by Marla Monroe
“He drank half the glass.” Tripp was pulling on his jeans.
“Keith? Can you hear me?” Piper climbed up on the bed next to him.
He opened his eyes and smiled. He reached for her, and she slipped into his arms. He hugged her then pulled her down with him in the bed.
“I don’t think he plans to let me go, Tripp. Maybe you could bring me some coffee in a little while.”
“Better you than me.” Tripp chuckled and finished dressing. “I’ll be back in a little while. Call out if you need help.”
Piper snuggled up against Keith’s chest. “I’m so glad you’re awake. I’ve been so worried about you. Can you say anything?”
“Piper.”
His voice rumbled in his chest and into her ear. She smiled. It was great to hear his voice.
“That’s me. Do you feel better? Do you want anything?”
“Okay. Piper.”
She laughed. Evidently he felt okay and he wanted her. That sounded like Keith. She laid her hand on his chest and waited for Tripp to return with coffee. Maybe Keith would like some, too. She hoped Tripp thought about that.
“Hungry.”
“I’ll go get you something.” She started to get up, but he wouldn’t let her go.
“Tripp fix.”
She laughed again. It was wonderful to have him back. Albeit not quite well, but back just the same. She hugged him.
“We’ll tell him when he brings my coffee back.”
Thirty minutes later, Tripp walked in with two cups of coffee and a giant smile on his face.
“Figured he would want some, too.”
“He said he was hungry. Can you fix something and bring it to him?”
Tripp gave a mock growl. “Look, Keith, I’m not your manservant. We’ve walked you back and forth to the bathroom a half dozen times since you’ve been sick. Get your ass up and cook your own damn breakfast.”
“Later. Coffee now.”
“He’s demanding.”
Piper grinned and nodded. She shoved at Keith’s arm. “Let me up so I can drink my coffee.”
He moved his arm but just wound it around her waist instead. She could sit up, but she couldn’t go anywhere.
“Looks like you’re stuck for the day.” Tripp handed her the coffee cup. He put the other one on the night stand. “You can have yours when she finishes hers and gets it for you. I’ve got to go cook someone breakfast.”
Piper smiled as he headed toward the door. She sipped her coffee and hummed her appreciation. It tasted wonderful. She noticed Keith eyeing the mug.
“Do you want some?”
“Yes.”
“Then we have to sit you up. That means you’ve got to let go of me so I can set my cup down.”
He squeezed her for a few seconds before letting her go. She scooted out of his grasp and put her cup on the table next to his. Then she climbed back up on the bed and helped him pull up to a sitting position. Then she stuffed all the pillows behind him so he was sort of sitting up. Cocking her head, she decided it would have to do. She picked up his cup and handed it to him. He grasped it but was shaky. She helped him carry it to his mouth and sip then held it as she rested. Then they did it again. He smiled and made an mmm sound.
“Done.”
Piper put his cup back down and grabbed hers. She sat on the edge of the bed and smiled as she sipped the delicious coffee. Keith frowned at her. She knew what he wanted, and she wasn’t going to fall for it again.
“Nope, I’m not getting back in bed with you right now. I have some things I need to do. Then I’ll take a nap with you later. Deal?”
He made a face but nodded.
Ten minutes later, Tripp returned with a tray and a plate of food. He glanced at Keith sitting up haphazardly and shook his head.
“I see that you tried to get him up. I hope you didn’t hurt yourself trying to pull on him.”
“He did most of the pulling. I just held his hand and then stuffed pillows behind him.”
Tripp nodded and walked around the other side of the bed. He climbed up and removed the pillows and straightened Keith up before adding back two pillows. She had to admit, he looked a lot more comfortable. Then Tripp put the tray on the bed over Keith’s legs.
“Can you feed yourself?”
Keith moved his hand up and managed to grab the fork, but couldn’t maneuver it around too well. He looked disgusted. Tripp grabbed the fork just before Keith threw it.
“None of that. It takes time. You’ve come a long way, man. I bet if you act nice, Piper will feed you.”
Keith still looked disgruntled but nodded. He cut his eyes over at her.
Piper smiled and grabbed his coffee after setting hers back down. She climbed up on the bed and set the cup on the tray. She figured it would be fairly easy to help him eat.
Twenty minutes later, she was exhausted and frustrated. He had managed to eat about half of the meal with another fourth of it on the bed. She tried to help him feed himself, but finally gave up and did it herself. He was stubborn to the core.
“Looks like it’s time to change the sheets. That means you’re going to be sitting up in the chair for a while today.”
“Ready now.”
“Sorry, you’re going to have to wait until Tripp can help me. I can’t handle you. You’re a big dude.” She cleaned him up then as much of the mess in the bed as possible. “I’m going to get dressed now and go downstairs to eat. I’ll be back up again in a little bit to see about you. Okay?”
“Okay, quick.”
She shook her head with a smile and searched for clothes to put on. She chose shorts and a T-shirt. She needed to check the garden as well as eat breakfast. She waved at Keith before picking up the tray. Then she hurried out the door and down the stairs.
“How’d he do?” Tripp took the tray and dumped the leftovers into the recycler.
“Okay, but he’s stubborn and wanted to feed himself. We made a mess. I need to change the sheets later. You’ll have to help me get him over to the chair.”
“No problem. I’ll do it. Just tell me when you’re ready.” He pulled her in for a quick kiss. “Now sit down and eat. You need to keep your strength up to deal with him.”
“You’re telling me. He’s very insistent on wanting me in bed with him.”
“Hey, I’d be the same way. I’d want you there, too.”
“I imagine he’s frustrated at not being able to move on his own or say what he wants to say. I can’t imagine that.”
“He’ll be good as new soon. He’s really made a lot of progress in just the last twenty-four hours.” Tripp washed his hands. “I’m going to go check on the garden.”
“Wait! I want to go, too. I just need to get the camera.”
“Finish eating. I’ll wait on you.” Tripp ruffled her hair like a kid and sat down across from her.
She hurried and finished eating, swallowing some of it whole. She would probably regret that later, but she didn’t want Tripp to get tired of waiting and go without her.
“I’ll be right back.” Piper ran out of the kitchen toward the office. She grabbed the camera and hurried back to find Tripp standing at the door.
“I know the fence is up, but be aware of what’s around you all the time.”
“Got it.” She shuffled from foot to foot, eager to get outside.
Tripp chuckled and opened the door. He looked around then walked outside into the sunshine. The morning was already warming up quite a bit. He told her it would be a hot one. Piper hurried over to the garden, and her jaw dropped. The plants were already out of the ground. She had missed them breaking through.
“I’ll be damned. Would you look at that? They’re already growing.” Tripp stepped up next to her as she aimed the camera and took pictures.
She eased down each row, taking close ups of several of the plants. Then she pulled out a pencil and stuck it in the ground to act as a measure. By the time she had finished documenting the entire garden, she was sweatin
g. Tripp had dragged the water hose out and turned it on to flood the rows.
“Tripp, show me the plant you were worried about. I want to take pictures of it.”
“I don’t want you anywhere near it, Piper. We don’t know if that’s what happened to Keith or not. I don’t want to take a chance.”
“I’ll stay away from it. Just get me close enough that I can take a picture. Remember, I have a zoom lens. Please, Tripp. I need to document it in my booklet.”
He frowned but thinned his lips and nodded. “You don’t get any closer than I put you, understand?”
“I won’t move. Believe me. I don’t want to go through what Keith is going through.”
Tripp led her over toward the back of the garden near a tree line. He put her where he wanted her before pointing out the slightly trampled, blue-tinged plant with a double stalk. The leaves were much like a maple trees were with points on the ends. They didn’t look like thistles though.
Piper took a dozen pictures from different angles with Tripp’s approval. Then she looked around for anything else she might need to document.
“Come on, baby. We better get back inside. You’re getting a little too much sun, and I’m sure Keith is chomping at the bit to move.”
“Oh, I almost forgot about him. He’d be hurt if he knew that. We better hurry.” She all but ran back to the house. When she got inside, Piper set the camera on the table and headed upstairs.
Tripp caught up with her on the landing. “You’re going to need help. Don’t go trying to move him on your own.”
“I wasn’t. I knew you were right behind me.”
They walked into the bedroom together and sighed. Sitting on the floor by the bed was a very naked and pissed-off Keith. He glared at them.
“Hey, buddy, don’t look at me like that. I’m not the one that had to be stubborn and try something he had no business trying yet.” Tripp walked over and helped him stand up. Then he walked him over to the chair and helped him in it.
“Keith, did you hurt yourself?” Piper grabbed the sheet off the bed and wrapped it around his waist.
“No. Pride.” He sighed.
“I know. You’re doing so much better, Keith. Be a little more patient.”
“While I was sick, knew you were there. Couldn’t say anything. Frustrated. Hard to be patient.
She leaned down and kissed him. “I know.”
Tripp had stripped the bed. She walked to the closet and pulled out another set of sheets. They remade the bed, and Tripp took the sheets downstairs for her. She would wash them later.
“I bet you would feel better if you had a shower, wouldn’t you.”
“Feel better.” He smiled.
“I’ll get Tripp to help you take one this afternoon after we take a nap. I need to see about some things downstairs. Will you be okay sitting up for another hour?”
He nodded and sighed. She was sure he was tired of being alone. She didn’t blame him. She would hurry so she could get back upstairs and keep him company.
Piper hurried down the stairs again and walked into the kitchen. Tripp was putting together some sandwiches.
“I figured we would eat in another hour.”
“Afterwards, will you help me get Keith back in bed? I figured we would take a nap together. Then maybe you could help him shower. He would feel so much better.”
“Good idea on the shower. I’ll do that if you help me bathe him. You just have to be careful and not get under him if he starts to lose his balance. If he fell on you, he’d hurt you.”
Piper grinned. “I’m going to work on the pictures for an hour. Come get me if I lose track of time.
She headed toward the office with the camera. Once there, she soon lost herself in working on the photos. She couldn’t get over how fast the plants had grown in the garden. They’d just planted them. She documented their growth in the pamphlet and arranged the pictures to show the best ones.
When she got to the picture of the unknown plant, she managed to blow up the leaves enough to notice that there were little sticky things on them. She checked several other pictures of the leaves to be sure it wasn’t just from her blowing it up. They all showed them. A few of the little sticky things were a light brown color, and some still had that blue tint to them. She printed off several of them and carried them out to find Tripp.
He was in the living room reading over some of the information on the ranch they had been given. He looked up when she walked in the room.
“What is it? You look like you’re about to burst.”
“Look. These are the leaves from that plant. Do you see anything strange about them?”
He stared at them then pulled them closer and stared harder at them. He shook his head slowly before staring up at her.
“They have little stickers on the leaves. They’re tiny. I didn’t see them when I looked at them before.”
“See how some of them are brown and some are still that blue color? I think the brown ones stick, and the others are still immature. I bet this is what got Keith. Those bubbles are about the shape of the leaf.”
“Fuck, we didn’t even know to stay away from it. I wonder how many more there are around here?” Then he looked back at her again. “You’ve got to get this information out so that everyone will know to stay away from it.”
“I’ll work harder to finish up my dangerous plants pamphlet so maybe we can take it to town sometime.”
“We’re taking Keith to see the doctor as soon as he’s able to travel. He wants to see him and draw blood so he can compare it to everyone else’s he’s dealt with. We can take it then if you have it ready.”
“I’ll work on it until I get it done.” She looked at the clock over the mantel. “Looks like it’s time to eat and then see about Keith again.”
“You put the pictures back up, and I’ll grab the sandwiches and meet you upstairs.”
Piper returned the pictures to the office and thought about how close they’d come to losing Keith. She couldn’t imagine being without him. She needed to tell them both that she loved them. They might not ever fall in love with her, but she didn’t want something to happen to any of them without her telling them that she loved them. Their lives were fragile in this new world. Anything could happen to any of them. She hated to admit it, but it was the truth. She would tell them tonight.
Chapter Fifteen
Keith woke up feeling even better than before the nap. Now he felt like he could move on his on, but he would wait for help. He didn’t want to fall flat on his ass again. Not only had it hurt like a son of a bitch, but he’d felt like a fool.
Piper stirred next to him. He smiled. She’d come to bed with him so he wouldn’t be alone. He loved her more than he loved life. He needed to tell her. He should have already told her. If something had happened, and he had been killed, he would have regretted never telling her.
“Are you awake, Keith?” She lifted her head to look at him.
“I’m awake. Ready for that shower.”
“You’re talking better. That’s great!” She climbed up in the bed and kissed him soundly on the mouth.
“My leg itches.”
“You have a rash on it. We think we found the plant that got you so sick. It isn’t one of the ones they told us about. It’s a new plant I’ve never seen before.”
“Is my leg okay?” He began moving his leg.
“It’s fine. You have a bumpy rash on it, and it’s a sort of greenish color.”
“My fucking leg is green?” He frowned and tried again to get to his leg.
“Careful, Keith. Don’t hurt yourself.”
He kicked the covers off and managed to sit up and look at his legs. He found the weird green area with the bubbly skin. It wasn’t really a rash. It looked more like burns with bubbles. It almost made him sick to look at it. What in the hell did it mean? Was it going to spread?
“It’s fine. It hasn’t changed at all since we found it.”
“I need to move ar
ound. Stiff.”
“Let me go get Tripp. I’m scared I can’t help you.”
Keith nodded and watched her climb off the bed and dress before heading toward the stairs. He waited impatiently. What the fuck was taking so long? He rolled over to the edge of the bed and pulled himself up so that he was sitting upright. He didn’t try to get up. He’d exhausted himself, and he needed to have enough energy to take a shower. He could smell himself. How had Piper stood to sleep next to him?
Tripp walked into the room with Piper behind him. She started taking her clothes off again. Tripp stripped as well.
“Ready for a bath, man?”
“Ready. I hope I can stand up so you don’t have to hold me up.”
“We’ll get you clean one way or another. Just let me do the work so we don’t end up on our asses on the floor.”
“Ready, Piper?” Tripp asked.
“Ready.”
Tripp pulled Keith to his feet and wrapped an arm around his upper chest and walked him to the bathroom. Keith felt like he was doing fairly well at walking. Once they got to the bathroom, Tripp lowered him to the toilet to wait while he turned on the water and adjusted the temperature. He wondered if Piper was going to do the actual bathing part. He sure as hell hoped so. He really didn’t want Tripp doing that.
Tripp helped him to his feet again and into the shower. The water felt like heaven to him. He was able to hold himself up using the back wall for support. Piper began to bathe him. He looked down at his nasty-looking calf where the green-tinted skin was. He sure as hell hoped it would go away. Something told him that it wasn’t going to, though.
He watched as Piper ran the cloth over his chest and down his abdomen. She skipped his genitals and bathed his leg, avoiding the green area. Then she walked around behind him and began bathing his back. She worked her way down his ass and cleaned between his ass cheeks. It felt weird for her to do that. At last, she rinsed out the cloth and soaped it up again and cleaned his cock and balls. She was gentle, but it stirred him, and his dick began to get hard. He breathed a sigh of relief. He’d been worried about that.
“Um, Keith. I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to um, take care of that. You aren’t strong enough not to fall. Maybe when you’re in bed.”