A Cold Wind Blows (Forgotten series, #3)

Chapter 26: Part 4

I slowly stood up. I needed to clean her up. Her hair sticking to her wounds was not a good thing. I needed to make sure her wound were clear from any foreign objects as it healed. I also needed to be able to see the full extent of her wounds to see if a healer was needed. I was half tempted to call one in anyway but I knew it would be a breech of Lace's trust to bring a stranger into our home, let alone into her inner den.

I headed into the kitchen, dodging the blood smears once more before I grabbed an old sheet. I set it on the table before I placed a pan across the sink and ran some warm water into it. I grabbed the sheet once more before tearing it into nicely shaped rectangles that I could use to cover Lace's wounds. I needed to be able to loosen her hair and the old blood without agitating her wounds to open again.

I quickly shut off the tap and placed several of the newly torn clothes in the pan before I carried it to the bedroom. Lace was still asleep and I set the pan on the bedside table. I stared at her for a moment, there were lines to her face and I could see sweat beading on her forehead. There was no peaceful look to her face, no vulnerability. Her expression carried an echo of the pain she must have been feeling.

I pulled a cloth from the pan and wrung it out lightly, making sure to keep it slightly more than damp. I gently placed it over her back. Air hissed from between her teeth as she arched into the bed slightly as if trying to escape from the damp fabric that I had placed on her.

"I know. I'm sorry my little bear eater." I had to commit to the action, there was no escape from the pain for her and I hated that I was the one giving it to her.

"Don't..." It was a rasping moan and I shushed her gently, trying my best to focus on my task rather than the lines that pain carved deep into her face.

"I'm sorry but I need to let it soak. Your hair is in the wounds and we need to make sure its free before you start healing." I kept my tone low and soothing and she let out another deep moan but it was mixed almost with a growl. I tried my hardest to ignore it as I reached for another cloth. I draped it over her, back, making sure to cover the area as best as I could as she gave another low growling moan of pain.

I folded the larger cloth slightly to make sure it stayed where I needed it. I looked at her back and noticed the edges of a claw mark poking out from under the cloth that wrapped around her side. I grabbed another cloth and gently moved some of her loose hair away. I inhaled sharply at the harsh brutality of the wounds on her rib cage.

The bear had gotten a solid hit on her. There were five clear claw marks where the bear had managed to hook her flesh. The bear's claws had gone deep enough that I could see it had actually marked her ribs. I could see where his claws had literally scrapped across her bones, leaving grooves in the surface. I winced when I saw the sheet sticking to her skin from where the blood had leaked. I couldn't see an actual wound under it and I gently peeled it back. Her muscles twitched and bunched and I carefully dabbed at the harsh wounds on her ribs. Her skin looked like shredded ribbons and the insides of the wounds looked like a bloody, pulpy mess.

"Don't." It came out as a gasping plea and she attempted to move her arm to fend me off. I grabbed her wrist quickly, stilling the movement so she couldn't tear her wounds open. Her pulse fluttered wildly under my fingertips and I shushed her gently as I carefully pressed the cloth to the wounds. Air hissed out from between her teeth again and her eyes cracked open. "Don't." Her gaze was unfocused and almost glazed with pain. I gritted my teeth and tried to ignore it as I cleaned the wounds as gently as I could.

"Don't. It... hurts." Her voice was slightly gasping and slurred. She tried to pull away from my grip but I pinned her wrist to the bed to prevent it. I hated seeing her in that much pain. I hated it.