[ She looks about as bad as someone would expect, and yet for as much as Edward Little tries to prepare himself for the worst these days, they still manage to catch him so wholly off-guard that he feels a hitch of breath physically move his body. It's subtle, but everything together betrays his surprise — the widening of eyes, the lift of brows, the way his mouth shudders before it opens a little. There's a beat as they take each other in, both bruised, both startled, some mirror to each other — not for the first time.
'Lieutenant.'
The word is the one he clings onto the most, his source of familiarity and stability and comfort as a result, but in this moment it couldn't feel more foreign. More strange. Maybe only Wynonna could make it seem that way — Wynonna, who only ever called him lieutenant so sparingly and he suspects only really to tease him, and maybe that bothered him to begin with, but being called Little began to feel more and more comfortable — like how the rest of the crew would call their equals on the ships. It felt like she was comfortable enough around him to refer to him that way. Now, hearing the title without any sharp grin or playful flash of eye, he realises its coolness and finds himself strangely stricken by it.
(The last time he talked to her, really talked, everything was so warm. The fire, the drink, her hair against his cheek. It all feels a little dreamlike now. In comparison, this feels so cold.)
He gathers himself, or tries to, and gives a curt nod, a thank you, watching her walk back in. She moves with a noticeable limp, remnants of the physical damage she must have incurred from two (extremely well-muscled) men, and her arm is back in its sling; that injury was still healing, it must have been re-damaged, and Edward swallows as he follows the woman in, turning to gently close the door behind himself before he takes one, two, three steps in and stops. ]
Yes, [ he starts. He's nervous, and maybe it shows, gloved hands twisting together in front of himself, but slowly. His heart feels weird and heavy and unpleasant, and he wonders exactly how much full-bodied pain she might be in. ]
I came to— check upon your state. I can see that things are... quite severe. Have you seen a doctor for your new injuries? And... to check upon your old one? [ He nods to her arm for gesture. It's possible she put the sling back on it herself and hadn't checked back in with Goodsir. ]
no subject
'Lieutenant.'
The word is the one he clings onto the most, his source of familiarity and stability and comfort as a result, but in this moment it couldn't feel more foreign. More strange. Maybe only Wynonna could make it seem that way — Wynonna, who only ever called him lieutenant so sparingly and he suspects only really to tease him, and maybe that bothered him to begin with, but being called Little began to feel more and more comfortable — like how the rest of the crew would call their equals on the ships. It felt like she was comfortable enough around him to refer to him that way. Now, hearing the title without any sharp grin or playful flash of eye, he realises its coolness and finds himself strangely stricken by it.
(The last time he talked to her, really talked, everything was so warm. The fire, the drink, her hair against his cheek. It all feels a little dreamlike now. In comparison, this feels so cold.)
He gathers himself, or tries to, and gives a curt nod, a thank you, watching her walk back in. She moves with a noticeable limp, remnants of the physical damage she must have incurred from two (extremely well-muscled) men, and her arm is back in its sling; that injury was still healing, it must have been re-damaged, and Edward swallows as he follows the woman in, turning to gently close the door behind himself before he takes one, two, three steps in and stops. ]
Yes, [ he starts. He's nervous, and maybe it shows, gloved hands twisting together in front of himself, but slowly. His heart feels weird and heavy and unpleasant, and he wonders exactly how much full-bodied pain she might be in. ]
I came to— check upon your state. I can see that things are... quite severe. Have you seen a doctor for your new injuries? And... to check upon your old one? [ He nods to her arm for gesture. It's possible she put the sling back on it herself and hadn't checked back in with Goodsir. ]