“No, it’s in my back pocket.”
She rose and pulled out her bandana amid a spray of gravel. She held it out and shrugged. “Maybe not.”
“We can leave the wound open, but only if you’re careful not to lean it against anything.”
“The only way I can guarantee that is to stand in the middle of this mine tunnel, and even then, dirt could fall from the ceiling.”
She had a good point. He needed something clean. The outside of their clothes were filthy, but the inside might have possibilities. Unfortunately, all she had on was a tank top. He unbuttoned the end of his left sleeve, which was dark with dirt. “I’m going to need your help.”
She buried the bandana in her back pocket. “Sure, what do you want me to do?”
“We need to rip this sleeve along the seam and at the shoulder. Then we cut off the ends, and—”
“The inside is a clean bandage. Got it.” Reaching into her back pocket, she pulled out a multi-purpose knife. “Now, hold still.”
He raised one eyebrow at her as he held the light so she could see the seam.
Slipping the sharp edge under the cuff so it faced out, she tore the stitching. Once started, she closed the knife and ripped the sleeve to the shoulder. “You know, it would be easier if you just took the shirt off.”
That wasn’t going to happen. At least not while the light was on. “We’re almost done. If you’re nervous about cutting me, you can hold the material while I do it.”
She snorted, making it clear what she thought of that idea. Usually, a woman snorting to him sounded funny or vulgar, but Riley’s snorts were done with such authority, it seemed like just another expression like a grunt or a whistle.
“There. Got it.” The sleeve was pulled from his shirt in a final yank. “Nice guns. Didn’t realize how much was under those sleeves.”
He was glad she couldn’t see his flush. “Good, now I can cut the ends.”
She stepped back. “I can do it.”
He had no doubt she could, so he let her finish the project.
“There. All ready for wrapping.” She turned her left arm over to inspect it. Her movement had caused the blood to flow again. “Let me have your handkerchief.”
Curious, he handed it over, holding the wet side in his hand. “This area is still clean.”
Carefully, she used it to wipe up the blood, then she took the damp part and used it to clean more dirt from around her wound. When she finished, she looked at him. His surprise must have shown on his face. “What? Blood is moist and worthless at this point. Might as well save our water for staying alive.” She held out the sleeve. “Your turn.”
He stepped forward and took the material. “You better hold the light.”
Now that he had a better view of the wound, he could see the jagged edges. Whatever rock had dug into her skin, it hadn’t been sharp. Just sharp enough to do damage and possibly leave pieces of itself behind. He didn’t like that idea at all. “Now that I see this more clearly, I should check for residual rock in the wound.” He looked her in the eye. “It won’t be pleasant.”
Her strange laugh was back. “I’m sure compared to having all my fingernails ripped off, it will be a cake walk.”
Assuming she wasn’t serious, he ignored his own curiosity at the comment for expeditious treatment. By probing the wound and squeezing, additional blood with four small pieces of glittery rock fragments were extracted. Not once did she flinch or make a sound.
He held out his hand for his handkerchief, giving her a moment before touching her arm again. She handed it over without a word, her face stoic. Cleaning the wound once more with the small section of the material that was still useable, he stuck it in his front pocket and wrapped his sleeve material around her arm. Ripping the end in two, he tied it so it fit, but not too tight. Her arm needed stitches, but that wasn’t going to happen before it started to heal unless they were miraculously rescued in the next five minutes.
“There, that’s as good as we’re going to get in here. We make a good team.” He grinned, intending it as a compliment.
She didn’t see him, too intent on her arm. “Looks good. So obviously that plan was a failure. I thought with packing down this earth, we could get farther, but it just delayed the inevitable. Any ideas?”
He stared unbelievingly as she took the water bottle he’d set on the ground and returned it to its place, Dog following her. She’d almost suffocated under pounds of rock and cut her arm badly but acted as if it was a minor setback. She was more than an enigma, she was as complicated as an unsolved arson investigation!
She sat down on the ground below her little rock-shelf and leaned her back against the wall of the tunnel. “Are you coming over here. I need to turn off the light. We’ve already used too much of it taking care of my arm.”
“Sure.” He strode over and plunked down next to her, still stymied by her reaction to what most would consider a brush with death and a painful aftermath.
His ass had barely hit the ground before the place went black again. The way she handled everything about their predicament screamed that she’d been in a similar situation before. He had to know. If it sent her back in time, he’d be right here to pull her back. “You sound like you’ve done this before.”
