Zailey (Sequel) ✔️

Part Twenty One

Zander was standing in front of me, with his button down shirt open, except the fabric was still covering the majority of his torso.
Only the centre of his still (considering he's spent the last several weeks locked away inside) chest was visible, with a strip of about three inches wide going down to his belly button and little lower exposed.
"Last chance."
Zander whispered.
I lifted my gaze to look at his face.
"As I said, it's up to you."
I promised.
This would be a hell of a moment for him right now.
He was already struggling with the sight of his own body when he looked at it or remembered what was there.
It was probably extremely hard to think about showing anybody else, who wasn't a trained professional.
Zander set his jaw, a look of pure concentration coming over his face, before he shrugged his way out of the button down shirt.
I followed the shirt's fluttering path to the carpet covered floor, my heart beginning to beat harder inside my chest.
This was it.
I did my best to school my face and slowly lifted my gaze to look at Zander's torso.
Shamefully, the first thing I noticed was the deep dents between his ribs.
Even at full health Zander had always been slim, with the outline of his ribs showing, along with his hip bones, but right now it was pretty obvious he was in wed of help.
The dents between his ribs were alarming.
That's not exactly what he's trying to show you remember.
Swallowing, I turned my gaze towards his right side.
My breath hitched in my throat, but I tried extremely hard to not let my eyes pop out of my sockets.
There were angry red marks in an almost half circle type curve, right the way across a good chunk of his right side.
Although they'd quite clearly been stitched closed, they still looked red and angry.
No wonder it was painful for Zander to move.
They sure looked sore.
"It goes around my back too."
Zander whispered.
I swallowed thickly.
"C-can I see?"
Slowly Zander started to turn around.
The same angry red marks, practically in a mirror image of the front, greeted me.
I felt salty, hot tears spring to my eyes.
My god poor Zander...
He started to move and I hastily lifted my hands to wipe at my eyes, hoping to get rid of any evidence of tears before he looked at my face.
"You're not running away screaming."
I was trapped inside my own body, my head spinning.
It was real.
Those marks still looked so sore and angry even weeks later.
Zander's voice sounded far off, like frown down a tunnel.
I blinked, lifting my gaze up to his face while I tried to remember what he'd just said.
'You're not running away screaming'.
Well of course I'm not.
Yes, those mark's were confronting.
But I'd already promised him so many times that my love for him isn't about what's on the outside.
Plus, those mark's still need more healing time.
You don't get chomped on by a shark and recover within just weeks, I'm sure.
I pushed myself off the bed and slowly stepped up to Zander.
I wanted to throw myself at Zander and hug him tight.
But physically I wasn't sure he was ready to deal with that yet.
Emotionally I'd make him suck it up and take it.
But I wouldn't and couldn't chance hurting him physically.
"Of course I'm not."
I told him, stopping about a half a foot in front of his half naked body and tilting my head back to look at his beautiful, but vulnerable face.
"Because I love you."
He swallowed visibly.
I shot a glance down towards the angry red mark's, then back up to Zander's face.
"I'm a bit worried about the fact that they seem so red though..."
I whispered.
I didn't want to upset him, but I felt like I still needed to be honest.
I'm certainly no Doctor though, so what do I know?
Zander sighed, both visibly and audibly.
"So am I."
He admitted.
It was my turn to swallow.
Does this mean he's not healing as good as he should be?
"They give me this saline solution stuff to wash with, but..."
He shrugged.
What was it that I'd heard for most of my life?
Especially when I was here in Reef Bay?
Get in the salt water.
The ocean fixes everything.
"Maybe you need to get some salt water on them."
I suggested, reaching forward to lace my fingers through Zander's hand which wasn't holding onto his one crutch.
A smile ghosted on Zander's lips.
"Saline is salt solution, Babe."
Oh my god does he think I'm an idiot?!
A blush warned my cheeks.
"N-no I m-mean like beach water."
I explained.
Zander shook his head.
"I can't even walk at the moment, let alone swim."
I held a finger up at him.
"Don't be pessimistic. Where there's a will, there's a way."
One way or another we'd get him salt water and see what that did for his wounds.