The more questions rushed into Zara's mind, the heavier her chest felt. Restlessness gnawed at her. Tears gathered in her eyes as she cleaned the dried blood gently, making sure her movements didn't make him uncomfortable. But the sting of the antiseptic liquid woke him up, with a start.
He instinctively pulled his hand back, only to find Zara beside him with a cotton ball soaked in antiseptic between her fingers. The sharp scent hit his nostrils. He looked down at his hand and then up at her again, clearly hesitant.
"You were bleeding," she said slowly. "I thought I'd change the bandage."
Nathaniel didn't protest when she took his hand again, but the unease was clear in his expression. He had been hiding the severity of his injury, but it was finally exposed now. He glanced at her nervously, as though he feared her reaction.
Zara blinked frequently, fighting back her tears as she resumed tending to the gash.
He hissed at the sting.
