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“What the fuck happened?” I asked, flipping on the light as I hit the safety on my pistol

“I fell out of bed,” she cried “I think Ichair”

I glanced at the tiny rocking chair that she’d had in her roo to burn the fucking thing

“Letthe pistol on the floor

As she pulled her hands away froot a fuckton worse

“Shit Put ’e to touch her face when I hadn’t had a chance to clean up

“Rose,” I calledKara jerk

“Rose is here?”

“What do you need?” Rose asked, co to the door in her jeans and t-shirt

“Can you grab me a towel? They’re under the sink in the bathroom”

“Rose is here,” Kara said in understanding, her eyes wide

“She’ll be around a bit,” I replied, my cheeks hot

“Sweet”

“Here,” Rose said, holding a whole pile of towels “I didn’t know if you wanted a washcloth or a hand towel or a big one”

“Hand toorks,” I said, grabbing it off the pile “Thanks”

“No problem” She looked at Kara “Damn, what happened?”

“I fell out of bed,” Kara said miserably as I moved her hands away and pressed the towel to the cut “Ow, Dad!”

“You need to keep pressure on it,” I said, letting her take over “Or it’s not gonna stop bleeding”

“Head wounds are the worst,” Rose said “They bleed like crazy”

“You okay?” I asked Kara, squeezing her knee

“Yeah” She sniffled “It just scared me”

“I bet It scared the shit outta me”

We all grew silent, then, none of us sure what to say In all the time I’d had Kara, she’d never dealt with ht I knew she probably suspected when one slept over if they were still at the house when she went to bed, but she’d never corew even hotter, and so did the back of my neck

“Is it slowing down?” Kara finally asked She pulled the toay and I gri had slowed a little, but she definitely needed stitches

“Here, honey,” Rose said, handing Kara a washcloth “Use a new one”

“I’ to et that stitched up”

“No,” Kara whined “Can’t you just tape it? Or use super glue?”

Rose laughed

“This ain’t your knee, Kara,” I said “It’s on your face”

“I don’t care”