A simple three-letter word that made Hinata put down her pencil and stare unyieldingly at the child. Why stop tearing at a scab? Was this in spite or earnest lack of understanding? It couldn’t be spiteful, the girl had never been anything but kind to Hinata, which means...
... with a gentle hand cupping the child’s own to block the scratching, Hinata’s free hand dug into her purse ever more. “You don’t pick at scabs so they he-heal.” Cursed stutter, wincing at her own inadequacy. “Picking at them just makes me worse.”
Her fingers latched onto a few necessary items, smiling as she lifted them from out of her bag. Band-aides and some itching cream. Nothing special, but enough to distract the girl, in any event. Work can wait, drawing walls wasn’t difficult.
Gently rubbing the cream over the scab, there was no telling if it actually was itching or the girl just... Wanted to peel at it. Frowning, twisting her mouth unhappily, Hinata remembered the burn marks. “Here, this will take away any itch- and help it heal faster,” bandaged, tiny fingers kneaded the skin around the wound, caressing it.
She learned not to particularly ask where Zero’s wounds came from, sometimes not wanting to know. Instead, she generally elected to just tend to them and explain the reasons behind it. “Why you don’t pick at scabs is because you’ll break them open, bleed all over, but you could get it infected and get very sick.”
Now that she was satisfied with the dressing, Hinata placed the tiny band-aide over the little one’s scab and patted it down gently. “And if you get sick, you can’t have any of those energy drinks you’re so fond of!” With a wide smile, Hinata knew that wasn’t technically true, but it didn’t stop her from using it as a bargaining chip. It generally got little Zero to at least pay attention, if nothing else.