Needless to say, he was lucky enough not to have gotten the brunt of the crossfire.[break][break]

He, himself, only donned a handful of minor to mild scrapes and the like—the flow of blood hadn’t been terrible, thankfully—and he’d been able enough to at least walk himself through the doors. As they made their way through the doors, though, he found his gaze drifting amidst his group.[break][break]

No fatal wounds as far as they knew, but most of them were still worse off than him.[break][break]

And that, in itself, had been precisely why he was relieved to see the workers making swift work and movements to take his companions inside for whatever treatments needed. Having been included within those needing care, he shifted his attention towards the person that initially made their way over to him, offering her a grateful nod and smile.[break][break]

His attention shifted towards a newcomer, however, at the sound of both her voice and insistence to tend to him, instead. Azure hues widened slightly at the sight of a familiar face, but despite the particular place and situation he’d just came from, an instinctive smile found its way upon his lips in pleasant surprise.[break][break]

”Huh. A bigger and burlier one, if I gotta be honest,” he laughed, raising a brow as he sat himself aside. ”Grouped up, too. He and his buddies were pretty mean~.”[break][break]

He gave a sigh, rolling his shoulder softly and bringing a faintly stained hand up to examine as it touched along a wound.[break][break]

”Kinda convenient for you to be at the exact center we were headed to, huh, kid~?”

MARISOL SIMONE [break]
notes

☉

ah yes, a bunch of fully grown adults and trainers. rangers and officers, some who were with the military (read as: this man), thwarted by a bunch of bugs. the image comes out of a sitcom - one that she wouldn't mind spending a few nights binging. even if she knows that bugs were a terrifying bunch in the world they lived in today, the image is still enough to make her smile to herself. damn. if only there was a camera. [break][break]

"ah, ah." she starts, moving her hands over the wound that he tries to run his fingers over. the woman wags her finger, slightly (it's out of habit) as she holds the pad between tweezers. then she stats to gently dab around open scraps and wounds, cleaning it up first. "don't touch the wound. first aid one-oh-one~" she chimes, making quick rock as any blood marks are absorbed by the pad. it probably stings a little, but he's a big man. he can handle himself. [break][break]

now she hums, gauze in hand after placing the tweezers and cotton pad down to gently wrap around and over the wound "i'm kind of assigned all over the place" her eye scans his arm, searching for any more wounds, and doing the same. clean and wrap. "the only downside, is that i'm paying to work in the field. isn't that funny?"

Calix Nikolau

☉

Ah. She took the sarcasm literally.[break]
…Maybe it was better that way. Less stressful.[break][break]

She was free to assume whatever she was about the situation they’d just departed from, but despite the warm smile that so commonly lingered upon his lips, he casted a vague glance towards where the others were taken further into the facility with a touch of worry. ”Yeah, of course~...” he hummed lowly, laughing softly despite whatever reservations and worries he had. Before much more of note could be taken into account, he quickly glanced back towards her again, raising a brow. ”But yeah, that sounds…pretty on brand, honestly~.”[break][break]

He clicked his tongue softly, side eying his arm as she worked her magic with the tweezers in hand.[break][break]

No bug stingers or anything like that.[break]
He did his best not to mind the bits of shrapnel, though.[break][break]

”That’s just how it is. Pay with your time or pay with your money— it’s honestly a trap that no one tells you about at first~.” Another chuckle left his lips. ”If only that wasn’t the case, but well…guess that’s just not how things work, nowadays~.”

MARISOL SIMONE [break]
notes

☉

"medical school was a mistake, i'm in constant pain on the daily." though she likes to think, and joke, that her pain is in the place of others. she suffers for others. can't get any more selfless and noble than that (even though she's one to take part in the suffering of others. oops). "in the case of medical school.." she hums, dabbing another bit of alcohol around a wound "it's both. both money, and time." her lips curl into a smile, and she chuckles, slightly, though the tired eyes and slight bags don't hide anything. [break][break]

".. i guess it could be worse." no pain, no gain, right? at least, that's what she keeps telling herself so she doesn't lose her damn mind. her eyes narrow, slightly, however. specifically after she realizes where his gaze travelled, and she only let out a soft hum of "don't worry. your coworkers are in good hands~" not her hands, but if they were in her hands, she'd be able to say that with confidence.

Calix Nikolau

☉

He grinned, laughing (before promptly cutting it short with a soft hiss, remembering the sores that ailed him in a moment’s time). ”It’s ironic, yeah, but still pretty on brand…” the man sighed soon after, shaking his head. ”Especially with what you kids gotta go through, now… Bigger stakes, more competition— so much more pressure. I ain’t envious, but my heart goes out to you~...”[break][break]

A soft hum left his lips following the words, and as a means of attempting to relax himself within the midst of the various stings and the like with the efforts to sanitize the wounds upon him, he simply leaned slightly further back where he sat. shutting his eyes within a leisurely manner.”...But that aside, I believe you, kid~,” he added with a small, idling smile. ”Seen your work in the past, anyways. Definitely backs up the claims~.”

MARISOL SIMONE [break]
notes

☉

bittersweetness coats his words - at least, when they reach her ears. she can only smile (and scoff a little, in the confines and safety of her mind) at how quick he is to put his faith in her. it's funny how leaving rocket can introduce you to so many good people. it's funny how leaving the submarine a ear or so ago could change a person so much. [break][break]

her fingers wiggle as she idly glances around her kit, eventually pulling the ice packs before wrapping them around in gauze. then she holds it over to direct "hold this over your bruises" before taking more gauze and bandages, beginning to carefully wrap them around wounds with a somewhat flat expression. [break][break]

"and i wouldn't say my work deserves that much praise~" she still chimes, despite knowing that it does. despite being prideful, she'll still wear the somewhat shy smile of modesty (it's something carried over from wendy, and it makes her gag whenever she recognizes it)

Calix Nikolau

☉

She gave him a direction, so far be it for him to go against it.[break][break]

”Ehhh. I’d beg to differ, then,” he mused, idling holding the gauzed pack to the appointed and aforementioned area brought to his attention. Azure hues glanced towards it briefly in thought as he hummed. ”Humility is a virtue, yeah, but it’s good to own up to what you’re good at, kid.”[break][break]

He tapped his fingers against the chill of the gauze beneath his fingertips, raising his brows while casting a gaze towards his caretaker once more.[break][break]

”I gotta say, though— that aside, I hope you’re taking care of yourself.” He soft chuckle escaped his lips as he eyed her. ”Again, stuff’s way more competitive than it was back in my day. Even as a bystander, it’s kinda stressing to look at…”

MARISOL SIMONE [break]
notes

☉

"yes, dad, i'm getting three hours of sleep and i constantly run on fumes and caffeine~"[break][break]

sarcasm oozes from her lips as they curl into a smile, and her eyes roll. unfortunately, it's a harsh reality for people who do take their time in this field of work. all work, no play, and when she isn't doing intern work then it's studying, lab work, and projects best left hiding from the sun's warm gaze. [break][break]

"don't worry so much about me" her eyes wander to do another scan over his skin, just to search for any other areas harmed by the mission. it looks like everything was okay "i eat enough, and sleep just enough to be fine, and functional." she doesn't.

Calix Nikolau

☉

”Yeaaah… If only the looks backed the words up, kid~.”[break][break]

A jab in equal parts jest and seriousness, alike. He eyed her as she continued her examination in the wake of her own words, eventually shifting a gaze down towards the selfsame wounds she’d found herself so meticulously scrying.[break][break]

With his free hand, however, he reached over to give her a soft, yet swift flick upon the forehead, smirking.[break][break]

”...Just take care of yourself as much as you take care of everyone else,” he hummed, chuckling. ”Seriously~.”

MARISOL SIMONE [break]
notes

☉

ah yes, dad was worried. [break][break]

"i don't look that tired, do i?" she's asking when she knows the answer, and even she can't hide the fatigue that eventually finds a way to rest under her eyes. no make up and cover it up (not like she'd use make up all too often; the change in her hair and the medical eye patch already does wonders with covering up her face). [break][break]

the bandages are all wrapped up, and she grabs some tape to secure the flap of the gauze. "don't irritate the wounds, ice the bruises, and get some rest for a while." no need for the last part, but it's for the sake of formalities. one glance around the centre and she sees that people are still busy, but there's just enough people to be tending to each person with minor injuries. she can have a bit of a break. [break][break]

"it's part of the job" it's thankless and tiring "so, worry more about yourself, before you worry about me."

Calix Nikolau

☉

She had the gall to be cheeky and sarcastic? Man.[break][break]

It was amusing, at the very least, but a display responded to with an immediate, yet softened slap of the back of his fingers against her temple as if in gentle scolding.[break][break]

”Yeah, yeah… Spare me the treatment advice~...” he hummed, skipping over her initial words. He’d heard them many times from other youth like her, anyways. ”It’ll be hard not to make a speedy recover after such top tier treatment, anyways.”[break][break]

The words bled deep with a sarcastic tone, yet the smile upon his face dictating anything otherwise. He eyed her for a small while longer in thought before inhaling deeply and sighing, casting a brief glance towards his companions from earlier.[break][break]

”Part of the job, yeah, but the self care stuff is still important~,” he hummed, looking towards her again. ”How much longer’s your shift? Few hours? Within the hour? What’re we talkin’, here?”

MARISOL SIMONE [break]
notes

☉

he's still worried about her. [break][break]

a waste of time, she'll say. still, she smiles slightly as a hum buzzes between her lips. self care is important, but there isn't much room for that when you're still in school, still taking classes, and also an intern nurse at both a hospital and pokemon centre (it changes from time to time, an she would have gone to pokemon were it not for the way nurse joys have made her so uncomfortable). [break][break]

"it should be within the hour." thinking back on it, the other nurses won't let her attend to the patients with worse conditions. something about her being a student, and therefore her credentials weren't on par. so, in short: they think she can't be trusted. which is fair, even when it gets slightly frustrating when she knows she's overqualified. [break][break]

"about half an hour.. only because the nurse in charge has been insisting that i take a bit of a break." she skips her lunch breaks, after all.

Calix Nikolau

☉

He waited for the response he’d been looking for, grinning once it finally met his ears. A chuckle accompanied the look as he turned his head towards her once more.[break][break]

”...Half an hour, huh~?” he hummed, raising a brow. ”Yeah, that’ll be doable…”[break][break]

He inhaled deeply, briefly straying a gaze from coworkers to the wound upon his arm before resting his hands upon his knees. With a soft, grunting sigh, he lifted himself up once more— though not without giving the woman before him a quick pat upon the shoulder.[break][break]

”Iiiin that case, I’ll check in on my crew,” he started off before gesturing back and forth between the both of them, ”then I’m dragging you out for your break~.”

MARISOL SIMONE [break]
notes

☉