Marcus reprimanded Ava kindly, saying, "Oh, hush, Ava, and let me do my job." Even though he was irritated, his voice had a note of concern.
Ava had been putting on a brave face ever since she had been hurt, and she continued to do so.
She brushed off the seriousness of her injury with a dismissive wave of her hand and a sardonic grin, claiming that it was nothing more than a superficial scratch. But Marcus was more discerning.
He could see the tightness around her eyes and the slight grimace she made whenever she moved her arm despite her calm demeanor.
She gave the impression that the wound, which consisted of a deep cut running the length of her forearm, was not as severe as it was.
While concentrating hard on the task, Marcus muttered, "I swear, you're more difficult than any enemy we face. You are worse than a child!" He then used a soothing herbal mixture to clean the wound, being careful not to move her arm around too much while he did so.