Hesitance was written clearly on the priest’s injured face as he considered it.

After a glance down at his hands… Malachi dipped his head in agreement.

“Alright,” he said, “you can help with my hands. And… you can wait outside while I do the rest, if you want. But please, Nettie, don’t let- all of this consume your day. I will be fine.”

He mustered more confidence into the assurance than he really felt.

Taking a seat at the table, Malachi pulled the bandages close and began unrolling them, but quickly stopped. It was harder than he’d thought, with every tiny movement of his fingers making them ache anew.

Sheepishly, he pushed the roll of bandages closer to his niece.

Nettie wanted to tremble at the marks. How much they must hurt, she couldn't understand. Had she ever been hurt even a fraction to the amount he had in one day? Her eyes met his momentarily as she got out some salve. "Consume. Like this is something terrible. I consider it a blessing to get to spend my day with you. I only wish it wasn't your injuries. But I'll take what I can get."

She took the bandage and started to apply the pasty substance and then bandaged his hands, very careful to not add to the pain. "Just take it easy while it heals. Though I know I don't need to tell you how to take care of yourself."

It was difficult for him to believe that she preferred this to all of the lighter, more fun things she could have been doing with her day, but beyond a doubtful look, Malachi did not express as much.

He held his hands as still as he could, but they shook. More so when Nettie applied the salve, drawing a stinging sensation to the cuts all over again, but Malachi didn’t complain and didn’t pull away.

“I will,” he promised quietly, watching her move onto careful bandaging. Meeting her eyes was too hard, again, now that the ache had stirred throughout his body with sleep.

“You did that very well,” Malachi praised, partly to distract himself. “Have you done this before?”

Nettie looked almost proud as he asked her.

"I did voluntary work. Helping those in need, like you. I am not much of a guide, so I helped a small office doctor and picked up a few things. Then I moved again. I believe everyone could still learn a thing or two, even if I didn't make a career of it. And I want to be useful to someone some day."

She smiled and continued wrapping his hands. "Do you still want me to wait outside?"

How had he not known that?

“Oh,” Malachi said with a subtle raise of his brows, but it pulled at the cut on his face. “That’s wonderful, Nettie. That was really kind of you to do.”

Even if he figured she probably hadn’t expected to use those skills on him. It still made him proud to hear it, and a small smile hinted at his bruised lips.

“I… if I let you help me, you have to promise me you won’t freak out, and you will not tell a constable. I don’t want to stress you any more than I have.”

Nettie shrugged as she gave him an almost apologetic glance, "it wasn't much truly, I didn't save anyone or help all that much. I spent most of that time changing bed pans or cleaning diseased sores, and as glamorous as that sounds it was pretty easy so I didn't learn all that much. But I did get better at changing bandages and I could stick you with a needle in a pinch if necessary." She smiled sweetly as she focused on his hands. She truly hoped they didn't scar.

Curiosity grew though she feigned being nonchalant. "What? I can not promise I won't be startled or worried if it is so bad. And after what you've told me... I .. I think you are the type to prefer to handle things yourself. I don't wish to cause you trouble and complicate things with a constable. You have a strength and courage I'm afraid I do not possess." She finished his hands and rolled up the remaining gauze, starting to hope she had enough.

"But I am certain I will handle whatever it is, and it will not stress me out. It will in fact not stress me out because I will know how you are myself, and I have taken care of you myself and not worry that you are out there somewhere on the streets suffering like this with no one to watch over you. Even if you don't need it, it makes things easier, doesn't it?" She said, hoping he'd see it her way and not that she was saying he couldn't handle himself. "I prefer it this way, really."

Malachi regarded her with an uncertain, only slightly off-focus gaze.

The scars that covered his body, from the base of his neck, to his wrists, to his ankles – it was bad enough for any glimpse of the curved designs to be seen, even without the mess of deep bitemarks and scrapes and everything else. And what about the long cut that ranged from shoulder to shoulder? The scraped skin at his wrists?

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he said, “alright. Just–”

Don’t ask questions, he wanted to say, but that would only bring more questions. He dismissed it with a shake of his head, and moved to stand.

The buttons of his cassock proved tricky with his bandaged hands. Malachi refused to look Nettie’s way as he shed the long, black garment, leaving him in the dark trousers he always wore beneath.

“So- maybe just-… the salve,” he said uselessly.

It was clear this was uncomfortable for him, so she wanted to make it quick. While she wanted to ask to help with the unbuttoning, she remained quiet. She was glad she was already looking down to take the cassock and hang it neatly when she saw his body. It made her hesitate and she didn't begin to help him, she walked around and eyed his skin. It was a book full of stories of tragedies and trials, and who knows what else.

She took a deep breath and grabbed the salve. "We will start with the salve. I won't let some of this just go, it needs bandaging." And answers.

"I ... want to know .. what happened. But it's clearly painful." She looked at him and offered him a gentle smile before she started to apply the stinging substance. "I hope it doesn't hurt too much." She meant the old and the new. "Thank you for trusting me, uncle."

Not for the first time in his life, Malachi felt like an animal put on display.

While Nettie circled him, inspecting the damage done, he felt color burn his face and kept his eyes downcast.

Arthur looks worse, he almost said, I don’t even know if he’ll wake up.

“It’s fine,” he said in regards to the pain, giving only a slight wince when he first felt the salve touch his skin. “It… was my own fault, some of it. Most of it.”

She noticed the way he looked away and the humiliated look on his face and felt ashamed at herself. "I am sorry, I wanted to see the damage. I promise, I only worry for the pain you've been in. This sort of thing doesn't change the fact you're still one of the most handsome men in England."She offered a small smile, hoping to cheer him up even a tiny bit and that he wouldn't think she was just saying it for his feelings.

She gave him a sort of lecturing click of her tongue. "That doesn't make it hurt any less just because you caused some of it. At least it means I don't need to be angry at as many people for doing it to you." She carefully applied the salve and in some places simply took some water and soap to clean it up before she could really dress the injury.

"At least you were able to return home on your own two feet. i am glad you are mostly alright, that is what I care about most of all. " She silently wanted to ask him if she had to worry that it won't always be this way. She studied the large scar along his shoulders but kept her mouth tightly shut. "I wish I could do something for the bruising, I am sorry about that." She rest the cloth, cold from water, gently on the largest bruise. "If it looks worse, you will go to a doctor, won't you? I will even ask one from york to come help you if you want."