Part 36
The guestroom is rustic, with pine as the predominant material. A queen-size bed sits in the corner and a blue-white fabric is draped around it. A rag rug in the same color scheme covers part of the pine floor. Two closets, a small desk, two chairs, and a bedside table, make up the rest of the furniture, and it's all pine.
"Like a sauna," Miranda murmurs when Naomi has left the room with their trousers and jackets. She looks bemusedly at the two well-worn terrycloth robes on the bed. "It's not that I'm not grateful. I am. I'm just so…" She sits down on the bed with a groan. "Tired."
"Naomi will be back to examine your neck. Then you can rest." Andrea removes her shirt and puts on one of the robes. The red and black plaid actually looks becoming on her. Miranda glares at the bright pink and white striped one. Brilliant.
Miranda unbuttons her shirt, but when she moves her arms to pull it off, a sharp pain shoots through her neck and out her shoulders. "Fuck!"
"Let me." Andrea peels the shirt off Miranda's arms. "Careful. Yes. Like that. Can you stand?"
Half offended by the question, Miranda stands, albeit on unsteady legs, as Andrea holds up the monstrosity of a robe. Grudgingly, Miranda concedes that the fabric warms her. When Andrea tucks a knitted blanket around her legs, Miranda manages to lean forward and kiss her cheek. "Thank you," she says huskily.
Andrea turns to Miranda, cups her cheek gently and kisses her on the lips. It's not like the passionate, all-overwhelming erotic kisses, but one of true affection and reassurance. Something inside Miranda managed to connect, which helps keep the shock from the crash manageable.
Sitting down next to Miranda, Andrea takes a deep breath and expels it. "Now, that was a little too exciting if you ask me. When I hit that car, I thought we were going to die. Truly."
"I'm sorry this is happening to you. I really am." Miranda wonders if Andrea can guess that apologies are not her strong suit. She has always found apologies as counterproductive and—if she's being honest—a source of too much vulnerability. After spending her first 'lifetime' apologizing and asking forgiveness for what she'd become, and never receiving any absolution, from anyone, Miranda gave up on it. Watching Andrea's horror as the Mercedes overtook them and caused the crash, was however something she'd never want to repeat. Somehow, she has to find a way to return Andrea to the US safely. Even if it means staying behind in Europe and putting the plan for the transfer of ownership of Amaranthine Ltd in motion. Even if it means saying goodbye forever.
The pain at that thought is worse than the throbbing, stabbing pain in her neck. Miranda shudders, and this of course makes Andrea cautiously put her arms around her.
A knock on the door interrupts the attempt at soothing, but Andrea doesn't remove her arms when she calls out, "Come in!"
Naomi comes in, carrying a small bag and a folded-up massage table. "Moira first?" She beams, making Miranda wonder if this woman is in a constant good mood. Not sure if she can manage to remain polite toward such a person since too much glitter like that rubs her the wrong way, she lets Andrea carry on the conversation.
"Absolutely. I'm not bad off at all." Andrea gestures toward Miranda.
"All right. Here goes, then." Naomi flips open the table and puts it in the center of the floor, draping towels over it. "I don't want you to get cold, Moira, so keep your clothes on and just slip the robe off your shoulders, okay?"
"Sure." Miranda moves over to sit on the massage table and lets the robe slide down. "That all right?"
"Perfecto!" Naomi sounds too cheery, but her fingertips are gentle as they probe the sore spots. "I think you normally tense up here, am I right?" Naomi now sounds calmer, as if she's pulled on a professional persona when she started her examination. "I can feel knots and tension-no wonder the impact of the collision hurt your neck." Naomi lowered the table and began working on Miranda's muscles. Andrea snuck the blanket around Miranda again, giving her thigh a squeeze in the process.
"All right. I've worked on the knots and I'll do a gentle adjustment. As we have no x-rays of potential injuries, I can't go full force—I might make things worse, but this, together with some painkillers, should provide you with some relief until you can reach your family doctor."
"I have everything I need when it comes to medication," Miranda said, surprised at how she slurred the consonants of her words. "Just carry on, please."
"Just relax then." Naomi had Miranda lie down, which she did with the help of Andrea, and began working on her neck. It didn't hurt, but the cracking sound was unsettling. When Naomi was done, Miranda used the bathroom and then simply crawled into bed, unable to muster the energy to talk, she rolled into the corner and fell asleep facing the wall.
"She's exhausted," Andy said as she climbed the massage table. "How bad is her neck?"
"It's not unstable, but she may have some damage to her muscle tissues around the neck. Was she facing forward during the crash?" Naomi starts proving Andy's neck while she talks.
"No. Sideways as she was facing me. No seatbelts." Andy held up her a hand. "I know, I know. We were foolish about that, but when I thought of them, we were already being followed." Unsure how much she could share, Andy, quieted. Naomi kept working on her sore neck and even if Andy couldn't relax fully, she felt her muscles begin to relax—and also ache more, but in a less sharp way. "You know your stuff."
"I used to work on people, but then I became a vet and specializes also as a chiropractor for animals. Dogs, cats, horses, mainly." Naomi pulled the robe up around Andy's shoulders. "I think you need to rest as well. When you wake up there'll be dinner for you."
"You're being so incredibly generous." Andy stood and fastened the belt around her waist again. "You must realize that there's an element of danger that might spill over on you and Ulrich." Andy knew she had to be honest about that part.
"I do. And so does Ulrich. He's the strong and silent type, despite being in his early sixties, and he also knows how to keep us safe. In his youth, he used to belong to the French Foreign Legion. I met him twenty-seven years ago and I suppose you could say we're joined at the hip."
Andy saw the tender humor reflect on Naomi's features. It was obvious that this woman loved her husband. "But I do have one question."
Tensing, Andy, nodded. "Sure." She hoped she would be able to answer.
"Can Waldo stay in here with you? He's been patiently patrolling the hallway between here and the kitchen. I don't know why, but he's taking a liking to your partner. He's always very friendly, but to see him whimper outside the door is rather heartbreaking."
Andy grinned, a completely authentic smile this time. "He can be here if he wants to. I'll let him back out if he grows tired of us."
"But you promise to rest too? Your clothes will be done when you wake up." Naomi folded the table. "And I'll take another look at your necks later, just to make sure."
"I'll rest. And thank you. There are no words, Naomi, for how grateful we are." Andy felt her tears burn along her eyelashes. "Honestly."
"Aw, but of course. You remind me of my daughter, Andrea. I would like to think that someone would help her if she was in trouble."
"You have kids?" Andy sat down on the bed."
"Two. A boy, Max, he's twenty. Tanya is twenty-two. You'll meet Max tonight if you want. Tanya lives in Geneva. Now, enough talking. Rest up." Naomi walked over to the door and as soon as she opened it, Waldo slipped inside and hurried over to Andy.
Placing his head on her lap, he looked up at her and then shifted his gaze to Miranda behind her. After doing this several times, it was obvious what he wanted. Naomi had closed the door behind her and Andy wasn't going to ask if Waldo was allowed up on the bed. She figured they'd both feel safer to have a guard dog of sorts close.
"All right, sweet boy. Up you go." Andy patted the mattress, and it took only two seconds for Waldo to curl up at Miranda's feet.
"What the hell…?" Miranda stirred but didn't turn her head, which Andy was grateful for.
"Just your second biggest fan. Waldo." Andy took off the robe and crawled into bed behind Miranda. Hoping Miranda wasn't against spooning, she slid closer and placed her hand on her hip.
Miranda hummed, a sound that sounded approving.
"This okay?" Andy whispered. She wasn't slurring as badly as Miranda had earlier, but fatigue was taking over and she supposed it was also a sign that the shock was easing up.
Waldo shifted at their feet and used some strange dog variety of an army-crawl to worm up between their legs. There, he buried his nose into the thick duvet and sighed contentedly.
"You're kidding." Miranda snorted softly, but then patted the head that was nestled behind her. "Just don't kick me."
"Talking to me or Waldo?" Andy said sleepily.
"Both." Miranda placed her hand on top of Andy's and that was the last she remembered as sleep claimed her.
xxxxx
Continued in part 37