It started out fine...

[mitochondriaaya]

She was fourteen when the area karate regionals came around. Never mind the fact that it was early December, and her mid-terms were coming up, and she was still trying to come to terms with her new breast size. Like an idiot she said she'd be there, layered on sports bras, and trotted to the gym.

The fights were simple exhibitions, points awarded on execution and touches rather than beating an opponent into the ground. In her third bout Aya was getting tired, and her opponent, a human from two towns over she'd met in the ring before, was as well. That was probably why things went wrong.

Three points in he flubbed a spin kick and his ankle buckled, making the attacking foot lash in an unexpected direction. She didn't get a block up in time and he tagged her hard on the ribs, taking them both to the floor. The referee blew his whistle, hard, halting all conversation as paramedics came forward to access injuries.

One cracked ankle on his side.

Two cracked ribs on hers.

They both managed to facepalm at the same time when it was announced they were unfit to continue. "Next year," they mouthed at each other around the pained wincing as they were bandaged.

Comments

[sliceitwithwind]

"I don't know!" Dilan said, a little wildly, "I don't know!"

"Hey, hey..." Braig followed them up to the bedroom, "Dilan, calm down. We'll just treat her like she's got a cold for a couple of days, okay? Okay?"

[mitochondriaaya]

"My nose is fine," Aya pointed out. "Isn't my nose suppose to be stuffy if I have a cold?" That was how it worked with Braig!

"Maybe I just ate a bad lunch!"

[sliceitwithwind]

"See?" Braig said soothingly, "So no doctor yet."

Dilan tucked her up in the bed, taking her shoes off and turning to get her PJs. "Okay. I'm still worried!"

[mitochondriaaya]

Ugh, home from school and straight to bed. What self-respecting teenager wouldn't be disgusted at herself? Though...she did feel like crap. "You're going to worry until you poke me with a needle again aren't you?" she asked, curling on her side to watch him.

[sliceitwithwind]

"...Yeah." Dilan admitted, "Want me to cuddle you for a while?" Both boys knew she didn't sleep worth a damn without them, after all.

Braig went down for a glass of juice for her.

[mitochondriaaya]

No, she didn't sleep worth a damn but she'd been adjusting and making due in the year and more since they'd gone to college. Generally with a lot of blankets and tightly curling around her moogle! "Yeah, PJs, teeth, cuddles?" A plan helped motivate her!

[sliceitwithwind]

"Okay." Dilan said, quietly, "Need help to the bathroom?" Fret. Fret. FRET FRET FRET.

"Dude, calm down." Braig said, "She'll letcha know. I got the thermometer, Aya, when you get back I'll take your temp."

[mitochondriaaya]

"My legs work fine," she grumbled at him and slipped out the bed. "And you have my PJs. can I have them? Please?" Then she could change and brush teeth at once! Oh, wait..."Ned to rebandage ribs."

[sliceitwithwind]

Dilan handed her the PJs, "I can rebandage your ribs." he offered, a little crazy to be able to do SOMETHING to help.

[mitochondriaaya]

"Okay! That works! I think the bruising is down a little on my side?" It was a nice thought? "Give me two minutes to change and you can bandage while I brush teeth?"

[sliceitwithwind]

"Okay." Dilan waited, then came in to take care of her ribs. Years of dealing with Braig meant that he knew how to tape ribs up, and did it well.

[mitochondriaaya]

Yes, no one could ever complain of his rib taping technique! She held still when necessary and brushed her teeth the moment he was done so she could lean against him on the way back to bed. "Braig feels like this a lot? This sucks..." Right, thermometer.

[sliceitwithwind]

"Yeah, I know." Dilan said, helping her back to bed, "Let me get my teeth..." he went back to the bathroom while Braig popped the thermometer between her lips.

"Hold it there until it beeps, monkey-girl."

[mitochondriaaya]

She sat on the edge of the bed, feet dangling, and crossed her eyes trying to see the thermometer. It finally beeped at 101.4. Not too much higher than her norm since her metabolism made her run a little hot, but still...not normal. She passed it back to Braig and...wrapped her hand in his shirt again. Yep.

Apparently she was clingy when sick? "You gonna stay too?"

[sliceitwithwind]

"Yeah, baby." Braig said, kissing her head, "Let me brush my teeth...look, Dilan's back." Dilan crawled into the bed behind her and spooned.

[mitochondriaaya]

"Okay!" she uncurled her hand to release him and...immediately latched her fingers onto Dilan's arm. How did Braig put up with this cruddy feeling?! "Thermometer said one-oh-one point four." She filled Dilan in as a matter of course. "Wake me up for dinner?"

[sliceitwithwind]

"Yeah." Dilan promised, snuggling her against his wide, hairy chest. Braig rapidly went through pre-nap rituals and then slid in on Aya's other side so that she was in between a boy-sandwich.

[mitochondriaaya]

It was easy to fall asleep snuggled between the two. Far too easy. She might have woken the boys a time or two with muttering and wiggling, but generally she slept like a girl who'd done hard labor all day instead of a test.

[sliceitwithwind]

Come dinner time Braig shook her awake, "Hey, Aya. You want to eat with us, or do you want soup up here?"

[mitochondriaaya]

She whined and burrowed in the blankets per the norm, but cracked her eyes open anyway. "Coming down," come Hell or high water! "Still have a fever?"

[sliceitwithwind]

"Yeah, baby." Braig said, "Still have a fever. Here...Dilan's got his robe for you to cuddle up in." And Braig had a pair of slippers for her, "I told mom and dad that you weren't feeling good, so it's okay that you're in PJs."

[mitochondriaaya]

"Corgin," she swore softly and let herself be bundled up. "I don't like feeling like this." At all. It sucked. And now she was...vaguely nauseous. Goodie. Not new, she'd had that before. Still.

"What do they think?"

[sliceitwithwind]

"I know." Braig said wryly, "They think you should take a few days to stay in bed and rest up."

Dilan fluttered as they went down the stairs, ready to pick her up if she wavered.

[mitochondriaaya]

"Dilannn...your fluttering. Your hands are fluttering!" In the corner of her vision even! "I won't fall, and I'll rest. Maybe I'm just overtired? We've got books."

[sliceitwithwind]

"Sleep as much as you can." Braig said, grabbing Dilan's hands and holding them still for a minute, "I'll read to you, if you want."