“Don’t you think it’s time you let go of my hand now?” he bluntly asked, indicating to Kryschenn that he was now aware of her covert efforts to remove his bandage. Shytte, he's on to me! Kryschenn realized. But instead of releasing the leather strap, as he asked, she tightened her grip and gave up on all pretense of secrecy. She quickly started unwrapping the bandage in earnest. If he wouldn't tell her what was wrong with his hand, she felt this was her only only other option and she was not about to give it up, not when she was this close.
With a sudden violent pull at the strap between them, Cole released his anger in three simple words that sounded more like to the wail of a wounded animal than anything remotely human:
“LET GO, NOW!!!”
Kryschenn cringed at the anger and hurt she could feel in Cole's scream at her. But in no way did it loosen her grip or sway her determination. "Not until you tell me what's going on!" she shouted back. He's probably going to hate me for this for the rest of his life, but something serious is going on here and he's just not going to tell me any other way!
Bracing herself as Cole pulled violently at the strap, Krys gave it a hard pull of her own at the same moment. There was resistance, but it gave, and for a wild second she thought she'd pulled his arm out of its socket. No, she hadn't, fortunately. It was a case of her having had more of a chance to get leverage in this desperate tug-of-war; despite his best efforts to prevent it from coming off his hand, the makeshift bandage was unwinding as she pulled with all her strength.
"Cole, please! You've got to tell me what's going on!" she begged as another loop came free, then another... "I'm trying to help you, and I... What the..?!" she gasped when she finally managed to get a good look at the back of his hand as it was exposed.
