Chapter 16

She eyed the hole above them, the edges where the plaster had cracked, and the darkness beyond. It was big enough for something else dangerous or disgusting to fall through, and he needed protection from it. And though she didn’t think she should move him, felt she had to.

Kneeling beside him, she tried to pull him, but that didn't seem to work. He wasn't with it enough to help. Dead weight.

So she knelt on the other side, under the hole herself. Pushed him gently, kept pushing, and suddenly, he wasn't under it, anymore. Thank god.

She placed her hand on his forehead. Hot. She pulled off her coat, then spit on the inside of it, higher up, where it would be clean. It wasn't perfect, but she wanted to clean the wound. She applied it to his skin ever so gently, smeared the worst of the blood away, and saw where the blow had hit.

Why had he jumped in front of the damn rod?

It seemed the old Eli Austin was very much present. Her protector.

Suddenly, his eyes opened. "What happened?"

"You jumped in front of an iron girder thing."

To his credit, understanding passed across his face. "Oh. That."

"You do stuff like this every day? Do battle with inanimate objects?"

He whispered something, but it was inaudible. She bent down, placed her ear at his mouth, and he repeated it. "Just when I can't beat the animate ones."

Something sweet, with its roots in yesteryears, tugged at her.

Oh god. How was she going to get through this next bit? And stay intact?

She’d been running from him scant moments ago, and now everything had changed.

He needed her. He needed her like crazy.

Hell.

He winced, closed his eyes. Tried a wan smile. “Hurts."

"I know." She yanked off her damp mitt and tossed it to the side, then wiped his forehead, pushed the dark hair back off it. Crooned as she talked to him. "I’ll call someone. We'll get you some help."

His body literally jolted. "Don't use my phone."

“Sorry, padre. Mine's out of juice. I think the outlet I plugged it in is no good. This house is hell with electricity. Works, then it doesn’t. I need to use yours."

"No." The muscles in his face strained. "No one can know I’m here. No one.”

She signed. “I don't care who you were texting, doesn't matter. I won't look. But I need to get you some help. I'll just reach under your butt and..."

A sharp exhalation that must have taken all his strength. “No!"

She drew back. "But..."

“No. You can’t.” he said. “Tired. Sleep.”

She rested the back of her hand on the side of his face as his eyes closed, her little finger poked by the five o’clock shadow stubble there. Thoughts flew furiously through her mind.

Sleep. He wanted sleep so badly.

But if this was a concussion, wasn't that the very worst thing for him?