As the lights came on, Miss Parker pulled her gun out of its holster and tucked it behind her back, wincing as her leg moved. She flexed her toes and it hurt, but they moved. Her leg wasn't broken; it was just cut and it hurt like hell. Parker heard Jarod come back inside and after a moment he moved though the bedroom and into the bathroom. Parker heard running water and a minute later Jarod came back into the bedroom.
Jarod set the things in his hands on the floor at the foot bed of the bed, then came back up to the head of the bed, putting his hand against her forehead again. She was wet and cold and felt like crap. Jarod frowned and left the room again, coming back with a blanket from the living room. He tossed the blanket on the bed next to Miss Parker, then bent over her.
"I'm going to take your coat off and wrap you up," he said, "then I'll fix your leg." Parker stared at him for a moment, then nodded and Jarod wrapped his arms around her, sitting her up. Parker helped Jarod shrug her coat off one arm and he brought it around her, drawing the sleeve off. Parker reached behind herself and grabbed the grip of her gun and she felt Jarod's hand move over the cuffs still on her wrist as he laid her back.
She didn't have the strength to resist as he pushed her hand over her head and as he locked the free cuff around one rung of the metal head board she pressed the barrel of her gun into his side just below his arm. Jarod stopped, still stretched out and looked down at Miss Parker.
"If you shoot me now, we'll both die," Jarod said and she stared at him.
"Maybe this makes it a fitting end," she said finally. Jarod sat back, his hands still up and Parker kept the gun pressed against his side. Jarod finally smiled.
"I don't think you're ready to stop chasing me," he said and he stood up, drawing the blanket over her as he did. She gritted her teeth, but didn't pull the trigger as Jarod moved away. He dug into his pocket and pulled something out, holding it up. Miss Parker frowned.
"Give me the key, Jarod," Miss Parker said, watching the handcuff keys swing slightly. Jarod smiled and set the key on the dresser, then moved back to the foot of the bed. He gathered the things up off the floor and placed them on the bed next to her leg. Miss Parker frowned again. "You're still going to help me?" she asked and Jarod looked up at her.
"I said I was going to," he told her.
"Well, this wasn't on the agenda," she said, pulling against handcuffs. "So I wasn't sure what else had changed." Jarod grinned up at her and pulled out a pair of scissors, cutting up her pant leg to the knee. He set the scissors aside and folded the bloody cloth back. Miss Parker let go of the gun and sat up, trying to look down at her leg as Jarod pulled her boot off.
There was blood from her knee to her ankle and she could see the deep gash just below her knee. Her skin was beginning to bruise. Parker suddenly felt like she was going to be sick.
. . .
"I don't think it's broken," Jarod said pushing at the skin around the wound on Miss Parkers leg. She winced and Jarod looked up to find her clawing at the bed spread.
"It's not broken," she hissed. Jarod watched her for a moment, writhing under his touch and his face grew hot. He turned away and grabbed up a washcloth, dipping it in the lukewarm water. Jarod gently washed the blood off of her skin, finally wrapping her leg in a bandage. He gave Parker the washcloth and she washed the blood off her face. Jarod put a large bandage over the cut on her forehead, finally giving Miss Parker some pain pills, which she swallowed dry.
When Jarod was done, he cleaned everything up, then moved back into the bedroom. Miss Parker was sitting up slightly, pointing her gun at him again. He stared at her, then moved to the dresser, pulling his shirt off over his head. He dropped the shirt on the floor and stared at his reflection, his fingers moving over his own wound.
The scratch started just below Jarod's right nipple, leading down and around toward his side, the deepest section just off of his ribs. There was a bit of blood on his skin, but the rain had washed most of it away. He frowned, then realized Miss Parker was watching him still.
"Do you want some hot chocolate?" Jarod asked and he turned as Parker frowned at him.
"Do you have any whiskey?" Jarod though for a moment, then shook his head.
"I don't think so."
"Hot chocolate sounds fine," Parker replied, slumping back on the bed. Jarod turned and left, putting another piece of wood of the fire as he went by. He made it into the kitchen, refilled the kettle and relit the burner before going back to the bedroom. Miss Parker had rolled onto her side and he could hear her shivering.
"You shouldn't be in those wet clothes," Jarod said and Miss Parker lifted her head looking at him.
"They're not that wet," she replied, but Jarod moved into the room, going to the wardrobe standing against one wall.
"I'm sure Sarah will have something here you can wear," he said. Miss Parker smiled.
"Sarah?" she asked and Jarod nodded.
"Ranger Sarah Applegate. This is her cabin." He turned away and pulled the wardrobe open. Jarod opened his mouth, then closed it as he stared at the leather and chains and colorful objects. Jarod reached out and picked up something red and yellow, shaped like a butterfly with small spines and straps.
"I'm not wearing that," Parker said and Jarod looked over at her.
"What is it?" he asked and Miss Parker laughed.
"I don't think you want to know," she said. "But you should go wash your hands." Jarod set the large colorful plastic butterfly back on the shelf and closed the wardrobe, going into the bathroom and quickly washing his hands. He came back to the bedroom and Miss Parker was still smirking. Jarod went over to the closet and slid the door open, looking through the hanging clothes. He finally pulled out a large plain white t-shirt with a picture of trees on the front.
"This should do," he said, taking it back to the bed. Parker frowned at it.
"Stylish," she muttered.
"Dry," Jarod told her. He held it out and she took it, then started to unbutton the front of her blouse. Jarod turned away. "I'll go make the cocoa," he said and left the room as the kettle started to scream. After a minute he came back into the room with two streaming mugs. Parker had her wet shirt on her left arm and the dry shirt over the head and right arm. She looked up at him and held up her cuffed hand.
"Do you mind?" she asked.
