find any tweezers?" I asked, looking around.
"Yeah, I have them for the dogs," Remy supplied, producing a set. "You know, for ticks. Before I found out the Tick Key existed."
"Here," Harmon said, producing the steaming bowl of water. "Drop them in here," she instructed, putting the needle and thread in as well.
"You're pretty calm," I declared as she dipped her hands in the alcohol, then switched the items from the water and into the alcohol as well.
"It's pure adrenaline. It will all sink in later, I'm sure," she told me. "You have to promise me to take him to the doctor if it gets infected," she said, lowering her voice so Seeley couldn't hear. "I can't have it on my conscience that he died because of me. I mean, you owe me that," she added, giving me a snarky smile. "Since you got me involved in a drive-by and everything."
"Well, I guess I can give you that," I agreed, dipping my fingers into the alcohol, grabbing the tweezers, then making my way over toward Seeley.
"Take a breath," I told him, nodding toward McCoy who grabbed him from behind, steadying him a second before I dug my tweezers into Seeley's shoulder, wincing a bit at the howl he let out, leaving him gritting his teeth, gasping for breath as I dug around for a second before grabbing the bullet, yanking it free.
"Okay. That's done," I said, reaching for the bottle of vodka again., not giving him a second to realize I wasn't giving him a drink, and pouring it into the wound. "Don't black out on me," I demanded, grabbing his chin, leaving blood there as I watched as his eyes rolled before focusing again.
"Maybe you should have let him pass out," Harmon said, coming up beside me, wincing down at the wound.
"He still might," I told her. "Might make your part easier," I added.
"Hey, I'm sitting right here," Seeley responded, being a sport. Likely because he was half-bombed. "Least she's a prettier nurse than you," he added, looking over at me. "Probably has a better bedside manner too."
"Go on, get this over with. We have some shit to do tonight," I said, watching as Harmon rolled her eyes at Seeley. "
"You ready?"
"To have your hands on me, honey? Always," Seeley said, giving Harmon a weak, but charming smile. If he wasn't so focused on making a good impression, trying to cement his chances of getting a patch, he would be rivaling Remy with the amount of pussy he gets.
"Okay. Ah, ready or not," she declared.
She had good hands, I realized as I watched her tie off the end of the thread, as she paused for a long moment before plunging the needle into skin. I figured her steady fingers, her quick motions once she got over her initial hesitation, were due to all the video games she played, used to telling her hands how to move, and having them do so almost instinctively.
Seeley let out a string of curses, then hissing breaths before, finally, he went slack against McCoy, passing out fully.
"Oh, thank God," Harmon said, voice sounding a bit wobbly. And one look at her let me see a tear spill over her lower lid and slip down her cheek, "I don't think I could have taken his pain another minute," she told me, working faster still, steadily making his torn flesh close together.
The seam was jagged, uneven, would heal ugly. But I figured Seeley would wear it as a badge of honor, would show it off to the chicks who dug scars.
"Okay," she said, taking her first deep breath since she'd started stitching. "That's it. I think. Is he alright?" she asked, moving away from him.
"He'll be fine, babe," I assured her.
"Okay. Well. I, ah, I need to go," she declared, voice more high-pitched than usual. Which, I figured, was the adrenaline wearing off, the reality of the night coming to her all at once.
"Wait," I said, getting to the door before she did. "I will walk you back."
"It's okay. It's not far."
"I'm walking you back, babe. Just in case," I added.
I didn't actually think a threat was lingering around, and I was a bit of a dick to make her think there might be, but I wanted to walk her back.
I didn't stop to think why, just reached for the door and opened it for her.
"Oh, right," she said, body going tense.
"It should be fine," I told her, falling into step with her as the muggy air