AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Confused, I looked between the two of them. I didn’t intend to look sad, but it didn’t look like he was going to back down about it either. He looked angry, but it wasn’t directed at me. That was a first for me.
Gabi glanced at me, the same confusion I felt written all over her face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. We were just talking about breakfast. She said she wanted a shower too, but we need to wait for Britney to get out of class first. She–”
Without a word, Viktor tossed back the blankets and scooped me carefully out of the bed. Gabi made a startled sound, moving out of his way, and followed behind him when he grabbed the IV pole and strode from the room.
“What are you doing?”
“She said she wants to be clean. I will help her with that.”
My mouth fell open. I didn’t mean to make him feel obligated to help me. I could wait for the nurse. I wanted to say all that to him, but he didn’t give me a chance to work up the nerve. Before I could blink, I was sitting on the closed toilet lid while he started the shower. Gabi appeared at the door, staring at Viktor with a stunned expression.
“Viktor, stop. I know you want to help, but–”
He made an irritated noise, his focus on the temperature of the water. I shot Gabi a panicked look and her eyes flicked between me and Viktor before she darted away. I let out a strangled sound. She was leaving me all alone with him and I’d have no choice but to do as he said.
He was just pulling out towels and setting them on the counter when Gabi came back, this time flanked by another woman. This one was blonde, her hair tossed into a messy bun on her head and a to-go coffee in her hand. She took one look at what Viktor was doing and went off on him.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“I am helping her shower.” He turned toward me, but before he could reach for me, she darted into the room, blocking him with a scowl.
“Absolutely not. I said I’d come help when my classes finished.”
He glared at her. “She should not have to wait for you. She is unhappy.”
With her standing in front of me, I couldn’t see her expression, but her annoyance and disbelief were in her tone.
“So your plan to make her happy is to, what, shower with her? She’s hurt. She can’t do it on her own. And Gabi told me she’s afraid of men. You’re going to scare her and probably hurt her even more. What’s the matter with you?”
Viktor froze, his gaze dipping to me. I dropped my chin, staring at the tiles on the floor. I felt guilty. He only wanted to help, but he was scaring me and I’d rather wait a while than have a man I didn’t know help me shower.
He was quiet for a moment before he spoke again. “I apologize. But she shouldn’t have to wait.” He switched to Russian. “She saved lives, Britney. She should not be uncomfortable.”
Britney sighed heavily. “Fine. But if I get a bad grade for missing class, I’m going to beat you over the head with a pan or something. I can’t get my degree if you guys are constantly interfering with my schedule. Gabi, call Amber and have her meet us here. We need more hands.” She turned her attention back to Viktor. “In the meantime, shut the water off. We don’t want it to get cold. She needs food in her belly before she can stand for long periods to take a shower. And Sean needs to remove her IV bag. I know how, but I’m not technically qualified.”
Britney took charge of the situation, forcing Viktor to move me to the living room so she and Gabi could get me something to eat. It was a bustle of activity, everyone moving around. Gabi brought me more of the soup from the night before, while Britney checked me over. She said she wasn’t qualified, but she seemed to know what she was doing, checking my vitals and giving me more pain meds. By the time the doctor arrived, I was fed and medicated, and a little less embarrassed. No one said anything about how dirty I was, and Gabi had already produced a new pajama set for when I finished showering.
When the doctor approached, he was more cautious this time, offering me a kind smile and keeping his distance until he had my permission to move closer to check on me. His touch was gentle as he checked me over.
“Now that you’re moving around on your own, we can stop the IV saline. I’m going to keep the port in for now, just until we can deal with your pain without IV medication. You said she’s been taking the medicine orally?”
That question was for Britney, who bobbed her head. “Viktor gave her some last night, and I gave her some about twenty minutes ago. No IV pain meds since the last dose you gave her.”
He smiled brightly. “That’s excellent. I don’t want you playing the hero. Your pain is genuine, but it’ll be better to get you off the IV medication. What’s your pain level right now? Scale of one to ten?”
He looked at me expectantly, so I forced out a few words to appease him. “I… I guess, six?”
Everyone looked satisfied with that answer except Viktor. He’d been pushed out of the way and stood in the corner with his arms crossed, watching everyone as they worked. His expression darkened at my confession and he stepped forward, interrupting the doctor and Britney speaking.
“That is too high. She needs more medicine.”
Britney shot him a dirty look. “She’ll get more. But since you wouldn’t leave it alone, it’s better for her to have her shower before we drug her anymore. They make people woozy and it could affect her ability to stand. Don’t you have work to do?”
His glower didn’t seem to affect her. It wasn’t until another woman arrived that he stepped out of the apartment. Gabi stood by my side, shaking her head slowly.
“Sorry. I’m pretty sure he blames himself for what happened to you. He’s always been protective, but he seems a little worse with you.”
ChapterEight
