The third time (part 1)
The third time Claudine sees her, it's completely different.
Even though Claudine promised herself to focus all her energies into rehearsals and rest enough to not think about Maya and their encounters, she couldn't help but feel so edgy ever since she saw the brunette for the last time that she kept getting distracted at home, her thoughts being consumed by the brunette, making her clumsily burn her cooking or hit against some furniture on her way to another room of her apartment.
But things didn't improve at work. Instead of taking her mind off and focusing all her efforts into rehearsals, she kept being so nervous and uneasy that she ended up pushing herself over her own limits to the point of messing many of her practices so the director had to stop them several times just to scold her.
- Saijo-san – the director of the play, an old grey haired man with a kind expression on his face, calls her out one day, taking her aside.
- Oui, sir?
- I think it'd be the best if you go home and rest for a couple of days. You look like you need a little break.
- With all due respect director, I can assure you I'm okay and I can keep practicing with no problems.
The director smiles at her softly, patting her shoulder in a comforting way.
- I don't have any doubt of it Saijo-san, but you've been pushing yourself too much, going over your own limits during many weeks. I also noticed you've been looking a bit distracted aside of tired lately and I can't let anything bad happen to my top star, can I?
He says playfully yet looking at her softly, with fondness in his eyes and even though Claudine opens her mouth to recline his offer, she just closes it again, sighing instead.
She really does need to rest properly or else she'd be ruining everybody's hard efforts. Not to mention her director is right after all, she is indeed tired.
Ever since her encounter with Maya the second time, she hasn't been able to rest properly nor calm down, thinking about how at any moment she could find her sat, bleeding out and fighting for her life on their usual spot behind the building or maybe somewhere else. Thinking about what could happen the next time they meet and what could happen if she isn't able to heal her like all those past times…
She shakes her head at those ugly thoughts, trying to push them away to smile at him gratefully.
- Thank you director, I promise I'll rest. I'm sorry for all the inconveniences caused.
- That's my girl, and don't worry about anything Saijo-san, just focus on getting enough rest, okay? And please, stop pressing yourself, whatever is going on, it'll be okay.
He tells her tenderly, squeezing her shoulder in an encouraging way and Claudine can't be grateful enough for his understanding.
She nods at him, seeing him looking at her with a fond smile on his face before he bows slightly, almost playfully. She giggles and mirrors his actions before he walks off to where the rest of the cast is, leaving her alone gathering her things, and somehow, her thoughts too before she gets out of the theatre.
- Take care, Saijo-san!
- Get enough rest Clau-chan!
Her castmates yell animatedly at her with supportive expressions and smiles on their faces, bringing a calm smile onto Claudine's face and a warm feeling to her heart.
- Thank you guys, I'll rest, but you all also should get enough rest!
She yells back at them cheerfully, hearing them agree with her and laugh before she waves at them goodbye and steps into the cold winter weather.
Her walk back home is quiet, as always, feeling the wind lashing her face as the sun slowly sets, hiding in between the buildings on the horizon.
She tightens her coat around her body to prevent the cold seeping through the little warmth that she keeps within herself and hides her face in her scarf to stare mesmerized at the breathtaking sunset that the sun leaves behind itself as it hides, coloring the sky with a wide spectrum of oranges, reds and purples colors.
She sighs delighted by them and walks a little bit faster to end up running, trying to overtake to the streetlights switching on.
She knows it's pointless, but she can't help but keep running enjoying the feeling of the wind lashing against her face and ears.
Once she discerns her apartment complex in the distance, she slows down her running coming to a stop at the small garden of the entrance, looking hesitantly to the corner.
She wants to ignore it and continue her way to her apartment but there's a strange and churning feeling in the pit of her stomach telling her that she should go over there.
She takes a deep breath, and determined but slowly, she approaches to the corner, trying to hear any piteous whimpering coming out from it the entire walking there but unlike the other times, she hears nothing at all.
She gulps, the strange feeling in the pit of her stomach growing, making her even more nervous than before until she finally arrives to the corner, peeking out her head from behind the bricks' wall to find Maya lying barely conscious on a pool of blood.
She gasps horrified, putting both of her hands over her mouth. She feels her breath getting caught in her lungs, making her forget how to breathe for a second.
Everything seems to stop for a second as she stares paralyzed at Maya's body on the ground, trying to notice if she's still breathing or not as tears roll down her face, fighting hard against the wave of nausea that hits her trying not to puke.
- M-Maya! – she gets out of her astonishment, screaming the other woman's name shakily as she runs towards her, quickly kneeling down next to her bleeding body to check her pulse.
Claudine senses how weak Maya's pulse is, too weak for her taste, then takes a proper look at her, seeing how utterly pale the brunette looks, her lips starting to turn out blue.
Her beautiful amethyst eyes are barely open or focused. Her hair is completely disheveled and her dark clothes are damp against her body.
Maya shivers, lying on the alarming and profuse pool of blood as the tears from Claudine's eyes start to fall down onto her precious face before Claudine rushes to try to wipe them away.
She can't help but stare at Maya paralyzed not knowing what to do, noticing the brunette panting hard and coughing blood, yet still trying to press the bleeding wound in her stomach with her blooded hands in a futile attempt to stop it before they end up weakly falling to her sides.
Claudine gasps, getting out of her astonishment and rushes to take her scarf off and press it hard against Maya's wound, trying to stop the bleeding somehow.
Then with her free hand, she shakily fishes her phone out of her bag, ready to call an ambulance when one of Maya's hands grabs her wrist loosely, stopping her.
It almost feels like a déjà vu of their first encounter.
- D-Don't – Maya says weakly, shocking Claudine.
- What?! Maya don't be stubborn, you need to go to the hospital! – Claudine yells at her as more tears keep rolling down her face, falling onto Maya's pale face.
- Please... don't... Claudine.
Maya's eyes and voice are so pleading that Claudine finds herself in a crossroad at her request.
- Maya, please, let me call an ambulance. I don't think… I don't think I can heal you this time. You've really lost a lot of blood... the wound, the bleeding... I-I... – Claudine whispers shakily, looking tearfully at the wound on Maya's stomach still bleeding non-stop, trying to stop it in vain.
- You can... heal... me. I know... you can. I trust you.
I trust you with my life.
Maya wants to say, smiling at Claudine as encouragingly and reassuringly as she can while she finds enough strength in her to raise her hand up and wipe some tears away from Claudine's face, before her hand slowly starts to fall. Before that happens, Claudine takes it, holding it against her cheek and kisses it.
- You have so much faith in me that it's almost infuriating – Claudine says between tears, eliciting some light giggles from Maya before she starts to cough more blood, finding harder to breathe.
Then, Claudine sees Maya's eyes slowly closing, alarming her.
- Hey! Hey, Maya! Please don't close your eyes! – she begs her frantically, slapping the brunette's face lightly.
- But I'm… tired – Maya whispers.
- I don't care if you are, you infuriating woman, you can't close them! If you do… If you…
Claudine starts to cry, making Maya make an extra effort to keep her eyes open, looking at her softly.
- Don't… cry. You... look ugly... when... you do...
- Then don't make me cry, idiot!
Maya smiles briefly, coughing more and Claudine, still alarmed, bites her lip to stop more tears from keep coming down her face before she takes Maya's free arm, the one that isn't pressing her scarf against the her stomach to pass it around her neck. Then, she passes her arms under Maya's back and legs, gathering her in her arms securely, letting her adjust against her body, her head resting on her chest before she stands up carefully with Maya's body in her arms, starting to walk fast with her in a bridal way towards the apartment complex.
- Please, hold on – Claudine begs her tearfully, ending up running as fast as she can.
She looks one way, then another, and quickly enters the building heading directly to the elevator, praying to not be intercepted by anybody, just like the previous times.
Her prayers are once again answered and Claudine rushes to enter the elevator, pressing her floor's button repeatedly as if that would make it go up faster.
Soon, she finds herself trying to open and close her apartment's front door the best she can with Maya still in her arms before she quickly crosses her apartment to her bedroom and lies Maya on her own bed. once she's sure Maya is okay on her bed, she leaves in a rush to get her first-aid kit from the bathroom and a lot of towels to stop the bleeding.
Then again she rushes to the living room's cabinet to retrieve an entire bottle of vodka she has in there before coming back to her bedroom.
Once there, Claudine intakes a sharp breath of air trying to ignore the iron smell floating in the air the best she can.
She approaches to her bed and uses a pair of scissors to cut Maya's clothes and examine closely her bleeding wound, trying to decide what the next thing she should do is, but she finds her mind totally blank.
She starts to tremble overwhelmed at not knowing what to do next, panicking before she suddenly feels Maya's soft hand touching her face again, rubbing weak circles on her cheek with her thumb.
- T-Take... a deep... breath and... don't... panic. Y-You... can do it. I-I know… you… can… – she tells her encouragingly yet almost breathless and Claudine wants to laugh at how surrealist the situation is, being Maya the calmed one and the one encouraging her.
She closes her eyes and does what Maya tells her to, breathing deeply for a couple of times before she opens them again, looking at her with a determined expression on her face yet some fear flashing in her eyes.
She sees Maya smiling at her weakly, before she starts to think about what she can do. Claudine then remembers that time when she had to play the role of the resident's assistant of the main doctor and surgeon of a play.
She takes a deep breath to stop the trembling of her hands and disinfects a needle with the alcohol she takes out of her first-aid kit, then drenches a rag in vodka.
She doesn't really know what to do other than the basic things she learnt in the play about wounds and bleedings, she really doesn't have any idea of what she's about to do but she hopes it could be enough to try and heal Maya the best she can without having to go to the hospital.
- M-Maya?
Maya nods at her calmly and Claudine can't help but give her a shaky smile.
- Do you think you can drink this? – she tells Maya hesitantly, showing her an entire bottle of vodka. Maya just grimaces at the thought of having to drink it but still nods at the ash-blonde.
- If you wanted me... so badly... in your bed... you could have... said it... no need to get me... drunk – she teases her humorlessly, bringing a smile onto Claudine's face.
- Idiot – she whispers, raising the brunette's head slightly to help her drink the liquor. Maya winces at its taste and the feel of the liquor burning down her throat and insides but says nothing.
- Now can you please bite this rag? I also drenched it in vodka to try to numb the pain.
Maya looks how doubtful Claudine seems to be.
- It's okay Claudine... you can do it... – she says, opening her mouth to let Claudine put the rag in it so she can bite it.
- A-Are you o-okay?
Maya grunts playfully and Claudine nods with a shaky smile before looking warily at the needle resting in the metal tray next to her.
I can do this.
She tells herself, trying to take deep breaths to calm herself down and stop shaking before she starts.
She takes the alcohol bottle again and pours some in Maya's bleeding wound, hearing her yell through the rag and bit it harder with tears in her eyes because of the pain. This time, it doesn't amuse Claudine in the slightest like the previous times.
- I'm so sorry – she whispers, repeating those same words several times while she pours a bit more of alcohol on the wound before she introduces some small towels in it to drench them completely in the blood, trying to clean off all the blood inside it and stop it from keep pouring out before she's ready to start suture her.
Claudine takes the towels out, caressing Maya's skin softly.
- Maya… this is going to hurt a lot.
Claudine warns the brunette but unlike the previous times, this time she's actually trying to be nice.
She notices how Maya nods at her encouragingly but with tears in her eyes, before the needle pierces her skin, and stitch after stitch, with Maya's yelling and grunting in the background, Claudine sutures the wound, succeeding in stopping the bleeding completely.
She gazes at Maya's face, finding her crying in silence and can't help but feel bad for her, more tears coming out of her own eyes.
As she ends suturing Maya's wound, making sure it's well done, she just hopes it's enough and it doesn't make Maya's condition worsen or get a severe infection because of her.
She hopes it works because she doesn't know what else to do, especially if she can't convince the stubborn brunette to go to the hospital.
Claudine shakes her head trying to be optimistic and applies the antiseptic over the stitches lightly, careful to not open them to then place some gauzes over the stitched wound before she bandages it and bandage Maya's stomach, a shaky but relieved sigh escaping her lips as she ends.
- I think I'm done – she says in a low voice, examining the bandage once again, making sure it isn't too tight.
- You did great – Maya says weakly and kindly as she lets the rag fall.
- Idiot, you could have died! – Claudine yells at her frustrated, turning her face so Maya doesn't see the tears prickling out her eyes again.
- I know you... wouldn't have let me... die – Maya says with a light grin on her face, eyes heavy from exhaustion and pain.
- Take this – Claudine sighs out, helping Maya to sit up enough to swallow the medicine, although Claudine knows better about mixing alcohol and pills but she can't help it. Then, she helps her to get into one of her pyjamas, looking away to respect her privacy before she lets her rest back on the mattress – Now sleep, you really need to rest and not move. I don't want the stitches to open.
Claudine says, shivering at the mere thought of it happening.
She stands up to get out of her bedroom and throw away the bloody towels and everything she has used, to then go to sleep to the couch when Maya stops her, grabbing her hand weakly.
- Stay... here – she says softly, much different at how Claudine demands her to stay for the night.
- T'es impossible – Claudine whispers with a soft smile playing on her lips, gaining a soft smile from the other woman who didn't understand completely what the half-French said but she can imagine.
Claudine leaves to throw everything away before she comes back, heading to her wardrobe to retrieve a futon to sleep on the floor when, with difficulties, she feels Maya extending her arm to grab her shirt, pulling it down to oblige Claudine to sleep with her.
- Maya...
Maya shakes her head, pulling Claudine's shirt once more to make her get her message.
- Please Claudine... stay.
Claudine sighs and goes to the empty side of the bed, lying down next to Maya but at a prudent distance, not wanting to worsen Maya's condition.
- You're so demanding…. – the ash-blonde murmurs amused, looking at Maya, seeing her smiling softly as her eyes start to close.
- Thank... you...
Maya whispers so softly that Claudine barely hears it, making her blush lightly and her heart race. She pulls the blankets up, wrapping Maya in their warmth, hearing her breathing soundly.
- Sleep well, Maya.
Claudine whispers and kisses Maya's hair, lying on her side to watch over the brunette, making sure she's okay as she's sleeping. She places her hand tentatively on Maya's hip bone before she also succumbs to slumber, finally resting after a long day full of frights.