He woke sometime later to the sound of her humming. He had been dozing again, the medication and his weakness kept him in a sort of dream land. Occasionally he felt her near, quiet and ever present, and there were other times when the demons would come, frightening, dark and calling to him and he would be alone. Each time he would wake from a dream terrifying and so real, she would be there to soothe him.
"Hey," she smiled sitting in a chair next to the bed. She put down her book, the only one she had brought with her and sat on the edge of the bed. "The fever is up. I was worried. You shouted in your sleep again."
"It's hot." He croaked. His head pounded, his body shook and all he wanted to do was die.
"You're feverish. I'll get some water and something to help bring it down."
"I'll be fine Jack." He said taking her hand. "Stay."
"Sure." She replied worried and silent.
"You're pretty good at the doctoring thing aren't you?" he said his throat scratchy and his voice rougher than usual.
"I guess. I had nothing else to occupy my mind while you ran all over the galaxy avoiding that price on your head." She said stroking his arm. "I wanted to make sure we had something to fall back on in case we got into something sticky.
"You did it for us?" he asked his face pale and sweaty. Her hand reached a cloth and wiped the sweat from it and his eyes closed enjoying the coolness of the water.
"Yeah, you took care of me, even though I knew it took a little pushing, and I thought I would return the favor." She answered patting his face dry. "There, good as new. Sasha says a few more days of the anti toxin and all residual traces of the poison will be gone. Even though your tests are negative, it's still in all the major muscle groups. The anti toxin is worse than the poison I think… The side effects are a bitch. The infection, on the other hand, is another story. It went systemic, and that isn't good."
"I've never been so fucked up." He admitted looking at her. "Made a mistake. Should have killed them fast."
"Sh." she told him. "Don't think about that now. Rest. Your body needs to fight and you talking isn't helping."
"I've spent my whole life running Jack. I'm tired." he told her as his eye lids drooped.
"I know. Soon, we'll find a place where you won't have to run ever again." she told him sitting back down in her chair.
"Okay." He slurred as the sleep of the sick overtook him.
I've lost track of time, and that isn't good. Jack's singing again, God I love her voice. When I was asleep I could hear her humming, talking, reading to herself, singing when she thought I was completely out. Her voice keeps pulling me back to wakefulness.
My face is rough, days must have passed because I need a shave.
"It's about time sleepy head." She says standing in the doorway. "Lights twenty percent."
Good morning to you princess. "Sleepy head? What am I five?" I ask, my head pounding again.
She's giving me the 'don't be a smart ass' look. Good luck, kid…I'm back and you better watch out.
I'm trying to sit up, and I may need to rethink the "I'm back" thing. "No, but my mom used to say that to me, so don't fuck with me when I say it." she says and I notice she's wearing her dancing clothes. Damn I need to get out of this bed.
I'm always amazed at how that skirt that looks so frumpy on those women back on Hellion Prime, but so damn sexy on her. She smells like she's had a workout and it's sweet and salty at the same time. Tasty… "Dancing again?" I quip and my mind returns to her that time I caught her dancing.
"Maybe." She snips as she smiles. "Gotta practice, or I'll get rusty. Plus, with you out of commission, I had free reign in the gym to wiggle my ass without interruption."
"Baby, you can dance for me anytime." I say and I mean it, anytime, anywhere anyplace.
"And where would that get you except in need of a cold shower, or maybe some private one on one time." She tells me leaning over me to check the bandage.
"Lean over me like that princess and you'll find out." I say staring at that fine ass of hers.
"That is what is known as an empty threat." She says looking at me smiling smugly.
Ouch. Damn she's good.
I have to go there though, I just can't leave that hanging. "Really?" I say in that low voice she loves to hear. "Wanna find out?"
"Take your best shot. I'm here all week." She says not moving. "Let's see how far you get."
Then I feel pain again, a burning in my arm when I notice she's shot me up again. "Jack!" I growl trying to move. I'm gonna lift my head and move to grab her. I know I can, and she watches as my body moves towards her.
Giggle, princess I dare you.
Fuck! The room is spinning again and my whole body is screaming. "What the hell was in that?"
"Anti toxin, pain killers, vitamins and antibiotics. No more morphine for you." she announces. "You're too weak to go grabbing your nurse." She's giving me shit now. Typical. "Who I might add saved your life."
"Meds never made me this fucken weak." I snap attempting to grab her anyway.
She's got that look in her eye and I know she's gonna start bitching. Should have kept my fucken mouth shut. By the way, when I tried to get her, I missed and started falling out of the bed, the room spinning like a top faster and faster.
I'm pathetic.
"Riddick, contrary to popular belief you lost twenty percent of your blood volume, from a blade that had so much bacteria on it that it could have killed any normal man. Did I mention that it had one of the most deadly poisons on it? Did you know that there was enough bacteria on it to kill any normal man within hours? Must have slipped my mind." She says railing on me. "Plus the last time you ate was about three days ago. Go figure that would make anyone a little woozy."
Okay, I can see her point. But Jack smiles, and helps me back into bed. "Jack? Are you trying to tell me I'm not normal?"
"Yeah, but you shouldn't worry, normal equals boring…" she asks and I look down and my hand is on her ass. "Pervert, get back into the bed."
I give her a toothy grin and I call it a win.
"Three days since I ate last? Then feed me woman." I growl and her smile lights up the room. "I need my strength." To pounce you good…
I'm not denying it any longer. I want her, need her and that scares the shit out of me. But I'm so tired now I can't seem to concentrate on that. Damn these meds are strong.
"That's all I'm good for? Cooking, cleaning, and stitching your ass up?" she smirks wiping my face with a cloth.
"No, teasing me wearing that skirt, keeping me up nights." I quip, sorry I had to fuck with her just a little.
"Me a tease? You're kidding. Do I have to mention the club?" she says putting her hands on her hips.
"Sure, but I could mention you dancing with that redhead, and then some." I tell her, I was so hard it hurt to fucken sit.
"Okay, point taken but what about you and the mercs? Sitting me on your lap…and…and" She's getting pissed at me cause she remembers how I made her feel and she's trying to make me feel guilty.
That's not gonna happen. I'm giving her the same flustered face she's giving me just to piss her off. With my options limited, I do what I can… "Just shut mouth Riddick."
"Or what?" I quip leaning against the headboard with a nice pillow behind me. King of the beasts. "You and you're long list of skills. You're supposed to see to my needs. Feed me…" Dance for me, fuck me, love me, smile for me.
"I guess I won't tell you then that when I dance, I never wear underwear." She tells me leaving the room.
"You're still a tease." She shouts from the hallway.
Fuck, how does she keep doing that?
"Where's that food Jack?" he shouted from his room, just to get her angry.
"Keep your pants on there you." she said carrying a tray with medication on it and something to drink.
"I would but you took them away." He snapped looking around. Riddick had never spent a sick day in bed in his life and his incapacitation was something that for him was a kin to a cage.
"What a lovely bedside manner." She said placing the tray down. "Well, I guess that the fact you can get up and move around now is too much to ask?"
He growled at her. "Your bark is worse than your bite Riddick."
"I've killed people for less." He snapped.
"Stop! You're scaring me…" she said in mock fear. "Shower and get back into bed so you can eat. Remember I can cook, so let's get you moving. Then you can get stronger and get out of that bed. I figure you might want to feel more human and this will give me a chance to change the linen. Trust me, you'll feel much better once you clean up, I know you'd be doing me a favor. You need a bath."
She helped him stand, waiting for a few moments so that his head would stop spinning, then she left him to take care of himself. "I'll be here if you need me."
"I'm not a child Jack. I've been worse off before. OUT!" he snapped holding onto the door frame,
"As you wish." She said flatly.
He growled even worse. He hated the fact that he could make her go inward. "Jack."
"I know, now move your ass or no food." She smirked removing his sheets and blanket.
It took him a while but when he emerged, he had shaved his face and head, brushed his teeth and washed several days of fever sweat from his body. He had a fresh set of sweats and a shirt on and barely made it to the bed before falling fast asleep.
His last thoughts as sleep pulled him towards the abyss was that she was cooking and it smelled like heaven.