“Fuck, I really hate seeing you in pain,” I griped, running my hand through my hair. “But you have to lie back.”
“I know.”
Jade eased her way into the water, wincing, baring her teeth as the pain hit. Still, she didn’t get up, didn’t complain, her only vocalization a sharp hiss through her teeth. The bath water reddened as the crusted blood loosened and fell away.
With a cloth and soap, I gently washed her gashes, Jade lifting her hair from her neck so I could reach it. “How you doing?”
“Okay,” she replied. “It’s not so bad now.”
“Just wait until I start slinging iodine.”
The water turned a nasty foamy dull red. I helped her to stand, then drained the water. “Shower time. Just don’t hit me cuz it’ll hurt.”
Under the shower, I washed her wounds again, used shampoo on her hair, rinsed her off. Through it all, Jade endured the pain with guts and toughness, then let me dry her off. After wrapping her in towels, I sat her on the toilet seat, and sucked in a deep breath.
“I gotta do it.”
She smiled. “Just do it.”
I liberally soaked her wounds with the iodine. Jade stiffened, her jaw tight, her eyes closed. Again, she said nothing. Nor did she fight or lash out as I might have if I was in her place. I closed the cap on the bottle, then looked at her wounds again.
“I think we should leave the bandages off,” I suggested. “Just keep the cuts clean.”
“I agree,” she whispered.
I got her into a shirt and panties, then into the bed under the covers. Jade sighed deeply and took my hand.
“Thanks.”
“I owed you. Now sleep. You’re safe. No one will harm you.”
As though my silly words were a soothing balm, Jade closed her eyes. In seconds, she slept. I tucked the blankets under her chin and straightened. I paced to the window and parted the curtains to peer outside. Snow fell more thickly than before, and the wind had increased. The lights of the town gleamed dully through the storm, and very few cars passed by the hotel.
Though the hour was still early, I undressed and crawled into the second bed. After shutting off the lights, I stared at the snow flying past the glass for what seemed like hours.
At last, I slept.
***
Waking early, I yawned, stretched in the comfortable bed, then looked over at Jade. Naked, she sat on her bed’s edge, looking at me with dull eyes. “Jade?”
“I’m really hurting,” she murmured. “Got anything for the pain?”
I got up, pulled my jeans on, then my shirt. “I’ll go down to the front desk.”
Remembering to take my key card, I left the room barefoot, then got into the elevator to get to the main floor. The desk clerk, this time, was a woman in her thirties who smiled while looking at me expectantly. Outside the glass doors, the snow had piled up while a man in a heavy coat, hat, and gloves patiently shoveled it aside.
“My girlfriend is hurting,” I said. “Do you have anything for her pain? I’ll pay for it.”
“Sure. I have ibuprofen, aspirin, Acetaminophen.” After a quick glance around for listeners, she added, “Tylenol with codeine.”
“May I?”
“Sure.” She grinned, then stepped into the back office. A moment later, she returned with a bottle. “You didn’t get this from me.”
“Get what from you?”
Chuckling, she put it in my hand. “Be careful, it’s strong stuff.”
