Commitment

Part 70

For a second Gray he looked over his shoulder and watched her, he shook his head, annoyed with himself for not being able to break through that stubborn streak of hers and discuss what he had really driven out here to discuss. He thought about stalking her. Follow her to the shed. He sighed. Probably the best thing to do is to come back later. He marched to his ute.

He reached the ute, opened the driver door, and looked over his shoulder, only to see her double over. With one palm on the open door, one on the roof of the ute, he frowned. He hesitated. Now what was she doing? Studying a bit of mud? He watched her bob down so that she sat on her haunches. Yup, studying mud, he thought as he pulled the door wider and clambered in. Not sure what exactly he thought she was looking at, given it was the path to the shed, but obviously the mud had appeal, given she was still sitting on her haunch staring at the mud.

He pulled the door shut, shoved the key into the ignition, muttered to himself about stubborn woman and their inflexibility. Why bother to come out here, if she was not going to meet him halfway. They were not employer and employee, the relationship was going to be different, and he wanted her to see that. The ute started. He started to turn the steering wheel, sending the ute into a large arc which at one point had him facing the spot he'd seen her bob down. And he slammed on the brakes. He was out of the ute before the engine had even cut off. "Regan!" He bellowed as he ran toward her.

She was lying on the ground curled in a foetal position, her face contorted as a dry retch had her chest and torso tense in pain.

He raced toward her. "Regan!"

She'd hoped he'd driven away. She heard him start the ute and heard its wheels on the gravel. So she assumed he'd left. And given that putting her head between her knees was not working, she allowed her body to tip forward. She planted her palm on the ground, but was not expecting the pain in her guts. She thought that if she could just lie flat on the ground, the world would stop spinning in her mind, her gut would stop churning. She rolled onto her side, and curled. But the last thing she wanted, was him seeing her like this.

He was beside her in seconds. He bobbed down, concern etched in his face. "Regan, what the hell... are you ok?" He dropped to his knees beside her, was tempted to haul her into his lap. "What's up? What..."

"Go away." She muttered through a spasm and curled into a tighter ball. Shudders now accompanying her dizziness. Ripples and contractions through her stomach had her hugging her midriff.

He didn't take any notice of her order. "Regan! What the hell is going on here?" He pressed the back of his hand to her forehead. "You are..."

She attempted to straight out, "I am fine." She muttered. Not helped by the fact that she basically curled up again as another spasm worked through her system. It was bad enough that he was watching her, knowing she could not hide the pain.

He said with irony, "Yeah. I can see that." He shook his head, "You are curled up on your path. And obviously twinges are your new dance moves!" He said with exasperation.

"Go away." She mumbled. 

"No. Your forehead is damp and your skin is bloody hot."

"Go away." She muttered again.

"For fucks sake, Regan, you are not well."

"Go away." She mumbled just before she dry retched again.

His arms snaked out, one curled around her shoulders and the other at her knees, he picked her up, getting to his feet with her in his arms as if she was feather light. 

"What are you doing?" But she still curled her arm around his back and her other palm rested against his chest.

He all but ran back to the house, with her in his arms. More of a brisk walk as they covered the distance between the shed and the house."Taking you to the house." He shifted her slightly to juggle her into a more comfortable position for her and him. He was marching, blind really, as his eyes were on her and not on the ground they were covering. But he was surefooted. And he was more worried about her health. And this close, he could see she was flushed, clammy, and had  a temperature. He cuddled her close and that allowed him to registered her tremors. And could see the impact on her face.