Crawling out of the garbage bin and collapsing onto the harsh alley floor was easy. Picking herself up and being led into the bar by a concerned Chiron was a little more difficult. Trying to find her pride along the way was impossible.
Reyna still couldn't believe that she had interfered in another issue that didn't involve her. She should have just walked away and let fate take its course. Instead, she got her ass solidly kicked. Reyna should have just minded her own damn business.
As they made it inside, Chiron led her to the backroom. He led her into Clarisse's office and sat her down. Reyna's face burned from embarrassment. How could she try to play hero and then fuck it up that badly?
"You shouldn't have interfered," Chiron began. Reyna remained silent as Chiron grabbed the first aid kit and opened it. He turned and left the room. It was only a moment later that he came back with a wet rag.
"I had it handled," Chiron continued. There was a gentle yet stern tone that he took. It didn't do anything to make Reyna feel better. It only made her feel like a scolded dog. Chiron brought the rag near her face. "May I?"
Reyna wordlessly took the rag and cleaned the remnants of blood, garbage, and foul-tasting liquid from her face. A fresh rag was given to her that she pressed against her nose to catch any excess blood. Her face burned from both pain and sheer embarrassment.
"I'm going to call a doctor," Chiron said.
"I don't need a doctor," Reyna muttered. Her words didn't sound right coming out, and it hurt to talk. She didn't care. This wasn't the first time she had broken her jaw, and it wasn't the first time she had to play doctor for herself.
"You do," Chiron replied as he looked at her. A frown touched his face. "Not only did you receive a terrible beating, but your jaw is broken. You are still recovering from your stab wound and the silver poisoning."
Reyna shook her head and tried to stand. Chiron grabbed her shoulder and forced her to sit back down. Reyna tensed and tried to pull away. She couldn't as Chiron had a tight grip. Her bruised body refused to work with her.
"Reyna, please just listen to me," Chiron said softly. He let go of her. "I know that you hate to take help, but you need it. Not every fight has to be on your own. Let me take you to a doctor, or I can call Will. He's a doctor."
"Why are you so insistent on helping me?" Reyna muttered. She continued to cradle her jaw and tried to stop her bleeding nose.
"I help anyone who needs it," Chiron said. He studied Reyna. "It doesn't matter who they are. If someone is in trouble and needs help, I will be there to help them. Why can you not accept that?"
"I don't want to owe you," Reyna admitted after a few moments. She averted her gaze from Chiron and stared at the ground. "I trusted someone before. They claimed they just wanted to help me, and I wouldn't owe them. It turned into a small favor here and there. Then, I was tricked into signing a contract that fucked my life over. How the fuck am I supposed to trust anyone after that?"
Reyna clenched her jaw after her rant. She gently rubbed where the bone was broken. This break was worse than the other time she messed her jaw up. Reyna needed a doctor, but she wasn't going to admit it. She would just find one on her own.
"Reyna, I would never use you like that," Chiron said gently. "All I have ever wanted to do was help people. I would never take advantage of them. I never expect anything for my help. You can ask anyone else who works at the bar."
A sigh left Reyna, and she didn't answer. She knew that Chiron was trying to be gentle with her, but she could also sense the frustration that had to be building for him. Reyna just couldn't bring herself to trust Chiron's words.
"Reyna, I am not going to take advantage of you," Chiron swore. His frustration seeped into his tone, and Reyna tensed. "If I was going to do that, wouldn't I have done it when you first came to my place? Would I offer you a paying job?"
Reyna remained silent and tried it shove her thoughts away from her mind. She lowered her head and continued to rub her jaw. She lowered the towel to feel her nose. Then, her attention moved to her broken fingers.
Chiron left the room and came back with a rag that looked to have something wrapped in it. Reyna didn't take the rag. Chiron spoke, "Why will you not accept help?"
"Why won't you?" Reyna countered. She winced as pain tore through her jaw. Talking hurt, but she didn't care. Reyna looked Chiron in the eyes. "You sent everyone away from the bar under the guise of cleaning it because you knew Ma Gasket was coming. I'll guess that you put the idea of a party into Piper's head, so no one would be worried about you. The party would keep them distracted."
Reyna ended her rant by clutching her jaw again and wishing the damn pulsating pain would stop. She cradled her jaw and glared at the ground. Chiron didn't respond. Reyna slowly stood and tried to hide her wince. She would take care of herself.
"I don't want anyone to be hurt because of me," Chiron confessed softly. Reyna hesitated and then looked at him. "Ma Gasket's problem is with me. What happened to you was what I was trying to avoid."
"How can you tell me to take help if you won't?" Reyna grumbled. She tried to step away, but pain stopped her. Reyna reluctantly collapsed back into the chair. "Fuck."
Chiron watched her quietly. He offered the rag once again, and Reyna just glared ahead. Chiron spoke softly, "You're right. I won't accept help but am telling you to do the same. Truthfully, everyone at the bar would have acted just like you did, stepping in and trying to get Ma Gasket away from here."
"That is why I did not tell anyone, but I should have," Chiron continued. He held out the rag once again. Reyna finally took the rag and felt the ice inside. She slowly placed it to her fingers and hissed in pain. A string of curses left her. "Should I call a doctor?"
"Fuck," Reyna muttered, but she reluctantly nodded. Chiron gave her a gentle smile and left the room. Reyna cradled her hand in the ice and laid her head back. She then moved her hand so that she could also hold the ice to her jaw.
Reyna hated herself for getting involved. She wished that she had just walked away, but what if she did? Ma Gasket had been threatening Chiron. They had that unmarked van outside. Reyna knew what would have happened if Chiron got in that van, and something told her that he would have found himself there anyway. Willing or not.
It was also possible that Ma Gasket would have just beaten or even killed Chiron. If she had walked away and that happened, what would she have done? How would she have felt? Reyna still owed Chiron. He gave her a place to stay and a job.
Just like her.
"Reyna," Chiron spoke gently as he walked back into the room. He held onto a piece of paper and walked towards her. Chiron sat the paper down, and Reyna stared at the check. "While you're here."
"What's this?" Reyna slowly asked. She saw the check was made out to her, and it was for over five hundred dollars.
"Your paycheck," Chiron answered as he grabbed his phone. "I usually directly deposit everyone's paycheck, but I figured you didn't have a bank account."
Reyna stared down at the check. She swallowed painfully as she realized that Chiron was different. It would take almost three months to earn this much before. Not that most of it went to her anyway. Reyna closed her eyes and spoke, "I'm sorry."
"For what?" Chiron asked. Reyna slowly opened her eyes and looked at him.
"I just... I'm sorry," Reyna repeated. She pressed the ice against her jaw again and stared at the ground.
"It's okay," Chiron said after a few moments. "Will should be here soon. I asked him not to tell anyone else, so they won't worry."
Reyna nodded, and her ears twitched as the front door opened. She didn't think Will would be there that soon. A frown came to her face as she heard two sets of footsteps. Her silent question was answered as two people stepped into the room.
"Hey, Chiron! Guess who-"
"Woah. What happened?" Thalia asked. Reyna stared up at the hunter. Jason stopped next to his sister and stared at Reyna. Both of them seemed to be examining her. "You okay?"
"Chiron. What's going on?" Jason questioned. Reyna tensed as Thalia took a step closer to her.
"There was a small incident," Chiron began. He glanced at Reyna and then focused on Thalia and Jason. "I don't want either of you to go after them."
"We won't. Not in an unofficial capacity," Thalia promised. "I can open an investigation into this. Just need a statement."
Reyna tensed slightly as Thalia looked at her. She didn't care if Thalia was supposedly some kind of hunter that worked for the government. All hunters were the same; they just wanted the thrill of killing beasts. It was only made worse by the fact that they were given free rein by the government.
"I can give one," Chiron offered. "Reyna should not be talking with how her jaw is, and I was a witness to everything."
"Who did this?" Jason asked quietly. There was a frown on his face, and he looked nervous.
"Ma Gasket," Chiron answered after a few moments. Tensions visibly left Jason's shoulder, and it wasn't missed by any of them. "She thinks that we stole Tyson away from her."
"Why the fuck is Tyson messing around with Ma Gasket?" Thalia snapped. She crossed her arms and glared at nothing.
"It wasn't Tyson's choice," Jason said. "He was tricked multiple times and was even convinced to sign a contract. Legal binding or not is bullshit because Tyson can't read it!"
"Calm down," Chiron intervened as he raised his hands. Reyna listened to them quietly, but anger started to burn in her chest. Ma Gasket had tricked Tyson into signing his life away. Just like what had been done to her.
Reyna hadn't been able to do anything about it at the time. Hell, she probably wouldn't be able to do anything now if she ever found herself confronted by that fucking bitch again. Reyna wasn't able to get any kind of revenge, nor did she want it. That was in her past.
But Tyson's problem was in the present. Reyna didn't particularly care about Tyson personally. It was more of the fact that someone was being forced into signing a contract and that they didn't know any damn better. Reyna's lips curled up at the thought of it.
Reyna was sure that this investigation was going to amount to nothing. The police either wouldn't care enough or tell the hunters to handle it personally. Ma Gasket would continue to threaten Chiron or even try to attack the others in the bar.
Reyna rubbed her jaw and tried to bury her anger and embarrassment. For now, she would sit back and watch, but if Ma Gasket came around again, the Cyclops would have to be handled. There was also the problem of Lycaon. It was possible she could kill two birds with one stone. But for now, she would rest, heal up, and make sure that she wasn't used again.