How Green Becomes Wood

"I do not know," Dark said.

"Sit down," Daizi told him, guiding him to the chair, knowingly sitting him where Ivy was not. She turned to Xander, "Let me have the gauze."

"I worry you may need to drive me to the hospital," Dark said, allowing himself to be sat and feeling... strange. Not light headed, he hadn't lost that much blood, it's not like his life was in danger. He knew what that felt like. But strange.
 
Xander gave Daizi the gauze and winced when he saw the cut. "Are you kidding me? There's no question you're going to the hospital," he said flatly. "That's deep. That's going to need stitches for sure."
 
Daizi took the gauze and finding where the cut was, she wrapped her husband's hand with equal amounts of tenderness and skill, not reacting when his blood got on her fingers, and after it was wrapped and nothing would be able to get to the wound itself, she gave it a little kiss. To make it better, "Xander will you run and get a clean towel? I want to be able to still put pressure on it. Alec will you be okay to watch Ivy for a little bit?"

"You will be here," Dark said, but she shook her head and said:

"No, I am going with you," She said, firmly, "I have to go with you."
 
Xander grabbed a towel and handed it to Daizi. "Here. It's clean." He glanced at Alec, who was wide-eyed and trying not to completely panic.

"Um.. Yes?" Alec asked more than said. Dark was hurt! Really hurt! Someone needed to look after Ivy! He was going to be alone with Ivy for the first time! It was all so much! But he needed to keep it together. He needed to do this for Ivy and Dark and Daizi. It wasn't a question of if he could. He had to.
 
Daizi took the towel and wrapped it around Dark's hand, remarkably calm amongst all of this--once she had learned it was an accident, "It isn't so bad. Just a few stitches."

His head feeling just a bit fuzzy, Dark looked at Alec, but could still perceive the fear on his face, "Are you sure? Daizi, maybe you should..."

"Dark, I'm going with you." She said, keeping pressure on his hand. "I am not sending you to the ER with only a sixteen year old boy. No offense, Xander."

"But, then--"

Daizi inhaled, "We have a neighbor. Xander, are you comfortable keeping pressure on his hand while I knock on Lex's door? Otherwise I am going to send you to knock." Yes, Dark could put pressure on his own hand, but Dark just sliced open his own hand, and she wanted to make sure nothing else happened.
 
"None taken," Xander assured Daizi at her comment. When she asked him to hold the cloth, he nodded and quickly stepped in. "Yeah, I got it," he assured her, putting pressure just like how Daizi was doing. "Okay. Pressure achieved."

Alec looked away, ashamed at his fear. He took a few deep breaths and adjusted Ivy against him. He was a full sixteen-year-old boy. He was nearly a legal man. He might still have some learning and growing to do, but he should be old enough to handle stuff like this! He wasn't a child, and it wasn't all about him! He turned his attention to Ivy and babbled to her softly, keeping his tone light and happy.
 
Dark watched Xander curiously, a bit surprised he was able to do this, "You are touching me."

Despite knowing perfectly well she should probably hurry over to the neighbors, she couldn't stop herself from bending and kissing the top of Dark's head. Her poor husband. Then, she took a breath, and as cheerfully as she could said, "Everything is will be fine."

Then she hurried upstairs, slipped on her shoes, and went outside. Only after the door shut did her chest tighten, and she had to take a few moments to compose herself so when she knocked on Lex's door she didn't immediately fall apart. His blood was still on her hands, and it reminded her of that day over twenty years ago. But she couldn't let herself panic now anymore than she did then, regardless of how much she might have wanted to fall apart.

So, she took one more deep breath and knocked on Lex's door.
 
Xander kept his eyes on Dark's hand. "It needs done. I wouldn't let you bleed out, but there's a towel," he pointed out. "Besides. I've been practicing."

Lex was back in the kitchen cleaning up the kitchen with Toby's help when Daizi knocked. She dried off her hands and walked over, curious. It had been some time since anyone had knocked on her door. Maybe it was a salesman or a missionary. She did not expect Daizi. "Daizi? What's up?" She frowned looking her over. "What's wrong? You look stressed."
 
"I do not think I am going to bleed out," Dark replied, watching his hand like it was not his, "I have done that once already, I know how it feels." He tipped his head to the side, "My knife is going to rust."

"Hi. I'm sorry, I know it's late." She pushed her hair back, getting her husband's blood in it, "Dark cut his hand, and we need to take him to get stitches, and I, obviously, cannot drive, so, would you be willing to watch Ivy or drive us? I don't feel comfortable," her voice got a little tight, "letting my teenage sons take him alone. I need to be there."
 
Xander's jaw tightened at Dark's statement. It took him a second to find his words. "It won't rust that fast. I'll clean it up and deal with it later. When did you hurt yourself that bad?" Talking about it would keep his mind off of what he was doing.

Lex's eyes flicked to the blood in Daizi's hair. "Toby, toss me a wet," she called over her shoulder. Toby did as asked, and she caught it clean. "Hold still," she said and quickly wiped the blood from Daizi's forehead and hair like a mother cleaning a child before putting it in her hand to clean her hands. "Do you want me to drive or watch Ivy?" She was already reaching for her keys.
 
"I do not know if you really want to know that story." Dark replied, looking around his living room.

She jumped slightly at the touch, even having been told to hold still, she didn't anticipate that. "It doesn't matter," Daizi replied, turning to go back to her house, and then she stopped, "No, you should drive. It would be better for the twins if they were together."
 
"Okay," Xander said, accepting that. It did explain Daizi's reaction earlier. "Do I get to know the story about why you've been acting like a space cadet?"

Lex picked up her keys and tossed the cloth back to Toby, who was standing watching and listening. "Toby, I'll be back later. I'll text you when I can."

"'Kay, Mom. Drive safe!" Toby called after her.

"I'll pull my car around closer to your house and meet you there," Lex told Daizi, heading for her car.
 
"Space cadet?" Dark asked, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment. This hurt like hell, when reconnected enough with his body to feel it, "I do not understand."

Daizi agreed with the plan and then hurried back towards her house, taking a few moments, again, to steady herself before going back inside.
 
Xander glanced up at Dark's expression and frowned. "We'll talk about it later," he said. Now wasn't the time.

Alec met Daizi at the door. "Is Lex going to stay with Ivy and me?"

Lex pulled her old, small car around and parked it out front as close to the door as she could get. Then she opened the back door and left it open as she headed to Dark and Daizi's door.
 
"No, she is going to drive us so Xander can stay with you and Ivy," She told him, taking Ivy from him just long enough to give her a big smile and say, "Isn't that exciting, baby?! You get to spend some time just with your big brothers! How fun!" Then she hugged Ivy closely, for herself more so than Ivy, and handed her back to Alec, "It's coming up on her bedtime, she likes to be sung to. Either you or Xander should call Cooger, he can come over to help if you need it." Then, after one little kiss goodbye, she handed Ivy over to Alec and went to fetch her husband, helping him stand up.

"I can walk fine," Dark told her, "It is just my hand."

"I know, but I'm still going to walk with you," She turned back to her kids, "Be safe, we'll be home soon, okay?"
 
"We got this," Alec assured her, suddenly far more confident since Xander was staying with him. "We'll be fine. I promise!"

Lex waited just outside the door, and when Daizi and Dark came out, she guided them to her car, assuming they'd both sit in the back so Daizi could hold Dark's hand. Once they were settled, she got in the car, and they were off. "Let me guess, a wood-related project gone wrong?" she asked cheerfully. "Cooger told me you do woodworking."
 
They sat exactly as Lex expected them to, and Daizi buckled his seatbelt for him just to be sure he didn't accidentally injure himself further. Then, after buckling herself in, she sat back to hold his hand, keeping pressure on it with one hand, and stroking the back of it with her other.

"I do." Dark answered, "My hand slipped."
 
"How do you feel about making something like a gate as a collaboration?" Lex asked, waving one hand as she drove. She carefully steered around another pothole. "A union of wood and metal!"
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top