Violet
I knelt beside him, the containers of fresh water hovering around me, and took a steadying breath.
His shirt was already torn and pushed aside from when I had examined his wounds. But his trousers were soaked through with river water and blood, clinging to his legs. If I was going to clean him properly, if I was going to give him any chance at all, I had to get them off.
My hands hesitated at his waistband.
This wasn't about anything other than keeping him alive. I knew that. But my fingers still trembled as I worked at the fastenings, and I had to remind myself to breathe.
"I'm sorry," I whispered, though I wasn't sure if he could hear me. "I have to do this."
He didn't respond and his eyes were still closed.
I pulled the pants down carefully, trying not to jostle him too much. He groaned once, and winced a few times. The low sounds of pain that made me freeze, but he didn't move too much.
