(Evie)
What am I even doing?
Evie asked herself as she carefully pushed through the front doors of the infirmary, her movements slowed due to her slight hesitation. What if she doesn't want to see me? We barely even know each other. We're not even technically friends. She shook her head as she approached the front desk, telling herself that she was worrying too much about something so simple. She's my new roommate. I want to know if she's okay after the accident. I'm just trying to make her feel welcome here in Auradon. Personally, she knew how it felt to be one of the unwanted new students at the school, and she wanted to do everything in her power to keep her roommate from feeling as rejected as she and her friends had.
"Excuse me?" Evie spoke clearly, getting the receptionist's attention.
"How may I help you, young lady?" The receptionist set down the folder he was searching through, bringing his focus to Evie.
"I'm here to visit Mal…" Evie paused, realizing that she had no idea what the girl's last name was. I hope that won't affect my getting in to see her. "I'm here to visit Mal."
"Of course, our only patient currently," the man nodded, shifting to his left to view something on the computer screen. "And… she seems to have no visitation restrictions, so go right on back, ma'am."
Wow, that was simple. "Thank you."
As she moved away from the counter and made her way to the open doors leading to the patient rooms she couldn't help but think she was going to get in trouble despite the receptionist telling her she could head back. However, the second she stepped through the doors she found her worries switching paths again, traveling back down their original route. She probably doesn't even want to see me. What if she tells me to leave? What even happened in the first place? What kind of accident landed her in the hospital her third day in Auradon?
Okay, Evie. Just breathe. Calm down. You don't need to worry about every aspect of every situation. You don't need to know everything. Just as she was about to take a relaxing breath she found an unexpected calm washing over her body and warming her, the return of the desirable feeling causing her to stop abruptly to allow her entire body to be coated in the thick warmth. Instead of taking the relaxing breath she had originally intended to, she exhaled deeply in content.
Pulling herself back into reality she glanced around to decipher her location, finding that she had been only a few steps from entering the room that was her destination. Okay, she exhaled heavily, realizing that – despite the warmth spreading through her – she was still nervous; here goes nothing. Stepping through the room she glanced around to study her surroundings, noting that almost the entire infirmary wing was empty, every bed unused. Except the one with the curtains drawn shut, I'd assume. The sight only managed to worry her more. Closed curtains means she doesn't want to see anyone. She sighed, shutting her eyes tightly; I need to stop worrying so much.
Moving closer to the closed curtains she pondered the best way to announce her presence without startling the girl she knew rested behind them, only to find herself jumping in surprise when the curtains were suddenly drawn back, revealing the person she had come for. Her heart felt as though it had completely stopped working the moment the girl's bright-green eyes met her red-brown ones, and she found herself struggling for something to say. What is wrong with me? She thought, internally cursing herself as she remained frozen externally; I'm never lost for words.
"Hi," Evie whispered, her voice barely audible.
Luckily, with the abnormal silence of the room it would have been difficult not to hear her. However, the response she got wasn't one she wanted.
"I don't need another visitor."
"Oh," Evie breathed out sadly, trying her best not to seem upset by the harsh bite to the girl's words. "Had a lot of those today?"
"Definitely," Mal answered, a heavy huff leaving her lips when she dropped back against the infirmary bed.
But Evie wasn't satisfied, she hadn't gotten the answer she had come for and she wasn't going to leave that easily. She always seems tough to get through to. That shouldn't chase me away. In fact, it only seemed to be an incentive for her.
"I heard about the accident."
Mal scoffed. "Yeah, accident. That's what it was."
"What happened?" Evie questioned, a whole world more confused than she had been when Carlos had told her about the accident.
"Nothing you'd understand," Mal replied, blowing out a heavy breath as she averted her gaze, seemingly no longer wishing to meet Evie's.
Evie inched closer to the side of the bed cautiously. "You'd be surprised just how much I do understand."
Mal's gaze flickered back to her, and Evie could see the contemplation visible in the green of her eyes as the girl chewed on the inside of her lip in an internal debate. Not daring to look away from the powerful, luring look present in the girl's eyes Evie found herself getting lost in the beauty of them once again, the only thing managing to distract her from this trance being the unfamiliar feeling taking refuge inside her head. What the…? What is happening? She could feel a lure toward a shrill, unpleasant voice whispering in her ear, telling her that she didn't want to know about what had happened to Mal, but she pushed it away. Fortunately, it took very little effort to shove the thoughts fully from her mind, and she soon found the strange feeling in her head dissipating quickly until she felt completely normal once again. That was strange. She watched in curiosity as a look of confusion settled in Mal's features, wondering why the girl was staring at her so intently. Well, Evie. You're staring at her, too. It's not like it's weird, a brief pause; is it?
"I got into a little fight," Mal spoke softly, almost as if she were afraid she would scare Evie away if she spoke any louder.
"And lost?" Evie questioned, feeling as though there was little doubt about the result of the fight.
She couldn't have won. Carlos said she had lost a lot of blood, and that him and Fairy Godmother had to carry her here. Her gaze slid quickly over the deep purple bruise and small line of stitches present on her left temple, their presence making it known that the girl had taken a hard blow to the head at some point. However, the rest of the girl's body remained covered by one of the gowns the hospital handed out to their patients, the thin material simple to maneuver around for better access to whatever wounds needed caring. She couldn't see what else had happened to the girl.
"I never lose," Mal stated fiercely, her eyes seeming to flash with a warning.
"Right, so…" Evie glanced around the infirmary curiously, not sure what to believe; Mal had either won, or lost, and it honestly looked like she had lost. "The other person is in worse shape than you?"
"I'd say so," Mal let out a light laugh, one corner of her mouth quirking upward. "I mean, I'm not even that bad, you preppy Auradon people just claim that I am."
Evie tried not to let the last portion bother her, but she was sure a flash of hurt in her eyes had signaled the girl, letting her know that her words had stung. "Well… as long as you're not too terribly injured," she paused, keeping her gaze from lifting to meet Mal's. "I should just…"
She trailed off, not seeming to have the strength to finish the sentence as she turned away from the girl and head for the door she had entered through. You were right, she silently told the logical voice in her mind as she lowered her head to watch her feet, the worst posture she had ever walked with; she didn't want to see me. She started doubting if this situation was anything like it had been with the villain kids, wondering if Doug had been right to doubt the girl, after all, Doug hadn't been so quick to judge with her, Carlos, or Jay, he had been open to welcoming them. Maybe Doug is right, maybe Mal is someone I shouldn't try to be friends with. Maybe she's nothing like us.
"Evie, wait."
Evie stopped but didn't turn around to face the girl, she didn't want her to see the pain in her expression. She didn't even know why she was so upset with the way Mal was acting, especially considering it was the behavior she exhibited the most, she just guessed that she had hoped the time they had spent together during the weekend had changed something. She wanted to be the one Mal felt comfortable with, wanted to be the one she came to for almost everything, and though she felt completely idiotic and ridiculous for feeling that way for a girl she literally met a few days ago she couldn't bring herself to stop trying, to stop hoping.
The silence spread for so long that Evie decided it would be best for her to just leave before she ended up making a complete fool of herself for actually waiting for such a lengthy period, however, the second she took another step toward the door Mal's voice carried after her.
"Stay with me."
Evie inhaled deeply, trying to keep her composure. "I don't think that would be the best idea."
"Please, Evie," Mal whispered, sounding almost vulnerable. "Please stay with me."
Something plunged into Evie's chest and grabbed hold of her heart with an unrelenting grip, twisting until her entire body ached for the girl behind her. She didn't know what made Mal change so suddenly and drastically, but she couldn't ignore the girl, she just couldn't bring herself to ignore the audible pain in the girl's voice. And so, sighing heavily, Evie turned around and made her way back over to the bed, this time getting close enough to drop into the chair stationed beside the bed. Mal appeared uncomfortable and slightly embarrassed, and Evie wanted to do everything in her power to change that, but she had no idea how to go about comforting a girl who didn't seem to want it. She chose to remain silent, sitting straight in the chair and keeping her gaze focused on her own hands, praying that her roommate would say something, anything, to make her feel as though her company was actually desired.
"Isn't it lunch period?" Mal questioned quietly, her best attempt at starting a conversation.
For some reason, Evie found it endearing and a little adorable how socially-awkward the girl seemed to be. "Yes, it is," was all she said in response.
"You came here to see me instead of getting lunch," Mal stated more than asked, though Evie could tell the girl was still searching for further confirmation.
"I came here instead," Evie confirmed, nodding her head lightly. "As soon as I found out you were hurt."
"Why?" Mal asked bluntly, though – for once – there was no venom coating her voice.
Evie shrugged, suddenly becoming embarrassed by how quick she had been to skip out on food and hurry to the infirmary. "I had to know you were alright."
"Why? You barely even know me," Mal pointed out, seeming more curious than judgmental.
"Is it so hard to believe that someone could care about you when you're hurt?" Evie questioned, knowing that everyone here in Auradon would pray for anyone's well-being.
"Kind of, yeah," Mal answered, her voice showing complete sincerity.
Deciding to push passed her embarrassment she lifted her gaze from her hands to the girl in front of her to study her expression, finding that the pain that could be heard in her voice was completely invisible in her features. Mal didn't seem vulnerable in the slightest, she didn't seem to be hurting. There was no sign of anything being wrong present in her bright-green eyes, they were the same as they always were. It was like Mal constantly held a mask over her face to hide whatever she felt throughout her life, a solid mask sculpted from the finest metal ever to be seen, making it impossible to see through. If Evie wanted to get through that mask she only had two options; to break it, or to get Mal to take it off herself. And neither sounded particularly simple, but she knew that she was willing to struggle through anything if it meant she could make Mal understand that she wasn't alone here in Auradon.
"Well, I care about you, Mal," Evie said softly, never taking her eyes from the hold Mal's had on her. "And so does Carlos. It doesn't matter how much you believe everyone's against you, there will always be those few who would do anything to prove to you that you're wrong," as she spoke those words she couldn't help but think of Lonnie, Ben, and Doug, the only three who had always believed in her, Carlos, and Jay. "Trust me, I know how it feels to think no one wants you around and to doubt those who actually do, but in the end, if all you do is doubt and push those people away everything you fear will come true because eventually people get tired of fighting."
Silence fell over them, spreading quickly through the room as all they did was stare into each other's eyes, neither of them knowing what to say next. Fortunately – though Evie had a difficult time deciding if it was truthfully fortunate, or not – the sound of high-heeled shoes clicking against the floor sounded through the room, pulling them from the trance that had seemed to take control over both of them. Clearing her throat delicately, Evie shifted in her chair to glance over her shoulder at the person entering the room, a bright smile re-shaping her lips when she saw it was Belle.
"Oh, good afternoon, Evie," Belle smiled kindly at her before shifting her attention to Mal. "I just have to get a few things from the cupboards, then I'll be back to change your bandages."
Smiling, Evie turned back around in her chair only to find the smile fading from her face when she saw the look on Mal's face. Mal groaned audibly as she dropped her head against the bed forcefully – which Evie would have worried about if it hadn't been a soft surface – her gaze trailing after Belle as she made her way over to the supply cupboards. Just as she was about to ask her what was wrong Mal's eyes shifted to meet hers again, her hand shooting out to clasp onto Evie's arm.
"Get rid of her."
Evie's eyes widened and she glanced over at the kind woman. "What?"
"Please get rid of her," Mal pleaded with her for the second time within a single hour, her hand squeezing Evie's arm in attempt to regain her attention.
"I… I don't get it," Evie said as she listened to Mal's urging and shifted to look at her. "She's taking care of you, isn't she?"
"I know, that's the problem," Mal stated, her light-green eyes boring into Evie's red-brown. "Please just… can you get her to leave?"
Normally, Evie would have immediately refused to grant this favor, however, the way Mal was looking at her, the way her eyes shun with desperation and hope, broke her down quickly. So she gently removed Mal's hand from her arm and squeezed it reassuringly before rising from her seat to approach Belle.
"Excuse me, Your Highness," Evie spoke quietly, not exactly wanting Mal to overhear the conversation despite being the reason it was happening in the first place.
"Oh, Evie, we've been over this," Belle started, her friendly smile making Evie feel guilty for something she hadn't even done, yet. "Call me Belle."
"Right," Evie forced out a light laugh as she went through several possibilities of how to go about this task. "Well, it turns out… well, you see…"
"Does Mal want you to change her bandages instead of me?" Belle asked, seemingly seeing straight through Evie while managing to read the situation in a way that made it seem better.
Evie decided to go with it, once again hoping Mal couldn't hear them. "Yes, would that be an issue?"
"Of course not, dear," Belle reassured, holding out the basket of gauze and bandaging. "You'll need these items plus…" she trailed off, reaching into the drawer below the cupboard and producing a large tube of ointment. "This. Spread a generous amount of this on each open wound until they're completely covered, then hold the gauze to her body while you wrap the tape. Not loose enough to slip down from the area it's needed, but not tight enough to cut off her circulation."
"Got it," Evie breathed out in relief, feeling better about the situation now that it seemed less inconsiderate. "I'm sorry for…"
Belle held up her hand to silence her. "No need to apologize, Evie. Friends are always more comfortable with each other than with nurses."
Friends? Evie liked the sound of that. Smiling from the thought of people believing she and Mal were friends Evie thanked Belle once more before turning to head back to the bedside. Setting the items down on the chair she had occupied earlier she watched Mal's eyes follow Belle until she could no longer be seen, noting the sigh of relief that moved through her body the second the woman had left the room. What's your issue with Belle, huh? She couldn't find the nerve to actually ask the girl, so she simply settled for imagining what the answer could be; and she ended up deciding that it was merely psychological. Clearly, Mal only disliked Belle because of the pain the woman had caused her while cleaning and bandaging the wounds for the first time. She knew it most likely wasn't the reason, but it was the one she'd stick with until she managed to build up the courage to get the actual one.
"Thank you."
That surprised her, though she wasn't entirely sure why, she just didn't really picture Mal as the type of person who voiced how grateful they were. Now, she knew that she had been wrong in assuming that.
"You're welcome," Evie replied, gaze falling to the basket of supplies briefly before she brought her eyes to lock with Mal's. "Now, let's get your bandages changed."
"How about we don't," Mal disagreed immediately.
Evie's eyebrows knit together in confusion. "You're going to have to explain to me how leaving on your current bandages when it's time to switch them out with fresh ones is a good plan."
Mal shrugged. "I can't explain that because it's impossible, it's a stupid plan, really."
"You've lost me," Evie stated, utterly confused as to what was going on in Mal's mind at the moment. I'm never going to figure this girl out, am I?
"You see, what if I don't need new ones?" Mal posed the question messily, making it obvious that she was simply making things up as she spoke.
Evie stared at Mal for a moment, highly confused as to what kind of game she was attempting to play, but she did know that she wasn't about to join. "Sit up."
"Not working, huh?" Mal questioned, letting out a light laugh as she used her left arm to push herself into a sitting position. "It was worth a shot."
Somehow knowing that Mal was finished arguing Evie reached down to retrieve the supply basket only to stand back up – basket in hand – when she felt something brush against the outside of both her legs. Mal had shifted to the edge of the bed and slid her legs off, the action placing her legs on either side of Evie's hips. She thought nothing of it, figuring it was the best angle for her to reach the wounds, and she quickly found out that she had been correct in this assumption when Mal brought her hand up to the material gathered around her neck, pulling it until it was instead gathered around her waist.
Evie found her mind beginning to swim seconds after she allowed her gaze to fall to the bandaging covering the entirety of Mal's ribcage and abdomen, the pure-white material tainted dark-red by the blood soaking through. Her knees weakened substantially and her stomach threatened to make an unwelcome appearance. Oh my goodness, she swallowed thickly to force the rising bile back down her throat. This is… you're okay, Evie. You're fine. It's just a little blood. She breathed deeply, shutting her eyes for a brief moment in attempt to regain control over her own body. For goodness sake, Evie, you can't even see the wounds! But that only managed to make her stomach twist more violently at the idea of what she would find underneath the blood-soaked bandages.
"You okay?" Mal questioned, searching Evie's eyes for a hint at what was happening.
Evie nodded. "Mmhm."
I am definitely not okay. But she forced herself to get passed her issues in order to help someone in more need; she would try it for anyone if they needed help, but because it was Mal she was determined to successfully make it passed this obstacle.
"I don't believe you," Mal stated, reaching up to slide her hand over Evie's cheek and angle her face down, forcing their eyes to lock. "Your eyes are dilated. You're about to pass out."
Mal's statement had been true seconds before she had made it, however, Evie found her mind clearing and her stomach settling the moment Mal's hand slid to caress her cheek. Instead, she found herself focusing more on the tingling sensation that swirled through her cheek where her skin made contact with Mal's. It wasn't until she saw the girl's body tense that a completely insane idea that she had already shot down returned to the front of her mind. Is she…? Not thinking twice about it Evie reached up to slide her hand over Mal's, lacing their fingers together as she pulled their now joined hands away from her cheek and glanced down at the girl's ribcage again. Strangely enough, the feeling of faint crashed back into her immediately, forming lines in her vision as it slowly darkened around the edges. Here we go…
Her knees buckled but she found her palms connecting with the infirmary bed on either side of Mal's body, the remainder of her conscious mind working to keep her alert. She took a moment to compose herself, only realizing that she had been resting her head on Mal's shoulder when her mind had cleared. Taking a deep breath, she straightened up, this time purposefully keeping her gaze from lowering to the girl's ribcage. I can handle this. I can. I've got this.
"Evie…"
"I'm fine," Evie stopped Mal from telling her what she knew the girl was going to say.
"No, you're not," Mal tried again, but Evie merely ignored her.
Reaching into the basket she pulled out the ointment Belle had given her, struggling to keep her mind from mulling over what had just happened with her inability to handle other people's blood. However, when she couldn't keep her mind from wandering back to one specific part she decided that she needed to distract herself with something entirely different, hoping that it would not only stop her from freaking herself out, but also distract her from what she was doing and therefore keep her from fainting. If my mind is focused on something else, maybe I won't react as terribly, she debated the idea shortly before adding onto it; or say something stupid. It was worth a try.
"You don't have to do this, you know, you're not the nurse," Mal told her, fingers manipulating the material beneath her fingers where her hands had been resting firmly since Evie had pulled one of them away from her face.
"Yeah? Well, you didn't want the nurse to do it and it needs to be done before you get an infection," Evie deadpanned, sighing shortly after, upset with herself for letting the near-fainting mishap dampen her mood. She softened her voice, deciding that a conversation would be the most intelligent way to go about distracting herself. "Can you please remove the bandage?"
Mal searched her eyes for a brief moment before nodding lightly and dropping her gaze to her own torso to unwrap the ruined bandage. Evie winced at the fast, harsh way the girl tore the bandage from her own body, having to remind herself that it wasn't her issue.
"You know, you should really remove it more slowly next time," Evie suggested cautiously, not sure whether the girl would laugh at her, or not.
"Bother you?" Mal questioned, glancing up from her own body to meet Evie's gaze, her eyebrow quirked with amusement.
Evie nodded despite knowing she shouldn't. "You could re-open a wound by removing the bandage too quickly."
"Noted," Mal nodded in acknowledgement. "Nothing I can't handle, though."
"You like to pretend you're tough, don't you?" Evie questioned playfully, hoping that it would rile the girl up enough to keep her distracted for the rest of the operation.
"Pretend?" Mal scoffed lightly, though Evie could tell she was more amused than insulted. "I assure you, it's not an act."
"Really?" Evie's mouth curved upward as she unscrewed the cap on the ointment. "I haven't seen you do anything particularly impressive and you're in the hospital currently. Explain your view to me, though, I'd be glad to be enlightened."
"You just weren't there to see the impressive bits," Mal explained easily, gesturing to the tube. "You want me to do that?"
"Sure," Evie didn't put up a fight, well aware that it would be much easier if Mal applied the ointment to the injuries, especially since Belle had mentioned they were still open. "I'll just do the wrapping part, then."
As Mal focused on applying the ointment to her wounds Evie purposefully diverted her attention from the girl's movements, knowing that if she looked directly at the open wounds she'd hit the ground before either of them could take another breath. Please don't be that bad. She prayed that the girl wasn't in that much pain despite the description Carlos had given her. When she felt something brushing over her fingers she glanced down at her hand to find the girl plucking the cap from her grasp to place it back on the tube, trying to ignore the electric feeling that shot up her arm when their fingers touched.
"I'll find a way to impress you," Mal spoke again, picking up the conversation where they had trailed off. "You'll see."
Shaking her head in amusement, Evie tried to hide her smile from the girl by ducking her head as she retrieved the new roll of bandaging, however, she only had to lift her head back up when she found herself lacking in other ways to stall. She handed the packages that kept the fresh gauze pads sealed to the girl, hoping she would use them to cover her wounds so she didn't have to do it. Luckily, Mal tore the package open and unfolded the pads inside, maneuvering her good arm so that she could hold the gauze to her side.
"Do you not believe me?" Mal questioned, and Evie found it slightly strange that – this time – it was Mal trying to keep the conversation alive.
"Oh, no, I believe you," Evie finally replied as she unrolled the bandaging. "I'm just wondering why you want to impress me."
Mal shrugged in response. "I honestly have no idea why, but I do."
Not knowing how to respond Evie brought her arms around Mal's body, one end of the bandage held tightly in her left hand as she leaned forward to execute the action more easily. Bringing her left hand forward to press the end gently into Mal's side where the girl held the gauze she began winding the rest of the bandage around her torso until the opposite end slid into her hand.
"Maybe it's because you're doing this for me," Mal spoke suddenly, her exhaled breath tickling Evie's ear.
Not understanding what she meant Evie hummed in question, not glancing up at the girl as she pulled the strip that read, 'TEAR HERE', before pressing the bandage into Mal's back to get it to stick to itself. However, it didn't seem to be working as it should, so she brought the end back around to look at it more closely and figure out what was wrong.
"You faint when you see other people's blood," Mal more stated than asked, and Evie tried her best not to be fazed by the feeling of the girl's breath hitting the corner of her mouth as she studied the bandage. "Yet you're still dressing my wounds."
"I still don't see what you're implying," Evie announced when Mal hadn't continued after a minute.
"Maybe I want to spend my time trying to impress you because you're doing this for me despite the fact that blood bothers you," Mal clarified, shrugging her shoulders as if the idea were completely casual.
Evie shook her head; half in disbelief, half in amusement. "You don't have to do anything for my benefit. You technically don't even have to talk to me," though she would never complain about how much the girl seemed to want to talk to her at the moment. "I'm doing this because you need it and you made me send off the only other person around to do it. So please, don't feel like you need to waste your time trying to impress me."
"I wouldn't call it a waste of my time, Princess."
At this, Evie couldn't help but look up, wanting to search the girl's eyes for the sign that would let her know Mal was messing with her. That was the moment she realized just how close she had been leaning toward the girl, the feeling of her roommate's breath dancing across her lips causing her heart to accelerate to an unsteady, erratic beat. Your eyes are so beautiful. It's what she almost said, but didn't due to fear of how the girl would react. Instead, she lost herself in the bright-green of Mal's eyes, the look present in them reeling her in until she felt she'd never be able to look away.
What are you thinking? Evie wondered as she threw herself into the girl's eyes, trying to search deeper than the surface in order to figure out the things Mal found important enough to keep at the front of her mind, however, no matter how hard she tried she couldn't make sense of anything. Mal seemed devoid of any emotion, not even her usual temper making an appearance, yet somehow she could feel that there was a whole different layer unseen, a layer she kept hidden from the entire world. And Evie wanted to reach that layer, wanted to study it the way she studied textbooks, she just couldn't figure out how to even begin searching for it. Mal never gave her a second of surety; when she had first believed the girl was someone she usually avoided, she turned everything around by acting toward her in a way she didn't seem to behave with anyone else; when she had believed Mal was scared of being unwanted, the girl had made her believe she didn't want anyone to take care of her; and just when she had finally started believing that she should truly believe Doug about leaving her alone, she had witnessed a side of the girl she had never seen before. The girl was a mystery that left Evie more confused than she had ever been before.
"Are you going to finish the wrap, or not?"
Mal's voice yanked her from her trance, pulling her back into a reality where she was staring into the girl's eyes, completely immobile instead of working to finish bandaging her. And there it is. The moment that changed everything around once again, the venom present in the girl's voice making her question why she had ever believed there was something more to her than the tough exterior. As she dropped her gaze to the bandage still clasped in her hand she felt her cheeks heating with embarrassment, and she found herself hoping that she hadn't been staring too long; a false hope, most likely, given the way Mal had gotten her attention. Pushing every thought about the girl's masked emotions from her mind she remembered that she hadn't been able to find what was wrong with the wrap, so she decided to simply tuck it into the layer beneath it and tie it off.
She cleared her throat awkwardly. "There you go."
Without thinking about it Evie moved her hands to unwrap the bandaging around Mal's arm, peeling it off slowly until the wounds underneath were revealed. That's… she had to take a moment to breathe deeply; that's not so bad. It wasn't nearly as bad as she assumed the girl's side was, and she was able to push passed it – though her vision did begin fading as she applied the ointment.
"I could have done that," Mal whispered just before Evie ripped open the packaging to receive the gauze, her voice softer than before.
"I know," Evie stated, keeping her reply short for fear of saying something that would only make the girl fall back into her usual venomous state.
Luckily, Mal didn't say anything else.
Once she was done bandaging the girl's arm she collected the created trash into the basket and moved away from the bed, throwing the torn packages in the designated bin before carefully placing the basket back into the cupboard. She remained standing there for longer than she had originally meant to, fingers clasped around the handle of the cupboard as she exhaled slowly, trying to convince herself that she shouldn't be so effected by the girl.
"Thank you," Mal's voice sounded from behind her.
She nodded in acknowledgment. "It really wasn't a problem."
"Really?" Mal questioned, her voice lacking the playful tone it had possessed earlier. "Because it seems like it was."
"Forget about how I feel about blood…"
"I'm not talking about that," Mal interrupted her.
Despite her mind screaming at her not to Evie turned her head so that she could look at the girl, finding that her eyes locked with the green orbs she couldn't seem to get out of her head. "I'm not sure what you mean."
Surely there was no way the girl could have known the things she was thinking, the way she was feeling, however, when she thought back to the insanity of her ill reaction to blood draining from her body when Mal had touched her she found herself with another ridiculous thought. What, are you a mind-reader, as well? Though, this time, she thought it more sarcastically.
She watched as Mal chewed on the inside of her lip, already knowing that the quirk meant she was debating whether or not something was a good idea. What? What are you holding back? Evie wondered silently, but found herself too scared to actually ask the girl, something that seemed to be becoming a habit. It was visible through the girl's eyes that she was holding something in, keeping the thoughts part of her desperately wanted her to announce locked away in her mind; but Evie didn't push her, especially since she was doing the exact same thing with her own thoughts. She wanted to say; if you want me to leave, just say so. I will. If you want me to stop trying to become your friend, just tell me. I'll leave you alone. If you want me to stay, say something. I will. Please tell me what you're thinking. Please tell me how you're feeling. A soft sigh traveled through her body and escaped through her lips; because it's impossible to read you like I know you can read me.
But all the girl said was; "I should probably get some sleep."
Evie nodded to show her agreement, knowing that sleep was one of the main processes to healing properly. When Mal shifted onto her side – facing away from her – she finally closed the cupboard doors, leaning her forehead against it as she shut her eyes tightly and prayed that all of this had been a nightmare.
Part of her wanted to give up on everything, to run away from the infirmary and never speak to Mal again; but a stronger portion of her throbbed painfully at just the thought of erasing the girl from her life. Why does this girl mean so much to me? She had no idea what to do. She had been thrown into a roaring ocean with no idea how to swim; she was grasping for life-boats that weren't even there, their presence only in her imagination; she was hopelessly lost in the twisting maze that was the mysterious Mal. She wanted to solve the puzzle, to escape the maze, but at the same time she wanted to lie down and stay there until someone found her. She doesn't want me. She doesn't even want me around most of the time, the only exception being the conversation leading up to the path where Evie had willingly dove off the edge.
She hadn't wanted Mal to feel alone being the new girl in Auradon Prep, but it seemed that the girl didn't want anything anyone was offering to her; she hadn't wanted Carlos to help her, she hadn't wanted Belle to help her, she hadn't wanted Evie to help her. Mal was a lone-wolf that fought away anyone who stepped within fifty-feet of her territory, and Evie was the hopelessly lost rabbit that dared step further in. She hadn't wanted Mal to feel unwanted, but now she was the one who had been impaled by the jagged sword of it.
And it was because she had thrown herself onto the blade willingly.