the g r u n t in response to the voice was all the answer he gave for a while, the parts of his body that he could still feel were aching and his mind remained hazy.  the slick of blood trickling from beyond his hairline slicked his temple and left a slow trail of crimson against his cheek, but he paid it no mind as he waved the other off, shaking his head even with the risk of trauma.

            it wasn’t that he didn’t appreciate the offer, the tenderness that laid beneath the simple words.  his physical rejection was out of apprehension, because as his shoulders sagged with injury and his head throbbed, he thought himself too much of a burden to entertain the wishes to help.

                  he  breathed shallowly, lips parting and eyes bright; the weight                   of i n a d e q u a c y sitting heavily on the forefront of his                   thoughts.  he should have been better, more persistent and                   refusing to go down with such a  meager fight –––––– feigned                   strength, courage, lined his features.

            ❛   i don’t –––––––––––– i can’t. i wouldn’t want to dirty                  you, i’m quite the mess right now.  blood everywhere,                  it’s unappealing.   ❜

"At least let me take you to a hospital," Enigma said trying not to hover as he refused her first offer. Being macho wasn't of much use if you were 6 feet under because of head trauma or other such injuries. "You're going to want to get patched up and checked on. I'd rather get dirty and you be fine than me stay squeaky clean and you die of some sort of trauma."