Work Text:
Pearl was walking through the city, on her way home from her postal route as she walked through the alley that the back entrance to her apartment when she saw something out if the ordinary. One of the city’s most wanted villains ‘siren’ slumped against a wall. Her hand was covered in blood and pressed against her stomach. She looked as though she was fading in and out of consciousness, her eyes barely staying open. Pearl knew how dangerous she was, with the ability to hypnotize someone with only her voice and intent but then again, she was barely conscious and probably bleeding out, so, in a sudden burst of confidence, Pearl walked up to her and knelt down in front of her.
“Hi. You’re obviously not ok so I won’t ask that, but I've got a friend who lives very close to here.” stated Pearl, omitting the detail that it was about 20 meters away and also her house. “She works as a surgeon and has been nicknamed zombie Cleo for bringing back people from the brink of death. They should be,” Pearl checked her watch, “home by now. They won’t ask any questions and will let you go free after”
“No.” replied Siren weakly, her voice barely a croak but somehow familiar to Pearl, “I’m fine”
Then she passed out.
Pearl wanted to walk away, she’d offered help and Siren had denied it. But something in her stopped her from leaving her, especially alone and in this state. She pulled her phone out of the pocket of her jeans and unlocked it, before scrolling through her contacts and pressing the call button next to Cleo's name. She held the phone up to her ear, waiting for Cleo to pick up. Eventually she heard her voice
“Hey Pearl. How are you doing?”
“So, Siren is passed out in the alley about 20 meters from our back door and i think she’s nearly dead” Pearl blurted out.
“blimey” Cleo responded, “on my way.”
Pearl heard the hang-up tone and put her phone away again.
Cleo came rushing out of their back door, asking Pearl if she had any idea what had happened.
“No” said pearl, “just found her like this on my way back.”
Cleo knelt down to inspect her, moving her hand away from her stomach to reveal a deep wound in her stomach with sticky blood oozing out of it. The sight made pearl feel sick and she couldn’t even start to imagine the kind of pain that siren must be in, when she was conscious at least. Cleo picked siren up and draped her over their shoulder before heading back to their apartment. Pearl quickly checked the surrounding area for any potential clue of what or who caused this but saw nothing so hastily followed Cleo inside.
Pearl found Cleo again in their kitchen, with siren on the table. Cleo was rushing around, presumably looking for something. They removed a needle and thread from a drawer, disposable gloves from a cupboard, and returned to the wounded villain on their table. They unbuttoned Siren’s costume and peeled back blood-soaked fabric to reveal the full mess of flesh and blood covering her stomach. Cleo cleaned the wound, first with water, then antiseptic wipes, before putting on gloves and passing another pair to pearl.
“Put these on.” they instructed “I'll need you to hold the skin together while I stitch it” Pearl winced at thought but did it anyway, knowing that Cleo couldn’t stitch skin well if the flesh wasn’t held properly. Cleo adjusted her hands slightly then they picked up the needle and thread and started sewing. The noise was awful, the wet squelching of bloody flesh filling pearl’s ears until Cleo finally finished. There was still blood but instead of a gaping wound there was now a neat line of stitches across the red skin.
“Would you mind lending her a few of your clothes?” asked Cleo, “she can't stay in that blood-soaked thing.”
Pearl nodded and went up to her room, finding a loose T-shirt and pair of joggers to give to Siren before heading back. As she walked into their kitchen, Pearl stopped in her tracks. Cleo had taken siren’s mask off. Now Pearl knew why siren’s voice was so familiar. It was Gem. Her best friend from their first day of school and girlfriend from since they were 14 until Gem left, supposedly to go and live in some off-grid cabin with some relatives to become a fisherwoman. But no. Her gem was lying on hers and Cleo’s kitchen table, unconscious and held together by stitches.
“Pearl?” asked Cleo.
“Yes. Sorry what?” replied Pearl snapping out of her haze.
“I asked if you were ok” said Cleo, “but you evidently aren’t so what’s wrong?”
“Erm...” began Pearl. “You remember i told you about my ex best friend/girlfriend Gem?”
“Yes?” enquired Cleo.
“Well... this is her.” Pearl mumbled, and suddenly realized that tears were falling down her cheeks.
Cleo moved across the room and wrapped Pearl in a hug, stroking her hair.
“Its ok.” said Cleo, “i know it doesn't look like it but she's stable and should be conscious soon, go and get some sleep, I'll wake you up when she does”
Pearl handed the clothes to Cleo and went upstairs, getting into her bed. Her dreams were full of Gem and their years at school. The times they skipped PE together and sat on the stairs in the music and drama block to read. The desk gem had carved a hole in with a coin in maths, somehow without getting caught. The table under the shelter where they ate every day in secondary school. But the dreams were interrupted by Cleo, tapping her on the arm and informing her that Gem was awake.
Pearl rushed to the kitchen and saw gem on the table, in her clothes. She stared at Pearl as though she were an alien.
“P...Pearl?” Gem stuttered
“Gem.”
“I’m so sorry, I was with my relatives at the fishing cabin, I promise. I came back to visit you, on your birthday the first year but I got cornered by a villain. I was so scared Pearl, I accidentally hypnotized him. I didn't even know what I did or how or even that I could do that but then one of his friends saw what I was doing to him, gagged me and took me back to their headquarters. They taught me how to use this power and forced me to work for them and threatened what they’d do to find me again and what would happen when they found me. I wanted to come and see you, reach out to you in some way pearl, so many times but never wanted to put you in danger because I still love you, even after all these years. I thought I was definitely dead this time and I was selfish and wanted to see you one last time Pearl, I'm so sorry I can leave now if you want me to.” Gem blurted through tears and started trying to sit up.
“no.” said Pearl “you’ll break the stitches and anyway, I missed you, you're staying and, if you never want to leave you don’t have to. I can get you a job at the post office and you can live here, with me and Cleo”
“But what if,” Gem looked around in fear, “they find me.”
“I don't care. They’ll have to get through me first and I won't let them. I’ll never let you go unless you want me to Gem.” replied Pearl, lacing her fingers through Gem’s
“Thanks” said Gem, closing her eyes again and falling back into the warm embrace of sleep.