First Broken Bone: Sympathy Tenderness

Sympathy, tenderness, Warm as the summer, Offer me their embrace
-"Sympathy Tenderness" from Jekyll and Hyde

Note: I do not own Power Rangers Jungle Fury or its characters. I'm just playing with them.
Prompt: First Broken Bone (bigthingsinlife prompts)
Genre: General/Drama/Angst
Rating: T (Minor language.)

I cannot believe this has happened. Worse of all, it's because of her. But apparently she feels just as bad about the whole situation and hasn't left my side; she's just glued at my side, nervously chewing her thumbnail. Her anxiety is smothering me.

I don't know why she's so freaked out; I'm the one with a broken leg. But as her blue eyes meet mine, just brimming with tears, she's instantly forgiven. We wait in the medical room for someone to bind my leg. The silence is only broken by her teeth clicking as she continues to demolish her nail.

"Kiran, would you stop? If you chew anymore you're going to bleed," I warn her. My voice is harsher than I want it to be, but I'm also in pain and I can't stand pain. Her eyes grow wide and she rips her thumb from her lips.

"Sorry!"

"No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap," I reply, trying to adjust my tone. Relief passes over her face and she reaches for my hand, holding it softly. Her hands are so warm and small compared to mine, and I try to enjoy the feel of her soft skin.

"Its ok, it's my fault, this whole mess is my fault and I'm staying until you get sick of me and kick me out." She smiles, despite saying that. I want to tell her that won't happen, but the door opens and the nurse comes in with the pain medications I needed. Usually I wouldn't take any medications; but as much as I usually hated to admit my pain, this was truly painful. I've never been helpless before and now I know I'm going to be. But I look over to her and I see a look in her eye and instead of being vulnerable, I have comfort. I know that in this time, when others would take advantage, she will show me selflessness.

"What happened? Lovers spat gone wrong and she pushed you down the stairs?" The nurse asked dryly; to my surprise Kiran blushes as much as I do. The soft blush makes her skin glow. Why is she blushing? Could…could she like me too?

"No! Nothing like that! I wasn't looking where I was going and ran into him and we fell down the stairs. He took most of brunt."

"Oh what a knight in shining armor." The nurse retorts just as dryly as before. She then utters a simple phrase to me, "Don't move."

There's more pain, which is more annoying now than anything. She sets my leg and gives me the pain medication she brought in. She calls Dom and RJ to come and help me in my half sedated state. They come immediately and make jokes the entire time at my expense, but I'm a bit too drugged to care. They drop me ever so gently into my bed, which was dropping my ass like a rock.

"Thanks guys…" I tell them, my speech is slurred, and they cheerfully say their goodbyes and shut the door. There's some scuffling outside my door and Karin elbows her way into my room through them. "Wha…what are you doing?" I asked, sleep was heavily taking over me.

"Taking care of you. I got you into this mess in the first place!" She insisted. I wanted to go out and tell her to leave me alone, that I can take care of myself, but I was too tired to fight or to turn her away. I knew as I slept she'd stay with me, and no matter how many times I told her, she'd still be here.

When I did awake later, it was late in the night and she was still here. As my eyes slowly open, I saw Kiran curled up in a chair, watching me cautiously.

"Hi," she says gently, creeping forward, she is no longer in the uniform but in her pajamas, and I was in mine as well. "I changed you into your pajama pants. I thought it'd be easier on you…" she says, noting my revelations.

I'm panicking on the inside. How could she think she had the right to touch me? …Did she touch me? Oh God, what did she think?

And instead of being rational, I lash out in anger as usual.

"You had no right-"

"Bitch all you want, it's done. I told you, it's my fault you're hurt and I'm going to take care of you!"

I look at her and I'm still not sure what to make of the situation. I don't like the fact that I am injured or that I have to depend on anyone to help me out. On the other hand, this is the girl I'm crushing on…who undressed me in my sleep.

"You…undressed-"

"Yes I undressed you. Geeze, act like I haven't seen the nude male form before. Do you forget I'm the only girl in this house? RJ and Dom streak around here all the time. I've seen my share of naked guys."

"Oy." Usually I would be jealous, but I too have been exposed to RJ and Dom streaking though the house. I was still worried what she thought of me…

"Tell me about it. Now what can I do for you? A bath? Dinner? Massage? A Cuddle? Pain pills?" she suggests. Oh dear God…how do I answer that? I like this girl, I really like her, and she's offering to take care of anything I need. A massage would be good, I'm sort've hungry, a bath would be nice but I'd be so uncomfortable and I've never actually been cuddled. Unfortunately my searing pain is back.

"Give me the damn pills," I growl as the pain rips through me. She seems to ignore my growl and patters across the room to get me them. She kneels on the bed, offering two pills and a glass of water. Though I'm very capable of sitting up on my own, she wraps her arm down and cradles the back of my head. She lifts me into a sitting position and pops the pills in my mouth and then presses the glass to my lips. I took a long drink and swallowed them. She then places the glass at my side table and actually places my head on her legs.

Being this close to her, I have no idea what to do with myself. I've never been comfortable around anyone. She seems perfectly content on manhandling me and bringing me close to her body. We've had an unspoken trust, but with RJ and Dom being around her constantly I don't get alone time with her often. We had moments where I could have taken time to speak to her, but I was too afraid. Now that I'm drugged and very close to her, I'm not sure what to do.

She gently runs her fingers down my face; I give a soft sigh of contentment and she smiles. She continues to stroke my face for a few minutes more, then stops and shifts me back to the bed. I wanted to tell her to come back, that I was enjoying her soft skin touch mine. I want to tell her not to go, that I want her to stay. But that's not who I am. I think she knows that I want her to stay, because she looks at me with a thoughtful look and then she settles down.

I can honestly say I've never been held like this before, but I like it. She's pressed against me and I'm deliriously happy. But that could also be the drugs; I'm not sure at this point. Either way, there's a smile on my face as I fall asleep with her warm breath on my neck.