Chapter 19: 19 Edge Cases, Part Four

Dr Yeoh had started off Angharad's work in the hospital by sending her to check all the supply closets to see what they still had decent quantities of.

Not that Angharad actually knew the names of everything, so more often than not the notes she'd made on the lined pad the doctor had handed her were long and overly descriptive. Just in case a line or two didn't convey what kind of bandages she'd found piles of.

Dr Yeoh's own notes couldn't help Angharad, either, because they were all in Chinese. Which she didn't begrudge, but she hoped this meant Dr Yeoh was willing to put up with a lot of long notes and maybe explaining the names of things later when she had the time.

She went into Dr Yeoh's office after opening the first supply closet in confusion but Dr Yeoh was asleep in her chair. She found a blanket to put over her, gently pushed a pillow under her folded arms, and put the bottle of whisky away. Daddy always fell asleep at his desk at home when they were in the middle of a big project. It was kind of nostalgic for Angharad to see other grown ups did it, too. So she definitely had to help out Dr Yeoh just like she helped out at home, so she could lift some of the burden from her shoulders!

If only the light in the final supply closet was better. The other three caught good light from the hallway but this one was a bit of a dark spot. Angharad didn't really want to squint at everything until she got premature frown lines. She pushed further into the closet to look, but the label on one of the bottles was blurry like someone had tried to rub the writing off and she couldn't make it out.

She turned back and hit the inside of the door. What? When had that closed behind her? She tried the handle but it was jammed and wouldn't open. Banged on the door a few times. No go.

She took a deep breath to steady herself. Closed her eyes. Then slammed the entire side of her body against the door.

It didn't budge. It felt like something had jammed it tight from the other side and she couldn't get to it.

"Help!" she yelled out, feeling a little self conscious. "Is anyone there? Somebody help me. Please?"

Banged at the door with her hands.

"Come on, there has to be someone out there! I know everyone loves the secret hospital liquor stash. Just come by and let me out."

Shoved at the door again.

*

Time passed. She got tired in the small, dark space but she couldn't sleep. Not if that was the moment someone was passing by. Scrabbled at the door until her hands felt raw. Yelled until her voice ran out. Tried not to cry.

When the door finally fell open and she fell straight into someone's arms, she couldn't help it. The tears came out without her will.

"You found me," she whispered, but it came out in such a rough rasp that all she could hear was the pain in her throat.

"Here you are," in Josephine's voice. Josephine's warm, soft shape, her good, safe smell as Angharad closed her eyes and let herself collapse. "We looked for three days."

Angharad felt herself lifted and carried. Didn't struggle against the advance of sleep.

*

Hunger woke her up again. She found herself lying on her side, face half buried in a pillow that smelled like Josephine's hair.

She struggled into a sitting position and tried to drag her hair from her eyes, but they were clumsy with pain.

"I'm sorry," Josephine said, hands full with cleaning things as she sat in a chair by the bed. "I didn't want to clean your hands until you woke up."

"It's fine." Angharad's throat still hurt.

She tried not to hiss when Josephine pressed a damp cloth against her ragged fingers. And then the pressure of it stopped being pain and turned into a prickly heat, that spread and spread until she felt warm all over. It was nice to watch Josephine's strong hands get to be gentle. Nice to feel taken care of. Nice to not be locked in a supply closet.

"Ah, I'm just going to bandage your hands now."

"It's fine," Angharad said, trying not to collapse onto Josephine's shoulder. "Everyone's doing mummy hands now."

"Of course. Post injury fashion is the most important thing."

Josephine had nice hands. Long dexterous fingers.

"I like your hands," Angharad mumbled.

"Oh." Josephine paused, the bandage stretched taut between her fingers. "You must be very tired."

"And hungry."

"Ah, and I'm done." Josephine taped the raw edge of the final bandage down. Angharad tried not to wince.

"Thank you for saving me."

But it didn't feel like enough to only say thank you so Angharad leaned in to kiss her on the cheek, but Josephine turned her head at the same time and, oh. The side of her mouth wasn't at all what Angharad had meant to hit. Josephine was still until Angharad moved back.

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Angharad laughed. "I missed. I'm so silly." Then she grabbed Josephine by the face so she could push that gratitude kiss onto the sharp arch of Josephine's cheekbone where it was supposed to go. "There."

"Ah, well, um. You could sleep here." Josephine looked a little flushed. It was stuffy in the room.

"Isn't this the room you share with your girlfriend?"

Josephine rubbed at the back of her neck where the hair was short and lowered her eyes. "Yes."

"I want to sleep in my own room," Angharad said, voice flat.

"Okay."

"And tell the doctor to come see me."

*

It was Sophie that woke Angharad, hours later in their shared room, to take her to the doctor.

The hospital felt calm in the bright pale light of morning, and Dr Yeoh was less than impressed with Josephine's bandaging job.

"She should have woken me so I could see you as soon as she found you," she said as she unwrapped the bandages, with strict and efficient fingers. "She has no medical training. Your hands could get infected if not thoroughly disinfected."

"I'm sorry," Angharad said.

"Don't be sorry. Be sensible."

The doctor made her eat some stale crackers and drink some reconstituted orange juice. She had to pace herself so she wouldn't swallow them too fast. Slow, careful, calm.

There were sounds of movement in the hallway, but she was so tired it was hard enough just to focus on chewing properly.

Dr Yeoh cleared her throat. "Your friend Jin has suggested, and Antoine and I agreed, that it would better for everyone if nobody walks around alone, in case something like this happens again."

"So that if, like, a door decides to slam me in a tight space again at least I'll have someone to talk to?"

"Indeed. I would like you to sleep in the hospital today with someone watching over you, and Okada volunteered himself."

"Hello, gorgeous," Tsuyoshi said from the direction of the doorway.

Angharad turned to look at him so fast she nearly fell out of her chair. Already, he looked much better than the last time she saw him. It was so, so good to see him smirk at her like that.

"Have I mentioned how beautiful you are lately?" she said.

"Not nearly enough."

She pushed herself upright and stumbled toward him. He caught her around the waist before she could collapse against him, and Sophie laughed at them.

"I won't princess carry you," he said. "We're only going to my room."

"I've been swept off my feet enough yesterday. I'll survive without it again today."

"Oh, I see. Your hero Josephine was showing off how strong she was so you'd admire her muscles," Tsuyoshi said.

"Th-that's not... Shut up!"

"A very convincing argument," in his wry voice.

"Tsuyoshi is very funny!" Sophie said. "But you promised to tell Angharad about the dance and you haven't yet."

"What dance?" Angharad asked, raising her eyebrows at both of them.

"Sophie and Tabitha decided the way to make everyone less homicidal is to put on prison camp prom. Attendance is compulsory, because who doesn't love compulsory fun?"

"Attendance isn't compulsory for Neo," Sophie said. "We're not letting him in."

"I like the idea," Angharad said. At least it meant she'd get to wear one of the nice dresses she'd packed. And not to impress anyone, either. She hadn't gone solo to any of her school dances, at any of her schools, but it might be nice to spend a night dressed up and talking with the girls. She thought of offering to help decorate whatever space they chose to put it in. "I'll be there."

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