incrediblebanner | (no subject)

It started out as a kind of thought experiment. So far, the most reliable way to change was when her life was in immediate danger. From anything, but injuries especially. But she didn't know where the line was crossed, if it really was only when she crossed into life-threatening territory or if any injury that was serious enough would trip off an episode. She told herself this was something she should know.

(The truth was she knew, she knew, and there was no way she would have tried it anywhere near the city if she thought for one second she would be inducing a transformation and endangering other people. She just needed to hurt.)

She knew the most common ways people broke their wrists, how to treat it once it was broken. She was careful about it, methodical, like conducting an experiment. The break was a clean one, something that would heal easily without complications. She picked her left wrist so her dominant hand would still be free for use and took careful notes about how much pain she was in, whether or not she felt the beginning of a change, if any green bled into her skin tone or eyes. Then she put everything away with care and ignored the ice pack she'd made up and put in the freezer. Instead, she went straight for her bed, where she lay on her side and held her wrist in front of her, watching with morbid interest as it swelled and bruised.

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She sighed and sat up to get a better look at her wrist. It had heavier bruising and swelling than it did when she fell asleep, and she let out another sharp, pained noise when she tried to gently test it for mobility. "It could probably use a splint. An x-ray wouldn't hurt, either."

He paused at the door.

"I agree. I just... I wasn't sure if you'd be willing to go to the doctor."

He hadn't wanted to push.

"I'm... not thrilled about it," she admitted. "But this should be fairly safe."

Despite that, she couldn't help the tense set to her jaw.

"Do you want me to buy a splint and bring it home for you instead?" he asked, though it was clearly a fight for him to say the words. He wanted to bring her to a doctor.

She let her head tilt downwards a touch. "Could you... give me a few minutes to think about it while you get some ice?"

He nodded and said nothing else before heading straight for the kitchen. And if he took much longer than he should have to give her time, well...

If he did, she appreciated it, because she was busy trying to sort through her thoughts on the matter. Of course, getting an x-ray of her wrist down would be a good idea. She was fairly certain she didn't break anything critically, but she couldn't be sure without one and failing to properly take care of it immediately after certainly didn't help. There would be very low risk of them feeling the need to do anything more extensive than an x-ray or two and almost none for drawing blood for any reason, which was the biggest risk.

But.

She wasn't sure how convincingly she could lie about the cause of the injury right now.

Bryce looked up when she heard him coming back in. "Hey."

He gave her a quick if somewhat opaque smile before bringing over the wrap bandage, a short ruler to temporarily splint it with, and the ice as he'd promised.

"Hey."

She busied herself temporarily getting the ice settled on her wrist. Splinting it could come after.

"I'm... slightly concerned about attracting unwanted attention."

He nodded shortly.

"I understand. I thought of it after I mentioned the doctor."

"We could... hold off on it, see if it starts healing correctly."

Of course, that... wasn't really something she could be sure of.

"And if it doesn't?" because Steve clearly didn't like that idea.

She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Then I see a doctor?"

This plan... was not coming together too well.

"...you know," he said with a wry grin, obviously trying to find some light in the darkness here, "if nothing else, I'm starting to think you won't do this again just to avoid the hassle."

That, at least, startled a quiet laugh out of her. "I'll try to think about it in the future."

It might not help, but she could try.

"Ultimately," he said as he knelt down beside her, "the choice is yours. But I'd... I'd really prefer if you didn't. And I'll abide by your decisions... but I care about your well being and I--"

He swallowed and looked away for a moment.

"Let's just say that, huh?"

"I'm sorry," she said once more, yet no less sincerely for how often she's repeated it. "I didn't mean to drag you into this, too."

His lips pressed into a line.

"If anyone dragged anyone, it'd be me. I wouldn't let go and I pretty much haven't since then. I'm here because I want to be, Bryce."

She leaned forward a little and kissed him on the cheek before holding up her broken wrist slightly. "I meant... well, this specifically. This wasn't what you signed up for."

He looked back at her and gave a very soft shake of his head.

"I did. Because it's part of being with you."

She rested her forehead lightly against his shoulder. "Still. You shouldn't have to deal with this."

"Nope," he said firmly, "this is what I get to deal with. The ups, and the downs. I insist."

He stroked her hair with one hand, careful and soft.

"I don't suppose you'll come to your senses if I point out that sometimes there are considerably more downs than ups?"

He just shook his head. For whatever reason, that actually seemed more comfortable, more familiar if anything.

She shook her head against him in return. "Somehow, I didn't think so."

Bryce lifted her head again. "All right. If we go, I'm going to have to lie about how I got hurt."

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