Sid teased, flexing his arms slightly. The muscles rippled beneath his skin, a testament to the hours he'd spent training. He turned slightly, giving her a better view of his broad shoulders and the way his waist tapered down to lean hips.

Morgana swallowed hard, trying to maintain her composure. But she couldn't deny the heat that rose in her cheeks or the way her pulse quickened at the sight of Sid's sculpted physique.

"Just... just stay still."

Morgana whispered softly, careful not to let Sid hear.

"Still full of ridiculous confidence, aren't you… Sid?"

"What's that? Are you saying something?"

"Nothing."

Big D stammered, scratching the back of his head nervously.

"Uh… wow… you two… this is… heh, kinda awkward to watch, huh? I mean… yeah, just… carry on, I guess…"

As Sid peeled off his shirt, the gash along his side came into view. The knife had cut deep, but luckily spared any vital organs. Morgana leaned in, her hands steady as she examined the wound.

"The knife went deep but avoided any major organs. No arterial spray, no bubbling at the wound site, so the lungs weren't hit. Judging from the angle, he aimed to puncture your liver but missed by about two centimeters. Lucky for you, his form was sloppy."

Sid's gaze drifted downward, his eyes lingering on the curve of Morgana's cleavage as she leaned over him. The memory of the metal key slipping into that warm, inviting space flashed through his mind, sending a surge of heat through his veins.

A sudden, inappropriate thought struck him… another key, not metallic this time, needed to find its way there again. But this key would be warm, pulsing with life and… desire. Sid shook off the thought, cleared his throat, and spoke.

"Forensic taphonomy teaches you how to deal with this?"

She gave the faintest smile as she cleaned the wound.

"When you study what happens to bodies after death, you learn a thing or two about keeping people from becoming one."

"You sound like you're narrating a case study."

"That's how I think…"

Morgana said, pressing sterile gauze against his side.

"I've spent years documenting wounds, measuring decay rates, analyzing trauma patterns. All of it makes you understand the body better… what kills it and what doesn't."

She tied a firm wrap around his torso, her fingers confident.

"This cut is dangerous if ignored, but treatable. You'll live."

Big D, eyes flicking nervously to the faint smear of blood and Morgana's precise movements, spoke up, trying to compose himself.

"Damn, girl. You sound like a whole doctor."

"I'm not. But I've had to learn how to care for wounds like these, even on cadavers. Cleaning, preserving, measuring tissue damage. That knowledge works on the living too, if you know how to adapt it."

She glanced up at Sid then, her eyes steady.

"And you're not going to get infected on my watch."

Sid wanted to reply, but the sting of antiseptic burned through his side, forcing him to grit his teeth instead. She worked quickly, layering gauze and stitching the deeper part of the cut with a precision that made it clear she'd practiced before.

When she finally tied off the suture, her voice softened just slightly.

"There. That should hold. But don't strain it."

Sid chuckled weakly.

"I'm climbing a tower tomorrow. Strain is kind of the point."

"Then you're an idiot."

Big D barked a laugh but quickly shut up when Morgana's gaze cut toward him. For a long moment, the room held its quiet. Sid sat there, shirtless, his blood-stained bandages wrapped tightly around his side, while Morgana leaned close, focused on treating him. For once, Sid had no clever response, no quip ready. He just let the silence hung.

Big D, ever unable to keep quiet, leaned against the counter and muttered,

"So… about what he said. The president. That whole 'doll' thing. Was that true?"

The air thickened instantly. Morgana's hands slowed just slightly as she dabbed disinfectant onto Sid's wound. She didn't look up when she answered, her voice lower.

"Yes. I let him… use me. I needed money. Tuition, rent, books. He promised he'd help if I… if I did what he wanted. It was disgusting. But I didn't see another way. I just wanted to finish school."

Big D's mouth opened again, ready to fire off another question, but Sid cut in sharply.

"That's enough, Big D."

His tone was quiet but firm, his eyes fixed on Morgana. Big D raised his hands in surrender.

"Alright, man. Got it. No more questions."

Silence lingered. Morgana kept her focus on the wound, her face unreadable. Sid wanted to speak, wanted to say something to cut through the guilt hanging in her voice but the words wouldn't come. He just sat there, teeth gritted against the sting of antiseptic, and let her work.

The only sound was her steady breathing, the soft clink of tools against the table, and the faint city noise drifting through the window. Morgana set down the last piece of gauze, her eyes meeting his briefly.

"All done. Keep it clean and don't push yourself too hard. You'll thank me later if you actually survive tomorrow."

Sid pressed his side lightly, testing the bandage, then nodded.

"Got it… thanks, Morgana. I've got a tower to climb, and no wound's gonna stop me now."

He then eyed the clock, It's already 9pm, he needs to do his evening preparation for his tower climb. The wound on his side throbbed faintly, but he needed to move now.

"I have to go, I can't wait around. I need to start preparing for the tower. Every second counts."

Morgana stood in front of him, arms crossed, her sharp eyes fixed on his face.

"Sid… you need to recover more than that. You can't just go back now, not with that wound. You need at least a few hours, or you're going to make things worse.

"I don't have time. If I wait too long, my routine will be ruined, and I might not be able to climb. I can't let this stop me. I… I've already lost too much time today."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.