I'm getting back on the ball, I swear. There will be 30 chapters by the end of the 30 days, just a little haphazard.


Day 7 – Hospital Visits

"Oh, I am what I am; I'll do what I want, but I can't hide."


'On the list of dumb things you've done, I'd say this is one of the top three at least.'

Vin fidgeted miserably, pointedly ignoring Zero as she paced around the stuffy, curtained confines of the ER, hands on hips. After a moment she paused, raising her eyebrow at him.

'Do you know if the orphanage is going to pay for this, or will you just have crippling debt for the next thirty years?'

'Probably the second one,' he muttered quietly, shrugging a little. 'I dunno.'

Her nose twitched. 'Well neither do I; I don't know squat about finance, but I'm pretty sure this isn't gonna be good.' She thought about it for a moment, before sighing heavily and sitting down beside him on the hospital cot. 'Maybe it won't be too bad. I mean, it's just a fracture.'

'Maybe,' Vin echoed. 'But, y'know, this is the kind of country that doesn't have an ideal healthcare system, so who knows, really.'

'True.'

He scratched the back of his neck with the hand that wasn't presently swaddled in gauze, glancing out the window. 'Look, it's late. You should take the others and go; Soper's sorting out the paperwork so I'll be fine -'

Zero glared at him, a noise of furious indignation escaping her. 'Are you kidding me? I waited two hours in that damn waiting room – hell, Trixie got so bored she painted a new set of eyebrows on me!' She jabbed a finger to her forehead, indicating the two ash-blonde shapes above her smudgy black eyeshadow. 'Look at this! It's awful!'

Vin leaned forward for a closer look, squinting slightly. 'I dunno, she did a pretty good job.' He cracked a weak grin. 'You're just disorientated because you actually have eyebrows now.'

She rolled her eyes. 'Oh, shut up. Point is, I'm not going anywhere. Not unless you're coming with me.'

'Awwwww.' He nudged her foot with his. 'Look at you, being so caring.'

That drew a scowl from her, and she kicked his shin.

'Hey, kick all you like, but that doesn't change anything.'

'I haven't gone soft, if that's what you're wondering,' she muttered grumpily. 'I just . . . I just don't like hospitals.' She huffed out a short breath, staring at her knees. 'Don't like the idea of you being stuck here.'

That sobered him slightly, and he tilted his head. 'Look, it's not so bad. I don't mind, really. I'll be fine.'

'I know you'll be fine, moron, but that doesn't change how I feel about it.'

He thought about it for a while. 'You know, I just realised you're getting a pretty good idea of what it's like to be in my position.' When she frowned at him in question, he continued. 'I mean, you're always getting hurt doing what you do, and I'm the one who always patches you up.' He gave a minute shrug of the shoulders. 'I worry a lot, you know?'

She huffed in frustration, looking up at the ceiling. 'Yeah but I never end up in the hospital.'

'That's because you refuse to go.'

'That's not – it's – ugh – it's . . . it's complicated.'

'Zero Toriello, I've known you for seven freaking years. Try me.'

'It's just . . .' She picked at her fingernails, not looking at Vin. 'I'm scared that they'll . . . y'know, find something, and then social services will get involved and I really don't want that . . . it's messy.'

Vin considered that for a moment, absently inspecting his wrapped wrist. 'I get where you're coming from, so I'm not gonna try to give advice. I dunno, really. You're situation's kind of . . . weird.'

'Which is exactly why I'm leaving it alone,' she groused. 'And you will, too. Got it?'

He sighed. 'Yeah. I don't like it, but I've got it. Now go home.'

'Don't. Even. Try.'

There was a long, silent standoff while the two of them scowled at each other. Then Vin groaned. 'Fine. Stay, then. I don't care.'

(That was definitely a lie.)

She smirked at him, saying nothing.

'At least try to be sympathetic if you're gonna hang around.'

'When have I ever been sympathetic?'

'That's true.' He let out a long, suffering sigh and let his head drop sideways to rest on her shoulder, closing his eyes tiredly. 'But today can be a first.'

'. . . Fine. I guess so.'


Chapter title: "Little Talks", Of Monsters And Men

Quote: "Here With Me", Dido