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Ragged breaths tore from Rebecca’s lungs as she stumbled forward, her teeth clenched so tightly her jaw ached.
Every movement sent pain across her back, sharp and burning as it threaded along her shoulders to her fingertips. Damnit.
She knew it was dangerous, but she hadn’t expected to get hit that hard.
Or hurt this much.
One arm remained hooked around Billy’s strong shoulders, her grip tightening whenever her footing threatened to give out beneath her. The solidity of him was the only thing keeping her upright at this point.
Billy didn’t say anything, but he didn’t need to. She could practically hear his thoughts by how tight he held his expression. Just imagining it already irritated her…
His arm wrapped securely around her waist as he guided her through the corridor, moving fast but carefully, adjusting his pace whenever she faltered. His dark eyes swept the area constantly, searching for somewhere- anywhere- safe to stop.
Then his gaze settled on the familiar wooden door tucked beneath the stairwell, a safe room.
Billy exhaled sharply through his nose, fucking finally.
Without breaking a stride, he stepped forward and shoved the door open with his foot. The old wood swung inward obediently with a loud creak.
He guided Rebecca into the room hastily, his hand still firm at her side while the other pushed the door shut behind them. The heavy latch clicked into place, sealing them into the now too quiet room.
Billy immediately steered her toward the nearest counter,
“Rebecca, sit.”
Rebecca opened her mouth, who did he think he was? Ordering her around like-
“Sit.” He repeated, the word coming out sharper than intended, his jaw flexing.
Rebecca’s brows furrowed, but the pain flaring across her back stole whatever argument she was about to make. With a hiss through her teeth, she allowed herself to be helped onto the smooth surface. The coldness of it sending a shiver up her spine.
The second she sat down, she regretted it. The adrenaline that carried her this far was beginning to wear off, leaving her alone with the reality of her situation.
She didn’t even need to look, didn’t need to touch. She knew she was bleeding, and bad. Didn’t take a genius to figure that out by the unmistakable warmth that slid down her back, hot, and sticky.
She squeezed her eyes shut a for a moment, “Damnit…”
Billy was already moving, pulling supplies recklessly from drawers, checking cabinets hopelessly. Looking for antiseptic, bandages- anything useful.
He didn’t say a word, and Rebecca knew Billy enough by now to know it meant of one of two things.
One, he’s extremely worried, or two- he was super pissed at her.
And judging by the way he almost ripped a drawer out of its runners a second ago? Her money was on the latter.
“Billy.” No response came.
“Billy.” He set a first aid kit down on the counter with a little more force than necessary.
Finally, he looked at her. “What?”
Maybe a little more was an understatement..
The word came out short, and undeniably flat. Rebecca let out a slow breath through her nose,
Oh, yeah. He was definitely pissed.
“Stop acting like that.” The words were so sharp on her tongue, she barely recognized them in her voice.
Billy’s head snapped up immediately from the first aid kit. Well, that seemed to get his attention…
For a second he just stared at her, then he let out a short breath through his nose.
“I told you not to go down there.”
There it was.
Rebecca’s jaw tightened immediately, “I had it handled.”
Billy laughed once, but there was nothing humorous about the sound.
“Yeah. Looks that way.” His eyes flickered briefly to the blood soaking the back of her uniform, slowly beginning to stain the counter beneath her.
Rebecca felt her irritation flare in her chest. “Oh, come on-“
“No, you come on.” He interrupted, dragging a hand through his hair.
“Jesus Christ, does everythin’ I say just go in one ear, and out the other with you?”
“You don’t get to tell me what to do.”
“Not like you’d fuckin’ listen if I did.”
Rebecca’s mouth almost fell open at that, her face twisting in disbelief.
“Excuse me?”
Billy shook his head, “No, go ahead. Tell me I’m wrong.”
Rebecca opened her mouth immediately, ready to protest- then she stopped.
Because as angry as she was, the words still stung. Especially coming from him.
Slowly, her mouth closed again. She looked away instead, fixing her gaze on the worn floorboards beneath her boots. Anywhere but Billy.
How the hell he was able to make her feel guilty was beyond her.
The silence that followed seemed to catch Billy off guard. Rebecca always had something to say, always a stubborn protest, always a smart comment. Always such a brat...
But now? There was nothing.
Billy’s expression shifted almost immediately. The frustration still there, but some of the heat had left it.
“Shit.”
Rebecca kept her eyes on the floor. Billy watched her a moment longer before letting out a long breath.
“You scared the hell outta me, Becca.”
The nickname made her go still.
Billy shook his head and looked away, “I turn around for five minutes and you’re disappearin’ into some death trap by yourself.”
His gaze flicked back towards the crimson soaking through her shirt. The sight soured his expression immediately.
“You came back lookin’ like that…” His jaw flexed, “…and I’m supposed to what? just shrug it off?”
Instead of an answer, Rebecca gave a small shrug of her shoulders. It immediately proved to be a mistake as a sharp gasp escaped her lips- pain lanced through her back.
Billy’s expression darkened.
“Yeah,” he muttered flatly. “Let’s not do that again.”
Rebecca winced, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip. “Roger.”
Billy began to fiddle with the medkit, his clumsy fingers searching through bottles and gauze. “Turn around.”
“…What?” Her voice came out barely above a whisper as she shuddered, another unpleasant wave of warmth trickling down her back.
“Need to see it.” Billy replied, his voice lower than before.
Rebecca met his eyes for a moment. Then, obediently, she turned.
Billy stared at the blood soaked shirt, not exactly sure where to start. He’d never played doctor before, not like she had.
Hell, he was usually the patient.
Rebecca somehow sensed his hesitation.
“Mm,” she murmured tiredly- pained. “You have no idea what you’re doing.”
Billy glanced up at her, “You’re just now figuring that out?”
“You’d make an awful medic.”
“I know enough to know this looks bad.”
Rebecca huffed out a weak breath, “Comforting.”
Billy shot her a dry look. “You’re welcome.”
She sighed before slowly beginning to remove her gear. Each brush against her back pulled another pained whine from her throat.
“Easy.” Billy warned,
“I’m trying, Billy.”
Piece by piece, she pealed it off until it finally clattered onto the counter. The relief that followed made her shoulders sag slightly.
Billy stilled, watching her. His hands hovered uncertainly nearby as though debating whether to help. Whether she’d even let him…
Then, like she read his mind, “Need help with this.”
Her fingers slipped beneath the hem of her shirt, lifting it slightly and revealing smooth pale skin underneath.
“Can’t lift my arms,” she admitted quietly, “It’ll pull at the wound.”
Billy paused, his brain seemed to stall for a moment. Duh he’d think, of course she’d have to discard her shirt- the wound is high up her back and leaking like a damn waterfall.
Focus, Coen.
“…Right.” He’d finally answer. Slowly, cautiously, he brushed his fingers against her skin before hooking them beneath the bottom of her shirt.
A sudden gasp left Rebecca, and Billy immediately jerked back like he’d just been burned.
“What?” His voice sharpened, “Did I hurt you?”
Rebecca shuddered, “You’re freezing.”
He blinked, completely dumbfounded.
“…Sorry.”
A small sigh escaped her as she leaned into the touch despite herself. “Keep going.”
Billy hesitated, then nodded- even though she couldn’t see him.
“No ‘please’?” He muttered.
“Coen.” His name coming out like a warning on her lips.
Slowly, he lifted the shirt higher. Several sharp gasps and shaky exhales left her as dried blood tugged painfully at the fabric.
“Almost there,” Billy murmured, she only hummed painfully in response.
Then Rebecca sucked in a sharp breath through her teeth as Billy eased the bloodstained shirt over her head, the material dragging against dried blood and raw skin one final time before it slipped free.
“There,” Billy muttered, tossing the ruined shirt aside.
For awhile, neither of them said anything.
The only sound came from Rebecca’s quiet breaths as she wrapped her arms around herself, trying to chase away the chill creeping over her skin.
Billy’s gaze never left her back.
The moment the shirt had come off, whatever teasing had lingered between them had vanished.
“Jesus, Rebecca…” The words slipped out before he could stop them.
The wound looked a lot worse without the torn bloody fabric hiding it.
The gash carved across her shoulder blade was deeper than he’d realized, the surrounding skin already blooming with ugly shades of purple and blue. Blood still seeped sluggishly from her split flesh, trailing down the curve of her back.
“How bad is it?” Rebecca asked quietly, turning her head just enough to try and catch his expression. “Be honest.”
Billy glanced up at her, “Barely noticed it.”
Rebecca’s brows pinched together, “Billy, I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
She stared at him a moment before her eyes narrowed, “Tell me.”
“It looks bad, alright?” The sarcasm finally disappeared, “It looks real bad.”
Rebecca let out a low breath through her nose, “…Feels worse.”
Billy looked back down at the wound, “Could’ve been avoided.”
Rebecca’s expression tightened immediately,
“Don’t.” The single word came out sharper than she intended.
Billy was quiet for a moment before speaking again, “Alright.”
As much as he wanted to argue, to tell her exactly how stupid he’d thought she been running off like that, there were more important things to deal with right now.
He reached for the antiseptic bottle instead, “You gotta tell me what to do, you’re good at that aren’t you?”
Rebecca rolled her eyes, “Clean the wound first.”
Billy lifted the bottle slightly, “With this, yeah?”
“Yeah.” She paused before adding, “Then clean the blood around it. It’ll make it easier to see what you’re working with.”
“Yes ma’am.” Unscrewing the cap, Billy grabbed a clean washcloth and soaked part of it with antiseptic.
He hesitated, then carefully moved the cloth toward her back. The second it touched the wound, Rebecca nearly launched herself off the counter.
“Fuck!” Her entire body jolted, a sharp gasp tearing from her throat.
Billy yanked the cloth away instantly.
“Shit-” He stared at her. “You alright?”
Rebecca’s breathing had turned uneven, shoulders trembling as she fought through the sting. After a moment, she managed to glare at him over her shoulder.
“Warn me first.”
Billy blinked. “Right.”
Rebecca squeezed her eyes shut and drew in a slow breath before letting it back out. Then, after another moment, she gave him a small nod.
“Okay...” She braced herself against the counter. “Try again.”
Billy tightened his grip on the washcloth, his expression sobering.
“Tryin’ again…” Billy repeated quietly, slowly bringing the cloth back toward the wound.
Instinctively, Rebecca stiffened. Her fingers curled around the edge of the counter so tightly her knuckles turned white beneath the strain.
Every muscle in her body tensed, bracing for the familiar sting. But this time, she was ready for it.
The antiseptic bit into the torn flesh, sharp enough to steal the breath from her lungs. A strained sound escaped between her teeth. Still, she didn’t tell him to stop.
Billy’s brows furrowed. Carefully, he continued, cleaning the length of the gash with slow, measured movements. He found himself releasing a quiet breath through his nose, only then realizing he’d been holding it.
“Hard part’s over,” he murmured, easing the cloth away from the wound itself. “Just cleaning up around it now.”
“Shit,” Rebecca breathed.
Her chest rose and fell unevenly, sweat beginning to bead along her skin despite the chill of the safe room.
“Thank God,” she whispered a second later, shuddering lightly.
Billy hummed in response, his attention fixed at the curve of her back as he continued wiping away the blood. The washcloth dragged gently over her skin now, careful where it had once been hesitant.
Every so often, another small sigh escaped Rebecca. The worst of the pain had finally passed, for now.
Billy had known since the moment he’d met her that she was small. Hell, she barely came up to his shoulder.
But seeing her like this, was different.
A jagged gash cut across the smooth expense of her shoulder blade, angry and ugly against her smooth pale skin. Bruises bloomed beneath the surface, stark against the softness of her back.
And despite the sharp tongue, despite the stubborn attitude and the way she threw herself headfirst into danger- she sat there.
Sat there shivering in nothing but her sports bra.
God, what a delicate little thing she is.
Billy’s hands paused for the briefest moment. He could probably wrap both hands around her waist without much effort.
The thought made something twist deep in his stomach, and he cursed himself for it.
Jesus, what the hell is wrong with you, Coen?
His jaw tightened, because it reminded him all too well of the fact he warned her. Told her not to go down there, but of course she had gone anyway.
And now? She was bleeding all over the safe room counter while he played medic.
“Rebecca.” His voice cut through the silence. His hands resuming their careful movements along her back.
“Mm?” She sounded tired.
Billy sighed through his nose. “Look, I didn’t mean to get all…”
He trailed off before motioning vaguely with the hand holding the cloth, then glanced away. “You got me real worked up.”
Rebecca went quiet. For a long moment Billy wondered if she’d fallen asleep sitting up.
“I know.” The simple answer settled heavily between them.
Billy continued cleaning away the last stubborn streaks of blood along the curve of her lower back.
“You do?”
“Yeah.”
“I don’t think you do, dollface.”
Rebecca slowly turned her head, looking back over her shoulder. Their eyes met, but there was something in hers he couldn’t quite name.
“I was… just trying to help.” The admission came out quieter than usual, more vulnerable than Rebecca ever seemed willing to be.
And as if she noticed that, she looked away. Billy stilled, he didn’t know why those five words hit him the way they did.
“…you always are, huh Chambers?” He murmured, softer this time.
He finally pulled the washcloth away. Without the blood obscuring everything, the would looked cleaner. It was still nasty, still deep, but a lot less intimidating.
Silence stretched between them, then-
“Gauze.”
Billy blinked, “Huh?”
“The gauze.” She repeated, “You have to wrap it next.”
Billy glanced down at the medkit, “…Yeah.”
His hand reached for the roll before pausing halfway, “Hey, Rebecca?”
“Hm?”
His fingers curled around the gauze. “You know I’m still pissed at you, right?”
Rebecca stared ahead for a moment before letting out a quiet breath. “…I figured.”
Billy looked down at the fresh bandages in his hands. The anger never fully left, but that wasn’t all it was anymore.
There was something else sitting beneath it, tugging uncomfortably at his chest. Something he didn’t particularly want to examine right now.
Rebecca Chambers is a pain in the ass.
Too confident for someone with as little field experience she had, too eager to please.
Had a mouth on her that never seemed to quit.
And she had an incredible talent for ignoring every damn thing he told her if she thought she was helping somebody.
She drove him insane.
Then why the hell did he want to pull her against him and hold her until she stopped shaking?
Why did he want to crash his lips against hers so hard she’d forget all about this hell hole they were in?
Billy exhaled through his nose. Fuck.
He needed a smoke, bad.
“…Which way should I wrap it, Doc?”
Rebecca blinked, momentarily pulled from whatever haze she’d drifted into.
“The…?”
“The bandages.” Billy lifted the roll of gauze slightly. “Unless your grand plan is letting me wing it.”
A quiet sound escaped her. Not quite a laugh, but close. “Start under my arm.”
Billy stepped closer. “The injured side?”
“Mhm.” She shifted instinctively before immediately wincing. “Feed it under my right arm, then across the front and around my ribs. You want enough pressure to keep everything in place…”
Her voice softened as she slipped back into familiar territory. “…but not so much that I can’t breathe.”
Billy gave a single nod, “Got it.”
Then, after a beat-
“…Probably.”
Rebecca slowly turned her head toward him, “You don’t sound very convincing.”
He glanced down at the gauze in his hands. “It’s my first day on the job, Doc. Take it easy on me.”
One corner of her mouth twitched upward at that, “We’ll see.”
Billy huffed out a quiet laugh before moving into place beside her. Carefully, he positioned the gauze beneath her arm.
The backs of his fingers brushed against the side of her ribs, and Rebecca drew in a sharp breath.
Billy froze immediately, “Too tight?”
“…No.”
“You sure?”
A pause, “…It’s fine.”
He studied the side of her face for a second longer before his eyes drifted lower. The tips of her ears had gone pink.
It couldn’t have been because of him. Could it?
Anyone would be embarrassed in her situation. Hell, she was half undressed being tended to after majorly screwing up. That’s all it was.
Billy looked away just as quickly, “…Alright.”
Slowly, with a newfound awareness that hadn’t been there moments ago, he continued wrapping the bandage around her.
Each pass brought him closer than the last. Close enough to feel the warmth radiating from her skin. Close enough to notice the careful rise and fall of her breathing beneath his hands.
Close enough that every accidental brush of his fingers against the softness of her side made Rebecca tense almost imperceptibly.
Not enough to pull away, just enough for him to notice. And the fact that he noticed every single time was beginning to drive him mad.
The silence that hung over the room didn’t help. It wasn’t awkward exactly, just- heavy.
Filled with too many things neither of them seemed willing to acknowledge. Billy swallowed hard, his fingers tightening around the gauze before easing again.
Definitely needed that cigarette.
The bandages rolled through his fingers as he guided another careful loop around her ribs, trying very hard to focus on the task at hand.
Rebecca kept her gaze fixed straight ahead, though her posture had gone noticeably stiffer.
“…Still okay?” he asked, voice lower than before.
“…Mhm.”
“You’ll tell me if it’s not?”
“…Mhm.”
Billy paused. “That’s not an answer, Bec.”
Rebecca finally glanced back at him over her shoulder, her cheeks still carrying that faint pink flush. “I’ll tell you.”
“…Promise?”
She held his gaze for a moment before answering. “Promise.”
Billy searched her face for a second, as if weighing whether or not he actually believed her.
Finally, he gave a small nod, “…Alright.”
He resumed wrapping the gauze. Once around her ribs, twice.
The fresh bandages slid through his fingers, snug enough to keep the dressing in place without restricting her breathing. Exactly how she’d instructed.
Rebecca let out a slow breath through her nose as another layer settled around her ribs. The pressure was firm- supportive.
It still hurt, but it wasn’t the same sharp, blinding pain from before.
“…That okay?” Billy asked quietly.
Rebecca tested it with a cautious breath. Her shoulders rose, then fell. “…A little tighter.”
Billy glanced down at the bandages before flicking his eyes back to her. “You sure?”
“Mhm.”
He let out a short breath through his nose. “…You’re somethin’ else, you know that?”
Rebecca looked back at him over her shoulder. “…What’s that supposed to mean?”
Billy guided the gauze around her one last time.
“It means…” His hands slowed. The words caught somewhere behind his teeth.
It means you scare the hell outta me.
It means I’d rather take the hit myself than watch you get hurt like this again.
It means I haven’t stopped thinkin’ about kissing you since you started bossin’ me around half dressed in this damn room.
His throat tightened, swallowing hard. “…It means you’re a real pain in my ass.”
Rebecca’s brows lifted slightly before one corner of her mouth twitched. “You are not a very polite doctor.”
Billy laughed under his breath as he adjusted the bandage. “Lucky for you, I’m not a doctor.”
The final stretch of gauze unwound between his fingers.
Billy secured it carefully, checking the dressing one last time before his hands settled lightly against her sides.
“…Take a breath.”
Rebecca inhaled slowly. The bandages tightened with the expansion of her lungs. Then relaxed as she exhaled.
“…Too tight?” He asked.
Rebecca hesitated. “…No.”
“Comfortable?”
“…Yeah.”
Billy gave a short nod, though his hands lingered where they were.
He should’ve moved, they both knew that.
The bandages were secure, the dressing was in place. He finished what he was doing, it was over- no more playing doctor.
And yet his palms still rested lightly against her sides. Rebecca inhaled slowly, and he felt it. The steady expansion beneath his hands, and the soft warmth of her skin. It was intoxicating.
“You did okay,” Rebecca said eventually.
Billy blinked, “Okay?”
“Mhm.”
His brow arched, as the corner of his mouth twitched, “Just okay?”
“For someone who doesn’t know what he’s doing? Yeah.”
A short breath escaped him, “Oh? That’s the nicest thing you’ve said to me all day.”
“…Don’t let it get to your head.”
Billy’s gaze dropped briefly, his hands were still there. Christ.
“Too late, Doc. You say one nice thing to me and suddenly it’s all I wanna hear.”
The words slipped out before he could stop them. The teasing came naturally, but the silence afterwards? Absolutely not.
Rebecca froze, and Billy did too. Heat climbed up the back of his neck as he opened his mouth, ready to take it back, ready to blow it off. Like he always did…
“I could think of a few more.”
“…what?”
Silence.
The words left her before she seemed to realize what she’d said. Rebecca blinked, Billy stared at her.
“Constructive feedback,” she added quickly, a little too quickly. “You know- professionally.”
“Are you coming onto me, Becca?”
Rebecca’s head snapped towards him. “What?”
His mouth twitched, “I’m flattered.”
A flush spread across her cheeks almost instantly, “I wasn’t-“
“You weren’t?”
“Billy-“
“Rebecca.”
Rebecca looked away so quickly it would’ve been funny under different circumstances.
“Because if this is your way of sweet talkin’ me, it’s workin’.”
A defeated smile tugged at Rebecca’s lips, “…You’re ridiculous.”
“Yeah?” Billy asked, his hands finally slipping away from her sides, though the warmth lingered long after the contact was gone.
“Yeah.”
The corner of his mouth lifted, “Only for you.”
The smile she gave him after that was small, and entirely unguarded. Billy felt something in his chest tighten.
Getting attached was out of the question.
For a convicted ex-Marine waiting for his place on death row, and a rookie S.T.A.R.S. officer sent to arrest him? This was the kind of thing that ended badly, no matter what.
They knew it, how couldn’t they? But somehow in the middle of all the blood and death they made each other laugh.
And that was exactly the problem.
Billy glanced at Rebecca, and Rebecca glanced back. Neither of them said a word.
Fuck
They were in trouble.
A bad idea waiting to happen.