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"I don't think that's supposed to happen," Hugo comments, staring at his companion nervously.
"Oh really? You think so?" Varian retorts, his teeth gritted in pain. "I'm sure that my leg should look like that!" He gestures at his leg, which looks like a leg and more like a slaughtered animal.
"We should probably go back to the caravan, you need help," Hugo suggests.
"Fine. How do you suggest I get back there?" The smaller boy questions, his voice dripping with venom.
"I can carry you," Hugo says slyly.
"Hmmm let me think." Varian taps his chin, pretending to think. "How about no. I don't need your help, Thief." He slowly stands up, resting most of his weight on his staff. Its alchemy balls shimmer in the appeared sunlight streaming through the tree canopy.
"I really don't think you should be walking Goggles, your leg seems pretty bad," Hugo remarks, stepping towards Varian.
"I said I'm fine," Varian says, holding a hand up. "You can leave now because I don't need you.." He attempts to limp in the vague direction of their campsite but barely makes it a step before he pitches onto the ground.
Hugo sighs and walks over. "You obviously are too stubborn to admit when you're hurt so I have no choice." He kneels and picks Varian up bridal style in one smooth motion.
Varian lets a small yelp mass through his lips and buries his face in Hugo's neck. "Put me down!" he mumbles into Hugo's collar.
"Sorry Goggles, but I don't think Nura will let me live if you don't return to the caravan."
"Oh really, so what happened to the thief I met at the fire temple? He would never have done this," Varian huffs.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Hugo denies
Varian glares at Hugo for a moment then gives in and rests his head against the taller boy's chest.
Hugo pretends to care about an animal chittering in the treetops so he has an excuse to look up, thus hiding his flushed cheeks from Varian.
They're almost back to camp when Varian speaks up.
"Sorry for getting blood on you," he apologizes, his voice quiet and muffled by Hugo's shirt.
"Don't worry about it, not the first time it's happened," Hugo assures him, still trying not to blush.
The rest of the walk to the caravan is silent, only penetrated by the occasional grunt of pain from Varian when Hugo has to clamber over a large root or rock, causing his leg to swing.
When they reached the clearing that served as their campsite, their traveling companions glance up from what they were doing.
"What happened? What did you do to him?" Nuru questions, shoving her star charts aside and jumping up as the pair drew near.
"He just had to get a perfect specimen from a tree, while I was trying to collect firewood," Hugo explains, bending to open the caravan door,
Varian yelps as his head bumps against the door, "So now I can't speak for myself?" he complains, glaring up at Hugo.
"Nope cutie," Hugo smirks, setting Varian onto his bunk, careful not not move the Alchemist's leg more than needed.
Varian looked away quickly, desperately to mask his blushing as a grimace.
"I know this stuff, so i can fix you up," Nuru mutteres, rummaging through a cabinet for medical supplies and decidedly ignoring what Hugo had said.
She returned with an armful of things, most of which Varian recognized from prior use.
"But I'll need access to your leg to dress it and right now that's a bit of a problem." Nuru gestured at Varian's bloodied pant leg.
"Oh I can fix that," Hugo says quickly, pulling a pocket knife from his belt. He knelt beside the bed, taking Varian's leg firmly in his hands, not on top of his wound luckily, but it still sent a jolt through Varian's body. In a few carefully placed slashes(most of which were much too close to Varian's skin for comfort) his pant leg falls away, giving an ample view of the mess in front of them.
Exposing the wound didn't make it look any better. There was a sizable gash over his shin and bone was visible through the muscle.
"Yuck," Nuru murmurs, making a face.
"Oh no, the princess can't handle a little blood," Hugo mocks.
"I can handle it, but we both know this is more than 'a little blood." She turns her attention to Varian. "How are you not passed out right now?" Nuru asks incredulously. "This is pretty serious."
Varian laughs nervously. "Guess I just have a great tolerance for pain."
"Well, I hope it's as high as you claim because it's going to hurt like hell when I clean it," Nuru warns.
"Who's this I," Hugo demands. "You are certainly not helping him."
"Because you know so much more about medicine than me," Nuru snaps back.
"Ah yes the astronomer princess is soo qualified," Hugo mutters under his breath.
"FINE! You want to help him? Be my guest, but don't come crying to me when it goes horribly wrong." Nuru storms out of the caravan, leaving a very smug Hugo.
"It won't go wrong so i won't need you," he calls after her.
"Was that really necessary?" Varian asks after Nuru leaves.
"Nah," Hugo admits. "I don't think anyone here is qualified enough for this."
"That's reassuring." Varian rolls his eyes and closes them for a second. "And also a terrible idea. do you even know how to fix something like this?"
"I disagree, and I picked up on a few things on the streets, for your information, " Hugo says. "Why don't I get started now?"
Varian opens his eyes. "No."
"Well, I'm afraid I can't just let you bleed out, despite how I'm sure you'd not do the same for me."
Varian takes a deep breath. "Fine whatever. But if you make it worse i will spike your drink with a few chemicals," he huffs, turning away. "Get on with it then."
With a grin, Hugo began working. He pours something from a large grey bottle onto a rag and rubs it on the skin around the wound, careful to not apply too much pressure.
A draft wafts the odor from the bottle in Varian direction and he wrinkles his nose at the pungent stench.
When Hugo was finished cleaning around the wound, he looked up at Varian. "This is going to hurt like hell, just to warn you."
Varian nods grimly and branches himself.
Hugo grabs the grey bottle and pours a copious amount directly into the gaping hole.
Varian bits his lip, har enough to draw blood, in an effort to keep quiet, despite the horrific burning sensation radiating from his leg.
He doesn't notice when Hugo grasps the two ends of his leg, but he most definitely notices when he forces them back into place.
A choked sob escapes Varian's lips and he goes limp, in too much pain to attempt to move. Tears stream down his face and he clenches his jaw tight to hold back the cries threatening to escape.
"Hey, hey, it's alright," Hugo comforts him gently as he gently brushes some hair off of Varian's forehead. Then, realizing how intimate the action was, he pulls his hand back. "Err we can take a break from this if it hurts too much. Can we do that? Take a break from a medical procedure I mean? Or is it like when you cook something and it has to cook all the way and you can't take a break from cooking it halfway through?' He mutters the last part under his breath, which is still pretty loud.
Varian chuckles, wiping the tears from his face. "N-Nah it's fine. I'm fine now, it doesn't even hurt that much anymore."
Not technically a lie, the pain has dulled from being trampled by a horse to simply being smacked with a metal shovel. Definitely bearable.
"If you're sure." Hugo produces a threaded needle and starts to sew the skin shut.
Varian gritted his teeth as the needle pierces his skin, though it's pale compared to the pain he had been in a few moments ago.
When the last of the stitches had been put in place, Hugo carefully wraps Varian's leg first with soft gauze and then sets the bone with a firm curved plank on either side of his leg, followed by more padding and a thicker bandage. The end result looks a bit bulky but effective.
Hugo takes a step back. "There you go. I fixed your leg," he says proudly.
Varian nods weakly collapses back into his pillow and smiles weakly up at Hugo.
He feels tired. Exhausted even, but overall content, and maybe even happy, considering he's safe and sound and his leg has finally stopped throbbing so badly now that it's in proper alignment.
"Thank you, Hugo," Varian mummers, or at least he tries to say, but sleep is overtaking his body and it comes out more as "Thmk you Mugo."
"Anytime Goggles," Hugo says fondly. "Just call if you need anything else."
Varian hums an unintelligible response to this, which makes the thief smile. He stands by the door until he's sure that Varian is asleep before exiting the caravan.