This Encore Chapter is dedicated to Emoody515, who requested it.
I hope I do the story justice.
Sorry it's late posting. Between kids being sick, my grandmother falling at work and being off for a time and the holiday's, it's been life. I'll try to do better.
I own nothing.
JHJH
Black Widow
Jess Harper hated spring cleaning, especially all the dust that got stirred around.
What was worse was cleaning the barn. The house wasn't too bad, but he lost the coin toss to Slim, who was now cleaning the fireplace.
The spider webs he knocked down were terrible, leaving him feeling like spiders were crawling on his arms and neck. Dust from the hay was making him sneeze, and it was hot and stuffy in the loft.
JHJH
Slim Sherman had swept the kitchen floor, and cleaned out the cabinets. Now he was doing the windows.
Checking the time, the blond rancher realized that lunch was passed due, so he decided to get it started, before rounding up his partner.
Lunch simmering, Slim headed out to the barn, and called for Jess, a little surprised when there was no answer.
Checking the stalls, he found the missing Texan in an empty stall, seemingly asleep, with a pitchfork in his hand.
Rolling the dark headed cowboy over, Slim noticed the sweat, and felt heat pouring through the long sleeved shirt he was wearing.
"Jess? Jess, wake up!"
"Slim? Hurts, Slim."
Looking for a noticeable injury and finding nothing, Slim tried to get his partner, sitting up, until Jess groaned, "What hurts, Jess?"
"Head, arm and my chest," came the answer between harsh breathing and a groan.
Taking one arm and then the other to inspect them, Slim found a red, swollen area, and two tiny punctures in the center, "Hey, pard. Did you see what bit you?"
Trying to get comfortable and failing, Jess thought hard, "A spider. Black with red hourglass shape on it. Guess she didn't like me redecorating."
"You were bit by a black widow, Jess. Let's get you inside and comfortable, we're in for a long night."
JHJH
Slim got his partner settled and comfortable in the bed near the bedroom door and prepared for a long night, starting with coffee on the stove.
The cramping was the worse of it, followed by the vomiting.
Slim held Jess as the vomiting turned to dry heaves, leaving him weak and in even more pain, as the cramps and spasms intensified.
"I'm sorry, Jess," Slim said as he got his partner settled again, knowing that they would be having to do the same thing all over again, soon.
The sweating was bad, as well, clothes drenched and sheets left wringing wet, left them with little options, but to forego the clothing and leaving an ever growing pile of sheets and blankets by the door.
As the spasms and pain intensified in the fifth hour, Slim could do little more than use warm clothes to ease the pains and mummer nonsense.
The doctor arrived by hour seven, but could do nothing to help, just encouraging Slim to continue what he was doing, and prescribe chamomile tea to relax the muscles.
It was roughly twelve hours later, that Jess finally fell into an uneasy sleep, aided by exhaustion and the tea.
Slim visibly relaxed, as he watched the tight hold Jess had on the pillow, on his middle, loosen, and a soft sigh escape the younger man.
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One of the first things Jess noticed when he woke, was that, though he ached everywhere, it wasn't the painful muscle cramps and spasms of before.
He rolled to his back, and slowly stretched, testing his limits, as a groan escaped and he curled back around his pillow, still finding comfort and relief, in a fetal position.
Slim entered with a cup of coffee in each hand, "Figured you would be waking soon. Do you think you can handle some coffee, or should you try water first?"
And almost growl was the answer he received, followed by a verbal answer, "Coffee. How long?"
Slim sat down, "Almost 14 hours. Doc left about two hours ago, after the spasms quit fully."
The rancher didn't add that he knew down to the last minute how long his partner had been in pain, nor did he mention that Jess nearly broke his hand when it got so bad that the dark headed cowboy needed a hand to hold on to. No. That was his own private affair, one that Jess didn't need to know about, as it would embarrass the younger man. No. He would deal with it on his own, in his own way.
Jess had been so quiet, Slim thought he had fallen asleep again, until he spoke, "You didn't kill the spider did ya? She was just protectin' her territory against a predator."
Leave it to Jess to condone the spiders attempt at protecting its territory after he was the one on the receiving end of said attempt. He was one of a kind, that was for sure. "No, pard. She's back where she belongs. I was mainly worried about you."
"I'm fine," the Texan stated, as he went to sit up, but quickly returned to his original position, "On second thought, maybe not so much."
Slim shook his head, "Doc said bedrest for the next few days, since you'd be sore for the next day or two."
"For once, I'm not going to argue with that. I'm to sore to move."
The rancher smiled, "Want your coffee?"
Nodding, the younger man went to reach for the cup, but froze, finding that even that made him tense up at the pain.
Noticing this, his friend helped him sit up and slid another pillow behind him, "That better?"
Sinking against the pillow, Jess nodded, "Much better, thanks, pard."
"You're welcome, Jess. Soup okay for dinner?"
"Sounds good, Slim. Hey, remind me to leave women alone; they bite."
JHJH
I hope this does the story justice, two months later. Sorry that it took so long to post.
Thanks for sticking with me.