
"Bird?" Magnolia asks, shooting her a questioning look. She had yet to hear that expression.
Emma laughs. "I'm surprised you haven't heard it yet. Enoch uses it religiously. And Millard never shuts up so I'm certain he would have said it at least once around you-"
"That's not an explanation," Magnolia points out, cutting her off.
With an eye roll, Emma explains, "It's an expression that refers to Miss Peregrine. You know she can turn into a peregrine, right? That's part of what makes her a ymbryne."
Magnolia nods. "That was mentioned a few times."
"Well, there you go, then. Now you know where it comes from," Emma finishes off.
While the two had been talking, Emma had managed to help her get to the top of the cliff and back on the main road. From there, walking would be much smoother. That was until they got to the swamp.
Frowning, Emma taps her finger against her chin before musing, "This is going to be. . . difficult. I suggest if you don't want to die by suffocating on swamp sludge, you'll follow me very carefully."
Giving her a pointed look, Magnolia denotes to her ankle. "I'll limp across as best as I can but I make no promises."
"I'm sure Millard will be thrilled," Emma sarcastically quips as she begins to lead the way across the swamp.
Along the way, Magnolia only managed to slip a total of six times but every time Emma pulled her back up and steadied her. It wasn't until they reached the top of the steps of the house that Magnolia finally let go of Emma's wrist, relinquishing her vice-like grip.
"Thanks, Em. I appreciate the help even if you did bring me down to that death-trap of a beach in the first place," Magnolia tells her with a smirk.
Massaging her hand to restart the circulation in her wrist, Emma darkly replies, "I'm just lucky my wrist doesn't look like your ankle after that oh so fun trip back up here."
"You know you love me," Magnolia says, taking Emma by the arm and wrapping it around her shoulders in a half-hearted hug.
Giving her a withering look, Emma unhinges her arm from Magnolia's shoulders and turns her in the direction of the door. With a gentle nudge on her back, Emma says, "Let's just get you inside so that ankle can get healed."
With a highly exaggerated limp, Magnolia makes her way inside the massive mansion. As Emma shuts the door behind them, Millard bounds down the steps to greet them.
"I was getting worried about you two. It was getting dark and the bird was about to reset the Loop and I didn't know what to do and I was about to go looking for you lot and. . . why are you limping?" Millard finally stops his ramblings as he notices how contorted Magnolia was walking.
"We had an accident down by the beach," Magnolia tells him, keeping her story vague to prevent Millard from worrying.
Shaking her head, Emma informs him, "We didn't have any sort of anything. This clutz fell on her own accord on the walk back and twisted her ankle. We should probably phone a doctor before it gets too late."
"What about when the Loop gets reset? We can't have a doctor in here then," Magnolia points out, biting her lip unconsciously.
His jacket sleeve raising and then falling again in what could only be interpreted as a dismissive wave, Millard remarks, "We'll just have to hope the man gets here soon enough."
"I'll phone the doctor. Pardon me," Emma says, excusing herself from the room.
As she did so, several other peculiars entered the foyer.
"What's all the fuss about?" Olive inquires as her lead shoes drag across the floor.
Before she could answer, Magnolia felt Millard wrap his arm around her waist as he replies, "This one twisted her ankle. Emma went to phone a doctor. He'll be here soon."
"It's just a twisted ankle. It's not the end of the world," Magnolia argues when Bronwyn comes over suddenly.
Gently knocking Millard's arm aside, she scoops Magnolia up in her arms and tells her, "I'll hear none of it. You need to get into bed and stay there until the doctor says you can stand up."
Deciding that she couldn't say no to Bronwyn, Magnolia had no other choice than to allow herself to be whisked up the stairs and into her room.
