Page 171 of Pistols and Plush Toys

She answered him in Russian, her eyes fluttering back open, and Nikolai replied in kind.

“I’m going to take her home,” the other woman said in English, before turning to Dr. Williams. “Doc, we clear?”

“Yes. Bed rest, fluids, no lifting, like I said,” Dr. Williams said, now moving to forcefully corral Nikolai into a chair as the other group left. “Sit!”

Nikolai sat, then turned his attention to Elliot. “Elliot, you want to go shower maybe? This will take a while. You’d like to clean up, yes?”

As if Elliot could just leave him. Elliot shuffled closer. “I’d like to stay. Please.”

“He can help,” Dr. Williams said as he picked up a pair of large, blunt tipped shears.

Dr. Williams took the shears to the bandages and the shirt, then peeled away the fabric where it was stuck to Nikolai’s skin. Once the shirt was out of the way, Elliot could see Nikolai’s left arm had taken the majority of the damage, with two ragged knife gashes across his forearm. There was also the deep red beginnings of a bruise across his ribcage and abrasions on his arms and hands and face.

“Here,” Dr. Williams said, offering a pack of wipes to Elliot, “Could you wipe down the rest of him while I work on his arm?”

“Y-yeah,” Elliot said quickly. He opened the pack of sterile wipes and moved to the other side of the chair to start on Nikolai’s right arm.

As he started wiping the blood off, he watched Dr. Williams clean around the wounds and then load up a syringe.

“Some lidocaine for the pain,” Dr. Williams said.

Nikolai pressed his lips together when the needle went in, but otherwise didn’t make a sound.

“The cuts don’t look too deep. That’s good,” Dr. Williams said, turning Nikolai’s arm to look it over. “This is the worst injury?”

“Nose is maybe broken,” Nikolai said shortly.

“I’ll check that once I stitch you up,” Dr. Williams said, setting the needle down. Elliot focused on meticulously wiping Nikolai’s hand, arm, chest and face until all the blood was gone. He went through almost the whole pack of wipes as Dr. Williams rinsed the wounds and then started suturing.

He was glad for something to do. A way to keep busy and his mind blank while Nikolai got treated. Elliot refused to break down in front of him again. Nikolai had enough on his plate.

Finally the sutures were finished and Dr. Williams bandaged them up.

“I’m going to tape wrap these in plastic now, since I’m sure he’ll want to shower,” Dr. Williams said, addressing Elliot. He picked up a sealed packet and tore the top open. “The stitches need to be protected from the shower for the next two days, but make sure you take off the plastic after, so the wound can breathe.”

“Okay,” Elliot said. There was a pile of the plastic bandage covers on the table, and he watched closely as Dr. William’s started applying one over the bandages.

Dr. Williams went into what Nikolai would need in the coming days, and Elliot committed every detail of it to memory. Mostly it was food, water, and rest. The doctor checked Nikolai’s rib cage, his face, and his vitals. There were a few smaller wounds that Dr. Williams said Elliot could bandage after the shower, and he applied strips for Nikolai’s nose to set it, because it was indeed fractured. Otherwise his condition was stable enough to be left to heal with time.

The relief that Elliot felt was enormous.

“That’s everything I can do for you right now,” Dr. Williams said to Nikolai. “I’ll leave you some painkillers. Take them before the lidocaine wears off, and make sure you eat something,” Then Dr. Willams turned to Elliot. “Alright Elliot, let me take a look at you now.”

Elliot took an unconscious step back. Other than being manhandled, he was completely unharmed. “Oh, n-no, I’m okay.”

Dr. Williams frowned, looking to Nikolai, who shrugged.

“Okay, if you’re sure,” Dr. Williams said slowly. “If there are any issues, call me. Day or night. You have my number.”

“I will, thank you,” Elliot said.

“Then I’ll just finish cleaning up here,” Dr. Williams said. “You two get some rest.”

Elliot nodded, already turning to Nikolai, hovering his hands uselessly. “Do you want me to make you something to eat? You should eat.”

Nikolai got slowly to his feet, but he looked much better than when he’d come in. “I’m wanting shower first, I think.”

“I-I can make you something,” Elliot said again. “For when you’re done. Whatever you want. What do you want? I can…” his hands were shaking again, vision blurring. “I-I can…”

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