Page 80 of Steadfast (True North)
Then her brother stepped out from behind a tree, bleeding down his head and neck. “No you don’t,” he said. Gavin swung, and I ducked. Then I tried to make a fist and it didn’t quite work…
I woke with a gasp to find May Shipley’s worried face leaning over me. “Fuck,” I swore.
“Sorry!” She took a step backward. “Bad dream?”
“Yeah.” I was sweating like crazy. “Jesus.” I pushed the covers off and took a minute to get control of my rapid breathing.
“You okay?” May asked. “You’ve been asleep for so long we’re starting to worry.”
I scrambled to sit up, and my surgical wound didn’t hurt as much as it had a couple of days before. “I think I needed it. Haven’t slept much for three and a half years.”
“Aw.” She gave me a sweet smile, and I marveled at how easy I felt with this family.
“Would it be a pain in the ass if I took a shower?” I asked May suddenly. God knew I needed one.
“Nope. I was going to offer you that anyway. You’ll need the waterproof bandage. They sent three of them with you from the hospital. Hang on.”
I sat there another minute, trying to figure out how a shower would work. I couldn’t put the bandage on my chest myself because my broken arm gave me shitty dexterity.
But May just walked into the room and sat down on the narrow strip of couch beside me. “Lift up your shirt,” she said. One-handed, I managed to raise my tee over the bandage.
She picked at the tape and gauze on my torso. There were two new battle scars on my body—one on the left side a few inches under my heart, and one down the middle. “The incision is looking so much better,” she said, wadding up the old bandage and setting it on the floor.
I peered down, agreeing with her. The weird thing was that I didn’t remember her seeing it before. The past couple of days were a blur.
May put the waterproof bandage on me and then stood up. “I’ll start the downstairs shower.”
“Where is everyone?” I asked, following her. The house was so quiet.
“They went to the movies in Montpelier. It’s half-price ticket day.”
“It’s Tuesday? Jesus.”
May laughed. “True story.”
She started the shower for me then left the room. I got undressed clumsily then stepped under the spray, holding my arm outside of the curtain. My shoulder began to ache immediately from the awkward angle.
“Doing okay?” she called.
“Yeah. Except…”
“What?” her voice came closer.
“Can I hand you the shampoo to pour in my hand?”
“Sure. Give it here, clumsy.”
“Isn’t this more fun than the movies?” I asked while she squeezed shampoo into my left palm.
“They were seeingThe Revenant,” she said. “I don’t want to watch anyone get mauled by a bear.”
“No spoilers,” I complained, rubbing the shampoo everywhere I could reach.
May laughed. “Wash your hair. I’m going to make some coffee. Just leave the water running when you’re done and call me. Towels are waiting out here.”
“Thanks,” I said for the hundredth time.
“De nada.” She disappeared.
