Chapter Text
Jean had been in the Nest for a few months by now, and he still didn't know his place. Had it taken Kevin this long? He didn't remember.
"Stay still." Kevin said. With the way Jean glared at him, you would've thought he'd insulted his mother. "You'll only make it worse."
"Go away." Jean said, heavily accented. He seemed to have an easier time learning english when it was something rude. Jean's hands were pressed to his side, where Riko had left a wound so deep that it was still bleeding, crimson spreading further by the second.
"Don't be stupid. You can't deal with that yourself." Kevin dug through his retrieved first aid kit, built up from various trips to the nurse's office over the years. He found what he was looking for: Needle and thread.
"You're not putting that anywhere near me!" Jean kicked him away, which would have hurt more if he weren't weak from Riko's attention.
"What do you want to do then? Leave it and hope for the best? Idiot."
"Would be better than your dumb face trying to stitch it!" Jean spoke fiercely enough, but his hands were shaking where he held them to his side.
Kevin shifted. "Listen... I've done this before. I can do it quick and neat. Don't worry."
Jean looked skeptical, which was fair. It wasn't like Kevin had stitched anyone else up before. But it couldn't be that different to doing it on himself. Easier, even.
"...Fine." Jean agreed, probably only because he had no choice, but that was good enough. Kevin moved closer, wiping away some blood so he could see. Jean was rigid under his hands.
Okay. This was fine. Kevin rubbed the needle with an alcohol wipe, and threaded it. He didn't have any way to numb the area. The only painkillers anyone had access to was ibuprofen, but Josiah always had those locked up. They wouldn't have helped much anyway.
Jean lurched away when he first pressed the needle to skin. Kevin had expected that, and held it steady. The first stitch was always the worst.
"Fuck." Jean swore, beforing muttering (probably more swearing) in french. Kevin pulled the needle through, before going for a second stitch. The drop of blood from each time he pierced skin made him wince in sympathy. It wouldn't hurt more than the original wound, of course, but there was something horrible in having to hurt more when you were already in pain.
The wound wasn't that big. Kevin finished the stitches before Jean could change his mind and shove him away again. He set about tying off the thread, always the most awkward part.
"...Done?"
"Yes. I'll have to cover it up, though."
Kevin taped some gauze over the wound; more than he could spare, really.
"We'll need to change that tomorrow." He told Jean. He figured he wouldn't argue - Neither of them wanted to deal with an infection.
"...Thanks." Jean said, which was unusually polite for him.
"Just don't move too much and tear them." Kevin said, fully aware Jean might not have a choice in the matter.
Kevin had thought stitching someone else's wound would be easier... And it was, in most ways. Sure, he couldn't feel if he was in the right place, but he could see better and could do it from a much easier angle. Still, Jean's sounds and subtle movements felt bad enough that Kevin never wanted to do this again.
Not that what he wanted mattered, as a general rule.