Ky stood up and looked at Jer. She held her right hand out to him. "Come on." Jer nodded and clasped his right hand with hers.
"HEY!" he shouted as Ky pushed up his right sleeve.
Ky smirked at him and started undoing the cloth. Jer looked away as she pulled off the last bit of cloth. "Jer... Why didn't you tell me?! ME?!"
"Cause it's nothing!" Jer said, trying to pull his arm away. Ky wouldn't let go of his wrist.
"Nothing?! JEREMY! Look at it!" (Whoa... We're actually fighting. 0.o) Jer looked at his friend's face, then looked down at his arm. It was worse than when he last redid the bandages. He met her eyes and saw every ounce of worry in them. He looked down and sighed.
"Can you help me?" he asked. Ky set her hand on his shoulder.
"That's what I'm here for." He looked up at her, she smiled at him. "Come on." She grabbed his hand and led him to the bathroom. Jer sat at the edge of the tub as Ky grabbed rubbing alcohol from the cupboard. He bit his lip as Ky sat by him.
Ky straddled the edge of the tub with her legs and took Jer's arm in her hand. He looked over at her then down at his arm. Blood trickled down into the tub. The third layer of skin was barely hanging on his arm.
Ky gently began dabbing at Jer's arm. Jer bit his tongue to keep from screaming. Ky looked up at him and pulled her hands away. Jer shook his head and set his left hand over his eyes.
"Keep going, it'll just get worse if you don't," he told her. Ky picked the wash cloth up again and started dabbing again.
Minutes went by in silence as Ky cleaned her friend's arm. Jer had his fist balled to keep himself from screaming. Jer looked over at Ky, she looked like she hated herself for doing this to him.
"I'm sorry..." Jer whispered. Ky looked up at him, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"What are you sorry for? You're not the one hurting someone else!" Ky said, tears falling on her lap. She stood up and threw the bottle on the floor. "I refuse to hurt you anymore." Jer stared at her, she... she thought she was hurting him?
"Keep going... It doesn't hurt that bad..." he urged, he just wanted to get it over with. Ky shook her head and dropped the rag. She turned away from him and hugged herself.
"No..." she muttered. Jer stared at the back of her head.
"I-if you finish, I'll... I'll..." he stopped, what would he do?
"Will you tell me why your arm's like that?" Ky asked turning back to him. Jer looked shocked at her request, but nodded. Ky smiled, sat back down and picked her rag back up. "Tell me."
Jer waited a moment as she continued cleaning his arm. He looked at the tiled floor. "I-I don't remember much... but what I do remember... I don't like..."
"That's understandable."
"Heh... I guess I was about three or four when it happened. I came home late one night....
~Flash Back, told in Jer's Point of View~
I slowly pushed the door open, dreading what my father would do to me. I guess he was abusive... but I don't really remember...
"You're late again!" he shouted at me when I entered the lounge. I trembled, his voice always terrified me then. I actually don't remember who my father was... and I don't really want to remember.
"I-I'm sorry!" I squeaked. My father's eyes narrowed at me and I felt smaller than ever.
"Wandering in town again, son?" he shouted at me.
"Y-yes..."
"HAVEN'T YOU LEARNED YOUR LESSON, BOY?!"
"Please don't throw me against the wall again!" I pleaded. My father picked me up by my neck and thrust his face into mine.
"I won't. Not this time. I have another punishment in store." I felt like a mouse in his grasp. He threw me to the floor and pulled something from the closet...
~End Flash Back~
"Next thing I knew, he dumped boiling water on my arm and threw a knife at it multiple times. That's why it's so cut up. He kept dumping the water on me until I finally ran away." Jer looked at Ky, she had stopped rubbing his arm and was staring at him.
"Whoa, and I thought Marcus was bad." Jer nodded and shivered.
"Are you almost done?" he asked her. Ky picked the cloth up again and nodded.
"Yep. Jer?"
"Yeah?"
"Promise me you'll tell me the next time you get a mega wound?" she asked. Jer laughed and nodded.
"I promise, Ky." Ky gave him a satisfied smile and started to rewrap his arm. "Ky?"
"Hmm?" Ky asked, looking up from her work.
"If I tell you, then you have to tell me if you're hurt too," he said. Ky giggled and held her hand out.
"Deal." Jer clasped her hand and shook it. Ky smiled and continued wrapping his arm. "I-I just remembered..."
"What?"
She looked up at him. "We did this when we were kids." Jer stared at her as she sat there looking at her hands.
"Really?" he asked. Ky nodded and finished wrapping his arm. She smiled and sighed.
"We were never really hurt, we just enjoyed playing it. Except... one time," she said. Jer tilted his head.
"When?"
"Shortly before we died... You met me in the grave yard with a cut lip and knee. It was... one of our less pleasant play days," Ky said, smiling at him.
"Really?" he asked. She nodded at him, placing the bottle and rag away. "Kay. Can we go now?" he asked. Ky burst out laughing and fell on the floor. "What?"
Ky pounded her fist into the floor. Jer stared at her as she continued laughing.
"What's so funny?" Jer asked, as Ky slowly stopped laughing. She wiped her eyes and shook her head.
"Nothing, come on." Jer pulled his Hoodie over his head and looked at her retreating form. He smirked and pounced on her. "S-stop!" Ky shouted as Jer started tickling her. Their laughter floated through the empty house.
A few minutes later Jer rolled off his friend, each gasping for breath. Ky slowly stood up, still laughing and gasping. Jer followed pursuit and ruffled her long hair.
"I-I still don't know how I s-survived twelve years without you!" he said between laughs.
"Me either!" Ky replied, leaning on him in laughter. Her sides felt like they were about to split. Neither of them could look at each other without bursting out in laughter.
--
Oogie howled in outrage as Marcus walked in. "YOU FAILED ME!"
"Forgive me master, it will not happen again."
"You bet it won't! Now more foul ups, or I will have your head. I need both of them for this plan to work."
"Yes my Lord..." Marcus said, bowing and falling out of the room. Oogie turned back to the screen with the giggling duo.
"I will get you Princess... You can't hide from me forever. If I can't get you now... I'll get you in your dreams..."
--
Jack and Sally hugged each other, smiling. Ky was still safe, with a friend that promised to help her through anything.
Maddie smiled as she watched her friend laugh. 'That's it, Ky. You keep smiling and away from Oogie's plan!' Will squeezed her shoulder and she smiled at him.
Things were looking up... For the moment...
--
WHEW!! YOU ALL FINALLY KNEW WHAT IS WRONG WITH HIS ARM!!! Actually, the boiling water thing wasn't one of the original ideas. Any how...
I'M GONNA SING A SONG NOW!! Hey Mr. Wonderful, oh, you're so incredible. Hey Mr. Wonderful, wonderful to m-! *get's smacked with a book*
Sora: ENOUGH WITH THE SONG!!
Ky: BUT I LIKE IT!!!
