This chapter contains some real sexual content, but don't get too excited. It's not graphic, for one thing, and it's short-lived. Just thought I'd warn you. It's not really rated M yet, but don't worry, it's getting there. Thanks for reading and REVIEWING. ^.^ Happy belated Val's day.
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Golf.
It was a good idea, in theory. But I never thought it would really help cheer people up. Maybe I was just bitter because I knew it wouldn't cheer me up. I didn't like golf. Or tennis, or badminton, or lawn bowling. Or any of those other pointless country club games. Really, it was hockey or nothing for me. And I had never been very good at that, so I just avoided competitive sports altogether. When I was younger I liked gymnastics and figure skating, and had been pretty good, but over the past few years I'd gradually given that stuff up.
Anyway, golf. Hurley organized it, and nearly everyone eventually showed up to check it out. I was still half asleep by the time they all left the caves, and opted out, yawning. I liked the thought of having the caves to myself for a while. For once, I wouldn't have to trek a mile into the bug-roiling jungle to get some peace, some privacy. Ah, privacy.
I stretched out across my makeshift bed luxuriously. I hadn't had such a relaxed moment in utter isolation since we crashed here. I had to take advantage of the opportunity to relieve a little stress, of course.
I ran my hands across my slightly dusty skin, slowly and almost innocently at first, closing my eyes and trying not to let my mind wander exactly where it wanted to in this situation. I tried to focus on the soft texture of the blanket beneath my bare skin, but of course that didn't completely occupy my imagination. So I flipped through a mental catalogue of extraordinarily attractive celebrities and boys I had mild crushes on back home. Their faces refused to stay, though. I kept coming back to him. Eventually I just gave in and let him permeate my imagination, let a vague fantasy play out in my mind. I almost felt like crying through the pleasure at the thought of him. My breath came in gasps, faster and faster, until I heard something that must have been a misplaced part of the fantasy. It must have been a trick of my imagination. There was no way he had just called out a greeting. But then it came again. His voice.
"Is anyone here?" Confused. Surprised. Painfully lovely.
I zipped my jeans up, put my offending fingers in my mouth for a quick cleaning, and tried to slow my breathing to normal.
"Yeah . . . " I called back, stepping out of my cave to meet him in the sort of plaza. I was sure my face was still flushed, my heart still beat rapidly in excitement.
"Cammy."
"Everyone went to go play golf, of all things." I explained in a rush.
"Golf?"
"In a big clearing, maybe half a mile east of here. If you want to go join them, that is."
"I've never been much of a golfer." He muttered.
"Me either." I looked at my feet for what felt like forever. "How's your arm?"
"I've had worse." He shrugged, the movement causing him to wince, which gave his pain away. He smirked at that, and I joined him, half-heartedly.
"So, what brings you to the caves?" I cleared my throat, trying to dislodge the awkwardness I felt.
"Doctor Jack never showed up with my meds this morning. Now, I get it. He was too busy golfing."
"What does he have you on? Do you know the name of it?"
"Tigecycline."
I widened my eyes. "That's pretty extreme. But I guess there's a lot to worry about in a place like this."
I went over to Jack's stash of pills, which I'd organized perfectly yesterday, and crouched down amid the heavy-duty antibiotics. I ran a searching finger over many bottles before finding the right one. I briefly checked the label to see the strength.
"Okay, two of these now, one mid-afternoon, and one more tonight." I held out the bottle, but pulled it back before he could grab it. "Wait. You're not on birth control, are you?"
"I think I can drop the pill for a while." He smirked.
"Alright, then." I handed the pills to him.
"Jack's gonna be pissed right off. He's been holding these pills like he thinks he has some sort of power over me, trying to make me do what he wants."
"And has it been working?" I asked, nearly managing with a straight face.
"Shut up, Thursday." He said, smiling. "Thanks for the pills." He turned to walk away.
"Sawyer, you're supposed to have that bandage changed." I sighed.
"I'll manage by myself."
"C'mere." I muttered. He sauntered back towards me.
"Just give me some gauze and I'll do it myself."
"You'll probably fuck it up and end up losing your arm. Sit down."
"What, is Jack training you up to be his assistant, now? His little nurse?"
"Shut up and take off your shirt." I said, tearing open a fresh package of tensor bandages. We were lucky there'd been at least one soccer player on the plane.
He glared at me before obeying. I made a point of not looking at him as he stripped his shirt off and sat on a log. He unwrapped the outer bandage himself, leaving just taped-on gauze. When I had all the supplies gathered, I sat to his left with my legs on either side of the log. I tentatively reached out and peeled back the first piece of tape. Underneath, a clear tan-line showed, making me smile, amused. When I folded back the actual gauze, my smile was lost in a gasp.
"What, you don't have the stomach you thought you did?" He said, trying to lighten the awkwardness.
"No . . . " And it wasn't that. I had a strong stomach for injuries, it didn't disgust me much. I was just horrified at the wound Sawyer had been carrying around.
I fully removed the gauze. "Has Jack been putting hydrogen peroxide on it regularly?"
"Nope. Said that would prevent it from healing."
"Right, right. But he has been putting polysporin or something on it, right?"
"Yeah."
I picked up a tube and squeezed a large amount onto a cotton ball, gently dabbing at the edges of the wound. He tried not to wince.
"Sorry." I whispered, putting the cotton ball aside and picking up a many-times-folded piece of gauze. I looked over the wound a last time before pressing the gauze on and taping it in place.
"Why'd you have to get yourself stabbed, Sawyer?" quietly.
"Why do you care?"
I sighed dismissively, wrapping a fresh bandage around his arm and tying it in place.
I stood up quickly, putting everything away. Before he had a chance to put his shirt back on, I looked over him. I couldn't resist.
"You're probably the one person capable of making a stab-wound look sexy." Before I could stop myself. He furrowed his brow almost angrily, before clenching his jaw and letting out a little unserious sigh.
"Thanks for this." He stood up and turned to walk away. "I think I'm gonna check out the golf thing after all. You should, too. Everyone's there." I shrugged, not really wanting to go. "Here, don't forget these." I handed him his pills.
"See you around, Thursday." He didn't look happy about that.
"Mhm." I said. "Oh, and Sawyer?"
"Yeah?"
"No alcohol, with those, either." I grinned.
He shook his head unhappily and left.
I sank to my knees, staring at the old bandage and wondering who would change it for him tomorrow.
