Day One: Part 1

[Samus Aran]

Despite everything, Samus had to crook a smile. Harry was not in any way dissuaded from shit-talking even in this grim environment. He reminded her of an old Federation friend who also liked to run his mouth in life or death situations. “You know how it is,” she grunted. “You take an arrow in the shoulder and that giant pig monster from the Rathalos fight comes back to stab you in the gut.” After that protracted sentence, she had to take a gasp.

“Hell’s bells,” Harry breathed as he glanced down and took in the reality of her statement. She was clearly bleeding heavily from her stomach, and the jagged tip of Ganon’s tusk still protruded from her bare torso.

“Yeah.” Samus winced. “I’ll be honest, it’s not as bad as losing my left arm. But that gun of yours should come in handy.”

“Shut up,” instructed Harry. “Is there any way you can remove your suit?”

“…Yeah. But not here. Not out in the open.”

The wizard didn’t disagree with her.

* * * * *

Samus gently lay down at the entrance to Harry’s hideout. She sucked in air, doing her best not to scream with every tiny movement. She didn’t know how she looked right now under the visor but she had to guess it wasn’t good.

“The tusk first,” she said.

Harry nodded, sweating.

Samus took off the suit. It shimmered blue for a moment before dematerialising, and then the pain hit her all at once. She could not bear to even look down.

“Hells bells,” Harry repeated. He seemed to be sweating even harder now than before. He simply stood there, shocked, until Samus stared at him.

“You going to take the tusk out or do I have to do it myself?”

Harry found his voice. “Yeah … yeah.” He knelt down at Samus’s side and eyed the wound as though it were a bomb and cutting the wrong wire would mean an explosion. “You sure … this is a good idea?” he asked.

“DO IT!” roared Samus.

Harry put his fingers as close to the wound as he dared, taking a solid grip on the broken end of the tusk. He pulled. Samus nearly blacked out. It was like she was being stabbed again. Harry pulled some more and she screamed as the tusk came out.

“Don’t move around!” hissed Harry, his hand pressed to her stomach. With his free hand he reached into the bag of supplies their attacker had left behind and drew out the bottle of water. He gently used it to clean the area around the wound and the wound itself, hands shaking almost as much as Samus’s were. When he was done, he waited for a moment. “You okay?” he asked, feeling stupid.

“Yeah,” Samus managed. The waves of pain were unlike anything the Hunter had ever experienced.

“Now the shoulder,” said Harry. “Let’s get this done, then you can rest.”

Samus, shot him a look that said ‘I hate you’, but nodded anyway.

“Roll on your right side,” Harry instructed before taking the Master Sword. The arrow had gone through the back of Samus’s left shoulder, leaving a feathered tip still jutting from the back. He took the sword next to it. “Hold still.”

Understanding what he was doing, Samus nodded. The sword came down and neatly sliced off the back of the arrow. She sucked in air as the vibration jolted her shoulder, then blew it out. “That wasn’t so bad.”

“This will be. Turn around.” Harry knelt next to the hunter and fixed his hands around the arrow. “Ready?”

“Ready.”

“One, two … THREE!”

* * * * *

Harry watched over Samus as she slept. He’d ripped up his shirt, most of which was now wrapped around Samus’s shoulder and midriff. “Déjà vu,” he murmured.