Dance of the Damned

Resolve

Briar silently stood there as the woman tore the bloody shirt Micah wore, revealing the scars not yet closed up on the boy's side all the way to his back.

The servants ran back and forth in the room, pausing to stare at Micah's wounded body and gasping, whispering to each other.

"Take him on the bed," Morgan said to Elise as she gently picked Micah up and laid him down on the bed.

"You boy." The woman called to Briar with a hand full of needles and thread. "Are you just going to stand there looking like an i***t? Wash your hands and come and help me."

Without another word, Briar walked to her, washing his hands and walked to her.

"Put this," she handed him a roll of very, very thin thread it is almost invisible and a thin needle with the eyehole smaller than an ant, "in this."

"O-ok." He said as a maid brought in a bowl and cloth in it followed by Karla holding a jug of warm water. "Karla?"

"How is he?" She asked, passing Briar, not waiting for an answer as she poured the water into the basin walking to Micah. "Young master?"

"Karla?" Micah asked, slightly surprised but it was replaced with a bright smile. "I haven't met you in so long. How are you?"

She sucked in a breath as soon as she saw the wound and could not say another word as she ran out of the room immediately.

Briar watched her go, wanting to go after her to make sure she is alright like she did all those times for him but his feet refused to move.

If he left this time, something else might happen. Every time he leaves Micah alone, something bad happens.

Sorry, Karla. He thought. I am going to stay here this time.

__________________________

Morgan folded her sleeves and dipped the cloth in warm water, squeezing it before turning to Micah, "This will hurt a bit."

"You can hold my hand if you wish, young master," Elise said, putting on a stoic face though her hands still trembled.

"That's ok. I'm sure it won't hurt." Micah insisted as Briar finally go the thread through the hole and walked to them just as the wet cloth touched the boy's skin.

Micah's eye twitched slightly, only Briar noticing it as she began to clean the blood off the flesh turning a deep red.

Once she was done, Micah turned to Elise, grinning brightly, "See? No pain."

"You are so brave, young master." She said softly, furrowing her brows at him.

"Are you done?" Morgan turned to Briar who handed her the needle and thread. She inspected the needle and nodded. "Good job. Come here and watch."

Briar hesitated while Morgan turning to Micah and saying, "This might hurt more. So tell me if it is too painful. I don't have any anaesthetics with me at the moment, I am so sorry."

"It's fine," Micah reassured her, Elise and Briar who seemed to hold their breath as the needle is only inches from the wound. "Don't worry about me."

"Wonderful child." Morgan murmured under her breath turning to Briar, "don't you want to know how to do this? Just in case something happens in the future that you can't control?"

Steeling his nerves, Briar nodded and walked to her, watching as she pierced the needle into his skin and keeping an eye on Micah as well.

Just then the doors opened and Lady Huckbury stormed inside, screeching. “What is happening here? All the servants in the house are busy tak-. What are you doing?!?”

“Micah got stabbed again,” Briar said as the woman sucked in a breath, looking at the boy in disgust.

“Do not call me here.” She said, running out of the room almost as quickly as she appeared.

“She was pleasant.” Morgan mused, going back to stitching Micah up.

Briar saw his eyes widened slightly as the needle entered into his skin, breath hitching when the thread when through the muscles and out the other end of the cut.

"Are you ok?" She paused, looking at Micah releasing a breath.

"I am fine." He said with a half-hearted smile. "Please go ahead and don't worry about me."

Briar looked at the edge of the bed and notice how hard Micah was gripping at the wood every time the needle went in again.

Annoyance filling him again, he took his friend's hand in his, giving it a comforting squeeze.

"Wha-?" Micah was distracted for a second, turning to Briar as his eye twitched slightly.

"I told you to lean on me, you i***t," Briar said, holding his hand tight as Micah beamed before suddenly squeezing it, tight.

"Sorry," Micah said, trying to release his hand but Briar stubbornly held on.

"I should be the one to say sorry." He murmured low enough that no one would be able to hear him. "I won't leave you again. Even if it kills me."

"Ok," Micah said, voice low as well while squeezing his hand again, the thread laced with blood closing his wound slowly. "I will hold you to that. No going back on your word."

Briar looked confused at first before scoffing, "Who is going back on their word? Idiot."

______________________

That evening,

Micah laid on the bed, asleep as several blood bags hung from the bedpost that Elise helped put up.

Morgan was there until evening, helping to set everything up; from where to store everything to how to use them, instructing Elise on what medicine to give Micah and when.

Briar ran to a hospital to stock up on blood bags, they did not allow him at first but Morgan gave him a letter from her with her signature and they gave him some immediately.

He could not understand what was written in the paper but he decided not to think of it too much as he was able to get enough blood bags for Micah to be safe, hopefully.

Micah had asked them not to do anything to the man and Elise said yes so they were stuck with an unconscious man in the basement dungeon.

Why they have a dungeon, he did not know but, once again, decided not to ask for the sake of his own sanity.

The biggest problem at the moment would be Lady Huckbury. Ever since her husband came home, she had not stopped complaining and screeching at him about … everything.

Briar was just relieved that Micah was asleep by the time the man came back. He did not want the boy to feel any guiltier than he already did.

Morgan gave him some medicines after the stitching and that seemed to put him on a loop, apologizing for everything. He apologized to the maids for spilling blood on the carpet and the bedsheet and blankets.

He apologized for not eating well enough and to Elise for a long, long, long list of things. As he kept going it started to not make sense anymore.

That was then Morgan decided that she was going to say just a little longer to monitor him.

He started to apologise for the trees not having enough leaves during winter to keep them warm and for the animals outside that are starving with no good owners. The flowers for dying so soon.

But something stuck with Briar, as Micah was finally falling asleep, he mumbled, “Sorry I couldn’t save …”

He could have sworn that Micah said someone’s name but all he heard was ramblings and then nothing.

“He appears to be asleep now,” Morgan said, checking up on the boy again. “Yes, he is fine now. Allow him to rest and call me if you need anything.”

She gave Briar her telephone number before picking up her bonnet as she began to walk out of the room.

“Wait!” Elise called to her, leaving Briar in the room with Micah.

“Yes?” She asked, pausing at the stairs. “May I invite you for supper?”

“No, darling.” She said, amused. “I have a meeting to get to right now. But maybe I will eat with you some other time.”

“Let us pay you-“

“I refuse any payment.” The woman said, looking at her like she just insulted her. “I helped the boy because I wanted to. Please don’t make it appear like I did it to get money from you.”

“I apologise," Elise said, looking at the ground then back at her. "I did not mean it that way."

"I know." The woman said with a sigh. "How about this, allow me to visit the boy whenever I wish. I still have to present a thesis to my academy so I can use the findings when I treat him for that. It will be a big help for me."

"Ok," Elise said happily. "Do come whenever you wish."

Morgan nodded, looking at the clock on the wall, "Goodness. I will be late for the meeting. I will see you next time."

And she was gone.