Choosing My Life - Bear And Rachel

Morning Preparations

Bear

I was walking around the place again, taking inventory of what was needed to make it habitable. There was a lot.
I sighed. How much would I be able to do for a woman who was a stranger yesterday, and the world totally forgot, except for Maz and her social conscience.

The Pigs had dug up a lot of ground. I suspect they'd been out for a while. I wasn't game to go to where the graveyard was, not until backup arrived. But looking at the farm, it had the potential to be a sweet little place if it was cleared up.

I sighed and closed my eyes. I was planning too far ahead. Thinking with my heart, not my head. Rachel wasn't even part of my world, not really even part of the real world. She was living in a place that the world forgot over century ago. Last night was a dream that would never be able to be repeated.

I rolled my shoulders and walked back to the house. I could see through the kitchen windows inside. Rachel was sitting up, pain stretched over her face. I stepped forward to go and comfort her, but as I did, she pulled her dress back and slipped it down her shoulders a bit. The blankets hid her chest

There were two huge bite marks, angry and red on her shoulder. It looked like something had gripped her to drag her off, and the teeth slipped. I'd bet it was pigs. If she'd fallen outside... There was also the edge of a scar peeking around her back. I saw her turn towards me, and I ducked back. I had a feeling that any skin seen by me would be a problem for her. I was already pushing it by speaking with her.

I walked a few paces back, then turned around and used the lumbering gait I used at work. This is a free book available through Wattpad (c) LTM1986. If you are not reading this on Wattpad, it had been stolen. It was slow and effective camouflage. It was also loud, giving Rachel time to finish up what she was doing.

She was trying to pull her dress back up without lifting, or in fact, moving her arms too much when I appeared in the doorway. Embarrassed tears lined her face.
"May I help you, Miss Henderson?" I asked. She seemed to be struggling to lift her arms. Her lip trembled in defeat.
"Please. My shoulders are sore."
"What happened?" I asked as I stepped closer.
"I fell in front of the pigs. They bit me when they tried to drag me. " She was shaking with emotion. I nodded and gently pulled the dress over her shoulders with as little touching as possible, and then covered her more with the blankets. I'm guessing her inhibitions had returned. Relief and pain warned across her face. I crouched down in front of her, so she looked down at me.
"Miss Henderson," I watched her blink away some tears and drag her eyes to me." In a few hours, some friends of mine are arriving to help fix some fences, and rebury your family. While they are here, can I request that you go with someone to see a doctor?"
"Why? I feel better."
I shook my head, "You're still not well, and from the look of those marks on your shoulder, you have injuries that need medical attention. You're a strong woman, but a little assistance won't go astray."

I heard the rumble of bikes desecrating the silence.
"Please consider it." I asked as I stood up.

Rachel

My shoulders were throbbing. I had woken up feeling fully rested and not hungry. The feeling was unusual, but welcome. I noticed there was a bucket with clothes beside it near me. They looked like my rags, but there was also a bar of my soap. I flushed. I hadn't washed for a long time. The effort was too great previously. This morning though, I could manage it. I reached over to the bucket and drenched a cloth ready to wipe my front, and face. The water was warm and refreshing.

I undid some of the pins on my pinafore and pulled my dress down before the pain from the bites in my shoulders got too bad. The actions reopened the wounds, and it felt like they'd bitten me again. I gritted my teeth and prayed for the pain to go away and for the healing to begin. It wasn't really working.

I heard footsteps coming back. They were slow and loud. Almost carefully loud. I tried to pull my dress back up over my shoulders, but I could not move my arms anymore. I'd pulled it down too far for me to move. I struggled as I heard the person enter the doorway.

I almost sobbed in relief when it was Bear in the door.
"May I help you, Miss Henderson?" He asked in that voice that both excited and soothed me.
"Please. My shoulders are sore." I gasped in relief.
"What happened?" He asked as he moved closer and lifted the dress gently
"I fell in front of the pigs. They bit me when they tried to drag me." I told him. He didn't touch my skin at all and only pulled the blankets up to cover me. The cloth was rubbing painfully now. But I was glad he was around.

"Miss Henderson, in a few hours, some friends of mine are arriving to help fix some fences, and rebury your family. While they are here, can I request that you go with someone to see a doctor?" He was crouched beside me so I didn't have to crane my neck upwards to look at him. Small mercies that made a big difference. But his question confused me. I felt better. I told him so.

He shook his head,
"You're still not well, and from the look of those marks on your shoulder, you have injuries that need medical attention. You're a strong woman, but a little assistance won't go astray." He told me, his kindness radiating.

I heard a sound like a herd of super sized rattlers.
"Please consider it." He asked as he stood up.
"What's that noise?" I asked. He glanced back at me before walking out.
"The boys are early, I'll get them started on your fences. Stay here and rest." He replied over his shoulder. His step quick and light.