Tense

5 - All the help I need

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But just because it burns doesn't mean you're gonna die, you gotta get up and try

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"Hello, anyone home?" I heard Eric's voice in a joyful tone outside my house. "Come in" I called out to him as excitement rushed through me when the heavy felt curtain shifted in a rustle and he stepped through. "I didn't know time had flown by this quickly" I softly spoke my thoughts out loud, cleaning up the kitchen I had been preparing food all day in. "I can come by later if you still need time" he said behind me. "No! - just give me a few seconds" I tell him hastily while stashing the last now clean again knife into a drawer. When I turned to face him my cheeks flushed at the sight of him. With the bright sunlight coming through the small windows he looked even more dashing in his uniform, his slightly disheveled hair only adding to his appeal. "What is that in your hand?" I ask eyeing the white box he carried in his left hand. "How is your foot feeling today?" Instead of answering my question he had asked me one himself. Not having walked much today certainly helped, I told him with a slight smile. He nodded and with a sheepishly cheeky grin revealed the Red Cross on the box, before speaking again. "I hope you got any Idea about first aid, because that is not really my forte." taking the box out of his hand I chuckled at his statement. "I am no doctor or nurse, but I think I can wrap a pretty decent bandage." I say with confidence in my knowledge learned from having cut my fingers just a few times while cooking. "The thing is I didn't just bring bandages, I didn't know what you would need, so I also asked a doctor for an antibiotic and pain killers - if you need anything else let me know." Eric told me pointing to the first aid kit he had brought. Opening the box on my kitchen table, I found an unopened smaller carton for 20 pills of pain killer, a syringe applicator, a small glass vile filled with transparent liquid for it and a small tube of disinfectant on top of bandages and plasters. "Oh wow, Eric. I'm honestly speechless." I blanked out, just looking at the contents of the box sitting on my kitchen table. The antibiotic alone must be at least 20 Dollars. "Please tell me this was not too much money." I blurted out and he waved his hands in defence. "No, not at all, don't worry about that. I am just happy to help." He sat down taking the small vile of antibiotic liquid into his hand. "The doctor told me you have to simply put this in the syringe applicator and then inject in stomach or thigh. Should be easy enough, right?" I slowly nodded speechlessly. "Thank you, a lot, I really mean it.. and this is more than enough." I simply say tearing my eyes from the medical supplies and holding his gaze with a big smile. "Never knew it was so easy to make a woman smile." He fumbled, after a small pause, shrugging with his shoulders trying to get his cool back. "I'll leave you to it..." Eric said in a serious tone with juxtaposing flushed cheeks as he stood up retreating towards the exit of my house. "Thank you." I call softly after him as he turned around. I decided to get the worst done first and cleaned my cut. Releasing cloth bandage I had put on it two days ago my foot felt the fresh air around it burning into the reddish angry cut in my foot. "Let's do this." I tell myself encouragingly, before spraying the disinfectant on my foot and biting my lip harshly as the fiery alcohol cleansed the wound. Taking a sharp breath I quickly finish the cleaning before renew the bandages. Halfway done, my thoughts tell me as I load the syringe pen with the antibiotics. Hiking up my brown linen skirt to my thigh I also decide to clean my skin with the disinfectant and a compress as a rag before puncturing my skin. Pressing down I take another sharp breath as my body trembled taking in the liquid fire in my flesh. I curse out loud, saying words my mother would have probably slapped me for. "You okay?" I hear Eric call out worried. "Yeah don't worry, the antibiotics just hurt a bit." I called back trying to sound a bit more collected. "You can come back in by the way." I add, pushing my skirt back down after placing a plaster over the small drop of blood forming on my thigh and pressing out one of the pills to swallow dry. "I hope it won't get worse by now." Eric said stepping through the curtain door again. "Probably not." I answer shortly reordering the first aid kit and handing it back to him. "You should keep it. I have no use for it." He said holding his hands up with a smile. "You sure?" I ask him raising an eyebrow. This was definitely no small gift. "Yeah, just take it as a repayment for the nice evening yesterday." He assured me. "You can't repay me for my repayment." I joke, rolling my eyes at him. "Watch me." He countered just shrugging his shoulders with contempt. I sighed and thanked him for his generosity, placing the first aid kit in my top kitchen drawer, next to the knives. "You think you can walk a bit better than yesterday?" He asked with his gaze locked to my feet when I turned around again. "As long as I don't have to run I can...Probably." I answer his question. "You wanna risk it?" He asks further with a smug smile. "Got any plans?" I question back, leaning against the kitchen counter with my arms crossed. "Well, you see, there is a lot I haven't seen out here and maybe I thought it'd be fun to get a small tour of places maybe not everyone in town knows." he shrugged his shoulders again looked at me with a pleading smile, so I couldn't help but to agree.