Run Wild Horses

Chapter 16

When it's cold outside
And you can't sleep
When there's no one else
Let me be the one you need
When your hope goes out
Like a ship at sea
If it don't come back
Oh, let me be the one you need

Ryan's POV

It didn't take me long to see that Sam was dangerous on crutches. When we got back to her apartment, she was determined to get inside on her own, even though I had no problem carrying her. She nearly wiped out twice just getting to the door, but I understood why she felt like she had to do it. She wasn't used to being vulnerable. She didn't like letting her guard down, although she didn't have much of a choice. Still, she needed to feel independent some kind of way.

I helped her get settled on the couch. A couple of pillows placed on the coffee table so she could prop up her injured foot. I unwrapped the ace bandage so that she could ice it down. She really was being a trooper. She hardly complained. I had heard that spider bites were very painful, and to combine it with a sprained ankle, she was pretty tough.

"Are you hungry?" I asked, realizing I really should have stopped for food after we left the pharmacy. I didn't know what she had in her kitchen, but I wasn't much of a cook.

"Not really." She shrugged.

"You really need to eat something. It's not good to take pain meds or antibiotics on an empty stomach." I warned.

"Okay. But I'm afraid I don't have much food wise. I'm not much of a cook, and I haven't been to the store lately." She said.

I looked through the fridge and the pantry. She was right, not many options. Cereal, canned soup, chef boyardee. She may have been worse than me.

"Chicken noodle soup or Spaghettio's?" I asked her.

"Soup." She replied. So I guess I was eating Spaghettio's for lunch.

She ate a little, but just enough so that she would have something in her stomach to take her meds.

"Ryan, I owe you an apology, as well as a thank you." She said softly, as I began to wrap her ankle back up.

"Sam, it's.."

"Please just let me say this." She said, cutting me off. "I've behaved like a total bitch to you. You and I definitely got off on the wrong foot, and I'm sure I made the whole situation worse with my attitude. You didn't have to help me out today, but you did, and I can't say thank you enough. I couldn't have been more wrong about you, and for that, I'm so sorry."

I was blown away by her heartfelt words, and I knew I also needed to apologize. "I'm sorry too Sam. I've been a complete asshole to you. I don't know why, because I'm not that guy. I'm really not. I was wrong about you too."

There was more that I wanted to say, but her phone rang, and my mind went blank.

"Hey Court."

Pause

"I'm sorry, I forgot you and Chase went out of town. No. No. It's fine. I uh...I had a little medical emergency, but I'm fine."

Pause

"I got bit by a spider on my foot, and then I fell and sprained my ankle.

Pause

"Yes. Same foot."

Long pause

"Yes, I went to the hospital. I'm okay really Court. Don't worry."

I could only hear Sam's side of the conversation, but if I had to guess, it would be that Courtney, being the sweetheart she was, was beating herself up for not being around, and of course making sure that Sam did go to the doctor and was taking care of herself.