"Ugh," I let out a cry of frustration. This is not good. Ze needs my full attention at this moment. Nodding to myself, I turn him on his side to examine the site of the wound.

"Damn it," I mutter when I realize it's gone—healed. I should have expected that given his natural ability to heal. But that also means that the venom went straight to his bloodstream. Who knows how well he can deal with something attacking him from the inside. I'm not an expert in healing, but I assume the body won't have such an easy time fighting off the venom if it spreads through the blood.

Not very pleased with my findings, I decide to do what I can—namely clean the rest of the blue residue off his skin. I softly lay him on his back again before I set to work.

Reaching for the pieces of cloth I laid aside, I grab one, soaking it in the water.

I start with his face. Though I wiped his cheeks before, they are still stained. Tracing his forehead, I move the cloth softly over his skin. The planes of his face are a surprising combination of sharp and soft. Where his cheekbones and his jaw are sharp, his lips are full and soft. As I peruse his face, I wonder if his species is similar to ours, with more than one race. His features are reminiscent of East Asian ancestry, yet there's still something foreign to them. Something that's both alluring and frightening.

As I finish with his face, I move lower to his neck. His pulse is strong, which gives me hope that this isn't too serious and that he'll awaken soon. His neck and collarbone have the most direct splatters, the rest of his torso only stained by the fluids that have seeped through his clothes.

I exchange the dirty cloth for a clean one and continue wiping down his torso. His chest rises and falls, his breathing steady yet punctuated.

Trailing down his abdominals, I make sure there's nothing left in the grooves of his muscles. But as I trail lower and lower, I get a little apprehensive. Taking a deep breath, I quickly clean the skin peeking through the band of his pants before I discard the cloth as well.

When I'm done, I go back to the fire to check on the boiling water. Seeing that it's done, I carefully move it to the side, letting it settle for a few moments before adding his shirt and the dirty cloths in the container and stirring them together. It might not work as well as soap, but it should at least remove some of the dirt.

"Ah," a sound echoes in the cave.

Turning sharply, I see Ze turning around in his sleep, his features tense, his brows bunched together.

"Ze? Are you all right?" I ask, my voice full of worry.