Chapter 4 : Long Night

She had fallen asleep while trying to decipher the Braille text and woke up with a stiff neck. She looked around her and for a few seconds she wondered how had she come to be in a library. Slowly the events of the past day came back to her and with a jolt she realised she could see! She sprung up from the sofa and danced around a little overjoyed at having the world at her sights again.

"I must go and tell Mr Finch I'm all better!" She took off at a slow run, not actually knowing where to go. She couldn't even begin to guess where she should go so she randomly took a course and started searching for her rescuers.

How big can this place actually be, she wondered after turning into yet another corridor filled with bookshelves. Suddenly she heard a door bang shut and disturbed sounds from a room nearby. She headed for the sound and opened the door, stepping in without hesitation.

"Mr Finch you won't believe..." The words died at her lips as she took in the scene before her. John was slouched in a chair, bleeding profusely from a wound in his side and Mr Finch was rummaging around a first aid kit trying to find something to stem the bleeding. Both men looked at her when she entered, the other with a look of stress and alarm and the other with a smile trying to cover the look of pain that was evident on his face.

"Oh my god, John. What on earth happened to you?" She exclaimed and hurried to his side, kneeling beside him to better see his injuries.

"A guy wanted to do things the hard way and stuck me with a poker. It's nothing, a few stitches and I'm good to go." John answered, gasping when Finch put a little too much pressure on the wound.

"Yeah, sure. Just your average day, is it? " she said looking at him sternly. "How can I help, Finch?" She looked at the older man, waiting for instructions.

"How are you at sewing, Ms Cross?" He replied, holding out a needle and thread. She swallowed, took the offered items and looked straight ar John to see how he would react. His steady gaze was on her and he nodded. She looked at the wound and hesitated. Suddenly she felt John's hand on her arm, instantly calming her down. "It's okay, you can do it. I'm counting on you, Sonya." Hearing her name from his lips sent a shock through her core. Her face took on a concentrated look when she moved her eyes back to the task ahead.

As she sewed gently, she could sense him fighting back the pain she was causing, only slight tremors were showing. Feeling the needle pierce his skin was making her nauseous but she couldn't stop now. Harold had gotten her a medical textbook where they showed how to do simple emergency stitches. She just hoped they were good enough.

She was washing her hands in the bathroom when she felt him standing behind her. His breathing was ragged and she assumed the whiskey she smelled had been taken to numb the worst of the pain. She looked at him through the mirror and was shocked to see the expression of tenderness he had on his face. It was quickly masked by a smirk and a twinkle in his eye when he realised she was looking at him. As their eyes connected she caught her breath at the sudden feeling of warmth that came over her. He was only a few inches behind her and she could feel his bodyheat on her back.

"Thank you, Sonya. I know that wasn't easy for you to do." He smiled at her and touched her on the shoulder. She could see his eyes widening for a second when he realised he was touching her and then he was turning away and leaving the restroom.

She stood there for a while wondering about his abruptness and reveling in his praise. I'm just glad there was something that I could do for you, she thought. She looked at her hands that a moment ago had been red with his blood. He could have died, and all for me. She pressed her hands to fists angry with herself for having been so naive.

She was walking towards one of the bedrooms when she heard a soft moan behind one of the doors she was passing on her way. She stopped and hesitated. She knew it was John who had made the sound. The door was ajar and she could hear him shifting restlessly on the bed. She took a deep breath and decided to take a look inside.

He was lying on his back fast asleep. His brow was furrowed like he was worried about something. She noticed a bottle of pain meds on the nightstand and was glad that he had decided to take some. She heard him mumbling something so she went closer to better hear him. "I'm sorry. Sonya...so sorry." She took a sharp breath, thinking for a second he had woken up but when he remained eyes closed she started breathing easier. She noticed a chair near his bed and decided to sit with him a while.

She indulged herself and took her time looking at him while he slept. In all the excitement earlier she hadn't realised this was the first time she could actually see his face. They were closed now but she had noticed the clear blueness of his eyes that was quite mesmerizing. His features were sharp, but handsome, gorgeous even. He looked really good in the suit pants and white dress shirt though there was a big red stain where his wound was. She couldn't have helped noticing how smooth his skin felt against her fingers when she had sewn him up. His voice matched his looks exactly, strong and safe.

Suddenly he moaned and she instinctively took his hand to offer comfort. Unconsciously he pressed her hand and she couldn't help but smile at him tenderly. I may not be that tough but this is something I actually can do. Before sleep overtook her she wondered how she could have been so lucky as to have him save her.