When Elizabeth realized that the girl was surprised by her sudden reaction, she quickly added, trying to compose herself, “I… I don’t need to go to the hospital. It’s not a big deal. I’m perfectly fine. It’s just… just a couple of scratches.” There was only one hospital near the area, and she didn’t want to bump into her brother. She didn’t want to see any of them now.

“Then, what about your wrist?”

“It’s fine too.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.”

“Then, can I hold your wrist for a second?”

“Yeah. Yeah, sure- AH!”

Right after the scream, Katherine quickly added, “Yeah, totally fine.” She nodded and gently pressed certain points on the woman’s wrist with her thumb. “Can you try and hold my finger, please, miss?”

Elizabeth tried to pull her hand away. “Ah! Please… I already told you it’s fine! I- I don’t want to go there…” She almost begged, which made Katherine look directly into her eyes. Katherine stared at Elizabeth for a moment, as though trying to read her. Then, without a word, she gently released Elizabeth’s wrist.

Elizabeth instinctively covered her sore wrist with her other hand and pressed it to her chest. She stared back at Katherine, fear in her eyes. It was Thursday; her brother was in the hospital for sure. She wondered what she would do when he saw her. She felt trapped.

Katherine’s gaze softened as she finished reading the woman’s unspoken thoughts. “Okay,” she said simply.

“Huh?”

“Okay. Let’s not go there.”

Elizabeth was fully taken aback, her lips parting in surprise. “Really?”

“Yeah. You said you didn’t want to. So, I’m not in a place to tell you otherwise.”

Elizabeth’s eyes widened. Will she just agree because I said I don’t want to? I didn’t even explain why I don’t want to go there… She couldn’t help but question it. No, is it even important what I want? Why does she care?

Katherine added while inspecting Elizabeth’s head, “I believe your wrist isn’t dislocated. But we shouldn’t rely on guesses. How about going to a nearby pharmacy instead of a hospital?”

Elizabeth was afraid Katherine might still insist on the hospital. But to her surprise, she didn’t. She had already resigned herself to not going, even though she was also injured.

“O- okay… Okay. We can go there.”

Katherine smiled. “Alright.” She then took Elizabeth’s jacket from her hands and placed it over her shoulders again. “Let’s go then.”

They walked through the park. Elizabeth tried hard not to misstep, her knee aching from where she had hit it against a rock when Katherine had caught her.

Suddenly, Katherine stopped walking, which caused Elizabeth to stumble slightly. Katherine turned to face her, speaking with a serious tone and gaze. “We still have a couple of minutes to walk. Can I check if your knee is fine?”

Elizabeth was surprised. “Oh- Uhm… Why? It’s-”

Katherine interrupted. “Miss, I already know it hurts. You don’t need to deny it. And of course, I can understand if you don’t want me to check it. But at least, can you look at it yourself and tell me if it’s bleeding or swollen?”

“How do you know this much about injuries?” Elizabeth asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I injure myself too often.”

“Oh…” Elizabeth’s cheeks began to burn. She hesitated for a moment, then muttered, “I’m already wearing a dress, so… you can check it yourself.”

Katherine nodded, bending down to one knee like a knight before her. She tilted her head and gently lifted the dress just enough to examine the injury carefully, without touching Elizabeth. Once done, she stood up, a neutral expression on her face. “I guess it’s fine for now. But we definitely need a professional’s observation.”

Katherine started rolling up her sleeves, revealing her veiny arms. She gave Elizabeth an undeniably attractive look. “Now comes another question. Is it okay if I carry you to the pharmacy from here?”

Elizabeth was momentarily taken aback by both the girl’s gaze on her legs and the question itself. She couldn’t help but glance at Katherine’s arms, now clearly visible and strong-looking.

“But your hand is injured too.”

“I’m not going to carry you with my hand, but with my arms. The faster we get there, the better, right?”

Elizabeth’s head was starting to feel like there was a carnival inside, thoughts spinning in a disorienting whirl. “Okay… If you say so...”

Katherine took a step closer to her, closing the distance between them. Elizabeth found herself unable to meet the girl’s eyes. She swallowed hard, her throat dry. As Katherine closed the gap, it became clear that she was considerably taller than Elizabeth.

“Please hold onto me.” Katherine bent down slightly to allow Elizabeth to reach her. Her whisper, low and almost sensual, brushed against Elizabeth’s ear, filling her stomach with a strange, unfamiliar sensation.