Thommy was in good hands indeed.
Helen’s mouth twisted. “It seems you have. But to answer your question, it is not broken. Although, as I was explaining to Thom here, he made it much worse by working all day after he was injured. I’m sure it must have hurt like the devil to swing a hammer or pick with this. If something hurts,” she explained, as if talking to a bairn, “that means you shouldn’t keep doing it.”
“It was fine,” Thommy said stubbornly.
Both women acted as if he hadn’t spoken. Men were so ridiculous when it came to admitting pain. Elizabeth didn’t need a physician to know that. She had three brothers.
“Now, he will need to keep it bound for at least a few days until the swelling goes down,” Lady Helen continued. “I’ve applied a soothing salve, which should be reapplied in the morning and evening before he goes to sleep. He’ll need someone to help him wrap it.”
“I can—”
“I will have one of the men in the barracks see to it,” Thommy said, cutting her off with a sharp glance. “You should go back to the Hall, Lady Elizabeth, you don’t belong here.”
If Helen was surprised by his rudeness, she did not show it.
“As it was my fault you were injured, I certainly do,” Elizabeth replied.
“I doubt your brother would agree. Should we go ask him?”
Elizabeth smiled sweetly at the threat. “You are welcome to when he returns.”
Helen’s head was going back and forth following the exchange, and she seemed to be fighting hard not to smile when Elizabeth finished.
“Would you show me how?” she asked the healer. “That way I can make sure it is done properly.”
“Damn it, I don’t want—”
“I’m sure Lady Helen has other patients who need help,” Elizabeth said, cutting off his protest. “Do you want to waste time arguing or will you let me do this? Good gracious, Thommy, it’s not as if I haven’t touched you before.”
Helen’s eyes shot up at that, and when she realized how it sounded, Elizabeth’s cheeks heated. But at least Thommy seemed to understand she would not be shooed away. He snapped his mouth closed, gave her a hard glare, and turned away from her to face the wall. From the way his jaw was clenched, she was surprised his teeth weren’t cracking.
If she didn’t know him better, she might think that he wasn’t just being stubborn but that hereallydidn’t want her here. But she did know him... didn’t she?
She had to admit this indifferent stranger attitude was slightly disconcerting. He wasn’t just acting like he didn’t know her, he was acting as if he didn’twantto know her.
Lady Helen handed her the strip of cloth and showed her how to wrap it around his shoulder and then around his ribs to secure it. Despite what she’d said about touching him before, Thommy wasn’t the only one who jumped when she pressed the strip of linen to his skin. She felt like she’d been buzzed with lightning.
“I’m sorry,” she said, recovering from the shock. “Did I hurt you?”
He mumbled nay, something that sounded like a curse, and gruffly told her to hurry up and finish.
Now,thatsounded like Thommy. She muttered something back about rude, grumpy, overgrown little boys who were too proud and muleheaded to admit they were hurt.
With Helen’s help, it didn’t take long to wrap the linen around the injured shoulder. Satisfied, Helen told Thommy he could put on his shirt, which due to the loose cut, he was able to do on his own—despite not being able to lift his right arm more than a few inches. Elizabeth suspected that keeping him from lifting was the reason for the binding. Donning his leather surcoat was a bit more difficult, but he managed with Helen’s help.
Without looking at Elizabeth, he thanked Helen, grabbed his plaid and weapons, and started for the door.
Elizabeth exchanged a surprised glance with Helen and went after him. “Thommy, wait! I wanted to—”
Talk to you. But her words were cut off by the sound of a door closing.
Elizabeth blinked, almost as if she couldn’t believe he’d just slammed the door on her.
After a hastily muttered apology to Helen (although why she was apologizing for his rudeness, she didn’t know), she went after him. Actually, as he was walking so fast, she had to run after him.
“Thommy!” Her voice grew louder. “Thommy, wait!”
There were a number of people milling about the yard who turned to look at her. Unfortunately, Thommy wasn’t one of them. He didn’t stop walking until she came up next to him, grabbed his arm, and forced him to acknowledge her. They were a few feet away from what she suspected was the barracks, and the torches near the door provided enough light to see his face. “Good gracious, Thommy, I asked you to wait. Did you not hear me?”
