#The best we've got is random fits of inspiration in a non-chronological order

[mtaptime]

Perfect Trap Aftermath (Drabble?, Ficlet?? Idk what are categories???)

‘Ayla, nonono no please Peach, no’

Aadit burst through the clinic doors.

“—type and screen asap and prepare one of the beds so we can lay the patient face down.” Dr. Xu paused, glanced at Aadit up and down, and continued, “Aadit, come over here and get Ayla’s hair out of the way. I need you to hold her on her side. I can’t have her turning her head that much until we know the layout of the wound. I need to grab the cloth scissors to cut around it and see how bad it is.”

Aadit was already rushing to her side before Dr. Xu had finished, nodding once in acknowledgement.

“Ayla, Angel, please no. Don’t go, stay with me.” He said as he moved her long, thick hair that was now slick with blood out of Xu’s way.

He supported her body as Xu began cutting away the cloth at her right shoulder. Peach, she was so pale. How could this have happened?

“Okay Aadit, you can lay her down, it spared her spine and neck.” Dr. Xu said without looking up. He was still cutting away, but was approaching her left hip. Just how far did the wound go?

Aadit tore his eyes away from the gash across her back and cupped Ayla’s face.

“Angel, please. Hang in there. You have to be okay. Please…don’t leave me alone.”

Her skin was so cool to the touch, it was so cold compared to this morning when—

“Doctor, is there anything that we can do?”

Aadit had been so focused on Ayla that he hadn’t even noticed the two Civil Corps members and the Flying Pig inspector in the corner. Sam was the one who spoke up, but Mali was the one who had blood across her front. She was the one he’d seen carrying Ayla while he was in town, sprinting to the clinic.

All of his fear switched to a barely controlled rage as he rose from Ayla’s side.

“How could you?” His voice was barely louder than a whisper, but made everyone except Dr. Xu freeze.

“It was supposed to be a simple mission. You were supposed to keep her safe.” His voice continued to raise in rage and volume with every word, “We hadn’t even gotten back from the Church and now my wife is lying here with her blood on your hands.”

“Ayla isn’t a soldier or warrior, and yet you’ve put her in danger time and time again. How many times will she put her life at risk? What kind of danger will she be in because of you?”

"And you." Aadit glared down Mali in particular. “Do you have any idea how terrified Ayla was when you took her to the computer ruins?! She showed up at the Tree Farm in the middle of the night, trembling and smelling of smoke. She cried and shook in my arms for an hour before I could get any words out of her. And yet, despite everything, you still asked her to go to the Starlight Island ruins.”

Aadit backed the trio against the clinic door, full fury unleashed. “Stay away from Ayla. If I see any of you near her again…”

Aadit paused, took a deep breath in, and exhaled.

“Leave. My. Family. Alone.”

The three rushed out of the clinic as Dr. Xu placed a hand on Aadit’s shoulder.

“Aadit. You can calm down now. Ayla’s safe, she’s going to be okay.”

All of the rage in Aadit’s body quickly evaporated into a mixture of relief and exhaustion.

Dr. Xu continued. “Despite the blood loss, the wound itself was shallow. She’s stable for now. ”

He collapsed into the chair Phyllis had set beside Ayla’s bed.

“Ayla…”

Aadit’s voice was a whisper as he caressed her cheek. It was a bit warmer now that they had began transfusing blood. Nothing compared to this morning as Minister Lee pronounced them husband and wife.

“I swear…I’ll find a way to keep you safe. No matter what happens, I’ll make sure you survive.”