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Eishia isn't always sent out on missions. There's a lot of work to be done at HQ and Tomme is capable in most situations, keeping people alive enough for them to be healed at home. Today was a little different – Team Akuta travelling on an expedition to No-Man's Land with high expectations for the enemies there.
You'll likely be needed, Semiu had said when she'd given Eishia the brief late last night, a sudden change in schedule which Eishia accepted without argument. After all, Team Akuta is her team, even if she's heard the doubt and snickers from others on how she could have possibly managed to secure a spot.
Semiu was right. The mission went wrong just as they were about to start making their way back. Trash Beasts rose out of the dirt around them, blocking the way to the car and knocking half of them to their knees with the turbulence alone. The dust did a great job of obscuring their vision too, Eishia forced to hold onto a stray pole just to orient herself.
It ended, as all things do, but not without injury.
The infirmary is more occupied than it's been in weeks. There are Supporters with head injuries; Rudo who's bruised all over and Riyo who's got a spike lodged in her back.
"You good?" Enjin asks, lounging back in a chair while chewing on an apple. Eishia has to strain to hear him over the chatter from the others. She looks up from her place on the floor, palpating his ankle just to ensure nothing has been overlooked.
It's a sprain, she reassures herself.
"I'm fine," she replies, a little late, almost having forgotten the question. It's not something that should even be asked. If she looks scattered then it's her own fault and that should be reigned in so as to not worry patients. Mechanically, she forces a smile, just on the wrong side of watery.
Enjin tuts, seeming unimpressed. From this angle, he's intimidating, authoritarian. Eishia is already lightheaded and this only makes her more anxious. She wants to heave but her stomach is blissfully empty, roiling with nothing but acid.
"You might be a medical professional but you're also a member of my team. Take a break, Eishia. That's not a suggestion." While the words are firm, Enjin speaks gently. It's the same voice he uses whenever they speak. Eishia thinks that she should resent this, be offended maybe, but she just nods. It's understandable. She's not yet good enough to be trusted the same way the other nurses are. More liable to making mistakes despite having the same amount of hours in the day.
Eishia stands, her limbs fizzing with pins and needles. She glances at the window. It's getting dark. "I'll be back soon....you should rest your foot for a little while longer before being discharged."
"Yeah, yeah." Enjin waves her away. "Go eat something, you're looking peaky."
***
Eishia settles for a snack bar in the break room though her stomach protests in hopes for an actual meal.
Eating in the cafeteria would take too much time.
The snack bar will have to be enough and she chews slowly, sat on a stool kicking her legs for something to do as she looks around. It's dim in here, the light bulbs nearing their end of life. Everyone else is either still busy working or not on shift at all. She finds that the quiet is a little comforting in how it demands nothing from her, no expectations at all.
Here she can slump over, no longer pretending to have any energy.
"It's been a long day," Eishia murmurs to herself.
"That's fa' sure," says a voice from behind as the door clicks shut. Eishia's body freezes, surprise turning her stiff until she peeks behind her and exhales. It's only Zanka. The boy looks comparatively more comfortable than the rest of Team Akuta, having been the least scathed today. It was hypnotic to watch him actually, the heat of battle always pulling out his best moves, more like a choreographed dance than a life-or-death fight. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare ya."
"You didn't," Eishia manages to reply, wiping her mouth of any stray crumbs while she waits for the inevitable. "Did something happen? Am I needed?" She's on her feet by the second question, worry surging through her veins like a well-known drug. There's a hand on her shoulder before she can go any further though, Zanka's light touch pushing her back to her seat. He's smiling but it doesn't look all that genuine, much like her own earlier.
"Relax. I ain't come here to fetch you for more work."
"Then...?" Eishia blinks up at Zanka, focusing a bit more now that her heart rate has settled. He's in his casual clothes, still better than what most people around here wear, his wealth affording him that much. Eishia doesn't linger on that however, quickly skipping over the cut of his collarbones to look at his hands instead. He appears to be holding something. Once Zanka realises that the box has been spotted, his smile eases up, turning into something that resembles the truth.
"Ya got hurt before. I knew you wouldn't bother treatin' it and I was right.
It takes a long moment for Eishia to realise what he's referring to and once she does she shrinks, embarrassed. "It's hardly an injury."
Zanka shakes his head, pulling another stool over before settling down and pointing stubbornly at her leg while his jaw tightens. "That's not nothing."
It is nothing, Eishia thinks, bewildered at his assertion otherwise. There's a whole ward of people with real afflictions. A little blood on her knee isn't something to be concerned about, the sting only present when she remembers the way she'd fallen, too preoccupied with holding onto her med kit to get out of the way of some stray trash. Honestly, she'd not even realised that anyone had noticed; Now her belated embarrassment is burning up her cheeks and she wishes she had longer hair to hide behind. As it stands, Eishia has to meet Zanka's intense gaze and shrug.
"It doesn't hurt. It'll just bruise a little."
As if exasperated, Zanka rolls his eyes and sighs, the sound so heavy that it's almost a physical weight.
"You're always looking after everyone else, but who's looking after you?"
It's a more philosophical question than Eishia had been expecting, her mind already whirring to find an answer. "Huh?"
Zanka's body lose its tension, his shoulders dropping in a way that seems intentional, like maybe he's realised Eishia is a step behind. "Your leg, Eishia. I went and got a bandage for it. You won't stop me when I've gone to that effort, right? It would be cruel to reject a friend who's tryin' so hard."
It would be cruel.
"Got a bandage from where?" Eishia asks, squinting at the unfamiliar packaging.
"I stopped over in town."
The answer makes her frown, her hands itching to put her gloves back on just to keep from wringing them. "You shouldn't have. We have plenty here."
Zanka ignores that. "Will you let me or not?"
"Of course." Eishia's voice has been sharpened by irritation. She's many things but being so impolite as to deny a gift — even if it is just a bandage — is not one of them. She winces at the unintended tone of voice but Zanka just grins, his eyes practically sparkling. Her stomach churns again.
"Thanks doc."
"You know I'm not a doctor."
Zanka tilts his head, his earrings dangling lower than usual. "I beg to differ. Now lift your leg a little, please."
Eishia does as requested, begrudgingly giving him better access to the wound in spite of her shyness. It's a simple process, made even simpler by the over the counter antiseptic cream he smears on. All unnecessary if you'd ask her. She's not a combatant, doesn't deserve the level of care that Zanka is choosing to bestow on her now. It makes her warm though, watching him be slow and careful, staring at the crown of his head as he hunches over to see better.
It's nice to believe that she deserves this even for just a few minutes.
"Ya shouldn't think that this is too much," Zanka says suddenly, still with his head bent down, his fingertip grazing the swell of her kneecap. "You're our backbone. We wouldn't function without ya. If not for the reassurance of your healing, half the Supporters wouldn't step out on the field." Eishia starts to shake her head, opening her mouth to deny it though she's not given a chance. Zanka continues, meeting her eyes. "And above all, you're Team Akuta, our friend. There's no a thing that ya could demand which would be too much. This is nothing."
It's the wrong time to be emboldened. Still, Eishia takes a short breath, far too quick to reconsider her options. "It feels like something to me."
Zanka pauses, the silence swelling between them as the bandage rests tight against her skin. Then he swallows and leans in closer, becoming all that she sees. His ears are pink.
"What are ya tryin' ta' say, doc?"
In this near empty breakroom, Eishia finds that she wants this to have a meaning. For these minutes to be more than just an overlooked scene in a greater act. But beyond these vague desires, she's lost.
What meaning am i looking for?
Eishia screws up her mouth, unsure of how to express these thoughts. I– I'm not sure." It's hard to think right now. Zanka's perfume has settled in the air, spiced and woody. He pats her once and rises into a stretch.
"That's okay. Just make sure ta' let me know when you figure it out."
All Eishia can do is pretend to understand. "Okay?"
"I've done the best I can for your knee but I sense they're gonna call you soon so I'll scarper."
"Wait!" Eishia calls, her voice too loud. Zanka turns his head, one brow raised in curiosity. "Thank you for this."
Zanka — much like Enjin at times — just waves it off. "There's no need ta' thank me." He strides over to the door. With each step the room loses whatever lustre it had gained when he arrived. Eishia fights the urge to pout. "Try to eat a proper meal soon though, Eishia." It's a throwaway comment, one thrown over his shoulder as he leaves. This doesn't stop Eishia from smiling though, especially when she takes in his handiwork now that he's gone. The bandage is neat, a sign of his diligence. It's patterned too. Tiny smiling suns now there for Eishia to look at at any time.