handle it.
“Sure, piece of cake,” I said, wanting him to have a little more confidence in me.
Ramos raised his arm and turned so his side was to me, then pulled the washcloth away. Without all the blood, the wound didn’t look quite as bad as before, and not as deep either, but still pretty ugly. I saturated the wound with the hydrogen peroxide, and Ramos caught his breath from the sting, making his muscles ripple. I pulled away, hating that I was hurting him. “Don’t stop,” he said. “It just stings a little.”
I took a deep breath and tried to ignore his pain as I finished up. Satisfied that the wound was thoroughly clean, I gently applied the ointment until it was completely covered. With blood still seeping out, I quickly applied three butterfly bandages to pull the skin together, then doubled the gauze bandages and put a layer of tape over the whole thing so the blood wouldn’t ooze through and make a mess.
“There,” I said, pleased with my handiwork. “How does that look?” I glanced up to find Ramos watching me through the mirror.
He grunted, his gaze shifting to the bandage. “It’ll do. Do you mind if I change in here?” Ramos asked. “I want to wash up a bit.” He was thinking there wasn’t a shower to rinse off the blood in his bathroom.
“Sure, take your time.” I straightened and noticing his grimace, added. “I have some aspirin if you need it.”
He nodded toward the first aid kit. “I think there’s some pain reliever in there.”
“Okay.” I backed out of the bathroom and started to close the door. “I’ll be out here if you need me.”
“Um… Shelby… thanks. I know that was hard. I’m glad you didn’t faint.” He smiled.
“Me too.” I smiled back and closed the door. A minute later, I heard the water running and decided to get out of my dirty clothes while I had some privacy. I found my newly purchased pajamas and slipped them on, leaving my clothes stacked on a chair.
I grabbed a pillow from the bed and went into the living room, closing the bedroom doors behind me. There was a spare blanket and pillow in the closet next to the other bathroom, so I got them out and made a comfy bed on the couch. I was too wired to sleep, even though it was close to four in the morning, so I turned on the TV and flipped through the channels.
I found the Disney channel, and since it made me feel closer to my family, I settled in to watch “The Little Mermaid.” Somewhere during the part where Ariel was singing, “wandering free… wish I could be,” my eyes got heavy, and I finally relaxed, sinking into quiet oblivion.
***
Light poured onto my face, waking me from a deep sleep. I cracked my eyes open to find Ramos pulling the curtains away from the balcony doors. He was dressed in jeans, a white button up shirt, and a blazer, with his hair nicely tousled and looking ready for the day. He glanced in my direction and noticed my frown. “Time to get up,” he said, by way of explanation.
“What time is it?” I asked.
“Seven-thirty.”
“Ugh.” I sat up and ran my fingers through my hair, knowing I probably looked awful, while Ramos looked like a walking GQ ad. Sometimes life just wasn’t fair.
“I thought you’d like to go for a swim before we checked out,” he said. “We can order breakfast at a poolside table.”
“Oh… okay. That would be nice.” Thoughts of a morning swim in that gorgeous pool brightened my mood. Maybe life was fair after all. “What time do we need to check-out?”
“Eleven. But that should give you plenty of time for a swim.”
“I guess you can’t… I mean with your wound. How’s it doing anyway? Did you get any sleep last night?”
“It’s fine,” he assured me. “Just a bit sore is all… and yes, I slept for a few hours.” He was thinking that since I was zonked out on the couch, he’d ended up sleeping quite well on the bed.
“Good,” I said. “Oh… I never gave you the thumb-drive…”
“I’ve got
“Sure, piece of cake,” I said, wanting him to have a little more confidence in me.
Ramos raised his arm and turned so his side was to me, then pulled the washcloth away. Without all the blood, the wound didn’t look quite as bad as before, and not as deep either, but still pretty ugly. I saturated the wound with the hydrogen peroxide, and Ramos caught his breath from the sting, making his muscles ripple. I pulled away, hating that I was hurting him. “Don’t stop,” he said. “It just stings a little.”
I took a deep breath and tried to ignore his pain as I finished up. Satisfied that the wound was thoroughly clean, I gently applied the ointment until it was completely covered. With blood still seeping out, I quickly applied three butterfly bandages to pull the skin together, then doubled the gauze bandages and put a layer of tape over the whole thing so the blood wouldn’t ooze through and make a mess.
“There,” I said, pleased with my handiwork. “How does that look?” I glanced up to find Ramos watching me through the mirror.
He grunted, his gaze shifting to the bandage. “It’ll do. Do you mind if I change in here?” Ramos asked. “I want to wash up a bit.” He was thinking there wasn’t a shower to rinse off the blood in his bathroom.
“Sure, take your time.” I straightened and noticing his grimace, added. “I have some aspirin if you need it.”
He nodded toward the first aid kit. “I think there’s some pain reliever in there.”
“Okay.” I backed out of the bathroom and started to close the door. “I’ll be out here if you need me.”
“Um… Shelby… thanks. I know that was hard. I’m glad you didn’t faint.” He smiled.
“Me too.” I smiled back and closed the door. A minute later, I heard the water running and decided to get out of my dirty clothes while I had some privacy. I found my newly purchased pajamas and slipped them on, leaving my clothes stacked on a chair.
I grabbed a pillow from the bed and went into the living room, closing the bedroom doors behind me. There was a spare blanket and pillow in the closet next to the other bathroom, so I got them out and made a comfy bed on the couch. I was too wired to sleep, even though it was close to four in the morning, so I turned on the TV and flipped through the channels.
I found the Disney channel, and since it made me feel closer to my family, I settled in to watch “The Little Mermaid.” Somewhere during the part where Ariel was singing, “wandering free… wish I could be,” my eyes got heavy, and I finally relaxed, sinking into quiet oblivion.
***
Light poured onto my face, waking me from a deep sleep. I cracked my eyes open to find Ramos pulling the curtains away from the balcony doors. He was dressed in jeans, a white button up shirt, and a blazer, with his hair nicely tousled and looking ready for the day. He glanced in my direction and noticed my frown. “Time to get up,” he said, by way of explanation.
“What time is it?” I asked.
“Seven-thirty.”
“Ugh.” I sat up and ran my fingers through my hair, knowing I probably looked awful, while Ramos looked like a walking GQ ad. Sometimes life just wasn’t fair.
“I thought you’d like to go for a swim before we checked out,” he said. “We can order breakfast at a poolside table.”
“Oh… okay. That would be nice.” Thoughts of a morning swim in that gorgeous pool brightened my mood. Maybe life was fair after all. “What time do we need to check-out?”
“Eleven. But that should give you plenty of time for a swim.”
“I guess you can’t… I mean with your wound. How’s it doing anyway? Did you get any sleep last night?”
“It’s fine,” he assured me. “Just a bit sore is all… and yes, I slept for a few hours.” He was thinking that since I was zonked out on the couch, he’d ended up sleeping quite well on the bed.
“Good,” I said. “Oh… I never gave you the thumb-drive…”
“I’ve got
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