“Let go of me, Hawk,” she snapped coldly.
He didn’t. “I’ve got you; don’t freak out or anything, but?—”
“I said let go!” She yanked her arm away from him. “I don’t want to get docked for envenomating a squadmate.”
“Rune, I’m sorry, I?—”
“I don’t care if I get docked,” Zuko snapped, spoon in hand as he moved between Rune and Hawk, holding Hawk by the neck and scooping one of Hawk’s black eyes out until the tendon snapped.
Hawk fell onto the ground, eye gone, and blood pouring out of the socket as his scream merged with the patients’.
“Holy shit, Zuko, did you just—?” Slater’s mouth fell open in shock.
Zuko didn’t seem to care; he just shrugged.
“He disrespected her boundaries. I reacted. What’s the problem?” He turned to Rune, breathing hard as he tossed the spoon at Hawk on the ground. “You good?”
Her hands trembled, but she nodded. “Thanks, Zuko, but I think he gets the point. Koa, could you…?” She flicked her eyes at Hawk.
I sighed but nodded.
I could tell Hawk grabbing her sent her into a panic, and I could only guess it had to do with her icedrake ex.
I bent to Hawk, making sure my back was to the patient, so she didn’t see my blue flames as I popped his eye back into the socket and healed it. “If you ever touch Rune again, I will not heal what they do to you.”
“Next time, when she says let go, fucking letgo,”Slater growled at him as he stared up at us with two working eyes again.
“Sorry,” he croaked.
I stood up and followed Rune toward the patient as Hawk continued to apologize on deaf ears.
“Drecken had me try the super-strengthened healing potion the agents use.” Rune pressed two fingers over the patient’s head as she cried. “This should ease your pain, both mental and physical.”
A few seconds later, the woman stilled, exhaling a long breath before grabbing Rune’s wrist gently. “Thank you.”
The simulation fell apart, and we left the simulator as Dimitri, Lorian, Raze, Eleanor, and Aura went in. Lorian focused on calming the patient as Dimitri used his compulsion to make the patient take the healing potion offered and the salves all over their wounds.
When they came back out, Professor Greenblood cleared her throat. “I would like to state that I do not condone violence, but I also want it understood that we do not harass our squadmates, either. Rune, your healing stabilization score once you provided treatment was the highest score in class history.”
Rune smiled, and her golden eyes met mine with excitement.
I gave her a thumbs-up.
“Zuko, you fail in compassion but score perfect on precision. I do not believe House of Vitality is for you with how quick to violence you are, but I won’t fail you completely because you handled the patient well and didn’t let her hurt the healers.” Professor Greenblood winced.
Zuko chuckled. “Fair.”
“Hawk, you are given a psychological flag for the boundary violation with Rune.” Professor Greenblood tsked before turning to me. “Koa, you are advanced in field healing. You also werethe one to realize what your squadmate was capable of, knowing that the way you heal would further traumatize the patient. Full marks.”
“Thank you.” I bowed my head toward her as she passed everyone else on the final.
But I couldn’t tear my gaze off Rune, who was snug between Slater and Zuko. Even Dimitri watched her carefully.
For some reason, the way Hawk had grabbed her had shaken her, and Ihatedthat.
rune
. . .
