Thank you all! Such lovely reviews left for the last chapter! It means a lot to me...onto the next one.
We are still on Wyatt's POV...
Wyatt had carried Lucy into the tent they had set up straight away, keeping her close to him and making it clear to the other's that he and Rufus had it handled, he just needed the space to help her. So it left himself and Rufus to look after her.
From the kit they had managed to put together before they left, a needle and thread were in there thankfully. He cleaned and stitched up the wound as best he could and wrapped a bandage around her head, but she needed a doctor, a real one.
The Empress had kindly lent her cot for Lucy to rest in and Wyatt now sat to her side clutching her hand, he hadn't moved in hours and it was now dark.
A rustle from the tent opening and Rufus came in, "She awake yet?" he asked with concern as he entered.
"No, not yet" Wyatt replied, his eyes gazing back to her, there was a little more colour in her cheeks now that they had stopped the bleeding. But he just wanted her to wake up and tell him she was ok the knotted feeling in his stomach wouldn't go away.
"You did a good job" Rufus pointed out regarding the wound and taking a seat at the bottom of the cot on a crate.
"She still needs a doctor Rufus," he told him. He had knowledge of removing bullets from parts of the body, but deep cuts and stitching was different. Especially in the head. It was new to him and he hoped it was a properly stitched wound, "but we are days away from that, miles away. And we would have to move her-"
"-We'll find a way," Rufus tried to calm him, " we always do," the assuring tone, albeit kind, wasn't helping him, he just wanted to get her back to their time and get proper care. People died of cuts like this back in the 1800's and he knew why. Infection was rife and without antibiotics for years, they were relying on giving themselves enough time to get her back to the present day as quickly as they could, "give her time, she always finds a way back to us"
Wyatt sighed and looked back at her, closing his eyes and resting his head against his hand that held hers. She did always find her way back to them, but this was different, he had never witnessed her physically hurt before and it knocked him. Danger, yes. All the time they were in danger and he was there to stop anything that could happen, but this time it was something he wasn't even there for.
With his eyes still closed and her soft hand by his lips, he was taken out of his daze by Rufus's voice, "You two talked last night didn't you?"
Wyatt lifted his head to his friend, still holding Lucy's hand, "Is it that obvious?"
"Let's just say I've been picking up on things," Rufus noted, "the hand holding...the kissing of those hands. Your reaction to-" he paused not wanting to actually say it "...none of those things were for the benefit of the group"
Wyatt took a deep breath, "No they weren't" he admitted. They were the furthest thing from his mind the moment he saw Lucy's lifeless body on the dirt. He wouldn't be able to get that image out of his mind.
"Good," Rufus nodded, "i'm glad. Finally you two can stop tiptoeing around the subject" he smiled slightly, trying to lighten the mood.
Wyatt looked back at Lucy and placed a hand by her cheek, gently stroking it, "She just needs to wake up-"
"-and boss us about again" Rufus stated.
"And boss us about again" Wyatt repeated, agreeing with him. He felt pain himself, he had no idea what she was going through. He was shocked she didn't wake up from him stitching the cut, she must have really hit her head hard.
Like he knew what he was thinking, Rufus spoke, "Emie told Wood that she flew so high out of her seat when they hit a rock, that she collide with the roof of the carriage. No one could have stopped it," the last part was like he was telling Wyatt not to take on any form of guilt that he should have been there, "Emie wanted to stop but Lucy told her no, they had to keep going"
Wyatt exhaled, of course she did. If she knew Flynn was after them, she wouldn't stop for anything. He shook his head, "She should have called for me"
"Dude, you know Lucy" Rufus told him, " no way would she had done that" he was right. He didnt want him to be right, but he was. Then a chuckle came from him, "hey you never know, maybe that hit to the head knocked the stuobbornness out of her"
"Dont count on it"
The voice was quiet and weak, but it was there.
Instantly Wyatt turned his head and saw Lucy's eyes slowly opening and then the sudden pain hitting her, clearly registering as she grimaced in agony and all he wanted to do was take it away. He felt utterly helpless, but utter relief at seeing her awake.
"Lucy" Wyatt whispered, he felt incredible sense of reassurance at her talking to them. He kept a hold of her hand, squeezing it and not wanting to let go. He watched as she shuffled in the bed trying to get comfortable and then trying to sit up, "no you don't" he told her firmly, not wanting her to move at all, and he gently pushed her back down on to the pillow that still had spots of her blood on it.
"Ah," she seethed, and raised her hand, gently touching the front of the bandage, a sudden look of confusion and then, "wait," she took a moment and it obviously hit her, "oh my god"
"Hey its ok," Wyatt told her instantly, looking into her eyes, trying to reassure her as much as he could, even though he had complete fear of what to do next, "you got a cut on the back of your head, and i stitched it up. But we have to get back to the present as soon as possible to make sure its healing right"
He could see it all registering on her face and taking it in.
"Do you want some water Luce?" Rufus asked from the bottom of the cot, a smile evident on his face that she as awake.
"Yes please Rufus" she replied, raising a hand to her head.
"Well at least you remember by name" Rufus concluded and smiled.
"Dude, not the time" Wyatt stated, getting annoyed.
"Hey don't do that," Lucy whispered, gaining his attention and he looked down at her, "i'm fine, you don't need to stop Rufus making a joke...that would be like stopping me from talking about History" and a little chuckle came from her. It was the reassurance he needed, and he relaxed a bit.
"I'm gonna go get that water" Rufus stated and he nodded to Wyatt.
Now with them alone, Wyatt leaned down and captured her lips with his, he kept his eyes closed as he took in the moment, "God you scared me"
"Kinda scared myself a little," she admitted and he opened his eyes to have her hazel ones looking back at him, "i didn't realise i had cracked my head open though"
Wyatt took a moment and shook his head, "The fear came back," he admitted to her, "the moment i saw you on the ground," he took a deep breath, remembering it, "something inside of me twisted," he felt agony roll over him, "I can't loose-"
"-you wont" she interrupted him, placing her hand on his cheek as he gazed down at her, "i'm here and we're going to make it back to our time" it should be him reassuring her, yet even in this state, she was able to calm him.
He saw her suddenly shiver and leaned over, grabbing another blanket and throwing it over hear, "There you go"
"Thank you" she whispered and then realised something, "wait...where's this cot from?" she asked curiously, looking down at what she was lying on.
"That would would be the Empress of France's cot" he told her with a smirk, the first one he had given in hours.
Her mouth dropped open and she slapped his hand, "No way!" she exclaimed, "how cool is that?!" he enjoyed her excitement and was glad she acting like herself, getting giddy over a person from History, like she always did. It gave him comfort that she got enjoyment from that and slipping back into herself.
"She's pretty awesome" he nodded and gently tucked her in.
She looked down at his hands as they did this and he frowned, "Hey you ok? I don't have anything for the pain-" he stated, worried that she was taking a turn for the worse.
She shook her head instantly, "I am in pain, but its not that" she replied with a furrowed brow.
"Then what is it?" he asked concerned.
She pursed her lips together, "Well i just realised," she looked back at him, "there's not enough room for you to sleep with me in this cot" she shrugged.
He let out a laugh and leaned down swiftly, capturing her mouth for another kiss, just so thankful that she was alright. But he had a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that he needed to get her home quickly, no matter how fine she appeared.