Abyss - Book Five of the Alpha Series - MxM

Chapter 30

Helen checks over my splint as my warlord stands as close as he dares. "She did a good job, this is really good work. You might not have full use of your hand but this is as good as it would get without surgery. There are exercises you can do to help with mobility but it shouldn't hold back your magic."

 Helen carefully helps me remove my shirt, I hear his breath catch in his throat. My body is mangled, I've got road burn on my shoulder and side as well as my forearm, my sides are darkened and bruised and one of my ribs is clearly broken. 

The side of my face has remained swollen, dried blood rolled down my temple despite our best efforts to clean me up when I was with Zsofia. Helen takes me in, trying not to look appalled. 

"This isn't the first time I got my ass kicked, it won't be the last." I sigh. 

It makes him physically sick to think that, Verando turns away to get a moment to collect himself. Helen begins the slow process of picking gravel out of my shoulder and side, which didn't hurt until she decided to start poking at it. 

"Can you hand me that box?" 

He's impossibly quick, opening it for me as I rummage through. 

I open the vile and take a small sip. Verando carefully removes it from my hand, looking it over with an aged expression that somehow makes me uncomfortable, "Valium?"

Helen snatches it from him, taking a sniff. "Wow. Where did you get that?" She puts the lid back on, replacing it in the box as if it was precious gold. "You can become addicted to that so stop taking so much if you can. It can also give you really weird dreams." 

"How do you know?" I pry, suspiciously. 

"I've spent time with medics who use such things." She takes the tape and instructs me to lift my arms. "Hold very still, without a picture I can't see what's inside but I can feel the rib pretty well. I just want to tape it up for support." 

A picture?

"Like a drawing?" Verando pulls his eyebrows together, watching her with that overwhelming intensity that makes all of us feel inches tall. 

"Hmm. Sort of. Nevermind." She carefully wraps a couple of layers of tape around me and it nearly takes my breath away with the pain. As soon as she's done, I hop off the table. 

"Alright, no more. That's enough treatment for today."

"Nic." Verando's voice is a low growl, I hesitate but Helen saves me. 

"No it's fine, he can be done. Everything else will just take time. A sponge bath would help with the blood and the dirt if you can stomach it." She glances back and forth between the two of us and I can tell by the look on his face exactly what he wants to do.

Obediently, I go to our room and he helps me remove the remainder of my clothes. Even my ass is scalded and I flinch at the clothes touching it as they slide off. He's so painfully quiet as he takes me in, pointing for me to sit on the small bench as he turns the water on and waits for it to warm. 

I can practically hear the clock ticking, the silence deafening despite the roaring water. Verando carefully dips the sponge, starting at my forehead. While his hand supports my jaw, he carefully blots at the bloody stain on the side of my face and in my hair. The warmth of his hands is welcomed on my chilled body, so close to me, I memorize every inch of this glorious man.

"Do you hate me?" I finally allow; I need to know. "I would understand."

"Why would I hate you?" He's tight, his voice strained. I can't tell if he's angry or upset, possibly both.