To Love a Stray Ch. 08

"Shut it and move it out of reach," Micah is quick to suggest.

"Where are Sam and Mitchell," I ask as Micah looks closely at the threaded suture needles and the forceps. I tense as he looks at my leg. He reaches out to touch me and I jerk my leg away with a gasp.

"Steven, go see if Sam or Mitchell will come back in," Micah says quietly. I watch nervously as Steven leaves the room and I swallow hard as I glance back at Micah. Suddenly letting the emasculators leave the room seems like a bad idea. Steven returns pretty quickly and shakes his head silently.

"Rosy, you need stitches in that wound - you know that. I'm going to put them in for you but you need to try to trust that I will not mean to hurt you nor will I try to touch you anywhere but the wound, ok," Micah asks me seriously. I bite my bottom lip hard and nod my head only to immediately shake it.

"Rosy would it help if I sit on the edge of the bed so you can't see Micah? Would it help if I talked to you so you can try to not think about him touching you," Steven asks quietly. I nod as I chew the inside of my cheek and glance between the two toms nervously as Steven moves to sit on the bed beside my hips.

"So what do you think of having two big brothers to boss you around," Steven asks.

"Try to keep real still now Rosy," Micah warns. Steven resumes talking to me but I can't concentrate on his words. I can occasionally feel a slight tugging but there is no actual pain or sensation of touch even though I know in my head that Micah is touching me very close to my no-go zone. Unable to bear it any longer, I clutch at the plastic beneath me and move my leg involuntarily.

"Stop! Stop!" I protest. Micah immediately lifts both hands into clear view and takes a step back.

"You're doing real good Rosy. I got the tear in the muscle sewn and several stitches in to make sure the skin closes evenly," he explains softly. "We'll give it a rest for a moment or two?"

I nod eagerly. Just to know he isn't touching me for a few moments is a huge relief. I take several deep shaky breaths before steeling myself and nodding.

"Again," I say and look away so I don't see him move closer. I feel the strange tugging sensations now and then and I grit my teeth as I refuse to look his way. I can hear Steven talking to me but I can make no sense of his words. I let go of the plastic sheeting, my hand clenching and unclenching as I fight the urge to lash out at the one I know is touching me, even if I can't feel it.

I freeze as Steven twines his fingers through mine. I look his way wildly and some part of my mind tells me I am on the verge of panic. My breath is coming in quick little pants and my jaw is aching from grinding my teeth.

"Just a few more, nearly there," Steven tells me and forces a smile. "Do you always jump over the fences? Haven't you heard of gates?" He continues on but I loose track of what he is saying even though I don't look away from his eyes.

"Okay, all done," Micah says with relief. Steven gently pries his fingers from my grasp and I blink as I collapse back on the pillow behind me, shaking with reaction. Steven moves and I get my first look at the row of neat small stitches in my thigh.

"You got any antibiotics in there," Micah asks with a nod towards the briefcase.

"Uh, ummm yeah. A red case with ampoules marked with a red pen; one morning and night for five days. The painkiller is in the black case and each ampoule holds half a dose," I explain.

"You up to doing it one handed," Micah asks.

"If you'll draw it up for me," I say.

"Painkiller as well before I check that shoulder? And can they go in the one needle," he asks as he opens a plastic sleeve containing a syringe.

"Yeah, might as well get it over and done with now," I say quietly

"One or two of the pain killer," Micah wants to know as he adds a needle to the syringe.

"One. Two will knock me out but one cuts all pain back to little more than a minor ache," I supply the information and frown as he loads up a second half-dose of painkiller. "Bastard," I hiss at him.

"Well you're not going to like me taking off your shirt when I check your shoulder and I intend on being able to give you children one day," Micah tells me with a level look.

"Anyway you'll feel a lot better after a nice sleep and your brothers will feel more comfortable knowing you're not about to try to do anything to anyone while they sleep."

I glare at Micah and he glances towards Steven. I realise I have two options, one, allow him to give me the injection and sleep once what would be a painful examination is over; or two, fight them and surely end up suffering more pain for my efforts.

"If I let you give me that needle then Sam and Mitchell are to come in so I know you will keep your hands to yourself," I hiss.

"First off, if my hands wander I want you alert and fully awake to enjoy it. Secondly, you don't give the orders around here. But if you want your brothers in here so you feel more comfortable, then that's fine by me. So be a good girl and let me give you

this needle so I can go and make them come in before you go to sleep," Micah tells me firmly.

"In the fleshy part at the top of my hip at the back, but I think I'll need help rolling onto my side," I say after nearly a minute of silence as I ponder my options.

Micah hands the syringe to Steven then steps up to the side of the bed; he glances down at me for a moment before giving a brief nod. "Do you want me to just roll you onto your side or help you move?"

"You do it. I think it's going to hurt if I try to move. I'm getting more aches and pains by the moment," I admit reluctantly.

Micah rolls me gently onto my side without warning, not giving me time to tense up but I still end up hissing with pain as I grit my teeth. I feel him pull the waist of my trackies down off the top of my hip and he touches my flesh gently.

"Here?"

"A bit lower where there's more muscle to jab the needle in. And it's just like doing local anaesthetic only it all goes in the one spot."

Steven laughs softly and I wish he were where I could see him. I suddenly realise what lines he is thinking on and close my eyes tightly with embarrassment. Micah is good with the injection and I have to admit that it would have been more uncomfortable if I had done it myself. He rubs the spot gently and I remain still as he pulls my track pants back into place.

"How long before that starts to work," Micah asks.

"Only a few minutes for the pain relief to start to kick in and up to an hour before I'll go to sleep," I say.

"I'll start with your shirt now and stop if that shoulder gets too painful," Micah suggests. When I don't protest, he carefully lifts me into a sitting position. I flinch when his fingers brush my ribs as he lifts my shirt but I grit my teeth biting back the demand to stop.

"Tight clingy clothes are sexier than bare skin or short shorts and bikini tops are always good on a female body," Steven informs me and I turn my head to look his way. "Nudity is an every day thing around here with changing and everything so it loses its appeal pretty quickly."

Micah eases my shirt over my head then down my sore arm. I am grateful when he hands me the shirt to hold against myself covering my breasts.

"You both outweigh me by at least forty pounds, are a lot bigger than me, not to mention stronger and uninjured. Now you tell me how you think I feel," I say bitterly before I can help it.

"Scared as hell and totally helpless," Steven answers gently. I send him a startled look and glance at Micah who nods his agreement. I take a deep breath and tears well up in my eyes with relief.

"Ok, let me look at your ribs," Micah says gently and moves the edge of my shirt. His hand is gentle as he runs it over my ribs checking for any signs of injury.

"A bruise here and there but nothing major," his hand slowly moves down over my side to my hip as he checks for tenderness. I wince as he probes the joint and I glance at his face. He is watching me but goes back to his examination as he works his way down my leg to my knee.

"So it's mainly on the inside of your leg you don't like getting touched," he murmurs softly.

"I know you're not trying to hurt me and I can make my mind listen, most of the time," I answer quietly.

"You like foot rubs," Steven asks.

"Yeah," I say as a soft laugh escapes me.

"Back rubs," Micah interjects.

"Haven't had one," I admit and frown with annoyance as I realise the painkiller is taking away some of my control along with my pain.

"Well I'll fix that tomorrow," Micah says as he moves up to brush my hair back off my face. I stay still as he checks my cheek and slowly works his way across the top of my shoulder. I wince every time his fingers find a sore spot and then he is taking a firm hold of my arm near my elbow.

"I'm going to have to move your arm to check how bad your shoulder is," Micah warns and I take several deep breaths.

"Go ahead." It hurts like hell as he lifts my arm and rotates my shoulder. I gasp and groan and turn my face into the pillow before he's finished.

"Nothing seems to be broken or dislocated and the joint moves freely but that's all I can tell," Micah admits.

"No grinding or clicking I noticed so probably dislocated and back in almost immediately," I say between gritted teeth.

"Bandage it," Micah asks.

"No just a pillow so I can rest my arm on and a glassful of that bourbon," I say.

"Should you drink after that painkiller," Micah asks.

"One glass won't hurt, only put me out faster," I mutter.

"Ok, one glass. Steven go see if one of them are game enough to come in yet. Tell them she's nearly out to it," Micah orders. I turn my head to look at him but don't tell him I'm still wide-awake; he winks at me before turning to pour my drink. I am sipping the drink when Sam comes in cautiously to eye me nervously before looking at Micah.

"She's behaved really well," Micah tells him.

"She threatened to castrate you," Sam points out and I close my eyes.

"That's between me and her. I give my word she's no threat at the moment and she needs her brothers with her," Micah tells him.

"Mitchell's gone for a run," Sam says as he comes closer to the bed.