"I'm awake."
"I know," he said softly.
"Where are Ed and Allan?" I glanced around. We were in a bedroom with a king sized bed under a blue bedspread covered in what looked like dog hair. Wolf hair? My bag and Victoria's were sitting on the end.
Victoria came out of what was probably a bathroom, once again dressed in her pj's. I must really have been asleep not to notice Doc getting me out of the truck.
"They're in their bedrooms, sleeping. They won't wake up for a while."
"How do you know?" Victoria demanded. "You didn't check on them when we got here."
"I can hear them." Doc tensed, though I only noticed because he was holding me.
He went over to the bed and set me down gently. Victoria didn't reply. Doc's answer satisfied her.
I groaned. "Please tell me you have pain killers."
"I don't, actually," Doc answered. "I can get some."
"Got you covered." Victoria rummaged around in her bag for a minute before throwing some anti-inflammatories at me.
"Thanks."
"Of course. Come on, let's get you cleaned up." Victoria pulled on my arm, and I slowly sat up and swung my legs off the bed.
"Are either of you hungry, or thirsty?" Doc headed for the door to the bedroom.
"Yeah, thirsty," Victoria answered.
I nodded.
"Tea?"
"Sure," we both said.
"Let's see the damage," Victoria ordered once we were in the bathroom together. It was relatively large with a jetted bathtub and a separate shower. She saw me looking at the tub and smiled and winked at me.
"Really?" I kept my voice low.
She laughed. "It's big enough for at least two."
I sputtered as I pulled my shirt off. She took a look at my back. "I think you should take a shower, then we can put some stuff on the worst of the cuts. Doc said this soap should get the sap off." She handed me a bar of soap. "I snooped. I'll get you a clean towel. You want me to wait outside?"
"Do you mind staying here? I don't want to be alone." I shivered at the thought.
"Girl, it's no problem. And take your time, then we'll get you doctored up."
"I'll try to be quick. I want to sleep."
"Do you mind if I slip out just long enough to grab your bag? It's still on the bed."
"That's fine. Thanks, Victoria."
I stripped and got in the shower, trying to ignore how weird it felt to be using what was probably Doc's shower. Or maybe they all used it. I had no idea how big his cabin actually was.
Victoria came back in with my bag while I was trying to get the sap out of my hair. The soap worked pretty well, though I wasn't sure I got it all. I finally gave up.
Victoria handed me a towel, and I wrapped it around myself. My short hair hung limp and dripping around my face.
"Here, dry off, put on your undies, and we'll see what we can do with some Neosporin and medical tape."
I did as instructed while she stared at the floor, giving me a bit of privacy but not leaving me alone as I requested.
Once I was dry and partially dressed, she slowly turned me with a gentle hand on my shoulder.
"You're more bruised than cut, though you've got a couple of good ones on your back. I think I'm going to hit it with some gauze, tape, and butterfly bandages to keep it closed. You might ask Doc to look at it later."
"Thanks."
My eyelids were drooping by the time she finished with me. I pulled on my pajamas and then stumbled out of the bathroom after Victoria.
Doc sat in a chair, his elbows resting on his knees and his chin on his hands as he stared off at nothing.
He glanced at us when we came out and gestured toward two mugs.
Victoria and I both sipped some sort of herbal tea. I was thirsty enough that it was gone pretty quickly.
"Do you two mind sharing the bed?"
"No," I answered after a quick glance at Victoria.
"I wasn't planning for guests, so the sheets aren't clean, but they shouldn't have too many cooties."
I giggled. "I'd be happy sleeping on the floor at this point, so that's fine."
"You'd regret it in the morning," Doc stated.
"Yeah."
Victoria pulled back the comforter and climbed in. "Oh, memory foam?"
Doc nodded.
I crawled in the other side.
"Good night," Doc said, shutting off the lights as he left.
Despite being completely exhausted, once I tried to sleep, I couldn't. My heart raced. I didn't want to disturb Victoria, so I stared at nothing in the darkness and tried to relax, tried to ignore the large window near the bed that someone could break through at any moment. Every small noise set my heart racing faster.
I wasn't sure how long I laid there, awake, before Victoria rolled over and faced me.
"You want Doc to come back?"
"I..."
"It's okay to be afraid, Sofia. I'd be terrified. I doubt I'd be half as functional as you have managed. If you want him to come back and sit with us for a while, it doesn't bother me."
"I'll be okay," I said.
"Liar." Before I could protest, Victoria shoved back the comforter and got out of bed.
I groaned, but she left the room and came back a minute later with Doc following behind.
She flopped back onto her side of the bed. "Just keep it down, some of us have to drive to Denver tomorrow."
"Seriously?" I muttered. Both Doc and Victoria laughed at my discomfort.
"Scoot over." Doc came over to my side of the bed and sat next to me, leaning against the headboard when I made room for him. He put his legs up on the bed and stretched them out.
"Sorry," I whispered.
"Nothing to be sorry for." He took my hand and smiled down at me. Victoria was right, I felt safe now, and my eyelids drooped. He caressed the back of my hand while I drifted off to sleep.
