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She tried to keep a brave face. It was foolish, but admirable. However, Wednesday knew. She’d felt the way Enid tensed through the thick, pink monstrosity she called a jacket. At first she assumed her tension was simply shock from having her hug returned. The action had felt so foreign and yet so instinctual that even she was rather taken aback by her own action. Shock would’ve explained everything. Yet it wouldn’t explain the little whimper which burned Wednesday’s ears like a fireplace poker.
Enid was hurt.
In this moment Wednesday vowed that should Tyler ever make a reappearance in her life again there would no longer be an “attempted” murder charge on her record. She entwined her fingers with Enid’s, took her away from the crowd and commotion of their classmates. She took her to the one place where they could be alone: their room.
“You’re injured,” Wednesday said, sitting Enid on the edge of her bed.
“Wh-What?” Enid looked at her wide-eyed, innocent. “I don’t… I’m not…” She searched for words which wouldn’t come.
“Don’t lie to me.” Wednesday placed her hand on Enid’s back, applied just a little pressure.
Enid bit her lip trying to stifle a groan to no avail. She gripped the mattress and turned away from her. “It’s not that bad.”
“Let me see it.” She cupped her chin, turned her face so their gazes could meet. “May I see it?” she said softer.
Enid’s eyes watered. She nodded, shrugging her jacket partway off her shoulders. “Can you help me?” she asked.
Wednesday slid the jacket the rest of the way off Enid revealing the peaks of angry, jagged streaks of red before her shoulder blades which stretched down her mid-back. She tossed the bloody fabric across the room. In the moonlight pouring in from her half of the circular window, she took a moment to asses her friend’s wounds.
Her fingers glided along the contours of Enid’s back. She took stock of each mark, made mental notes as to how many there were and how long and deep they went. The wounds were beautiful. She traced a couple nicks along the left side of the small of her back. They would all heal. She gently ran her thumb along the path of the main claw marks which dominated her back. Wednesday pulled her hand away, stared into her palm. Enid’s blood dotted her skin. This shouldn’t have happened. She never should’ve had to recover to begin with.
“H-How bad is it?” Enid asked, arms tight around her chest.
“You’ll live. Most of these wounds are minor and will recover well on their own.”
“Oh, that’s good!” Enid said.
“But… there will be scaring,” Wednesday said.
“Oh… I guess… I guess that’s okay, right? I mean people like scars, don’t they?” Her shoulders sagged.
“I need to clean the area before I can apply the sutures,” Wednesday said.
“They add character and and—”
“I’ll be back.”
When Wednesday returned carrying a couple damp hand towels from the women’s bathroom, she stopped in front of their door. Beyond she heard Enid gently sobbing. Wednesday rested her forehead against the door. Plunging a knife into her own heart would’ve hurt less than listening to Enid. Her grip of the towels tightened. Water expunged itself from the cloth, hitting her shoe. She had to focus for Enid. Taking a breath, she opened the door.
Enid wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “You’re back!” She perked up, but her eyes were red and puffy.
Wednesday didn’t respond, momentarily taken aback by her friend. The dirt in her blonde hair, the blood dark against her pale skin, and the way the moonlight embraced her bare form as she sat hunched on her bed. Enid was a macabre painting of the highest degree. And it wasn’t right. Wednesday averted her gaze as she made her way back to the bed. She grabbed the suture kit from under the foot of her bed, placed it by her pillow, and positioned herself behind Enid. “This will be cold,” she finally said.
“It’s okay. Hmm!” Enid’s shoulders tensed from the damp towel.
“I told you,” Wednesday said. “I’ll be quick.”
“H-Hey, Wednesday. Do… Do you think I’ll still be cute?”
“What?” Enid’s voice was so quiet she almost didn’t hear it. Wednesday paused scrubbing her back.
“Nothing! Never mind! Forget I said anything! I’m being ridiculous, aren’t I? It could’ve been so much worse and here I am—”
“I’m positive you will continue to have no problems attracting whatever suitors you desire,” Wednesday said, resuming her scrub.
“Do you really think so?” Enid sniffled.
“I’m certain.” When Wednesday was done cleaning off the excess blood she opened her kit and grabbed a pack of adhesive stitches.
“Thank you.” She wiped her nose with her hand.
Wednesday nimbly applied stitches to the worst of her injuries. “For what?” she asked. There was nothing Enid needed to thank her for. If anything she owed her. Because without her intervention between Tyler and herself she was certain he would’ve torn her to ribbons. “It is I who find myself indebted to you, not the other way around. Tyler wanted me. Had I never gotten you involved you—”
Enid snapped to her, wincing at the motion. “You better not be blaming yourself!” She pointed a finger at her.
“It’s really quite simple,” Wednesday said, gesturing for her to turn around then placing the last few stitches on her. “If you had never come to my aid then you never would’ve been injured in the first place. I’m finished with your back. Do you have a robe or…”
“In the trunk under my bed,” Enid said. “Bu-But you could’ve died.”
Wednesday dug through Enid’s trunk. “And you could’ve too.” She kept her voice even, but felt her blood boil at the thought. “I… wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if something were to happen to you because of something I did.”
“How do you think I would’ve felt if something happened to you?” Enid asked. “You’re my friend, Wednesday. How would I be able to live with myself if I didn’t at least try to help you?”
Wednesday crouched by the trunk, a monstrously fluffy pink robe clutched in her fist. “That’s idiotic,” she said and was relieved her back was to Enid so she didn’t have to look at her. “What could you have done against a hyde if you never transformed?” In her mind she saw Enid’s broken body laid out on the forest floor. Even with her enhanced werewolf strength there was no way she’d have survived long in a fight with a hyde.
“I still would have done something!” Enid said. “If you had been in my position would you have come for me?”
“I-That’s not the point.” She would’ve ripped the hyde’s eyes out with her bare hands if it meant keeping Enid safe. “Put this on.” Wednesday held the robe open for Enid, averting her eyes towards the window.
Enid slipped into the robe. “Would you? Would you have come for me if I had been the one in danger?” She gazed at her with those big blue eyes of hers.
“Without hesitation,” Wednesday said. “Yours is a presence I’d prefer to continue to endure.”
“I love you too, Wednesday.” She smiled, gripping the collar of her robe.
A strange burning sensation filled Wednesday’s cheeks. She was quite certain she was coming down with something, but she wasn’t sure of what exactly. “Just be quiet and let me finish cleaning you up,” she said, taking Enid’s shoulders and sitting her back on the bed.
“Oww!” Enid recoiled when Wednesday dabbed at the cuts above her brow with the second towel.
“Hold still.” She cupped her chin, turning her head so her cuts were more exposed to the light. Wednesday brought the cloth to her cheek. Enid placed her right hand atop hers. “Enid, I… need to finish,” she said.But then both her hands were on hers. “Enid!”
Wednesday let go of the towel, grabbed her friend’s wrists. Pushed her back onto the mattress. What was she doing? She didn’t know and she didn’t move. Enid grimaced. Her back! She wanted to slap herself for her carelessness. “Are you hurt?”
“I’m okay,” Enid said her face almost as pink as her robe.
“Do you want me to move?”
Enid shook her head.
“I’m going to finish what I was doing.”
Enid nodded.
The heat in Wednesday’s cheeks flowed into her chest as Enid’s gaze rested on her. It was strange. It was uncomfortable. It was… not all together unpleasant. After she applied a few stitches to her cuts, Wednesday returned her gaze. “I’m finished,” she said.
“Thank you, Wednesday.”
“No thank yous.” Wednesday placed her index finger against Enid’s lips. “You need to rest.” She was about to get off Enid and assist her to her own bed when Enid held her wrist.
“Could I stay with you tonight?” Enid asked.
“You want to…” The words trailed away from Wednesday. It was preposterous, absurd. Sharing her bed with another person? It was… Enid.
“I’m sorry,” Enid said. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I’ll just—”
“You can stay,” Wednesday said not sure if it was Enid or herself who was most surprised by her words.
“Really?”
“Yes, now don’t make me regret my choice.” Wednesday lay next to Enid. “And if you snore I will smother you while you sleep.”
“I love you, Wednesday Addams.”
“And I find you tolerable, Enid Sinclair.”