Post by WESLEY ADAM BENNETT on Aug 20, 2011 13:15:19 GMT -5
Wes' brows pulled up worriedly. He knew he had upset her even more, and her own feeble attempt at reassuring him made it so much worse. Especially that smile, the one she forced through the pain.
Water still dripped from his hair, but at least he wasn't forced to stay in his soaked clothes like she did. She was snuggled against his bare chest, looking up at him, but he didn't have much time to register this, as he was looking where he was placing his feet with great care. Once or twice he thought he felt her shiver, but it could have just been the motion of his step. It took him a moment to even register that she was speaking softly to him, sounding dazed, and it only fed his urgency.
"Don't worry, I'll get you some help, the hospital isn't that far." He had been reluctant to call an ambulance at first until he saw the damage done. They were only a few blocks away- he could handle this. He hoped.
Wes continued to murmur soft encouragement to Aria, getting slower as he reached the top of the staircase that led to the street. They had already started attracting the attention of several people on the pier, who were making their way toward them as he helped her sit on the top step. At least her wound wasn't spurting blood everywhere, so it could remain relatively hidden behind his shirt for awhile longer. Taking out his cell phone, he flipped it open to find the screen warped from the water.
"Just sit tight, don't move." He muttered, resting a hand on her shoulder, before straightening up and striding across the sidewalk to the street.
Hailing a taxi was harder than he thought. Probably because he was standing with one foot on the road, shirtless and honestly a bit panicked. He frequently glanced back at Aria on the steps, frowning when more and more people started to group around her. One woman had trotted over and kneeled next to the girl, quietly asking questions that Wes couldn't hear. Finally someone slowed, and he shoved his sodden money into the man's hand without counting.
"Wait there one second." He ordered, jogging back to where he had left Aria. He gently scooped her up by the elbows, and then up into his arms again, to the dismay of the woman who was sitting with her, who tried to step in front of him.
"What happened to her? She needs to see a doctor. Where are you going?" The stranger's questions followed him, and he could feel the eyes of the people who had stopped on the sidewalk and even on the road locked on to him, which he tried to ignore as he fast-walked her back to the taxi.
The driver held one door open, watching in shock, obviously not expecting...this. Wes settled Aria in the first seat before closing the door and jogging to the other side, throwing himself in.
"Take us to the hospital." He looked over at Aria, looking for some kind of confirmation that this is what she needed, but he had the feeling that she was a bit out of it. He didn't know if she had a doctor in Seattle, or if one of the walk-in clinics would suffice, so the hospital down the road would have to do.
The short five minute ride was filled with Wes leaning across the seat to check Aria's head every few seconds, still speaking quietly to her whenever her eyes started to close, his apologies frequent.
"Don't worry, you didn't mess up my plan. Everything's fine. You're fine. Don't worry." He knew he was starting to repeat himself. Soon they pulled up in front of the hospital, and the driver again helped Wes maneuver the girl out of the back seat. For the third time he carried her, starting to feel the strain, through the automatic doors to the emergency room.
There were already people milling about, and a nurse behind a desk taking admissions, sorting out the urgent people from the rest. From what he could see, Aria would be sorted into the urgent category. He took her to a more secluded seat, before striding off to the woman behind the desk. She tried to hand him and application, but he shook his head. He didn't know enough history to fill it out for Aria, so they would have to contact the school. But all it took was him explaining what had happened, and the current state she was in, and the nurse picked up the phone.
Wes wove through the assortment of chairs, back to Aria, picking up her hand. He didn't have time to reassure her before a second nurse walked out from a lift, consulting the scant information she had on the girl.
"Holland, Aria?" She called, and Wes stood up in a flash, holding out both hands to the girl. "C'mon, we'll get you looked at."
That was how the two found themselves in the white room, a curtain pulled across one side to shield the other occupant while they waited for a doctor. Aria had been instructed to lie down, and Wes sat perched the on the edge of the hospital bed in the makeshift check-up room, just staring at her. With all of that racing around, the initial horror...it was weird to suddenly be told that things were okay, and in someone else's hands.
"You okay?" He asked, not sure if her eyes were just closed, or if she was actually asleep. He didn't want to bug her if she was, but he felt the need to explain himself, like if he didn't get it out now, he never might.
"I'm sorry..." He started, for what felt like the hundredth time. He looked down to his hands, clasped in his lap.
"I had the day planned out, and I thought it would be a good idea to go to the beach. I don't know, I..." He shook his head, still not looking at her. He wasn't sure if he wanted to know if she was listening or not. It was somehow easier to admit this sort of thing if he pretended he was only speaking to himself. "See, I was going to take you there, since it's one of my favourite spots, and we were going to hang out, and..." Again he let the words trail off, hands held out plaintively in front of him, a slight blush beginning to creep up on his cheeks. "I was going to ask if you wanted to go out. Not like this, but an actual date. You know." He wasn't tripping over the words as if they were a foreign concept, but he was suddenly very much aware that this was Aria he was talking to. Somehow that made a difference from any other time he had asked someone out. He finally glanced over at her on the sly, expression neutral again. "I was going to ask if you wanted to be my girlfriend. That sort of thing."
Water still dripped from his hair, but at least he wasn't forced to stay in his soaked clothes like she did. She was snuggled against his bare chest, looking up at him, but he didn't have much time to register this, as he was looking where he was placing his feet with great care. Once or twice he thought he felt her shiver, but it could have just been the motion of his step. It took him a moment to even register that she was speaking softly to him, sounding dazed, and it only fed his urgency.
"Don't worry, I'll get you some help, the hospital isn't that far." He had been reluctant to call an ambulance at first until he saw the damage done. They were only a few blocks away- he could handle this. He hoped.
Wes continued to murmur soft encouragement to Aria, getting slower as he reached the top of the staircase that led to the street. They had already started attracting the attention of several people on the pier, who were making their way toward them as he helped her sit on the top step. At least her wound wasn't spurting blood everywhere, so it could remain relatively hidden behind his shirt for awhile longer. Taking out his cell phone, he flipped it open to find the screen warped from the water.
"Just sit tight, don't move." He muttered, resting a hand on her shoulder, before straightening up and striding across the sidewalk to the street.
Hailing a taxi was harder than he thought. Probably because he was standing with one foot on the road, shirtless and honestly a bit panicked. He frequently glanced back at Aria on the steps, frowning when more and more people started to group around her. One woman had trotted over and kneeled next to the girl, quietly asking questions that Wes couldn't hear. Finally someone slowed, and he shoved his sodden money into the man's hand without counting.
"Wait there one second." He ordered, jogging back to where he had left Aria. He gently scooped her up by the elbows, and then up into his arms again, to the dismay of the woman who was sitting with her, who tried to step in front of him.
"What happened to her? She needs to see a doctor. Where are you going?" The stranger's questions followed him, and he could feel the eyes of the people who had stopped on the sidewalk and even on the road locked on to him, which he tried to ignore as he fast-walked her back to the taxi.
The driver held one door open, watching in shock, obviously not expecting...this. Wes settled Aria in the first seat before closing the door and jogging to the other side, throwing himself in.
"Take us to the hospital." He looked over at Aria, looking for some kind of confirmation that this is what she needed, but he had the feeling that she was a bit out of it. He didn't know if she had a doctor in Seattle, or if one of the walk-in clinics would suffice, so the hospital down the road would have to do.
The short five minute ride was filled with Wes leaning across the seat to check Aria's head every few seconds, still speaking quietly to her whenever her eyes started to close, his apologies frequent.
"Don't worry, you didn't mess up my plan. Everything's fine. You're fine. Don't worry." He knew he was starting to repeat himself. Soon they pulled up in front of the hospital, and the driver again helped Wes maneuver the girl out of the back seat. For the third time he carried her, starting to feel the strain, through the automatic doors to the emergency room.
There were already people milling about, and a nurse behind a desk taking admissions, sorting out the urgent people from the rest. From what he could see, Aria would be sorted into the urgent category. He took her to a more secluded seat, before striding off to the woman behind the desk. She tried to hand him and application, but he shook his head. He didn't know enough history to fill it out for Aria, so they would have to contact the school. But all it took was him explaining what had happened, and the current state she was in, and the nurse picked up the phone.
Wes wove through the assortment of chairs, back to Aria, picking up her hand. He didn't have time to reassure her before a second nurse walked out from a lift, consulting the scant information she had on the girl.
"Holland, Aria?" She called, and Wes stood up in a flash, holding out both hands to the girl. "C'mon, we'll get you looked at."
That was how the two found themselves in the white room, a curtain pulled across one side to shield the other occupant while they waited for a doctor. Aria had been instructed to lie down, and Wes sat perched the on the edge of the hospital bed in the makeshift check-up room, just staring at her. With all of that racing around, the initial horror...it was weird to suddenly be told that things were okay, and in someone else's hands.
"You okay?" He asked, not sure if her eyes were just closed, or if she was actually asleep. He didn't want to bug her if she was, but he felt the need to explain himself, like if he didn't get it out now, he never might.
"I'm sorry..." He started, for what felt like the hundredth time. He looked down to his hands, clasped in his lap.
"I had the day planned out, and I thought it would be a good idea to go to the beach. I don't know, I..." He shook his head, still not looking at her. He wasn't sure if he wanted to know if she was listening or not. It was somehow easier to admit this sort of thing if he pretended he was only speaking to himself. "See, I was going to take you there, since it's one of my favourite spots, and we were going to hang out, and..." Again he let the words trail off, hands held out plaintively in front of him, a slight blush beginning to creep up on his cheeks. "I was going to ask if you wanted to go out. Not like this, but an actual date. You know." He wasn't tripping over the words as if they were a foreign concept, but he was suddenly very much aware that this was Aria he was talking to. Somehow that made a difference from any other time he had asked someone out. He finally glanced over at her on the sly, expression neutral again. "I was going to ask if you wanted to be my girlfriend. That sort of thing."