We Can't Leave

"Mm!" Tiffany let out a strange cry.

"What's wrong? Did I hurt you?" Malone asked nervously.

"N-no..." Tiffany said quietly.

Although Malone hadn't hurt her, Tiffany still felt... Wasn't this "scoundrel" being a little too forward?

Tiffany understood Malone's actions, but she still couldn't quite get past the awkwardness. The embrace earlier had been one thing; at least they'd still been separated by their clothes. But now...

Malone was holding Tiffany's bare foot!

Tiffany felt the little deer in her chest bounding even more excitedly.

Malone examined Tiffany's calf and ankle closely. This wasn't the first time he'd seen a girl's calf, and Tiffany's little foot wasn't exactly pale and smooth, either.

After all, Tiffany had been walking barefoot this whole time. Black dust and grit clung to the sole of her foot, covering the delicate skin beneath.

It looked pretty bad. Malone studied Tiffany's ankle. A sizable lump had swollen there, standing out against her fair skin.

"What are you two doing?" Teron Gorefiend had appeared beside Malone at some point. He eyed their odd postures and asked curiously.

"She seems to have twisted her ankle," Malone replied. He remembered Tiffany's fall when she'd been held hostage by the Orc sentry.

"Let me see." Teron Gorefiend crouched beside Malone, glanced at Tiffany's ankle, then gently pressed the lump with his blue-black fingers.

"Ow!" Tiffany's calf jerked, and Malone quickly held it still.

Malone looked up and saw Tiffany's pretty face scrunched up, tears glimmering in her eyes.

The pain of a twisted ankle was nothing compared to having a sword pierce her chest, perhaps, but for someone as sheltered as Tiffany, it was more than she could bear.

And her injury seemed pretty serious.

"She's badly hurt," Teron Gorefiend told Malone. "At worst, even if she recovers, she could end up a cripple."

"A cripple?" Malone exclaimed, then privately felt relieved that he'd spoken in Orcish. If Tiffany had heard that, he couldn't imagine how frightened she'd be.

"It can't be that bad, can it?" Malone asked Teron Gorefiend doubtfully. How could a perfectly healthy young woman end up crippled? And hadn't Tiffany been fine before? Could a trip to the latrine really leave someone unable to walk?

"It wouldn't have been a problem, but she strained it too much after the sprain and damaged the tendons and bones." Teron Gorefiend seemed almost amused. "Humans are such fragile creatures. This wouldn't happen to an Orc."

"Enough nonsense!" Malone snapped at Teron Gorefiend. "How do we heal her? Is there a doctor here?"

"A doctor? You mean a healer?" Teron Gorefiend glanced at Malone and shook his head. "Why would we need one? If someone who's injured can't heal on their own, let them die."

What? How could that be? Malone's eyes widened.

He checked Maicomarlon's memories and finally understood the real reason. The number of Orcs who had come to Azeroth through the Dark Portal was limited, and the old Orcs skilled in medicine had all been left behind on Draenor.

"What are we supposed to do, then? I still have to get her out of here tonight!" Malone shouted.

"Leave?" Teron Gorefiend's eyes widened. Only then did he remember that he'd come in to kill this human woman.

But Teron Gorefiend soon laughed. "I don't think you can leave. If you insist on trying..."

Teron Gorefiend shrugged casually. "I'm sure she'll end up a cripple."

"Then if we stay... and let her rest, can she recover?" Malone asked.

"Who knows? I'm no doctor." Teron Gorefiend didn't care whether this human woman recovered. He'd actually rather see her die, though it would be hard to die from a twisted ankle alone.

"I think she probably can." Seeing how troubled Malone looked, Teron Gorefiend realized he might have been too harsh. He thought for a moment, then told the truth.

This... Malone sank into a deep dilemma. What should he do?

Malone didn't really trust Teron Gorefiend. He suspected the man might be lying just to keep him there.

But he didn't want to take the risk—not if it meant Tiffany might limp for the rest of her life.

Still, if they didn't leave... Malone feared something else might go wrong. He knew the saying that an injury to the tendons or bones took a hundred days to heal, but the Orc camp was far too dangerous for Tiffany.

"Malone... c-could you let go of me now?" Tiffany's stammering voice interrupted Malone's thoughts as he pondered.

"Oh..." Malone looked at Tiffany, but didn't let go of her leg.

H-how could he be like this?! Tiffany blushed again. Why was he still holding her foot?

"Miss Tiffany, there's something I need to make clear to you," Malone said with difficulty.

After thinking it over, he'd decided to let Tiffany make the decision herself.

"W-what is it?" Malone's serious expression made Tiffany forget that he was still holding one of her legs. She grew tense, too.

"Your foot is badly hurt," Malone said gravely. "If you keep moving around, it won't just hurt. You might even end up... crippled."

"Crippled!" Tiffany's shriek startled Malone so badly that he nearly dropped her leg. Who knew how such a petite body could hold so much power?

"W-will I end up crippled? Light above... I'd rather die!" Tiffany cried in panic.

"Y-you need to calm down first," Malone said quickly, trying to reassure her. "If you rest and stay still, you can recover. But..."

"But... we can't leave here now?" Tiffany remembered Malone's earlier promise to take her away that very night.

"Mm..." Malone nodded. "I did promise you, but after what's happened... I don't know what to do. You'll have to decide for yourself."

"You can't walk right now," Malone said. "But even if I have to carry you, I'll do my best to get you out of here. I just can't promise we'll make it."

"If you decide to stay here and rest for a few weeks..." Malone watched Tiffany's expression grow worse by the moment, and his mood sank along with it. Still, he had to make everything clear.

"If you decide to stay here, I'll do my best to keep you safe and make sure the Orcs don't hurt you. But... I can't promise that, either."

Malone gave a bitter smile and left the decision to Tiffany.