An Ally A Day Keeps The Bad Guys Away
From this g/t prompt list ^^
Using: âI just want to help you.â & âDonât touch me!â
It had been an hour since Sammy had been taken out of the jar for Bearâs own purposes- and even though she was back, Pond could clearly see that she was in terrible shape. He had decided to keep an eye on any injuries once either Tanner or Sammy got hurt, by taking them to his desk for a while. He just wanted to be there for Tanner and Sammy.
Now, Tanner was the sweetest kid heâd ever met, with a heart of pure gold and the kind of kid you never want to disappoint. Sammy was snarky and hated Pond, but he didnât blame her⊠And besides, he could see how much she really cared. He knew that she was only pretending to be tough, which makes her even stronger.
Pond wanted to check her over for injuries, though he knew that she hated to be touched. Besides, he hadnât noticed anything off aside from her usual limp and previous injuries. That was, until just now.
Sammy was crying. He had never ever seen her cry before, and even though she was quieting herself and covering her face, he could tell something was up⊠Pond stood, walking over to the jar she was kept in, and kneeling down beside it. He watched for a few moments before slowly unscrewing the lid, wincing at her reaction.
She had immediately shut herself up, holding back everything as she tensed. Crying was technically against the rules, but Pond despised Bear and those silly rules; these were innocent children, not experiments. They deserved much better.
Pond delicately reached in to pick her up, but hesitated once he saw Sammy push herself against the bottom of the jar to be as far from his fingers as possible. âI just want to help you.â He assured, but it may have come across a bit too calm.
The young teenager seemed to growl in response, putting on her tough front. Whilst it amused Bear so he would get sidetracked with messing with Sammy (rather than hurting her in more severe ways), for Pond he just felt his heart clench with pity. âDonât touch me!â She snapped.
Pond sighed, taking his hand back out of the jar, but not putting the lid on. He scanned her over, before offering the hint of a concerned smile. âI wonât touch you then⊠But might I ask why you were crying?â
The man felt guilty all over again when he saw her freeze up. She thought he would punish her, and Pond felt a need to correct that thought.
âItâs alright if you cry in front of me⊠Just be careful around Jared. I wonât tell anyone, or hurt you for showing that youâre upsetâŠâ He assured gently. âIn fact, Iâd be more worried if you werenât upset. Iâm upset about everything theyâre doing to all of youâŠâ
Sammy was clearly skeptical, not that heâd expected her to trust him; he had technically caused her and her family to get captured in the first place. She didnât answer for a while, instead deciding that her bare feet were much more interesting at the moment. Pond sighed, standing back up to get back to work, only to hear a much softer and hesitant voice speak up.
âDo⊠Do you know what he does to meâŠ?â
Pond blinked. It was Sammy speaking! She wasnât being snappy or snarky at all; which was a huge step forward in his book.
As much as he wanted to turn around immediately to properly speak to her, but knew that might scare her into going quiet again. Instead, he slowly turned back around, but quickly enough that it wasnât silent for a few months. Over the few months of Sammy living here, heâd noticed how uncomfortable she was with silence- particularly because it left her to her thoughts.
âI know that heâs a sadistic bastard.â Pond announced, hoping to at least lighten her mood slightly. Sammy seemed to even smirk slightly in agreement, which made Pond feel a lot better. Hopefully she wasnât too uncomfortable around himâŠ
âYeah youâve uh⊠Basically got the whole storyâŠâ She looked down, relaxing a little. âCan you please⊠fix meâŠ?â
Pond felt the concern bloom inside his chest, and he knelt down beside the table her jar was kept on again. âItâs not you that needs fixing⊠But I can try to treat any injuries, or give you something to help with pain.â He responds confidently.
âSome painkillers would be niceâŠâ There was the ghost of a smile playing on her lips, but it disappeared yet again. âI donât like being touched or held⊠Please can I just treat my own wounds?â
Pondâs expression softened considerably, though he knew he couldnât let her do that. âDollâŠâ He began. âI canât let you do it all by yourself, Iâm sorry. But as soon as Iâve finished with any stitching then you can apply cream or bandages.â He felt guilty saying that she couldnât, but she was fifteen. He couldnât just allow her to treat herself fully! That would be irresponsible.
Okay, maybe he was a bit protective over the children, but he had every right. He felt responsible for all their pain and suffering. One day he would get them out of here for sureâŠ
Sammy deflated, but barely let it show as she looked to the side. âAfter youâre done, can I please see Tanner?â She asked. Pond paused. Wait⊠Does she think that Iâm trying to keep her away from her brother..?
âOf course..!â Okay, maybe a bit loud. âI only keep you guys here with me for a little because I want to make sure you have time to calm down without being in that environment⊠Do you just want to go straight back to Tanner then, instead of coming here every time..?â
Sammy shook her head slowly. âN-no⊠Can Tanner just come in here too?â Pond blinked. Huh. Maybe Sammy was starting to trust him⊠The man offered a warm smile.
âWhatever you want- so long as he agrees, okay?â He smiled again, before standing up.
Perhaps getting Sammy out of the jar now would be good- he doubted she enjoyed it in their, and heâd need to fix her up anyway. âIs it alright if I pick you up..? Or- uh⊠Iâm sure you can climb out of the jar yourself, but I donât want you to aggravate any wounds. SoâŠmay I?â
There was another small nod in response. Pond offered another smile, before finally reaching in and delicately pinching her waist, pulling her out of the glass confinement. He knew to be gentle, and he knew that he needed to be quick but not too fast. The man placed her down on the desk.
âIâm going to just check you over, but Iâll be very gentle. If it hurts, or you feel uncomfortable, tell me and Iâll stop.â Yet again, Sammy nodded in response, a little surprised by how little she was handled. It wasâŠnice, not being in a fist or manipulated like a doll. She didnât feel as vulnerable.
Maybe it was okay to trust a human, just this once.