Someone came to the door, and Duke told them to get a washcloth and some water. A few minutes later, he pressed a cool washcloth to my forehead as I puked some more. He also wrapped a towel around my waist, and rolled the top so it held. I still had my shirt, bra, and bulletproof vest on from earlier, but nothing below my waist. Other people’s blood had dried on my shirt by the time I conked out, but my pants and underwear had still been wet with my own blood.
When I finally thought it was safe to step away from the sink, I pointed out, “Blood loss, major trauma, and riding in a yacht on the ocean don’t mix.”
“Can’t argue that. If Gen were here, she’d make ginger tea, do you want me to see if there’s some stocked?” Bash handed him a new toothbrush and a small tube of toothpaste, which he set on the sink.
I shook my head, realized that was a bad idea, and said, “No, but maybe a little Coke, and some toast?”
He nodded to someone in the other room, and I asked, “Have we heard from Ranger or Brain?”
“No, but I don’t expect to until we get closer to Jamaica.”
I knew this, but had needed to ask, anyway. I looked in the mirror at the rest of the bathroom and told him, “I need to take a shower. I don’t know how much of this blood is mine, and how much belonged to someone else.” My shirt had a decent amount of dried blood on it, and I could see and feel the streaks on my arms where someone had tried to clean them, probably while I slept.
“If you’d been anyone else, we’d have cleaned you properly, and changed all of your clothes while you were out.”
Instead of responding, I opened the toothbrush package, and took a few minutes to brush my teeth.
The bathroom was surprisingly luxurious for a boat, but there wasn’t a bench in the shower and I wasn’t sure I could stand long enough to wash my body and hair. However, a bath was out — if we put plastic wrap over the current bandage, it should be okay under running water, but submersion was out of the question.
Bash came in with the Coke and toast. I accepted the glass from him as he said, “Gen’ll have Duke’s balls if he helps you in the shower. I’ll bring one of the outdoor chairs down and put it in the shower stall, so you can sit, and I’ll wash your hair, then we can stand you up and make sure all the blood’s washed off.”
I shook my head, and Bash looked solemn as he told me, “I’m sorry about before, truly, but you can’t go in there by yourself or we risk you giving yourself a concussion when you fall. I’ll keep swim trunks on, and I’ll behave. You’re Brain’s woman, we all know that.”
I took a sip of the Coke, and looked at my feet several long moments as I felt the sway of the boat. The yacht had come with a minimum crew of two who drove in shifts. I could’ve hired lots more staff — maids, cooks, and strippers I was pretty sure would do more than just take their clothes off, but the less people on the boat, the better, so I’d gone with the minimum.
“Where’s Gonzo?”
“In the bedroom, listening in case you need something else, so he can go get it.”
“Why are you offering to help with my shower? Why you and not him?” I asked Bash.
“Would you rather have Gonzo?”
I shook my head. “I’d rather not have any of you see me naked, much less have to help me, but I don’t see another way.” I looked around, and said, “Okay, here’s what’s going to happen. I’m going to hold off on trying the toast until after my shower. Someone is going to walk me to the toilet, and everyone will leave. While I’m sitting, I’ll get rid of my shirt and everything else, and will wrap a large towel around me. Someone can bring the chair in, and ya’ll can get me settled in the chair, and then leave. I’ll see how I do washing my own hair and cleaning everything except my butt, since I’ll be sitting on it. If I need help, I’ll call you in. If not, when I’ve finished, I’ll turn the water off, wrap myself in a dry towel, and then someone can help me to a chair in the bedroom. I have some sundresses packed, I’ll wear one of them so I won’t have anything on my leg. Then I need to take a look at the wound, and we’ll figure out how I’m going to get around without needing to be carried. I don’t dare bend my knee, which means ya’ll need to bring something to prop my leg on in the shower.”
In the end, I only needed help getting into and out of the shower, and managed to get myself clean with no help. Bash got me to the bedroom when I was finished, and once I had the dress on, Duke squatted in front of me as I nibbled on the toast, and told me, “I can put a splint on your knee, two sticks on either side, and medical tape to hold them on, so you can try to walk without the temptation of bending your leg. I don’t mind carrying you, but I’m guessing you’d rather walk, if you can manage. How much pain are you in?”