Through time; The ripper

Stitching him up

*Leo*

I can barely focus on the world around me. I messed up, I got distracted and I was a heartbeat away from losing everything. But now, standing at Lily’s door, I’m a mess… blood staining my cheek and the fabric of my shirt, and the weight of failure pressing down on me like a leaden cloak.

When the door swings open, her eyes widen with shock, and I feel a flicker of relief. But it’s fleeting; the moment I stumble inside, the world tilts. I lean heavily against the fence, the edges of my vision blurring. My side throbs where the Ripper’s blade grazed me, and I curse under my breath. I was supposed to be vigilant, to protect the innocent, but once again, I’ve allowed that monster to slip through my fingers.

“Lily… I told you not to let anyone in,” I manage to say, the words tumbling out in a strained whisper. I can see the panic rising in her eyes, and it only amplifies my shame.

“Oh, be quiet,” she snaps, locking the door behind me. “You are hurt.”

I wave her off, but it’s futile. The pain is sharp, relentless, twisting through my insides. “Just a little bit,” I mutter, but even I know it’s a lie. The blood on my cheek and the dull ache radiating from my side tell a different story.

“What happened?” she asks, her voice rising with panic as she steps closer. I can see the shadows of my nightmare reflected in her gaze, and for a moment, I want to shield her from the truth. But I can’t. Not anymore.

“I found him,” I say, breathless, my heart racing. “The Ripper… he was closer than I thought… and faster.” I can feel the weight of my words hanging in the air, the gravity of what I’ve just faced settling between us like a thick fog.

“Leo!” She gasps, and before I know it, I’m swaying, and she’s catching me, guiding me toward the bed. I feel like a rag doll in her grip, both grateful and embarrassed.

I try to stop her, “I will get blood all over your sheets, you should get something…”

“Shut up and lay down,” she orders, her voice steady despite the chaos swirling around us. “I’ll call an ambulance.”

“No,” I protest, the word spilling out with more force than I intended. “You can’t.”

“Why not?” Her eyes flash with indignation. “You need a doctor!”

“I have a nurse,” I reply, a bitter taste filling my mouth. The truth is that it would create too many questions. Also being too late to save another victim I have more than my own blood on me. But I keep that to myself, if I told her the truth she wouldhave me commited to Bedlam… if it still exists.

Lily’s expression shifts from concern to frustration, and I can almost see the gears turning in her mind. “Right now I f*****g wish I could just knock you out and call an ambulance!” she curses under her breath, but I can see the resolve in her eyes. She’s not going to let me slip away that easily.

She moves to my shirt, her fingers trembling slightly as she undoes the buttons. “You need to let me see how bad it is,” she insists, and I can’t help but admire her stubbornness. She opens my shirt, and the air hits my skin like ice. The cut stretches across my side, long but not deep in most places, and I feel a flicker of relief.

“Lily, it’s not…” I start to say, but she’s already reaching for the first-aid kit I keep stashed away for emergencies.

“Shut up, Leo,” she snaps again, and I can’t help but smile a little at her fierce determination. “You’re a mess, and I’m going to clean you up. Just… stay still.”

I watch as she pulls out antiseptic wipes and gauze, her hands moving with a practiced precision. The moment she dabs the antiseptic against my cut, I can’t help but wince. “Damn it!” I hiss, but she’s undeterred, her focus laser-sharp.

The antiseptic stings like fire, but I force myself to breathe through it. Lily’s brow is furrowed in concentration, a determined line forming between her eyebrows as she works. I can’t help but admire how she takes charge, her hands steady as she cleans the wound. Each swipe of the cloth sends fresh waves of pain radiating through my body, but it's a distraction from the chaos lurking in my mind.

“Why did you come here?” She asks, her voice softer now, almost a whisper as she moves to the deeper cuts. “You could have gone anywhere else… or to the hospital.”

I wince again as she presses the gauze against a particularly nasty slice, one that has begun to throb in response to the antiseptic. “Because I knew you’d help,” I admit, the truth spilling out before I can filter it. “And because I couldn’t let anyone else see me like this.”

“Like what?” she presses, her tone sharp but laced with concern. “Vulnerable?”

I shake my head, the movement sending a jolt of pain through my side. “I can’t really explain it.”

Lily pauses, her gaze meeting mine, searching for something I’m not sure I want to reveal. “You really like being secretive don’t you?”

“Not really, but I kinda don’t have a choice,” I say. “It is to important that I stop him. I can’t fail again.”

Her expression shifts, frustration flooding her features. “You risk bleeding out, Leo! You need to focus on healing first, you are in no shape to hunt anyone. Some of these deeper places needs a couple of stitches, you really should…”

“Just do it,” I can feel the heat in my chest rise. “At least he is done for this time.” I manage to choke out. “What if I do not get ready? What if I don’t get to him in time?”

“I am sure you will manage,” she says, her voice unwavering. “But first, this.”

I have to give it to her, I have had stitches with no anesthetics before, and she is without doubt the gentlest at it.

She pulls the thread tight as she stitches, and I feel the sharp tug of pain, mixed with an odd sense of connection to her. We may not know each other well, but in this moment, we are bound by a shared urgency, a recognition of what it means to fight against the darkness.

In the brief silence that follows, I take a deep breath, centering myself. I can feel the heat of her presence close to me… the scent of antiseptic mixed with something floral, something comforting. It’s grounding in a way I didn’t know I needed.

“Why did you really let me in?” I ask, my voice unsteady. “You could have turned me away. You didn’t have to open the door.”

Her hands pause for a heartbeat, and I can sense the shift. “I couldn’t just leave you out there,” she admits quietly. “I… I didn’t want to turn my back on someone who needed help.”

“Even a stranger?”

“Even a stranger, after all I will be a nurse so… kinda my job,” she confirms, her gaze unwavering. “You may think you’re alone, but I’m here now. And I’m not going anywhere until you’re patched up.”

The sincerity in her voice tugs at something deep within me, and I feel the walls I’ve built around myself start to c***k. “You’re braver than you know, Lily,” I say, my tone softer. “You’re not just a nurse. You’re… more.”

She glances up, her cheeks flushing slightly, and for a moment, I see a flicker of something in her eyes… something that feels like understanding, even if just for a fleeting instant. But the moment is shattered as she finishes the last stitch, tying it off with a firm tug.

“All done,” she declares, a hint of triumph in her voice. “Now, you look less like you’ve emerged from a horror movie.”

I chuckle lightly, the sound strained but genuine. “You’re an artist with a needle, Lily.”

“Flattery won’t get you anywhere,” she shoots back, but there’s a slight smile tugging at her lips.

“Good to know,” I reply, feeling a strange sense of warmth spreading through me, despite the pain. “But I’m serious. Thank you.”

As she cleans up the mess, I shift to sit up, testing my body’s limits. “I need to come up with a plan,” I say, my voice steadying. “I can’t let him slip away again.”

“Agreed,” she replies, meeting my gaze with fierce determination. “But first, you need to rest. You need to regain your strength. You can’t confront a monster like that on an empty tank.”

“Even monsters can be stopped,” I say, a spark igniting in my chest. “And I’m not done fighting.”

Lily looks at me, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Then let’s make sure you’re ready for the fight, as you said, he is done for tonight. So first, let’s get you some food and water.”

I nod, appreciating the practicality of her suggestion. As she stands and moves toward the small kitchen, I can’t help but feel a flicker of hope… a feeling I thought I’d lost amid the chaos of my life. Perhaps there’s more than just survival waiting for me on the other side of this.