Red Bullets in June

Chapter 4: Taking It Easy

Upon waking, my brain feels foggy. It's dark and my body aches everywhere. I push myself into a sitting position and wince in pain.

That's right. Vick beat me again.

But he's gone now.

Like a flood, all the memories of today torrent into my mind. Dr. Reed's words surface in welcome remembrance: Here's a prescription for the pain.
Just take it easy for a while. Take a hot bath and get some rest.

Groping around in the dark, I find the switch to the lamp and turn it on. I glance at the bedside clock.
9:00 PM. Thursday, June 7th, 2018. I only slept for a couple of hours.

It certainly felt longer than that. I thought days had passed.

I pick up the bottle of pain killers, pop the prescribed amount into my mouth and stumble out of bed toward the bathroom.

With a flick of the light switch, a powerful, fluorescent glow fills the room. I squint as my eyes adjust. Blinking a few times, I take in the luxurious marble bathroom with the same black floor and cream colored walls, matching vanity, toilet, tub and shower.

     I groggily shuffle across the black marble to the cream colored, colossal tub and turn the dainty, crystal knobs. A blasting cascade of water comes gushing out of the faucet, filling the gargantuan tub that's more like a small swimming pool. I feel like I need a bathing suit to get inside this baby.

There's a wide selection of expensive products lining a shelf above the bathtub and I select a chamomile scented bubble bath. The smell of chamomile has always been comforting to me. It reminds me of my Mom's calming and soothing chamomile tea that was always the perfect remedy for just about any ailment.

Ridding myself of my blood stained clothes, I cautiously slip into the steamy, scented water and lose myself in a realm of relaxation. All thoughts sift through the strainer in my brain, taking no hold to flourish and I bask in a moment of mindless peace.
I could soak in this water for the rest of my life.

The image of me as leathered and dried as a raisin brings a smile to my lips.

Speaking of my lips. They're covered in crusty blood.

I scoop up some sudsy water in my cupped hands and wash my face.

There. No more humiliating dried blood tainting my skin.

I go on to wash my body and hair then continue to bask in the chamomile water, allowing it to seep into my pores for a long, long time.

When I've soaked to the point of contentment, I climb back out of the tub, mindful of my tender stomach and search for a towel. Thankfully, there's a cream colored towel folded neatly on a shelf. I dry my face and hair, wrap the towel around my refreshed body and open the door to the bedroom.

My feet gain an inch off the marble when Jaxon strides into the bedroom at the same time, holding some clothes and what looks like a toothbrush.

Mental note: Lock the bedroom door!

He's dressed casually in a black, T-shirt and dark wash jeans and I have to do a double take.

Jaxon in casual clothes?

He halts upon seeing me and his eyes instinctively flit across every inch of my toweled body.

Holy crap. Is he checking me out?

Every pore on my body catches flame.

"I'm sorry," he looks away. "You didn't come down for your dinner. I wanted to make sure you're okay." He places the clothes and a toothbrush on my bed. "And bring you these. Unfortunately, your things are in the other car and my gang took it to go out..."