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voids-colourful-creations · 2 years ago

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Patch Up - A Nemona & Miriam Fic

[Read on Ao3!]

Rated: T Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Nemona and Miriam (Platonic) Content Warnings: Injury, Medical Setting, Recklessness Words: 2389

Summary: Yet again, Nemona has wound up in the Nurse's Office after training recklessly. Neither Miriam nor Nemona are particularly happy about this, not that they'd let it show.

The sunset filtered in through the curtains, soaking the Nurse's Office in soft rosy pinks. It was quiet, most students had long since packed up and headed back to dorms or out for dinner. The gentle warm air resonated, a softer breeze through the opening in the window.

Nurse Miriam busied herself with the normal things, tidying and reorganising. For a nurse’s office, it’s more of a hodge podge than standard. She’s fine with this, heaven knows she’s not really a standard nurse. If she had her way she soon wouldn’t be a nurse full stop, but retests for the health teacher certification exams were still a ways off.

Still, if this was her position for now, she’d make it hers. Even as she was still clamouring her way forward, she held a soft spot for most of the students she helped, for the small comfort she could bring.

They weren’t her students, per-say, not in the ways that Saguaro could claim that Arven was his student, that Tyme knew Penny was hers.

Still, there were the troublemakers, weren't there? The same kids who end up battered in one way or another winding up here all the same. Likewise, the kids who draw themselves in here frequently. Miriam took note of those students too, though she made a habit of not bothering them about their reasoning for stopping by. No more than necessary at least.

Nurse Miriam tidied up her books and put them on her shelf, shuffled the plush around to clean down the dresser. It was quiet, as it should be.

She moved over, pulling the bed curtain out to shake out the dust settling on the ends. The beds still needed their sheets pulled off and to be washed, though they’ve hardly seen any use today. Nurse Miriam took hold of one end and yanked, pulling everything towards her in a single clean motion.

Nearly done with the days cleaning now, on time no less.

So, of course. There it was.

The gentle creak of the door opening only slightly. Quiet footsteps, the kind that landed lightly to disguise themselves. Miriam was accustomed to that sound by now, the hesitation that made each step land a bit late. The hinges on the door were still squeaky despite her numerous complaints to Clavell.

Nurse Miriam peered around the curtain out of the corner of her eye, still folding up the sheet she’d grabbed.

Only poking her head in, was Nemona, scanning around the room. Miriam’s most frustrating student, so to speak.

She didn’t see Miriam, and slowly proceeded inwards.

“Hey, Nemona, come on in.”

Nurse Miriam said as she stepped out from behind the curtain. She held the folded sheet against her chest, walking it over to the table.

Nemona startled, whipping around to face Miriam. It was a bad look on her, that nervous expression. The way she seemed to shrink back momentarily, just for a split second.

She hid it quickly, a smile and a laugh bubbling up in its place.

“Oh! I didn’t see you there, haha!” Nemona giggled, clasping her hands together.

The response only made Miriam more uneasy, though that was nothing new.

“Can I help you with something?” Nurse Miriam asked. It was forceful, more so than her typical presentation.

Nemona sheepishly brushed her hand against the back of her neck. She lingered in the doorway, hesitant to cross the threshold even as she made conversation.

“It’s nothing! Just wanted to see if I could grab some bandages to patch myself up, training with Sliggoo went a bit haywire! The school store didn’t have any at the moment, haha.”

Nemona was good at hiding things; she didn’t lean on the door, didn’t betray much. Miriam, however, was well trained in observing students.

Her stance was off, her words came out just a bit breathy. More than usual for Nemona, even.

“Oh, don’t worry ‘bout that!” Nurse Miriam smiled, “Just sit, let me have a look.”

Nemona lingered in the doorway a moment longer.

“Alright then!”

Nemona carefully made her way across the room, walking around the carpet and hopping up onto the bed closest to the window, sliding her shoes off as she went.

Nurse Miriam followed, observing quietly. Watched Nemona favour her right leg, not quite limping but certainly not walking correctly.

Once Nemona was seated, Miriam was able to get a glimpse of the gauze wrapped wound just below Nemona’s knee. Despite the bandages, scraps of fabric still peel away, clearly having been ripped apart.

“It looks a lot worse than it is!” Nemona remarked, kicking her leg out a bit as if to prove her point.

“Your poor leggings have certainly seen better days…” Miriam commented idly to herself.

Nemona seemed to curl in on herself slightly with that remark, and Miriam didn’t like the look of it. Her gaze ended up transfixed on the window, watching the sun dip down into the crater. Those gentle pinks washed over her eyes, glazed and away.

Miriam wondered who hated Nemona being in the nurse’s office more, her or Nemona.

“Alright then! I’m going to undo these bandages, not that you didn’t do a good job with them. Although, since they’re already torn so badly, do you mind if I cut a bit of a hole in your leggings around where you’ve scraped yourself? So I can get a better look at things.”

Nemona only blinked for a moment.

“Unless you’d like to take them off behind the curtain over there?” Nurse Miriam added. “There’s spare fall uniform shorts for you to change into if you’d like.”

That wasn’t standard practice, and both of them knew it. Typically she’d just tell someone to go clean themselves off first, come back in a moment in something more comfortable if they’d prefer.

However, Miriam got the feeling that if she let Nemona run off she wouldn’t see her again for a while yet.

“Either way is fine, I just need a better look at this leg, gotchaaa?”

Nemona hesitated, then nodded slowly.

“You can cut ‘em.”

Using the spare scissors fished from her pocket, Miriam carefully cut through the dark fabric. It was good quality, cut remarkably cleanly. Even with the still drying blood stains, the fabric shimmered a bit in the light. Carefully untying stained bandaging; eventually she was able to see the state of things.

It was a sizable gash, longer than it was wide but deep enough for the quick gauze job to already be dampened.

Miriam hummed, quietly assessing the injury. It wasn’t good, but hardly lethal. It’d heal good as new in time. More than anything, she was concerned with cleanliness. Training was one thing, training poison type moves was another. Even without that, there was enough mud staining the rest of Nemona’s leggings that Miriam was concerned.

“Mmmm, I’m going to apply some disinfectant on this, ‘kay?”

Nurse Miriam pushed herself to standing, taking a quick glance at Nemona as she crossed the room to the cabinet. Nemona didn’t respond, still seemingly lost in thought.

Miriam sighed, tearing her gaze away to fiddle with the sticky latch that held the cabinet closed.

Frustrating, always frustrating when Nemona wound up in the Nurse’s Office.

If Arven’s perfect Home Ec attendance– Saguaro’s highest source of pride and bragging rights in the lunchroom– made him Saguaro's top student, then surely it had to be reversed for Miriam.

Pulling out the bottle of disinfectant and an Eevee patterned cloth with one hand, Miriam swung the cabinet door shut with the other. It was a forceful, heavy slam, the cabinet never closed quite right unless she shoved it.

Nemona was still staring out the window as Miriam made her way back over.

“Okaaay,” Nurse Miriam called lightly as she bent down. With her free hand she tapped Nemona’s knee, bringing her attention back over. “You ready? This is prooobably gonna sting a bit, so let me know when it hurts, kay?”

“Alright!” Nemona chirped back.

She was awfully cheery. Just awful. Not that Miriam had much room to talk, but at least she was cheery for a reason .

It didn’t do well for a nurse to be overly harsh, scared, much of anything negative really. It didn’t matter how frustrating it was to fail the same exams over and over. It didn’t matter how draining it was to keep a smiling face up for every student who walked through the door. A nervous nurse sparked nothing but anxiety, an annoyed one nothing but added discomfort.

All part of the role, really. It suited Miriam in most ways, to wear energetic expressions and mannerisms along with her coat and stethoscope.

She didn’t like how accustomed Nemona appeared to be doing the same.

Miriam started slowly pressing the dampened cloth to Nemona’s leg. Same as always, light at first, progressively applying more and more.

She kept an ear out, listening for a protest that never came.

Much later than she was expecting a sharp breath was drawn, and she pulled the rag away.

Tears were pricking the edges of Nemona’s eyes slightly, but her expression remained composed. If Miriam looked closely, she could just see the edge of Nemona’s tongue poking through Nemona’s toothy smile. Bitten down to keep herself quiet.

“Ah-ah,” Nurse Miriam chided slightly, “Didn’t I tell you to let me know when it hurt?”

Nemona shrugged, still smiling.

“It was alright! I can take it, it’s not a problem.”

Yes, Miriam didn’t like the way Nemona talked. Not in the slightest.

“Heeey, that’s not what I asked! You gotta lemme know sooner, okay? Not a good look on me, yanno? What sort of nurse goes around hurting her patients, mm? Tell me next time, alright?”

Nemona nodded, but Miriam didn’t believe her for a second. Frustrating, as always.

Gently, overly so, Nurse Miriam finished cleaning up the wound. The leggings were long past salvageable, but without the fabric clinging to half clotting blood the injury didn’t look half as bad.

“Alright, time to wrap it all up again and you’ll be on your way!”

Nemona only hummed in reply, gaze focused out the window again.

Partially, Miriam was glad she was somewhat distracted. It was much easier when the students weren’t freaking out; it made the work a lot simpler.

It only ever seemed to make her uneasy though, when it was Nemona. Her nonchalance, odd reactions. Again, not a lethal injury, not by far, but certainly deep and gritty enough that Miriam would’ve expected students far older to be sobbing. Nemona however, almost seemed like she was trying to prevent that at every turn.

“How’s your arm been recently?” Miriam asked in way of small talk, quietly winding the gauze around Nemona’s leg.

“Good!” Nemona said, which Miriam took to mean “ Not worse.” at best and “Not bad enough to complain.” At worst. Knowing Nemona, “bad enough to complain” was a pretty high bar to clear.

Miriam didn’t ask much more, she knew she wouldn’t get anything out of it. She could push, she could pull back, regardless it was the same. Such a stubborn girl.

Instead of inquiring further, Miriam tightened the bandages, then stood with the same smile she’d worn for years.

“Here ya go! Good as new.”

Nemona flexed her leg gently, and seemingly finding it satisfactory, hopped down from the bed.

The pink sunset washed through the curtains and soaked Nemona’s face in it. The hues caught on the edges of her hair, almost as if they were set ablaze. And surely, Miriam knew, if Nemona ever did catch fire, she’d stand there grinning just the same as now.

“Thanks, Ms. Mimi!” Nemona replied.

Miriam sighed lightly at the use of the nickname, but let it slide.

“It’s what I’m here for! You can be on your way now, unless you’d like to hang around.”

Nemona shook her head and began to head for the door. She still favoured her freshly bandaged leg slightly.

“Ah- before you go, don’t forget to take this, alright?”

Nurse Miriam quickly darted across the room to retrieve a piece of paper off her desk and pressed it into Nemona’s arms.

“It’s the medical disclaimer form, alright? The one you get your parents to sign to acknowledge you’ve visited the nurse in the past month and that they’re aware you needed to visit the nurse. Bring it back to me quickly, alright?”

Nemona grinned, waving the form back and forth as she headed out.

“Yeah, I know! Don’t worry, I’ll get ‘em to sign it when they get back from their trip this weekend!”

Her ponytail bobbed behind her, and Miriam watched her from the doorway.

The sentence hovered on the tip of her tongue for a moment before she let it spill out.

“Oh and- Nemona?”

Nemona turned her head, position frozen as she walked. She hovered in place, only for a moment.

“Yeah?”

Miriam locked eyes with Nemona for only a split second, staring her down as she spoke.

“Go easier on yourself, alright?”

And Nemona blinked, clutched the form in her hand just the slightest bit tighter. That shocked expression that doesn’t suit her was washed onto her face.

“Ahaha! Sure, I will!”

That same expression, swept away like the tide. Nemona waved, smile ever persisting, and proceeded off down the hall.

Miriam watched her go, lingered in the doorway longer than she should’ve.

Back to tidying then, to put the disinfectant away, gather the sheets for washing. She was exhausted, but at least her day was nearly done.

Go easier on yourself, she’d said.

Miriam jammed the sheets into the basket and tossed it next to the door. Leaning over the desk, she scrawled a quick note, nothing much more than a summary of the last few minutes, then yanked a thick folder off the shelf.

Several medical records, more than a dozen blank signature forms, and a smiling freckled face that Miriam has gotten so sick of seeing.

Don’t worry, she said, I will , she said.

Same as every other time before that.

Nurse Miriam filed the note away into an ever growing stack, placing the folder back in its place.

With a deep breath, she stood, stretched, and walked out of the Nurse’s office.

Don’t worry, she’d said.

“Well,” Miriam muttered, “Someone has to.”

[End]

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