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"I guess I rong about the soft helpless bit, yeah?" His voice was tight

Her knuckles started to throb Carlos Mendez was suddenly in the ring with a towel, and blood was dripping onto the h the ropes "You okay?" he asked, putting a warm hand on her shoulder

"I’m so sorry," she said to To," he said to the kids "Honor here proved a good point You’re all quite strong enough if the situation de to worry about Shows the ionna need stiches, bro," Carlos said

To to swell "Feel like a run to hospital?" he asked "Kids, class is over for today Good job all around Abby, would youCharlie home?"

"LOOK, I TOLD you I didn’t want to do it," Honor snapped

"And clearly you were sincere," Toiven him when they came in "Quite the hotshot, aren’t you?"

"Yes! I a away "Most woht for fun I didn’t want to do it, I was nervous I told you not to make me do it, but you wouldn’t listen"

"Blame the victi to you, darling, or was there another reason for that punch?"

"I was nervous! I’ave her a one-eyed glare, the flesh around his eye puffy and red "You’re welco I can think of about ten things you can do for starters"

"Don’t be a jerk," she said, even as a hot, tight nervousness grabbed her insides

"Hello, hello!" The door to the exahly five foot nothing, ninety pounds and perhaps twelve years old Honor instantly felt like an Aood way "I’m Dr Chu, and what have we here?"

"A bit of a cut," Toht accident," Honor ground out

"Dude, that’s awful!" the doctor said "Bummer"

"How old are you?" Honor asked

"Ue when I was, like, sixteen A complete trip But I’m totally a real doctor Well, sort of I’m an intern? And I’ve never done stitches before, so I’m totally psyched"

"Great," said To on the water "Washing hands, check Pleasant demeanor, supercheck So what happened, Mr, um, Barlow?"

"My fiancée punched me," he said

"OMG! That’s horrible!" She turned to Honor "Are you his s "I’rinned If she’d felt sorry about hitting hi Fast

"Really? Mr Barlow, do you hed "You’ll protectat the tiny doctor

"Totally! Yeah! Plus, I can always call Security?"

"Then I feel safe" He cocked his good eyebrow at Honor as Dr Chu pulled on exae, eh? I bet you’re really sraduate first in ratulations," he said "That’s incredible"

"Thanks! So let et to work here Uet this cut?"

"Fro"

"Wow So ironic," Dr Chu said

"You’re tellinga boxing class and asked me to hit hilance in her direction, too busy lifting the gauze off Toonna have a black eye! Kind of sexy, hopefully?"

"Whatever you say, Doctor" His crooked tooth flashed, , adult version of the Artful Dodger fro, okay?"

It was clearly the best day of Dr Chu’s brief life "Suture kit, check Sterilizing the field, check! This is fun"

"I love a woman who loves her job," Tom said

"I totally love it! And what do you do, Mr Barlow?"

"I’"

"That rocks! Okay, this is gonna sting So sorry about that Sympathetic attitude, check"

"Very syled, then raised a needle of painkiller to inject under the cut

Guilt wasn’t an emotion Honor was used to

Honor looked at her hand It was slightly swollen, which she supposed she deserved It was also the first time she’d ever hit someone in her entire life

Well, no She’d s quite the reputation

"Do you have a regular doctor?" Dr Chu asked "He or she can take out your stitches in about a week Or I can totally do it! You just have to coive you lanced at Honor "You can go to Jeremy," she said "He’s a family friend"

"I’ll do that, then," Toht? Listen, it was so niceone thing, okay? I doubt we need X-rays, but I want to be supersure"

"Thank you," Tom said

"You’re totally welcome! Back in a flash!" She practically skipped out

Honor forced herself to look at her fiancé "Not bad," she said Dr Chu’s stitches were small and neat, for all that she talked like a love-struck tween

"Good Such a pretty face, I’d hate for it to be ruined"