Part 14 (1/2)

”Finally had enough, have you?” he says.

”Puh-leese.”

She says it a third time. To him. Just him.

”I take well to manners,” he tells her.

He goes to the winch and cranks it down. Lets some of that tension out of her arms - so that they're suspended at around shoulder length. He's giving her a gift. A little bit of comfort.

He can see that she appreciates it too, relief apparent on her face.

They're making friends here.

Belle walks down with the first aid kit and towels. Peg's not with her. He decides to let Peggy skate on this one at least for the time being. No point making another scene down here. He'll have a talk with his d.a.m.n daughter later.

”Dry her off,” he says.

His wife hesitates.

”Her arms. You loosened her arms?”

”Don't worry.”

”Says the man with nine fingers,” she says.

Cleek can't help it, he bursts into laughter. The d.a.m.n thing still throbs like a sonovab.i.t.c.h and he's been popping half-Vicodins like they're antacids all day but Belle has actually made a joke joke and it's actually and it's actually funny! funny! The tension in the room bursts and drains away like all that dirty water on the floor. Belle smiles too. A real one this time.

He reaches into the back of his belt and pulls out the .45 and puts it to the woman's head.

”The doctor is in,” he says.

”Dry as a bone, now. We don't want her coming down with something,” Chris says.

The woman's s.h.i.+vering and Belle can hear those nasty teeth chattering but less so as she goes about her business, starting with her hair which is still matted, which will take a lot more was.h.i.+ng and a h.e.l.l of a stiff brush before it will be anywhere near decent but she's struck that it's such thick, healthy hair and wonders how that can be given the life she's led. Or that Belle supposes she's led.

She moves down to her face and neck, drying these quickly because gun or no gun and even with the towel between them she doesn't like the proximity to that G.o.dd.a.m.n mouth of hers. She dries each arm and as she does realizes that her husband's done his job quite well, if brutally. She's pretty clean. Not much grime coming off on the towel at all. But then comes the hard part.