Things were quiet the next few days, with Ashton trying to adjust back to being alone with the Niles human. Niles gave him plenty of space after the talons incident, which Ashton was grateful for. In fact, the human only interacted with him to take him outside, massage his back, and check on the cuts on his hands. Otherwise, Niles left him alone.

Ashton was quietly staring at the wall of his carrier the day after Niles removed the bandages on his hands. He was trying to fall asleep after his physical therapy exercises and scar massage, when the sound of Niles opening the window caught his attention.

"Alexo?" Niles said, sounding alarmed. "What happened? Who is this?"

Ashton poked his head out of the carrier for a better look. A woodlands faerie was crouched on Niles' desk, weighed down by a water sprite whose long, heavy arm was draped over his shoulder. The water sprite wasn't in good shape. It looked like something had been gnawing on him. Deep lacerations covered his limbs and torso, though he didn't seem to be missing anything from what Ashton could tell.

Niles got up at once to wash his hands and put on gloves. He returned to the desk and reached for the woodlands and the water sprite. Ashton was shocked when the woodlands didn't flinch away from his touch. The pixies liking Niles was one thing; pixies liked just about everyone. But woodlands were much more wary of humans. Ashton knew that Niles had a woodlands friend of faerie mark, but he was still surprised.

"It's ok, I've got him," Niles assured him, and both Ashton and the other woodlands faerie couldn't help but relax at his calm voice. Niles always knew exactly what to do.

Niles gently took the water sprite's mangled body in his hands, balancing him lightly on his fingertips and turning him over carefully to inspect his injuries.

"Alexo," he called, and the woodlands faerie perked his head up. "Get me a couple of clean clothes from that drawer there, would you?"

Alexo hurriedly fluttered away, passing Ashton's carrier as he went. He caught sight of Ashton lurking in the entrance and did a double take at him before refocusing on his task. He returned to Niles' side and handed him the clean rags.

"Thank you," Niles laid one out flat and placed the limp water sprite down on top of it. He rummaged in his drawer and pulled out a magnification device and first aid kit. Ashton watched as he pulled out a set of tweezers, disinfectant, a tiny needle, thread, bandages, and ointment.

Niles poured some clean water into a bowl and dipped a fresh towel in it, wiping the blood away from the sprite's body. He looked at the scrapes more closely under the magnifying glass and shook his head.

"He'll need a few stitches," he explained to Alexo, who stood nearby clutching his hands nervously. Niles pointed at three particularly nasty looking gashes along his chest and torso. "Here and here. He should be fine with just bandages for the other cuts."

Alexo nodded, and Niles busied himself with the instruments on his desk, rolling the magnification device into place over the water sprite and using a numbing cream on the sprite's skin.

The water sprite looked dead to the world, but Niles still spoke to him softly. "I'm just cleaning these scrapes out," he explained. "And then I'm going to stitch up the worst of your cuts and bandage the rest. Don't worry; I've applied some medicine to your skin, so you won't feel anything, ok?"

There was no response from the sprite, so Niles got to work, using the tweezers to help grip the tiny needle as he pulled it in and out of the sprite's skin.

Ashton retreated back into the carrier, feeling sick. He leaned against the side of it and slid down until he had collapsed onto the floor.

Breathe, he reminded himself. Just breathe. He squeezed his eyes closed and hugged his arms around himself. Behind his closed eyelids, all he could see were Niles' hands, examining and touching the helpless water sprite.

Niles is helping the sprite, Ashton told himself firmly. But he had already started to shake, and suddenly, he felt like he and the sprite had switched places, and he was the one lying prone on the desk, monstrous hands looming over him as he lay there, paralyzed and completely at their mercy.

"Stop," Ashton whispered, clutching his head. "It's not real. You're not real." He couldn't do this right now, not when Niles was preoccupied. He didn't want Niles to have to worry about him when he was in the middle of treating someone else.

Suddenly, he felt hands, faerie hands, grab his arms, and he looked up, startled. The woodlands faerie from earlier was crouched in front of him, looking at him with a mixture of curiosity and concern.

"You alright?" he asked quietly.

Ashton nodded, then shook his head, glancing helplessly at the entrance of the carrier.

"You need Niles?" the faerie wanted to know next.

"No!" Ashton gasped, and the woodlands raised an eyebrow at him. "I... I mean... I don't want to bother him," Ashton explained, voice shaking. "I just..."

He looked around the carrier desperately, and he noticed the fresh blankets Niles had laid out for him. There. He pointed at the blanket. "I just need that."

The woodlands looked at him quizzically but let go of his arms, walking towards the back of the carrier to pick up the blanket.

"Here," he said, offering it to Ashton.

Ashton grabbed it and wrapped it around himself, burying his face in its soft fabric and breathing deeply. It smelled like Niles, and his tensed shoulders relaxed a fraction. Since when did Niles' scent become synonymous with comfort? he wondered. But he was grateful, nonetheless.

The woodlands stood there for a moment, just staring at him. "I'm Alexo," he offered finally. "Are you one of Niles' patients?"

Ashton nodded wordlessly, and Alexo sat beside him, tucking his brown and gray wings neatly against his back. "What are you here for?" he asked.

"Wing amputation," Ashton whispered, repeating the words that the human doctors at the hospital had told him. "And my leg. It used to be broken."

Alexo's eyes widened. "Wing amputation?" he echoed. "What was wrong with your wings?"

Ashton closed his eyes, his world spinning again. "Nothing," he said. "There was nothing wrong with them."

They sat there silently until Niles called for Alexo. The woodlands looked at Ashton for a heartbeat longer before ducking out of the carrier. Ashton leaned his head against the wall and pulled his blankets tighter around himself, trembling.

"He should be fine, now," he heard Niles explain. "But I'm going to keep him here for observation. Are you spending the night?"

Alexo's voice answered. "No, I'm running low on magic," he said. "I'm going to Baker's Hub to recover."

"There are magic sources for woodlands in the trees behind the backyard," Niles offered, but Alexo declined.

"Thanks, but I also want to ask around about this water sprite," he explained. "It's weird. I found him at the edge of the woods, near your house. He shouldn't be up this far, away from the deep woods and this close to humans. I'll come back tomorrow and let you know what I find out."

They exchanged goodbyes and then the window was opened and closed again, the sound of the latch echoing with finality.

Ashton heard Niles clean up his workstation, wash his hands, and get the water sprite settled. When it was quiet again, he poked his head out of the carrier to investigate. Niles was sitting at his desk, studying the unconscious sprite thoughtfully.

Ashton tiptoed out of the carrier to join him, and Niles looked up at the slight movement.

"Ash," he said, looking relieved. "There you are. I was getting worried when I didn't see you for a while. Are you alright?"

Ashton nodded, but Niles frowned. "Why do you look so pale? Did something happen?" His eyes locked onto the slight tremble in Ashton's legs and shoulders, and his gaze softened. "Oh, Ash," he said gently. "What's wrong?"

Ashton shook his head and backed up, holding his hands out to put space between him and Niles.

"I'm ok," he assured Niles. "I'm really ok."

Niles looked like he didn't believe him but didn't pry. "Do you want some water?"

What is up with this human and thinking that water could fix everything? Ashton wondered.

He shook his head, but Niles had already poured him some. "Just try to drink a little bit," Niles suggested.

Ashton frowned, but he took two sips before handing the cup back to Niles. He pointed to the sprite. "Is he going to be ok?" he asked.

Niles ran his hand down his face, and Ashton could see he was worried. "I don't know," he admitted. "I treat a lot of pixies and some woodlands, but sprites are different from both. I'm worried I won't take care of him properly."

Ashton stared at the sprite. Niles had bandaged him up, dressed him in clean clothes, and tucked him into a pile of blankets on the desk. "Why don't you put him in the water?" he asked.

Niles rubbed his jaw. "Should I put him in some water?" he wondered aloud. "I was just worried that it would worsen the bleeding."

Ashton racked his brain, trying to remember how his sprite cousins treated their injuries, but he couldn't recall anything. He was simply never around them enough since he spent all his time at the mother tree. He only knew a few cultural things about sprites from his dad. Next to nothing about day-to-day life underwater. And with how secretive sprites were, it's not like any of his water relatives taught him stuff, especially since he had chosen to live as a woodlands. 

Finally, he shrugged. "I don't know."

"Will being out of the water hurt him?" Niles wanted to know.

Ashton bit his lip. "He should be fine for a day or two, I think?" That was the longest his dad ever spent out of the water, anyway. He looked at the sprite again. His skin was a little dry, but not parched. "He just can't get too dry."

Niles nodded. "I'll set up a humidifier, then. And maybe a spray bottle with water, too."

Niles got up to collect the items that would keep the sprite damp, and Ashton watched him silently. When the human returned, Ashton had another question for him.

"Why did the woodlands bring him to you?"

"Alexo's no healer," Niles explained, pouring water into a machine. "And he's a bit of a loner. Odd for a woodlands, but that's how he's always been. He was separated from his clan before he was old enough for a crest, so nobody knows where he came from. He was raised by some meadow pixies, but he bounces from place to place. Stayed with me for a couple of years, too. Nowadays, he's on his own again, but he brings me injured faeries that he finds from time to time. Sometimes the occasional bird or squirrel, too."

Ashton squinted, trying to imagine Niles treating a squirrel. Finally, he nodded. He'd probably be pretty good at that, too. He looked back at the unconscious faerie and studied him carefully. Even though Ashton didn't really know much about his sprite heritage, he was still oddly relieved to be with another of his own kind. Hopefully the sprite would wake up soon. 

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A/N: Ah, yes, finally some more characters. It only took... what, 16 chapters? Perfect. Hope you enjoy Alexo and the unnamed water sprite. You will see more of them.

Leave a comment or question if you want! See you in the next part!