Page 89 of Boss

“The first aid kit, I need it. Where is it?”

“I don’t... maybe the bathroom upstairs... There’s one in the stables... I think,” he mumbled. “Wait Kassidy, are you hurt?” He forced himself to sit up, and looked at the blood on her feet.

“I got cut, but it’s okay, I’m okay.”

“Oh shit sweetheart. Shit!” he shouted. “Fuck. The more you stay with me the more I hurt you.”

“Tarek? This isn't your fault.”

“It is! I should have gotten the fucking tractor and got you out of here! Damn it!”

“I wanted to stay, here, with you,” she touched his face. He frowned. “Are you hurt? Does it hurt elsewhere? Like your chest or your legs? Any trouble breathing? You were covered under that tree and roof stuff.”

“I’m okay, I...” he wheezed.

“Tarek? Tarek you have to stay awake,” she said.

He was unconscious again. He slumped forward. Kassidy grabbed his face and slapped his cheek. He groaned but didn’t fully awake. She checked for his pulse and felt it strong beneath her fingertips. But he could be bleeding internally. She had to get them help. She had to. To make sure he was able to breathe, she carefully forced him to lie on his side. Then she located the blankets and quilts she brought in from the laundry room. She covered him as much as she could. It was so cold she was shivering, instinctively knowing that the blankets wouldn’t keep him warm for long. Limping and trailing blood, she went into the parlor and found one of the pillows from the sofa. She returned back to him. She put his head on it, and then stood. She let the wall help her by balancing her hand against it until she reached the bottom railing to the stairs. She used the banister to help her climb them, and did most of the walking on her toes. Each step felt like a knife plunged deeper into the bottom of her feet. But she didn’t give in to her suffering. She forced herself to go further. When she reached the bedroom and bathroom she was relieved. She searched the cabinets. She couldn’t find anything, not even a bottle of peroxide.

Kassidy felt like crying. She felt like giving up.

She went to the tub and rinsed her feet. The clearing away of blood revealed that the cuts weren’t as deep as they felt, but still they bled. She grabbed a rag and dried her feet. Then she found tissue to wrap around both before limping back into his room, and digging through his dresser drawer to pull out two thick pair of socks. She put them on using the tissue as her bandages. She then went to the closet and picked out a pair of his Timberland boots, and another pair of his jeans knowing she needed to layer up.He was hurt. There was nothing more she could do by waiting for someone to show up. She had to get them help. She would go to the barn and see if she could start the Caterpillar.

Kassidy returned downstairs, wincing with every step. She found him where she left him.

“Tarek,” she said. She was on her knees before him now. “Tarek, can you hear me?”

He didn’t open his eyes. She bit down on her bottom lip and looked back into the kitchen. He could freeze to death lying where she left him. She had to summon the strength to move him. Kassidy managed to stand. She grabbed him from under his arms. He weighed a ton she thought as she pulled and dragged him with all her might. And it was hard. The blankets were left behind. Her back ached excruciatingly with old and new pain but she ignored it and continued to drag him. When she thought she couldn’t make it another step, when she reached the parlor and saw that Tarek was awake. He looked up at her confused.

“You’re okay. You’ll be okay,” she said overjoyed.

“What’s going on?” he groaned.

“You blacked out on me. Scared the crap out of me too. Can you please try to stand? Try to make it to the sofa?” she asked. “I can’t lift you.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he said. To help she pushed at his back so he could sit upright. He put his hand to the side of his head and drew it away. He looked at his fingers and saw the blood.

“Your chest and legs, are they hurt really bad from the fall?”

“Fall?” he asked in confusion. “I fell?”

“Tarek, do you remember what happened?”

“You... me and you,” he said. “Love.”

“Love?” she frowned. “You must have hit your head harder than me.”

He chuckled and winced.

“Do you know where you are? Who I am?”

“Braveheart,” he said and shivered. “I remember. I know. Just a little confused and so cold,” he said as she helped him stand. He dropped his arm around her shoulder.

She walked him to the sofa.

“The tree fell in and almost killed us both. I had to get you out of the kitchen. It feels like it’s below zero in there now.”

“You saved me from the dragon?” he asked. “Where is my sword?”

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