Poppy's bedroom was painted a warm green, and her bed was right by the open window. Various ferns, aloe vera plants and succulents decorated the room, with some even hanging from the ceiling. There was a desk in the corner that had a microscope that was turned on, as well as stacks of books on the surface. A cheerful yellow rug covered the wooden floor, and there was a chest of drawers in the corner. She turned to look at him over her shoulder with a surprised expression. "Thank you for doing that," she said. "I didn't think you were going to try to go to all my classes."
"Well," he said smoothly, setting down his bag, "I would appreciate it if someone did it for me while I was absent, so I did it for someone else."
"I do appreciate it," she said, pushing her glasses up her nose distractedly. She picked up a pile of books off a chair with one hand, returning them to her bookshelf. "Feel free to sit," she said over her shoulder. "Sorry about the clutter. I was in the middle of working on a new salve when you arrived."
He sat down, then opened his bag, pulling out a plain folder with papers in it. He passed them to her, his movements smooth. "Here you go. That's all the work."
She sighed and flipped through the papers with her free hand, giving him a weary smile. "Fun. Good thing it was my left hand that got injured rather than my right hand. It would be a shame if I wasn't able to write out these assignments."
"I can help you, if you'd like. I'm sure I could do something," he said, rubbing his stomach at the spot he had been punched. It still hurt. His face did, too.
She pushed up her glasses, giving him a concerned look. "May I see?" she asked, opening a drawer full of mason jars.
He stood up, and uncomfortably lifted up his shirt. There was another bruise from Evan, right on his abdomen.
She frowned and tugged on a lock of hair thoughtfully. She turned in her chair to the drawer and rifled through it for a moment. "Do you mind?" she asked, pulling out a couple vials. "They're all safe, I promise."
She opened the jars with some difficulty, eventually having to hold them between her knees before screwing off the top with her good hand. She took a little of the salve on her finger and hesitated before gently tapping it on the bruised area. The aching instantly vanished in the spot where she applied it, and a soothing, cool sensation replaced it. Poppy quickly smoothed it over the area, her brow furrowed with thought. She was quiet, focusing on her work, her fingers gentle but quick.
She laughed deeply, the sound a relief in her throat. "Only a little," she replied, smiling up at him. She turned back to her desk and put the jar back in her drawer. "I figure that it's a small price to pay if it gives some relief."
He nodded, smiling slightly as he put his hands in his sweatshirt pockets and sat back down. "Thank you."
"Of course," she replied, shutting the drawer and pushing her glasses further up her nose. "It's the least I could do."
