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“I’m getting worried at how quickly you’ve become attached to her.” Maybe he saw her a time or two while I’d watched her on the security cameras and recognized her, but I knew him. He was like me. Didn’t cozy up to people easily. Something about this woman drew him to her. I get it, boy, I do. But we . . . can’t.
I gestured for him to move again, and he only tipped his head left, then right, ears pointed up, eyes on me.
“Yeah, yeah.” A smile nearly cut across my lips at how protective he was of her. “I won’t lift her blouse all the way up. Promise, buddy.”
Diana had on the same bright yellow blouse she’d been wearing when taken days ago. The shirt was missing three buttons and covered in grass stains and dirt. I leaned over and removed a little twig from her matted and tangled hair.
You jumped from a moving truck. What were you thinking? Probably not that I was about to get to her. I admired her guts and self-preservation. Checking her stomach, all I found was a faded scar over her belly button. Ah, you little rebel. You had a piercing when you were younger, hmm? I skated the pad of my thumb over the little mark there before doing my best to turn her onto her side without disturbing her.
Thankfully, the IV was helping bring some of her color back. With any luck, she’d wake soon so we could get some food and water into her.
There were a few scratches on her back, nothing too serious. Satisfied with what I found, I gently rolled her around so she was faceup. At seeing her lashes fluttering as if she might come to, relief struck me and I quickly told Dallas, “Down, boy.” She didn’t need to wake up to a wolf in her face.
I stood and discarded the hand towel and antibiotic cream on the nightstand, unsure what to expect when she opened her eyes. Fear again? Would she lash out and attack me like she’d done by the port when she’d thought I’d been yet another threat?
Dallas circled the bed and parked his ass alongside me, both of us waiting quietly, eager to see Diana come to life.
Her subtle stirring transitioned to full-blown shaking and chills, coupled with yelps of pain. Worried the IV would rip free, making things worse, I removed it as gently as possible, doing my best to hold her down without too much force as she trembled on the bed, eyes still closed. With my teeth, I ripped a piece of medical tape from the roll, securing a small gauze pad over the spot where the needle had punctured her skin.
Dallas set his paws on the bed by her, and all I could think to do next was hold her. Sitting on the bed, I gathered her in my arms and hauled her upright so we were chest to chest.
Her teeth clicked together, shock—and possibly the drugs in her system—causing the intense reaction.
Keeping her tight against me, I surveyed the room and spotted another door beyond the bed. “Dallas, check.” He followed my line of sight and went over to the door, set a paw to the handle, and pushed it open, disappearing inside. He quickly came back, indicating the room was clear, and, from the looks of it, a bathroom like I’d hoped.
“Good boy.” I carefully repositioned Diana on the bed so I could stand, then scooped her into my arms and walked us into the bathroom.
She was still shaking, eyes closed, and I used my elbow to turn on the light. I carried Diana over to the tub-and-shower combo, tilting my head toward it while saying, “Dallas, open.”
He trotted in and pulled back the blue shower curtain with his teeth.
“On,” I commanded, and he used his nose to shift the handle up to start the bath water. “That’s a good boy.”
I waited a few more seconds, hoping the water had warmed up, then carefully stepped into the small tub. It was a tight fit for the two of us. I was nearly a head taller than the shower curtain rod.
Using my elbow again, I reached the second nozzle on the wall and switched it over to shower mode. Her legs dangled over my arm and hung outside the tub as I held her beneath the warm spray, the light water pressure softly pelting her face and chest.
“Wh-wh-what’s happ-happ-happening?”
Relief rushed through me at hearing her voice and seeing her wet lashes parting. I shifted so the water stopped hitting her in the face. “I got you,” I promised, unsure why my voice broke when her eyes met mine.
“Car-Car-Carter,” she stuttered, but her trembling was slowing a bit. “It’s you, right?”
I wasn’t sure how clearly she could see me without her glasses, but hopefully she’d be able to remember my voice. “Yeah, it’s me,” I said as she kept her eyes on mine, her teeth clicking together less. “Does it hurt anywhere? Anything feel broken or sprained? Fractured?”
She took her time, and I watched her for signs of pain as she processed everything. Shock was a heavy drug on its own. Throw in what happened to her, plus real drugs, and she must’ve been reeling. “I—I don’t think so. A-achy. Hun-hungry, maybe.”
That’s manageable. Good.
“You—you can put me—me . . . duh-down.”
“No, I’m not letting you go.” I’d almost lost her earlier. If she’d made it onto one of those ships, I couldn’t imagine what would have happened after that.
“I think I can stand.” Her words came out smoother that time, and although I could easily hold her all day if she needed me to, I did as she asked. I gently shifted her around so her sneakers could find the floor of the tub, then I circled my arms around her waist to ensure she didn’t fall.
Her knees buckled, and she flung her arms up over my shoulders to hang on to me. Despite the fact she seemed to be shivering with less intensity, her frazzled, terrified look remained.
Staring into her frantic and apprehensive eyes, I did the first thing that came to mind. I hugged her. Threading one hand through her wild blonde hair, I cupped the back of her head, bringing her cheek to my chest. It was something I never did, but with her it was purposeful and natural. Comforting even me.
