Silver
chapter 4
AN: I am PROFOUNDLY sorry for all of the confusion regarding chapter 3 of this fic. Thank you to all who helped and notified me of the problems. On with the story. I will be playing a little catch up to align the two version. Expect strangeness.
Wanda happily skipped into the hospital wing, towing Ian behind her. Doc laughed out loud when he looked up and saw the display she shamelessly exhibited. "Good morning, Eustace!" Wanda knew just how much he hated that name, and a small part of her reveled in the flush that reached all the way up to his forehead.
"Wanda, don't make Doc change his mind," Ian said as he bent down for a good-bye kiss. He surprised her by pulling her flush against his chest. She moaned into him and melted into the rather amazing kiss he laid on her. She was slightly out of breath when he let go. Now it was Wanda's turn to blush.
"Don't work her too hard, Doc." He said over his shoulder, sauntering out of the hospital wing. He was thoroughly pleased with himself.
Smiling to herself, she turned to Doc. "Reporting for duty, sir!" she said cheekily.
"You're not going to make me regret this idea, are you?" Doc asked with mock exasperation.
"Nah, I'm just that glad to have something important to do. I'll work hard, believe me," she replied, suddenly serious.
Doc nodded and handed her a bottle of Clean and strips of cloth. "Soak these in the clean and hang them on the beams I set up over there," he indicated the 2x4's in a shallow recess in the rock. "Let me know when you're done."
Smiling, Wanda got to work, pleased she was doing something. For once, on one took this work from her, making her watch instead of contributing. She hummed tunelessly to herself as she worked, gently soaking each strip and hanging it to dry. She wondered if this was what doing laundry was like. She had always sent her laundry out to be cleaned when she lived in Mel's body. The thought of doing something domestic pleased her greatly.
Once she finished, she noted the first couple of strips she had soaked were already done. Guessing what Doc wanted from her, she attempted rolling them, like she had seen in the storage cabinets. What she hadn't realized earlier was bandage rolling was hard! She just couldn't figure out how to start the roll! Frustrated, she threw down the bandages.
As Wanda struggled, Doc watched her, silently laughing at her struggles. Every health care professional should have to pass this test. Rolling bandages was once considered a great skill, before modern gauze was invented. When she threw down her work in defeat, Doc walked over, tapping her on the shoulder and placing a pencil in her hand. "Here, use this. It will make it loads easier."
"You were watching me!?" she asked, still frustrated.
Doc, hiding a smile, replied "Only for a few minutes. Truly, I didn't just stand there. Use the pencil to start the roll. Then it will go much faster."
Wanda considered the pencil, and quickly guessing its purpose, she began rolling again. This time, she had much more success. She was half way through her strips, when a commotion by the cavern door drew both her and Doc's attention.
Four of the biggest guys in the complex shuffled in, bearing the weight of another hefty man.
"What happened?" Doc asked, the picture of composure. Wanda cringed, hoping she wouldn't see too much blood.
Jared happened to be one of the men helping. "Josh was cleaning the mirrors in the south cavern and fell off of the ladder. I saw him fall. It was from the very top of the ladder."
Doc swore. Those ladders were at least 20 feet tall. Quickly, Doc gave directions, having the men place Josh on one of the padded tables used to examine his patients and shooed the men away. "I need room. All of you, out. Not you, Wanda. Come here and clean up his face a little."
Wanda raced to comply, grabbing a towel and soaking it in one of the clay cisterns near the table. Gently, she began to clean the grit from the mirrors off of his face. Josh was young, maybe 20. He was a new comer to their group. He had heard rumors of this place, and sought it out. Before, he had been hiding in the mountains in Colorado.
Suddenly, Josh's eyes popped open, eyes rolling. For a moment, he focused on Wanda's silver-hued eyes, and he screamed, lashing out. He struck Wanda squarely on the left side of her face, sending her spinning away, into one of the walls. His high school class ring cut open a gash above her eyebrow.
Josh, confused from his fall, began shrieking about worms, thinking he had been caught. Wanda, dazed from the blow, slumped down one of the rough walls. Her head was throbbing and vision hazy. Fear ebbed and flowed through her body, disoriented from the blow to her head, and the collision into the wall. Her vision dimmed, and she remembered no more.
Wanda came-to quickly, knowing exactly what had happened. She sat up, far too quickly, and fell back again, dizzy.
"Hold still, Wanda," Doc's face swam into her vision. "I have close up that gash in your forehead. You seem to have a problem staying conscious this week," Doc smiled at her as he sprayed No Pain in her face. She breathed it in deep, hoping it would help clear her head. It did. She lay still as Doc poured Heal and then Smooth on the gash. When he was done, he helped Wanda sit up and gave her a mirror. Not even a small scar remained. She looked around, and saw Josh laying on a cot in the middle of the room, late-afternoon sunshine from the vents glowing around him. He seemed to be sleeping. Good, she thought. Let it stay that way.
"Wow Doc, you're good," Wanda said, half joking. Doc smiled and helped her sit up.
"Stay here. I'm going to get Ian," he made a move to go, but Wanda grabbed his arm.
"Don't!" she said, her voice echoing off of the walls. "Don't tell Ian! He'll never let me come back!"
"Tell me what," Ian's voice sounded from the door. He sounded angry. Ian appeared at Wanda's side. He took her face in his hands, inspecting it. Satisfied, he let go and turned to Doc. "I was just coming down here to pick up Wanda, and now I hear she tried her skills as a punching bag. Is she alright?"
Doc looked at Wanda, then Ian. "Josh woke to find Wanda looking into his eyes. He thought He had been caught. It was an accident."
"Exactly. So let's go, Ian. I'm fine." Wanda made to jump off of the table and swayed, the floor coming up to say hi. Ian caught her before she really intimate with the rock
"Sure you are, liar." Ian swept her up bridal-style, nodded to Doc and started for the door.
Doc's stopped Ian at the door. "She probably has a concussion. Wake her up every hour or so, and don't let her move around too much today or tomorrow." Doc winked at her "You get a little vacation, enjoy!" he waved as Ian turned with her towards their room.
Great, Wanda thought, at this rate, I'll NEVER get to work with Doc again. She sighed, resigned to yet another day spent in bed.
