“Are you ready to do this, Angel?” John asks, looking into her one open eye, the other is colored ugly shades of deep blue and purple and swollen shut.
“As ready as I’ll ever be, Mountain Man,” she says, trying to lighten the mood. She knows this is not going to be fun, and she’s trying to prepare herself in her own way.
John’s heart aches for her, but is swelling with the immense pride he feels at this moment. He lowers his head slowly to kiss her fat bruised lips wanting to give her, even if it’s just a taste, some of the power of what he feels for her.
Lifting his face slowly from hers he says, “Ok then, let’s do this,” and gives her a soft smile, admiring her bravery and tenacity.
There’s nothing that can get this woman down, he thinks, his pride for her beaming from inside of him.
Brian steps a little closer as John lifts his big frame from the floor and holds Elsie’s good hand. Brian pulls the garments that they’d placed over her away, so that no one trips over them. Elsie smiles tightly up into both of their faces.
“Ok, boys, show time,” she says, before she begins to pull herself up onto her feet.
She grimaces as she clenches her teeth through the pain, her arm flailing slightly from the movement, but she’s up and standing. She’s naked in front of these two beautiful men, both so different, one light like the sun, the other dark like, but glowing hypnotically like the moon. Elsie doesn’t care right now that she’s a battered, swollen mess, or that the hundreds of scars that crisscross along her pale skin are on display in this hideous fluorescent light. Right now, at this moment, she’s a survivor, she won and she’s damn proud of it.
“Nicely done, Baby Girl, now which would you prefer to start with, shirt or pants?” Brian asks her, tenderness and pride evident in his voice.
“In this case, let’s have the dessert first and save the peas for last, ok?” she answers, her face a little flushed from the pain.
Brian smiles at her description as he squats in front of her, holding her pants open for her to step into.
“What, no panties?” she asks.
“Don’t be difficult Elsie, you’re only going to have to take them off once we get to the hospital,” he tells her sternly.
“Hrrmmph,” she snorts and steps a foot into her blue skinny jeans. Brian pulls it up to her knee.
“Now the other leg, Dollface,” he instructs her.
She obeys and places her other foot into the leg opening. Brian shimmies them up her small curvy hips as John holds her shoulders still, in order prevent any unnecessary pain. Next, he helps her into the red Converse, one foot at a time, with no socks.
“Where’s your pocketbook, Angel, I’m going to put your bra in there?” John asks.
“What about my thong,” Elsie asks.
He just shoots her a half naughty smirk.
“Men,” she groans, rolling her eyes, wanting to laugh. “In that drawer, on the bottom,” she says pointing to the file cabinet in the corner.
John takes the single step to the filing cabinet and opens the bottom drawer. Her denim jacket and big black leather bag are the only things in there. He takes both out and sets the bag on the table, then hands the jacket to Brian. The connection that John and Brian have is so fine-tuned that words are not needed.
“Ok, Baby Girl, we’re going to use this jacket instead of your shirt and we’re going to put it on you backwards. It’ll still be uncomfortable putting it on, but not as bad as trying to pull that t-shirt up your arms and over your head, and it’s not going to be fun,” Brian explains, looking deeply into her eyes. “Are you ready?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Elsie responds, letting out a long breath, preparing herself.
Brian holds the jacket open in front of Elsie’s bare chest gesturing for her to put her bad arm in first. John holds the upper part of her limp arm steady as Brian begins to feed the sleeve up its length. Elsie grits her teeth and lets out a long, constant, deep moan as the ache pulses through her.
When he gets it past her elbow he instructs her, “Ok, Baby Girl, let’s get this one in now,” motioning to the good arm.
Elsie’s face is pale and her jaw is clenched and there’s a sheen of sweat covering her, but she’s pushing on. She extends her arm, and slides it into the sleeve, while John is her holding her other arm steady. The only noise in the small cramped space is their breathing and the occasional deep growl, coming from Elsie.
Now that both arms are up to the elbows, in the denim sleeves, Brian stops and looks at Elsie. John is still holding both her upper arms firmly, he knows what’s coming next. And it makes the rage boil inside of him again.
“Ok Dollface, here comes the fun part, you ready?” Brian asks her, strong determination, comfort, assurance, and admiration showing brightly in his eyes.
“Yes,” she says almost whispering.
“Ok, Baby Girl, I’m going to do this quickly, to get it over with, and it’s gonna hurt like hell,” Brian continues, trying to prepare her.
“Just do it…,” she starts to yell at him.
YANK! Brian pulls it up to her shoulders and pulls the back together in one quick swoop of a motion.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!” a gut-wrenching scream is ripped from Elsie at the sudden jerk of her arm. Her legs give out and she throws her head back, as her face contorts in pain. John just as instantly as the jacket is pulled up clasps her again, steadying her as she
