The Principal's Office

[tailor_made]

The door to the principal’s office is open at all hours, although you will only find Hester at the receptionist’s desk from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. This is primarily where you can have private conversations with her. Though there’s an actual office in the back, it is always closed and locked.

Comments

[barberic]

[He hisses and flinches, as the antiseptic runs into the cut, but doesn't pull his hand away completely, just watching her.

How can she stand to touch him, knowing what he's done? She knew before he did. Yet she gave him a photo of his daughter.]

...You weren't hurt badly, were you?

[tailor_made]

[She's being gentle as she can be, which is not as much as she wants to be. She wipes away the blood and the dirt and a grass stains, throwing away the cotton pad when it's dirty enough before repeating the process with a new one.]

A little but the Wizard fixed it. It...didn't even hurt, it was so quick. [She goes still a moment, draws in a slow breath before finishing her clean-up and reaching into her second drawer to pull out a needle and some golden yellow embroidery thread to dip in the antiseptic.] I'm okay now, it really wasn't that bad.

[barberic]

[He doesn't flinch with the second time. The wound is already raw and burning, by now more fire won't make it any hotter.]

...That's good. I know Maya was quite worried about you. We all were.

[His voice is still soft and low, not dull but hollow, meant for just the space between them as she tends to his hand.

When he sees the needle, a flicker of emotion (displeasure? sadness?) crosses his face.]

Are stitches really necessary?

[tailor_made]

I appreciate the concern. [Two spots of color creep into Hester's cheeks when Maya is brought up but Hester keeps a straight face while she finishes sterilizing.] Really. It was more the surprise than anything.

[She raises an eyebrow.]

Are stitches necessary to keep you from getting more stuff in it, getting it infected and possibly having to amputate your hand? Possibly.

[barberic]

[He looks up from their hands just in time to meet her raised eyebrow, and then quickly looks back down.]

...Fair enough.