Chapter 9 - Steady Hands
When the convoy pulled into the estate, Clara was waiting on the front steps, her face pale. She had heard the chatter on the security radios. When she saw Julian step out of the car covered in blood, she ran to him.
"Julian!"
"I am fine, Clara," he said, trying to wave her off, but he stumbled slightly.
Clara didn't hesitate. She threw his heavy arm over her shoulder and helped Silvio carry him inside. They laid him on the large dining table. Dr. Aris was still an hour away.
"Get my medical kit from the bathroom," Clara ordered Silvio. "Now!"
Silvio ran. Clara grabbed a pair of trauma shears from the kitchen and cut Julian’s ruined suit jacket away, exposing the bloody wound on his shoulder. It wasn't deep, but it was bleeding heavily.
Julian watched her as she worked. Her hands—baker’s hands, used to delicate, precise movements—were incredibly steady as she cleaned the wound and applied pressure.
"You aren't afraid of blood," Julian noted, wincing slightly as she poured antiseptic over the graze.
"I've cut myself on enough bread knives to know how to stop a bleed," she said, her voice shaking despite her steady hands. She looked into his eyes, her face inches from his. "You could have died today."
"I have survived worse."
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"That doesn't make it okay!" Clara snapped, a tear escaping her eye. "You can't leave us... you can't leave me, Julian. You promised to keep us safe. How can you do that if you're dead?"
Julian reached up with his good arm, wiping the tear from her cheek with a bloodstained thumb. "I will not die, Clara. Not now. I finally have a reason to live."
