Allie let out a heavy sigh, looking over at the man who’d just saved her. She thought she should be more thankful of her savior, but the frustration of losing her sleep place was outweighing that in her tired mind. “Well, sorry for being in the way, I guess.”
She continued to limp toward the main road, the light at the end of the dark alleyway. She pushed through the pain, trying to hide the hurt from the man. She let out a small hiss each time she put weight on her leg. When the man stopped, Allie limped a few more times before stopping and looking back. “What, you gonna carry me? I sure as hell can’t run, seeing as I can barely walk.”
“It had nothing to do with you; you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Lucan said. “But that man and the people that he works for – they want what they want when they want it. And collateral damage means nothing to them so long as they achieve their objective.” Especially if collateral damage was ‘just the cost of a human life.’ He knew that all too well.
“I’m going to help you,” Lucan replied, reaching a hand out towards her own. And she would likely assume that meant he would either support her or carry her to the motel. But he had every intention of taking her wound now. He was used to having to move with a multitude of different wounds; years of experience. Not to mention that, while it would take some time (without seeing the wound, he could only guess it would be between a handful of hours and a whole day), he would start healing right away. So as soon as his hand touched hers, he made the connection, her skin slowly starting to knit itself back together while his own burned and bled.
“Okay,” Allie responded, readying herself to be picked up. When he took her hand, the sensation in her leg was unlike anything she’d ever experienced. “Wha- What are you doing?” There was panic in her voice, and her face showed it. “Stop it, stop it!” She cried out, pulling her hand away only when it was too late. Her wound was healed and he bore it on his own leg. “What the hell, dude? What did you do? Why did you do that?” That was mine, she thought after the words left her mouth. That was her wound. She needed to feel the pain from it. To take care of it.
She turned and shoved the other’s shoulder. “I can’t believe you just did that! That was my cross to carry, not yours!” Her words were bitter coming out of her mouth. “Who the hell do you think you are, anyway?”
Cisco backup 