𝑰𝑽𝒀 𝑻𝑨𝑺𝑺𝑬 ──────────────────────────────────────────── 001.
─────────────────── location; east-side encampment ─ tagging; Kylian, Daniel ─ mentioned; MJ, Cass, Eva ───
- The stream of Prickly Pear Creek flowed steady and gentle past the camp and the houses facing the riverbank.
After years of moving and running, the experience of having settled, of having a home, was almost dizzying if
Ivy spent too much time dwelling on that particular newfound reality. It may have only been home for a few
months, but ─ Ivy breathed a little laugh of disbelief, just to the lone drifting audience of the waters before
her ─ it was easily the longest she had spent in a single place since the war.
indentindentThe war. That, in turn, was an unpleasant reality. It was certainly something few of those who had
lived through it, who came to intimately know the drumbeat of death, wished to think about. Its marks were
everywhere, physical and psychological, which meant that it wasn't that difficult to be reminded, but the will
to forget could be a powerful force. Turning your eyes to the future, to rebuilding, was easier when you had
something you could tangibly do with your hands, and there was no shortage of work to be done at the camp.
They were still fighting to keep up with the demand for food and supplies, but Ivy had hope that their luck was
beginning to veer toward true self-sustainability.
indentindentHowever, it seemed that the will to forget and distraction alone weren't always enough for Ivy.
There were unoccupied moments, or scents, or sounds ─ sometimes sights, such as a raw, seared landscape
─ that brought to mind images of something that, here, on the porch of her house at the edge of the serene
river, seemed like scenes from a different life. In a way it must have been, because Ivy hardly ever felt like
that girl who had been pulled out of a college dorm with less than two years of theory under her belt to patch
up and stitch together soldiers in a war that was very real. Rarely, but not never. She wasn't certain what that
girl had passed on to her next life, beyond the tendency for her heart to race a little too fast at the sound of
a shout, or the strange, still image of the stained and tattered fabric of the medical tent's door whenever she
smelled just the right mixture of blood, smoke, and disinfectant.
indentindentIt had just been a long day. Nothing more.
indentindentThe sound of boots on gravel in the tempo of a run carried to the porch from the road that led
to the river. One of the soldiers rounded the corner of the house, and upon seeing Ivy on the porch, he came
to a halt so unplanned that his feet kicked up a cloud of dust. Kylian's been shot! came the yell, and for once,
Ivy was glad that she hadn't immediately put away her kit at the end of a long day. Coming to her had been a
smart choice, since her house was closer to the guardhouse than the main house. And besides, Mary Jane would
always have much better things to do than treat every single one of the scrapes that the soldiers managed to
sustain ─ unless it turned out to be something serious. But that's what nurses were for. Ivy yanked the strap
of her pack over her shoulder and took off after the soldier. Some wading bird singing in the shallows of the
creek heralded her departure.
indentindentBased on the complete lack of disarray surrounding the guardhouse upon their arrival, Ivy judged
that whatever bullet had grazed Kylian hadn't done that much damage. Slightly light-headed from her run across
the camp, she pushed the door open to find him perched at the edge of a cot with barely more than a scrape
on his shoulder. Ivy flashed him a look of resignation before tossing her pack onto the cot next to the one he
was sitting on and dragging it a little closer so she could see whether it had been worth even a fraction of the
fuss. It surely would have been quite embarrassing to be taken down by an infection originating from such a
little cut. Furthermore, if this was his idea of flirting, Ivy would tell him that his injuries were lethal. Kylian
flirted with everyone, as had quickly become apparent, and many of the girls in camp clearly had a thing for
him ─ but herself? Ivy wasn't sure. And if it was just meaningless flirting, maybe it wasn't supposed to make
her feel anything.
indentindentIvy glanced around the guardhouse. Everyone had already regained the air of business-as-usual,
and Ivy couldn't wait to hear the explanation of how this had transpired. Someone was digging through supplies
in one of the corners, another soldier was eating something vaguely resembling beans while staring into the
middle distance with a bored look. Yet what Ivy noticed the most was the absence of Cass. And how that, for
some reason, sent a dig of disappointment at her. Before Kylian could have the chance to get fidgety, Ivy
covered her momentary distraction by clearing her throat and probing the edge of the wound. Two stitches
tops and it would be fine. He could go right back to doing the ill-advised thing that had lead to this.
indentin"This really doesn't look like the result of anything smart," she teased, hopefully prompting him
to shed light on the events.
indentindentOnce Ivy was done with those quick two stitches, she secured the end of the gauze she had wrapped
around his arm and playfully patted Kylian on his bearded cheek.
indentin"I know you've got something against shirts, but now there's no medical reason keeping you
from putting one on."
indentindentIvy allowed herself to flop backwards onto the cot. She scrubbed a palm across her face before
folding her arms underneath her head. Frankly, she was exhausted from running around all day, but at least her
heart had kept its act together, because turning herself into a medical emergency in the middle of someone
else's medical emergency would surely have her put on some fun and challenging duty such as organizing supplies.
She grinned up at Kylian.
indentin"The next time this happens, because I know there's always a next time with you men, you
should let me know that it isn't serious so I can let you bleed for a little longer," she quipped, stifling a
yawn. "Do you think the owner of this cot would be mad if I just slept here?"
indentindentHowever, the flash of a familiar face through the open window of the guardhouse had Ivy shooting
back up from the cot. She crossed the room, then leaned out of the window.
indentin"Daniel!" she shouted with a wave before he could have a chance to wander out of earshot. "Where's
Amelia? Is she with Eva today?"
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