I raise an eyebrow. “Want to clue me in?”
“I’d like to clue you in on a lot of things,” he says cryptically. Before I can ask what in the world that’s supposed to mean, my stomach growls, like really growls. It’s so loud, we can both hear it. That scowl shows up on his face again. “I’ll go get you some food.” He’s gone before I can say a word. I stare at the door he left through.
“What in the entire world was that?” There’s no answer to my question, and I begin the process of trying to move. My body is stiff, and it takes me a while to get moving. When I go to stand up, I expect the pain to be unbearable. But it’s surprisingly tolerable. I suddenly need to go to the bathroom so badly, I’m afraid I won’t make it. I notice the walking stick next to the bed and scowl at it. I go as fast as I can go, jumping on one leg. AfterI finish relieving myself, I stare at the large tub. Suddenly, the thought of hot water on my aching body nearly makes me want to cry. I immediately start filling the tub with the hottest water. I manage to get back into the room and find my clothes. It’s a miracle my bag is here, but I’ll take it. As soon as the tub is filled halfway, I strip out of my clothes. It’s harder to get them off than I thought it would be because of the wrap on my leg, but I manage. I debate a moment what to do about my leg. I finally decide to just submerge my leg, wrap and all. I’m too impatient to wait. It takes an extra few minutes to get in, but when my body is finally submerged in water, my entire body seems to sigh in relief. I’ve just closed my eyes when I hear his voice.
“Harper!”
“I’m in the tub,” I call out to him. “I’ll be out in a few minutes.”
“Cover up, or don’t. I'm coming in.” Before I can process how familiar those words are from the last time this scene played out, I reach for a towel because I know from experience the man has the patience of a...whatever animal has absolutely no patience. The door opens to the bathroom, just as I finish wrapping a towel around my body, which is no easy feat to do in the water.
“What in the world, Rauk? Can I not take a bath in peace?”
His eyes are locked on my face when he says “No. Here. You’re starving.”
I eye the plate of food that’s seriously overflowing. “Uh, not that I don’t appreciate it; but can I maybe finish my bath before I eat?”
“You need to eat,” he starts.
I take a deep breath. “Rauk, I don’t know what your deal is, but you’re driving me crazy. I am going to finish my bath, and then, and only then, I will eat. And if you don’t leave me alone and stop acting like a crazy person, I will find my knife and get some target practice in.”
He smirks, and I see a little of the old Rauk returning. “I’d like to see you try.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Leave. Rauk.”
He smirks again, but it’s softer this time with something, something I can’t quite put a finger on. “I’ll leave, but don’t take too long. You really do need to eat. Call me when you’re ready to get out, and I’ll lift you out.”
“Okay,” I tell him, even though I have no plans to ask him to help me out. I did that one time too many already. I take my time soaking, even though he calls out to me every little bit. Only when I feel ready, do I finally wash my hair and body and climb out of the tub. I use my arm muscles to lift my body up and out of the tub, so I don’t put weight on my leg. My arms are super shaky though, which surprises me. It takes me an embarrassingly long time to get out, and dressed, but I manage to do it...without help. Now that I’m clean, I can’t stop thinking about that plate of food. It motivates me to move faster, and soon, I’m ready to leave the bathroom. I walk or kind of jump carefully over to the door and open it. “I’m starving.”
“Hey,” Rauk says from across the room. Two seconds later, he’s standing in front of me. Before I can say a word, he swings me up and into his arms. “Did you miss the walking stick? You’re not supposed to put weight on your leg.”
“I didn’t.”
He looks down at me. “Then how did you get to the bathroom?”
“I jumped.” He shakes his head. “You’re being dramatic,” I tell him.
“I am not dramatic,” he rumbles low in his chest, which sends an odd shiver through me. He sets me down on the bed and crouches in front of me. “Don’t put weight on that leg until it heals, or you’ll just set back the healing time.” He leans over me, completely shocking me, and starts unwrapping my leg. Neither of us say a word while he wraps my leg with a fresh wrapping from the drawer next to my bed. I go still as he puts his hands on either side of my hips and lifts me up against the pillows. I don’t even fight him because he surprises me so much. “You haven’t eaten in a few days, so take this slow. See what your body can handle.”
“Wait. What?” He turns to look at me, and I realize our faces are only a few inches apart from each other because of how he’s sitting on the bed. I'm not really sure why he decided to sit so close, but that’s not my main point of concern right now. “A few days?” I question.
He nods. “Yeah, it’s been two days since you woke up and another day since you started responding coherently to me.”
I stare at him in shock. “I’ve been out for three days?”
He nods. “Like I said, the sedative they gave me was too strong. I think they miscalculated your weight. You’re tall and muscular, which makes it seem like you should weigh more. But you don’t. I know firsthand from the times I’ve carried you.”
My mind can’t seem to process more than the fact that I’ve been out for days. “That’s crazy. It didn’t feel like I slept for three days.”
“It did to me.”
There’s something in his words, something dark that I can’t begin to process. So, I don’t. “Okay, well that makes sense why I’m so hungry.”
“Eat.” His word is almost like a command, and I level a look at him. He doesn’t back down though, nor does he move away from me.
“Rauk, if I’m going to eat, you have to move. And while you’re at it, take down the intensity a notch or two, or you know...twenty.” When he doesn’t move, I look him in the eye. “Rauk, move.”
He finally stands and walks to the end of the bed. Thankfully, he’s dialed the intensity back just enough that I can eat. And eat, I do. “Man, I didn’t realize how hungry I was!” After I eat my weight in food, I finally begin to come back to reality. “So, what have I missed? Any more guivres? Wait. How’s your back?” I can’t believe I forgot about it.
