The Seven: Wanted Dead or Alive

Title: The first rock

Prompt and Word Count: Comfort-300

Characters: Bankotsu

Summary: Part 141 of The Seven: Wanted Dead or Alive.

Prompt Summary: Bankotsu realizes he forgot something important.

---

Turning his attention to the two pickers, hoping to not interrupt the sifters even though they were crouching closer to him than the others were standing against the wall, he prompted, “Rock pile?” Not surprisingly, the sifters acted as though he did not exist and for a moment, he was afraid the pickers were going to do the same as they continued to work without answering. Fortunately, after almost a full minute had passed, one of the pickers paused his strikes for a moment to wipe the sweat off of his brow.

After doing so, he gestured to one of the piles before resuming his work. Nodding his head in thanks, unconcerned that the picker could not see it with his back turned, Bankotsu turned his attention to the pile he had pointed to. Realizing for the first time just how large the pile of discarded rocks was, he was a bit daunted by the sheer size of it, but soon cast such thoughts from his mind. It would do him no good to dread the work before him and the sooner he got started, the sooner he could finish.

Reaching down, he grabbed a rock off the top of the pile, only to cut his hand on a jagged edge he could not see on the far side of it. Cussing under his breath at his own stupidity for having not thought to grab his gloves before starting manual labor, Bankotsu gently sucked the blood from his finger; hoping to help it stop bleeding faster. Making a mental note to grab his gloves of his first trip back up, looking forward to the comfort and protection they would provide for his hands, Bankotsu turned his attention back to the pile of rocks and began to carefully fill his wheelbarrow.