Normally Anna would resist being escorted away from a hurt friend but the look on Serena's face kept her from it... that and the fact that Gunner looked so concerned.

"What I think gunner is trying to say is that Serena is still upset and all of us being here is making her uncomfortable.... I'm sure Seb will return to class after he makes sure she is alright...."

When he mentioned wards her mind snapped back to her other duties. "Bye Serena.... get well soon." 

~*~

Sebastian recognise the aura of another spirit user in the room and then the user herself and actually was grateful for what had to be ms. Matila's attempt to help him in class but he knew that Serena wouldn't be a good test subject for his lessons... she was still too anxious.

"I promise I will be back to class or if you want you can wait outside the room till I'm done. Serena doesn't really like to be touched and I will be alright to help her myself... Thank you Ms. Karp, and you too ms. Matila. I might actually learn something useful this year with another spirit user in the mix..."

He waited until they decided what to do and then, after they had given them the room he met Serena's gaze and gave her a tired smile as he walked over. He pushed up his sleeves and then knelt down in front of her, his hand cupping the back of her calf as he rolled her pants leg up, careful not to hurt her.... 

His eyes flicked up and met hers as he used the hand not on her calf to cup her ankle... "You might feel an odd warmth or a tingle, no pain though so try to relax..."

Turning his eyes back to her ankle he then closed them and felt the magic stir. It welled up inside him... light, laughter, memories, happiness, and joy. He felt all of it and he felt it leave him as he poured it into her, healing her ankle in second and leaving him empty of it after.

Slowly, he opened his eyes and swayed to his feet as he released her ankle. He leaned against the wall tiredly as he tried to look more casual than exhausted. It had been a long time since he had healed anything that serious.

"There you go... all bet-" he froze as momentarily the face he was looking at wasn't Serena... blonde hair covered a black eye and a sad smile curved familiar lips. He cringed and pinched the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes and tried desperately to will the memory away. His free hand shook and he wasn't even aware that he had laughed darkly, the sound semi anguished. God his subconscious was a bitch.

"Scarves and hair bruises and bones, one a ghost and one unknown..." he laughed again bitterly knowing he made no sense. "Shit it hit fast this time... Go on ahead. I'm going to... rest." Or try to anyway. He doubted he would with Anya and his guilt dancing in his head...

His hands still shook and his knees practicality gave when he collapsed onto one of the beds in the infirmary.

~*~

Aleksander sighed... this is why guardians knew that the students were never really ready for reality no matter how hard they tried to ready them. There were some things you learned, hard lessons, you only discovered in field... like that fighting wasn't always an option.

"Say a pair of strigoi attack and while you are fighting one the other takes your ward. Do you kill the partner or show restraint and take him alive to interrogate and find your ward? Say you are suddenly overwhelmed by a group, do you continue to fight knowing you will lose and leave your ward unprotected or do you swallow your pride and retreat in order to get your ward to safety. It is not about the broken bone it is about discipline and knowing when to restrain yourself.... I hope you can understand this?"

He wasn't trying to be an ass but she needed to understand that guardianship was more about the split second life or death decisions and protection than fighting blindly.