"Ow!" Hector yelped as Lavernica pulled the stitches through her skin too tightly.

"Well, it wouldn't hurt if you weren't moving around so much!" the druid snapped back.

"I wouldn't be moving around so much if you weren't hurting me!"

Zippity-Doo cleared her throat. "Lavernica, maybe you should go get us a new bowl of water. I'll take over here," she said diplomatically.

Lavernica pouted, as she got up to leave the room. "I guess that's the thanks I get for trying to help," she grumbled on her way out.

Hector smiled at Zippity-Doo thankfully. "I know she was trying to help, but I think she might have made it worse."

The cleric examined the wound closely, trying to decide if a healing spell was in order. It didn't seem that Lavernica had done too much damage, so she sat down and continued stitching the wound in her friend's arm. When Hector winced slightly as the needle pierced her skin, Zippity-Doo shook her head. "I'm gonna tan that boy's hide."

"Marrrrr was just trying to help," Hector said, leaping to Marrrrr's defense.

"I think he was more concerned with helping his ego than with helping you."

"Zippity!"

"Well, it's true. You almost had that alchemist right where you wanted him! And then Marrrrr decided to sweep in and play the hero."

"He thought I was in danger."

Zippity-Do raised her eyebrow skeptically. "He stabbed you."

"Well, yeah, he did a little, but…"

The eyebrow went up even higher.

Hector sighed in defeat.

Marrrrr was well into his fourth ale when Lavernica stomped down the stairs. She dropped the bowl in her hands on the table with a loud 'thud' and then dumped herself gracelessly into the chair.

"What are you doing down here?" Marrrrr slurred. "I though you were stitching up Hector."

"I was sent to get water."

Marrrrr looked at the empty water bowl pointedly.

"They didn't really want me to get water. They just wanted to get rid of me."

"That -1 healing strikes again, I see."

"Don't you even start. This is all your fault."

"I don't see-"

"You stabbed her, Marrrrr."

"I was trying to help her!"

"Oh, because a woman can't possibly defend herself?"

Marrrrr let out a frustrated breath. "No, because that evil alchemist was holding a magic bomb in his hand-"

"And Hector had her magic shield potion all ready to go." Lavernica cut him off smugly

"Well, I know that now." Lavernica continued to glare. "Am I seriously in trouble for trying to save her life? I'm sorry if I went a little crazy when I saw someone holding a bomb-"

"You mean when you saw someone threatening Hector?"

Marrrrr was silent.

"You know," Laverniva continued, "this whole crush you have on her has always been inconvenient. But now? It's dangerous."

He didn't have anything to say to that.

Marrrrr looked down at a sleeping Hector, her arm neatly bandaged.

His fault.

His hand found her cheek and she leaned into his touch.

"I'm sorry."

END