He carried me down the hall to a room Cassie had set up to treat people.
“She’ll want to get to the cut,” Kerr said, setting me on the bed.
“So pants off?”
He grunted and left me to strip on my own. Cassie didn’t make me wait in my underwear for long.
“Let’s take a look.”
She peeled back the bandage and made what I would consider an uh-oh sound when coming from someone in the medical profession.
“What?” I asked.
“It does need stitches.”
“I kind of figured. It hurts like hell.”
“I only have one way to numb it.”
I watched her walk across the room and open a cabinet.
“I have a stock of high proof rum, vodka, and whiskey. Name your flavor.”
“Rum. I want to be a damn pirate!”
She laughed and took a bottle from the cupboard. “Rum, it is.” She handed it over and promised to check in on me in a few minutes.
The first swallow burned, and I grimaced. There was no way I wanted to do stitches sober, though, so I kept at it. By the time Cassie returned, I was ready with my pirate-speak.
“Ay, Captain. The deck is good and scrubbed.” Only what came out was… “Ay.” Hiccup. “Dish deck be good shcrubbed.” Hiccup.
“Oh, boy,” she said before going back to the door. “Kerr, I’m going to need your help in here. Can you put a movie on for the kids?”
She returned and started taking things out of the cupboards.
“Shtill gunna hurt, inna it?” I looked at the bottle. “Shtuff inna working. I’m shtil not want schtitches.”
I took another sip and watched the room spin a little.
“The stitches would have hurt more without it,” she said, setting some packages on the bed. Kerr walked in then.
“I need you to hold her leg still.”
“Nope,” I said, pulling my leg out of his way. “No one holdsh me down again. Not even drunk.”
Cassie considered me for a moment.
“Not even with me here? You know I won’t let anything happen to you.”
I looked at Kerr then Cassie. Pouting, I took another sip from the bottle and lowered my leg again.
“I doan like it.”
“I’ll go as fast as I can. Okay?”
I let out a large, aggrieved sigh.
“Fiiineee.”
Kerr’s hand closed over my leg, and I stared at him. He didn’t look at me, though. He watched Cassie as she cleaned the wound and opened a package.
“I heard there are a lot of supplies coming our way because of today,” Cassie said.
“Yep. Good shtuff an things.”
Something stung my leg, and I tried to jerk back. Kerr’s hold was firm. But, only on one leg. I lifted my other foot and stuck my big toe in his ear.
“How you like genn poked?”
He closed a hand over my ankle and brought it back to the bed. I pouted and took another sip.
“I think you can stop drinking,” Cassie said just before a bee stung my leg again.
“Nah-ah. Imma pirate, and piratesh need rum.”
“Next time, use a glass,” Kerr said.
Cassie grinned.
“They’re more relaxed when they can self-medicate. Besides, look at the bottle. She really didn’t have much.”
I peered at the bottle, trying to focus on the line. It kept sloshing around, though. Shrugging, I took another sip and almost spit it all over Cassie when I was stung again.
“Kill it already,” I said, choking on my swallow. My windpipe burned more fiercely than the next two bee stings, though.
“And you’re all set,” Cassie said. “You’ll need to keep it dry for a few days, but I’ll be over to check on you first thing in the morning since I’m not sure you’ll remember any of this.” She tried to take the bottle from me, but I held tight.
“Pirates never give booty,” I slurred.
Cassie sighed.
“Can you wrap her in a blanket and take her home?”
I peered at Kerr, who she was looking at, then shook my head at her.
“Ohhhh. My mom’s going to be so mad at him.”
Cassie glanced at me.
“Why?”
I waggled the rum bottle at her.
“Can’t go home,” I said.
“I’ll take her to Thallirin’s,” Kerr said. “He can take her home.”
I giggled.
“Right under the bush.” Bush? I tried saying bus again but more bush came out. I stuck out my tongue to check that it was in the right spot.
Cassie used my distraction to steal my bottle.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said while Kerr wrapped me up in a blanket burrito.
Chapter Thirteen
My legs were cold, and my world was swimming. Stars glittered overhead, occasionally blocked out by my foggy exhales.
Kerr stopped walking, and I lifted my head to watch him knock on the door.
Thallirin answered a moment later.
“You’re in big trouble, mishter!” I said, scowling at him.
“She had alcohol to dull the pain of receiving stitches. She said her mom will be angry if she is returned home drunk.”
Kerr shoved me at Thallirin, who had no choice but to take me.
“Thank you,” Thallirin said before stepping back and kicking the door shut.
Then, finally, he looked at me.
“I shoulda shot you,” I said with a scowl. “You leff me.” My scowl turned to a sad mew. “Why you leave me?”
He set his forehead to mine, and I reached up to cup his face.
“I like you, Thall-ririn. You’re supposed to like me, too.”
“I like you very much, Brenna.”
“Then shtop running away. Ish mean. I can’t think here.” I tapped his head then tilted mine to rub my nose against his and bring our lips closer. He held so still. For me. My captive.
“Do you want me or nah? I dunno with you noring me.”
“I want you, Brenna. Always.”
I liked how his exhale warmed my face and made my middle dance. My fingers drifted over his cheek scar then along the hard length of his clenched jaw.
“I feel things,” I said just before my tongue darted out and lightly stroked over his lower lip.
He started shaking, and I grinned. I liked that reaction much better than when he ran.
“Did you eat?” he asked gruffly, distracting me from licking him again.
“No, bah I shure drank lots.”
He carried me to the kitchen and set me on a chair. I watched him inspect the cupboards then return to the table with a bag of popcorn.
“I doan wan that,” I said, nudging it away.
“What do you want?”
“More rum!”
He filled a glass of water and gave it to me.
“Drink this first.”
“Brenna do this. Brenna do that.” I chugged the water then thunked the glass back down on the table. “I have choices,” I said, standing. The room wobbled, and I put my hand out, steadying myself on Thallirin’s chest.
Frowning, I stared at the grey skin under my fingers.
“Where’d your shirt go?”
I looked up at him.