Same Planet but Different Worlds

Chapter 20 Herbs

Kaya's POV

I inspect the inside of this structure, looking for as much of this healing herb as I can get. But like I thought I had seen already.. it isn't much, at least not as much as I was hoping for. So I grab what leaves I can and walk over to him before getting down on my knees next to him. I glance up at him as he curiously stares my way, making me feel almost interesting. He watches my every move as I pluck the leaves from their stems then put the leaves into my mouth as I grind them up with my teeth.

I watched his eyebrows touch since he obviously doesn't understand what I am doing. But its easier to show then explain so I just continue in my tasks to help him feel better. I reached up, grabbing the minced up leaves from my mouth to put onto his wound, starting with his leg. But when he sees where my filled fingertips are heading he jumps before I can even touch him, probably worried about what I plan to do with this, or maybe because he knows how sore he is already. So, I try to ease his mind as much as I can.

"Flynn.. it's ok.. I'm not trying to hurt you.. I'm trying to help your wounds heal properly." I declare with the utmost confidence within myself as he looks from my eyes then to my lips before he nods. He sucks in a sharp breath but holds it in as if he is bracing himself for whatever I plan to do, but it's not as bad as he is making it out to be. I untie the leg wound first as I feel his hand landing on top of mine. "Shouldn't you do your wounds first?"

I shake my head before responding. "There is not enough for all of our wounds and you have the worst wounds out of the both of us. So I will be fine and taken care of when I find more, so don't worry about me." I explain this as best as I can so he won't feel bad, but because of the saddened look on his face I think I might be wrong. "Are you sure?" he questions my actions, I think about putting him first, but that won't change unless he has some unknown reasoning I'm not seeing as to why I shouldn't.

So I send him a small smile as I reply. "Yeah I am sure you have the worst wounds. You were stabbed twice Flynn.. I was just sliced.. there is a difference.. and it's ok.. I swear I don't mind." He stares deep into my eyes as I explain this making me nervous to start with the herbs, as if this was the first time attempting this, even though I have done this many times before. "What.. um.. is that?" he asks I think seeing I'm nervous, or maybe wanting to know what this stranger is putting into his body, just hoping it's not poison.

"This is an herb that will help you heal, hopefully without infection." I state before taking his leg into my hand, propping it up and exposing the open wound to me. I don't hesitate, pushing the chewed up bits into the wound. He hisses a little but doesn't move from my grip. "Sorry I need a little more cloth." he nods looking at my hands on the bottom of his ripped pants. I take the bottom of his pants and rip some off, folding it up and placing it over his wound before tightly wrapping it back up with the cloth from earlier. Making sure it is tied tight.

I watch him let out a deep breath as I lie his leg back on the ground. "Ok onto the next." I make sure he understands as I watch his eyes go wide, but he doesn't object, just reluctantly nods. It's as if he trusts me in this vulnerable moment, even though that is probably not the case. I softly push him forward as he goes with the flow, letting me lean him as I slowly lift the cloth on his upper body off of him to help right now, by exposing the wound in need of tending to.

I feel the air sucked straight from my lungs when I notice the many healed slashes across his back showing he has been through so much in life that I have never experienced. It makes me so sad for him but I keep acting as if I haven't seen them because I'm sure that is something he won't want to talk about, especially with a stranger like me.. No matter how much of a connection we naturally have. I slowly help him pull the cloth over his head and wound so he won't hurt too much by straining them, that's before I bundle it up within my hands.

I swallow the nervous lump trying not to look at every last inch of his muscled, golden and hair-covered chest and upper body. He looks so good that the urge to drift my hands over his chest and through the hair is almost undeniable. So fighting these thoughts are easier said than done when it is practically in my face. I let out a deep breath before handing him his cloth as I grab more of the herb and chewing it up.

I sit up on my knees as I try to hover over him to get the best angle with the way he is sitting. I lean slightly as he automatically puts his arm out and wrapping it over my stomach and hip, holding me in place so I don't lean too far or even fall. I don't object one bit because this actually does help me out. I take my fingertips and grabbing the bits of small herb, and putting it into his wounds as he hisses out in pain again.

"Oh.. that really hurts.. I hope it helps." he declares as I take a little bit of the cloth I got from his pants before, placing that on the wound, to try to keep it from bleeding excessively. "Well, from what I have learned, it should help." I state softly by his ear, before I grip the bottom of my top cloth and rip it off from all the way around me. I use the strip of cloth to wrap it around his wound just to cover it and hold the bits of herb in place. "How do you know how to do this?" he asks me as I tighten the strap causing his body to tense before I continue wrapping it around the wound again.

"I was taught this while learning about botany." I respond softly as he curiously asks. "What's botany?" I glance over at him, seeing he is serious, so I clear my throat to reply. "It's how I learned about plants.. There are plenty more ways to use them besides for food.. They can hurt and help you.. and I was taught that over many years." I say to him as he nods his head before reaching up with his uninjured arm and gently touching the side of my temple and over my head band that drifts across my forehead. I can hear the gems moving as he is touching my charms that hang down.

"Is that what one of these are for? Botany?" he asks as I shake my head before pointing to the band around my arm. "This is what I received for botany." He sends me a small smile before dropping his hand slowly down the side of my face and over my arm before gently using his fingertips to touch the leather band around my arm with feathers and rocks stitched in. "I wish I knew things like you do.. it's very interesting." he says as I finish with a knot, then turn to the fire.

I am trying not to stare at his exposed body as I try to compile some type of sentence in my head. But that is so hard to do when he looks so good, is incredibly sweet and loves talking with me. I swallow the lump in my throat as I nervously glance over at him, but I think he can tell that I am nervous. He grabs his cloth and slowly sliding it back on, showing how sore his limbs must feel in this moment.

I think about that for a moment before I look at him to see that once again, he is not mocking me. He is serious. I don't know why I expect him to be making fun of me, but for some reason, I do. "I bet you know many things that I do not." I say to him as he huffs out. "Maybe.. but nothing like that." he says, pointing to the fire and then his wound. I nod in understanding before I softly say with no confidence behind my words. "I could teach you."

I can feel his eyes on me, but this time around, I am too afraid to look over at him. "Would you?" he asks, but each word sounds as if it is filled with excitement at the idea. "Yes.. if you really wanted to learn." I say again before seeing his head vigorously nod in my peripherals. "That sounds like fun.. I hope so." He replies as if he doesn't actually believe I would do it, but I would as long as the circumstances allow it to happen, but who knows if we will even see the light of day tomorrow, let alone have the time to learn this.

"If you come with me to where I live, we have people who love to teach those things to everyone who wants to know. I teach the kids every now and then too. But because of the incredibly smart teachers in my community, I have learned so much and actually almost everything I know." I says softly, looking over at him as he smiles as nods.

"I think that sounds great but I don't know if anyone would be willing to let me in over there especially after tonight." I understand where he is coming from but he doesn't know the people in my community like I do. "Everything you did for me and my friends tonight would probably be the only reason they would.. if they would." I reply getting nervous about that as I see him looking over at me thinking about what I said.

I hope they would let him come into our colony for what he has done because I know he probably won't be able to go back to his because of what he has done. But I don't even know if he would attempt coming to a place like that, who knows but it's something to think about. "Well, we should try to rest and hopefully we will feel a little better by morning.. and figure out what we will be doing from there." I state as he nods leaning back against the wall, adjusting for a moment before slowly closing his eyes.

I feel a little breeze make its way through the place before hitting my body, causing me to shiver. I scoot closer to the fire, but it doesn't seem to feel better. I rub the sides of my arms, causing them to be warm for a split second, but nothing more. That is until I feel something warm wrap around my back before pulling me across the dirt. I look to see it's Flynn's arm, which is wrapped around me at the moment. I stiffen up as he pulls me into his side, keeping his eyes shut and not even taking his arm away at all. His warmth is comforting as it radiates off of his body.

"Our body heat and the fire will keep us warm all night.. It will help you feel better to sit with me." he says to me as I nod just taking his word for it as he did with me when I was trying to help him. I scoot a little closer, snuggling into his side as I place my hand gently on his chest, His arm tightens around me and just like he said it really is warming me up being pressed up against him.

I let out a deep breath before softly saying. "Thank you for coming back to save me and my friends Flynn." I can hear him humming from the vibrating within his chest in response before he says, "Thank you for coming back to help me too.. I bet I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you coming back." I nod and smile to myself before snuggling even more into his side, bringing my knees up leaning them against him to help hold in some of the heat.

I can feel his hand gently caressing over the side of my leg as I glance up to see his eyes are still shut. I feel my eyes slowly shutting as I somehow start to really relax in his hold, melting into his side as I let out a yawn. He lets out one as well as I feel his hand slowing down the caressing on my skin before it stops, but his light snoring starts. I find myself looking up at him again, seeing him relax completely with me as I am him. I feel another yawn shoot through me, as I feel my eyes closing before letting the exhaustion take over completely.