by Marla Monroe
“He’s stable. There’s been no more bleeding from the wound in his shoulder that I’ve been worried about. The one in his thigh is still seeping some, but not enough to worry about.” Brice checked the bandages again then backed away from the bed so that Owen could finish covering him with the sheets and blankets.
“What do I need to do for them?”
“Keep their bandages dry. Don’t change them until tomorrow unless they become soaked with blood. Make sure they stay warm and try to get water into them every chance you get. All we can do right now is pray that they don’t get an infection. I expect there to be a low-grade fever as they start to heal but nothing very high. Keep an eye on Luke as well. The others will take turns to come and see about him since you have your hands full.”
“Thank you for all of your help.” Simon shook the man’s hand.
“I’ll check back with you tomorrow afternoon to see if you need anything. Get some rest yourself. If you get sick, they’re dead.”
Simon nodded and followed the man downstairs. He needed to lock up and gather the guns to keep by the bed. He met Jeremy on the stairs.
“We have the door repaired so you can lock it behind us.”
“Thanks. I appreciate everything you and Micah have done.”
He followed the other man back downstairs and noted that everything appeared to have been cleaned up. Rachael walked out of the kitchen with Micah at her side. She smiled at him.
“How is she doing?”
“She’s asleep, but she opened her eyes for a few minutes. She’s going to be fine.”
“Brice said he’ll be back to check on you tomorrow. One of us will check on your herd for you for a while. You’re going to need to spend all of your time taking care of them.”
“Thank you. You don’t know how much I appreciate all of your help.”
Micah just shook his head and led Rachael toward the door. He locked up behind them before checking that all of the doors and windows were secure. Then he gathered up the weapons and carried them upstairs and left them by the bed before hurrying back downstairs to fix some coffee and a sandwich. He would need his strength to watch over them.
He carried a pitcher of water and a glass along with his coffee back upstairs. Then he settled down in the chair to begin his vigil. He hoped the coffee would help him remain alert. He needed to watch over them for these first few hours. He was sure they were the most crucial. Then he would rest some before Brice returned the next day.
Several times Owen moaned and moved around on the bed. He carefully held him still so he wouldn’t stir up the bleeding again. He didn’t feel particularly hot, so he didn’t think he had a fever yet. More than likely he was dreaming about the attack. He and Luke had all but given their lives to keep the women safe. He needed to check on the other man.
Simon stood up and stretched, and then he walked into the other room and checked all of Luke’s bandages. There didn’t seem to be any bleeding, and his skin was warm but not hot. He dampened a cloth and wiped the man’s face and readjusted the covers over him. He was pale, but his breathing seemed normal. He shook his head. None of this should have happened. The world they were living in really was fucked up.
He turned away and returned to his bedroom to find Owen’s eyes open and gazing at Skyler. When he walked in, Owen looked up and gave him a weak smile.
“Is she okay?”
“She’s going to be fine. She opened her eyes earlier, but didn’t say anything. She needs rest. How are you feeling?”
“Like someone ran me through a blender.”
“Here, try to drink some water. You need to keep hydrated.” Simon helped him lift his head enough to take a few sips of the water.
“Thanks. What about Luke?” Concern furrowed his brow.
“He’s next door in the other bedroom. It was too dangerous to move him tonight. So far he’s holding his own.”
“What about the other women?”
“They are all okay. Some cuts and scratches, but nothing major.”
Owen sighed and closed his eyes again. He was quiet for so long that Simon thought he’d fallen back asleep. Then he opened his eyes once again.
“Did you get them all?”
“There were six of them and we got them all. They won’t be bothering anyone again.”
“But there will be more.”
Simon sighed. “Yeah, there’ll be more.”
“What are we going to do, Simon? I thought between the two of us we could keep her safe.”
“Don’t worry about it now. We’ll do whatever we have to. You need to heal. I need you, buddy. There’s going to be some changes.”
Owen just nodded his head and closed his eyes once again. This time his breathing evened out so Simon knew he had gone to sleep again.
He watched the two most important people in his life breathe in and out. He longed to curl around Skyler and hold her, but was afraid he would hurt her in his sleep. He had no choice but to wait in the chair for now. He needed to stay awake anyway so he could take care of them and Luke. He’d grab a nap later.
Thoughts of what they would do to keep Skyler safe drifted around in his mind. Owen had made a great sacrifice in sharing her with him to ensure her safety. He would do no less. If that meant living with another family in their home, then that is what they would do. Four men should be able to keep two women safe. Somehow they had to make it work. He knew the others were all thinking the same thing. Now all they had to do was work it out between them.
Chapter Fourteen
Later the next day, Simon stood up and stretched. His muscles were tight from having sat in the chair for so long. Owen had been awake off and on during the night and all morning. Skyler had moved around restlessly but hadn’t opened her eyes again. Luke was still holding his own, but he hadn’t woken up either.
He checked on Luke before heading downstairs to fix something to eat. He warmed up some coffee and sipped on it while he ate the sandwich. A knock at the door had him reaching for the rifle he kept with him at all times.
A quick check at the window let him know it was Brice. He unlocked the door and let the other man in.
“How are they all doing?”
“Luke hasn’t changed. Owen seems better. He wakes up off and on. Skyler has woken up yet, though. I’m worried about her. None of them appear to be running a fever yet.”
“That’s good. Why don’t you rest down here while I check on them? I’ll sit with them for an hour or so and you can relax.”
“Thanks, I think I’ll take a quick shower and then cook something. They’ll need something to eat when they wake up good.”
Simon followed Brice up the stairs and grabbed clean clothes before heading for the bathroom. He closed the door to the bathroom to keep in the heat and turned on the water. Once it had reached an acceptable temperature, he stepped in and quickly lathered up. He didn’t want to waste time when he needed to be cooking something that would be good for the others when they were able to eat.
So intent on rushing through his shower, Simon didn’t even notice the tears that had started to fall until he was drying off. Despite wiping his face, it kept getting wet again. He ran his fingers over his eyes and realized he was crying silent tears. He refused to let them win. He roughly scrubbed his face and then quickly shaved by the light of the lantern before dressing and returning to the bedroom to check on them.
Brice smiled at him and nodded that everything was okay. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to leave the room. The other man would take care of them while he cooked. It had to be done. Broth from a roast would be good for when they first woke up and then the roast itself would provide the protein they would need to heal when they were able to actually eat solid food again.
Nearly an hour past while he worked in the kitchen. As soon as he had things going, he built the fire back up in the fireplace and brought in more wood. Then he went back upstairs to relieve Brice.
“How are they doing?”
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“Everyone is doing remarkably well. Even Luke. Owen was awake for a few minutes a while ago. I gave him more water. You can probably feed him some broth or soup when he wakes up again if it’s ready by then.”
“Good. I’ll do that. What about Skyler? Why isn’t she waking up?”
“I think she has a slight concussion from the bullet that grazed her temple. Plus, I’m thinking she is rebelling at the thought that those men won. Talk to her as much as you can and let her know that everything is fine. She’ll come around.”
He followed Brice back down stairs and saw him out so he could lock the door. When he’d been down in the kitchen earlier, he’d found eggs and milk on the back porch where one of the others had tended to his chores for him. It still overwhelmed him at how they had all banded together to help like they had. He knew there was no way any of them would have survived had it not been for all of their help.
When he returned to the bedroom, it was to find that Owen was awake again. He fussed about having to stay in bed.
“I feel well enough to sit up.”
“Brice said you need to remain flat on your back for another twenty-four hours. You don’t want those wounds to open back up, do you?”
“Fuck. This sucks.” He drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out. It was obvious that he was still weak, but he wouldn’t let on.
“I’ll get you something to eat in just a few more minutes. It needs to cook a bit longer. Try and rest until it’s ready.”
Simon had barely gotten the words out of his mouth before Owen was once again dozing. He smiled. The man was stubborn. That was for sure. He glanced down and smiled. Owen’s hand was wrapped around Skyler’s on top of the cover. He gently pulled the covers from beneath then and covered them up again. It wouldn’t do for them to catch cold.
After sitting there watching them for another thirty minutes, he got up and checked on Luke. The other man had moved around some in the bed. He checked the bandages and found them to all still be dry. Maybe he was getting better then.
When he returned to the others, it was to find Owen awake once again. His color looked a little better this time, too.
“Ready for something to eat?”
“Yeah. I could eat.”
“I’ll go get a bowl of broth. If you do okay with that, I’ll let you have some roast with it next time.” Simon hurried downstairs and dipped a small bowl of broth from the warming roast.
He turned off the stove and left it to deal with later. He would eat something when he brought Owen’s bowl back down.
“That smells good.” Owen drew in a deep breath as Simon walked around the bed with the bowl.
“Let’s get you up a little bit. Hold on.” Simon helped him recline back against the headboard with a pillow behind him.
Owen managed to eat all of the broth, though he did spill some on his chest. Simon cleaned him up and followed up with some water. His friend managed to drink half the glass this time. Once he had him lying back in bed again, he took the bowl back downstairs and took care of the food. He ate a quick bite, eager to return to Skyler’s bedside again.
When he walked back into the room, Owen smiled at him.
“She moaned and moved around some. I think that’s a good sign.”
“Did she open her eyes?”
He quickly checked her bandages to be sure she hadn’t started bleeding again.
“No. But she will soon. You watch.”
Simon nodded and sat back down. He wanted to see her pretty eyes blinking back at him once again. He missed her.
* * * *
Skyler felt as if her side was on fire. Her head pounded and her ears were ringing. She tried to open her eyes, but they wouldn’t budge. What was wrong with her? Did she have appendicitis?
She moaned and tried to move, but she didn’t seem to have much energy. She lifted her hand and brought it to her face. There was a bandage on her head. Why was it there? She tried to think back, but the throbbing in her head only got worse when she tried to remember.
“Skyler? Can you hear me? Wake up, baby. We’re worried about you.” The voice sounded familiar, but she couldn’t place it.
Something was wrong. She sensed it. She slowly drifted off. When she woke up again, she could open her eyes. The room was dark and she couldn’t make out where she was. Nothing seemed right. She turned her head and recognized Owen sleeping next to her. She inhaled his scent and felt a little better.
When she turned her head to the other side, it was to see the outline of someone sitting in a chair next to the bed. Who was it? She couldn’t think. Something had happened. It was just out of reach. The banging in her head grew worse. She tried to relax to get it to lessen. Finally, she felt a bit better. She tried to sit up and found that her side was too painful. She pushed back the covers and looked down at her abdomen. On the side was a large bandage.
“Hey! Skyler. Easy, baby. You’ll hurt yourself.”
She jerked her eyes up and found herself staring at a stranger. No, that wasn’t true, he seemed familiar. She just couldn’t quite place him. Skyler scrambled to pull the cover back over her seminude body.
“Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?” The stranger leaned over her and ran the back of his hand against her cheek.
She jerked back from his touch. His eyes widened, and he looked sad. He didn’t try to approach her again. Instead, he sat back down and looked at her.
“Who are you?”
“You don’t remember me?”
She carefully shook her head. It still ached.
“I’m Simon. Do you remember Owen?”
“Of course I remember him.” She scooted closer to her lover, seeking out his warmth.
“Careful, he’s hurt, too.”
“What’s wrong with him? What happened?” She immediately tried to turn toward Owen, but her side burned.
“You were attacked by black market agents and shot. You really don’t remember?”
She shook her head. Black market agents? What were they? She couldn’t stop the tremor that wracked her body at the realization that she was basically alone with a stranger and Owen was hurt.
“Easy, Sky. Everything will be fine. Owen is recovering and so are you. Just relax. I’m going to go get you something to eat. You need to heal. Promise you’ll stay in bed so you don’t pull your stitches?”
At her nod, the stranger stood up and stepped away from the bed. In the dim light of the lantern he carried with him, she hadn’t been able to really see him, but something was familiar about him. She wished she could remember what had happened. Nothing about the room seemed familiar. She was afraid to close her eyes in case she fell back asleep. She didn’t want to sleep right then. She wanted answers instead.
Owen had been shot. It slowly sank in that nothing was what she remembered if they had both been shot. She tried to make out her lover’s features, but without the lamp, she could barely make out that there was someone in the bed next to her.
Finally, the sound of footsteps outside the door and a faint flickering light announced the return of the stranger. He walked into the room and set the lamp and a bowl on the bedside table.
“Let me help you sit up so you can try some broth.” He helped her ease up in the bed and placed a pillow behind her
“Thanks. What’s your name?” She could tell it hurt him that she didn’t remember him.
“My name is Simon. You and Owen live with me.”
She frowned. She didn’t remember moving in with anyone. When had they done that? Why had they done that? Another thing finally dawned on her. There was no electricity for some reason.
“Why don’t you have electricity?”
There was a long few seconds of silence as he stared at her. Then he was holding the bowl for her and handing her a spoon.
“Eat your broth and then get some more rest, Sky. We’ll talk in the morning. You need to heal.”
Skyler sipped at the broth, realizing she was hungry. She cleaned the bow
l and then drank the water he gave her before helping her to settle back in the bed once again. She looked over at Owen and wished he would wake up so she wouldn’t feel so scared and alone. She wouldn’t wake him, though. He needed to sleep.
“Rest, Sky. I’m going to take this back downstairs. I’ll be right back.”
She jerked her head back toward him and wished she hadn’t moved so fast. Her head still hurt. She just nodded at him. He sighed and gathered up the bowl and the lamp once again and left her there in the dark.
It seemed like much longer before he returned with the lamp. She thought she had dozed off and on while waiting on him. He was her only source of information, and she wanted to know what was going on. Something niggled in the back of her mind, but the more she pushed, the harder her head hurt.
As Simon sat back down in the chair next to the bed, Skyler felt Owen move next to her. She turned and smiled when his eyes opened.
“Sky! You’re awake. I’ve been so worried about you. Simon’s been a basket case.”
She looked at him then back at Simon. “Why would he be so worried?”
Owen frowned, but before he said anything, Simon spoke up.
“She doesn’t remember anything, Owen. She doesn’t remember living here. She doesn’t even remember me.”
Skyler winced. He sounded so sad about that. She realized she had hurt his feelings more than she had thought. That seemed strange to her. Owen reached over and cupped her cheek with his hand.
“Baby, we moved here when things got to be too dangerous at home. Remember?”
“Why would things be dangerous at home?” She blinked at him. Nothing was making sense.
She caught Owen looking at Simon across her. They seemed to be silently communicating. She didn’t like being left out.
“What?”
“Don’t worry about it right now, baby. All you need to do is concentrate on getting well. Everything will be fine in a few days. You’ll see.” Owen pulled her hand to his mouth and kissed it.
“I’m going to go check on Luke. I’ll be right back.” Simon stood up and ran a hand over his face before walking out the door.