Skull didn’t reply and Clarissa didn’t stick around to wait for an answer. They needed to get ice on his eye and antiseptic on his lip and other various cuts and scrapes.
“What am I doing?” she quietly asked herself as she plundered through her medicine cabinet looking for anything that might be useful, “For all I know the cops are going to come knocking my door down any minute now.”
Clarissa shook the thought away and resumed her searching. Her fingers wrapped around the cool surface of the bottle that held the antiseptic and she sighed in relief.
Upon arriving back in the living Clarissa turned on the bright reading lamp that sat next to the sofa.
“Too bright,” Skull said and moved to turn it off.
Clarissa slapped his hand, “No!”
“Whatcha’ hitting me for?” he asked.
“Leave the light on,” Clarissa said gently. Skull was acting weird and she considered calling an ambulance.
“Have you drank tonight?” she asked.
“No, Bookworm, I haven’t,” Skull said, “but I think I have a concussion or something, because my head hurts.”
“That’s what I need to look at, Skull,” Clarissa sighed and titled Skull’s face up towards the light so that she could look at his eyes. His pupils were slightly dilated.
“Can you just finish this so I can sleep?” he asked.
“Nuh-uh,” Clarissa shook her head, “I’ll get you cleaned up, but you’re not going to sleep yet.”
“What do you mean I’m not going to sleep yet?” Skull asked.
“You have a concussion—that means no sleeping,” Clarissa said as Skull pulled away from the cotton ball soaked in antiseptic that she was gently dabbing against his split lip, “Now hold still or I’ll swat your hand again.”
“Vicious,” Skull laughed and winced again, “Don’t make me laugh.”
“Well, don’t make me be all brute-like,” Clarissa grinned and cupped his chin, “Now hold still.”
“Ouch!”
“Shh...” Clarissa cooed to him, “I know it hurts, but that’s what you get for fighting.”
Skull didn’t protest further and Clarissa was able to finish quickly.
“Wait here, I’m going to go get some ice for your face,” she said.
“Where else would I go?” he asked.
“I don’t wanna know,” Clarissa said and walked into the kitchen.
She grabbed the icepack out of the freezer drawer and began to empty ice cubes into it. Clarissa wasn’t sure how she felt about Skull showing up here after what happened in the alley, but she was glad he was okay. She had spent the last month worrying that he had been arrested or worse. After she refilled trays back into the freezer Clarissa headed back into the living room. Skull’s eyes were shut and he was resting his head against the back of the sofa.
“Eyes open,” she said and gently place the icepack against his eye.
“I’m awake,” he said and pulled away from the cold.
“Well, keep your eyes open and hold this,”
Clarissa said moving his hand up to the ice pack, “I need to go get more antiseptic.”
“For what?” Skull asked.
“Your hands,” she said examining his swollen knuckles.