Page 44 of Out of the Shadows
“Your knight in shining armour’s come to your rescue again,” Linda says, laughing. “How is it, Cosmo? You’re looking frightfully pale.” Her eyebrows scrunch in concern.
“It’s still fu— flipping painful, but thanks for asking. I think the best thing for me to do is take another couple of painkillers and go to bed. Good night, everybody. Thanks again for your help. It’s appreciated.” I switch my attention to Daniel and give him what I hope is a grateful smile when all I want to do is grimace.
“You need some more ice on it.”
Before I can say anything he’s off, heading towards the kitchen.
“Daniel will take care of you, he’ll help you get that swelling down.” Linda gives me a motherly smile before she takes a sip of tea.
What the hell can I say to that? I start to hobble away, and catch Fiona holding a handful of tissues to her face in order to try and stop laughing.
Bitch, I mouth at her, and her shoulders shake even more.
By the time I’ve hobbled and sworn my way back to the bedroom, Daniel’s there with a tea towel, a large bag of frozen peas, painkillers and a glass of water.
“You’re a proper Florence Nightingale.” I all but collapse on my bed, sighing with relief to be off my feet.
His lips form a twisted smile.
“I’ve sprained my ankle a few times so I know how painful it is, but other than rice there’s not much more you can do about it.”
“Don’t you mean ice?”
“No. RICE. Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate. I’ve dealt with minor injuries a lot. I think you should get into bed before you fall down. Linda’s right, you’re looking pasty.”
“How to make a boy feel good.”
Yes, I need to get into bed and that means getting undressed, with Daniel in very close proximity. My nightwear, a ratty old T-shirt and an equally ratty pair of old and well worn cotton sleep shorts, are on my pillow. I’m normally as naked as the day I was born when I go to bed but somehow that feels like a little bit too much information when the two of us are holed up together in this cupboard of a bedroom. I’m certainly not conscious of stripping off in front of guys, for reasons that have nothing to do with busted ankles, yet I’m hesitant in front of Daniel.
The guy’s my straight boss, that’s all it is, but still, this hesitancy isn’t normal for me. He’s perched on the edge of his own bed, and he springs up, all of a sudden, as he too gets that the situation we’re in has become a little awkward.
“I’ll leave so you can get yourself sorted. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
By the time he comes back I’m in bed and struggling to sort out the spare pillow in order to raise my foot.
“Here, let me do that.”
Daniel takes over as easily as though he does this every day.
“This bandage needs re-wrapping.” With quick and deft fingers he undoes the bandage to start again, revealing the monstrosity that lies beneath.
“Eww, gross.” My ankle’s twice the size it normally is, and the skin’s stretched tight over mottled flesh, all angry reds and purples.
“It’s a nasty sprain.” Daniel peers hard at it.
“I’m all in favour of swollen and red body parts, but somehow the ankle was never in my top ten.”
Oh no…
Daniel’s shoulders stiffen and for the briefest of seconds his sure fingers still before he resumes the re-binding. That is so not what to say to my straight boss who’s going out of his way to help me.
“I’m sorry, that was a bit… Sorry, I was just being—”
“Flippant and inappropriate? You really haven’t changed, yet somehow I think I’m going to have to get used to it.”
I don’t know what to say, so for once in my life I keep my mouth shut.
Daniel reaches for the packet of frozen peas, wrapped up in the tea towel, and presses them to my ankle, stuck out from under the duvet and perfectly positioned on a mound of pillows. I can’t help hissing at the burning cold, but the hiss turns to a sigh as the ice starts to do its magic.
