C. Paradee - Deep Cover

She gently laid her hand on the mass of bruises, alarmed at the warmth of the angry skin. Wiping the tears from her face, she began working the damp sheets and towel free. "Your sleeping shirt's gonna have to wait until you wake up."

Quickly making her way to the kitchen, she grabbed a universal cold/hot pack out of the freezer. Returning to the agent's side, she opened the cold compress and covered the worst of the bruises, laying a comforting hand on Kris' arm when her patient stirred uneasily. Pulling the covers over her, Shelby said sympathetically, "I know it hurts. This'll help."

Her distress over Kris' injuries was compounded by a myriad of fragmented questions crowding her thoughts, though she had temporarily managed to ignore the clamoring in her mind by focusing on Kris' care. After toweling Kris' hair dry, and placing another pillow beneath the operative's head, she couldn't think of anything else to do for her.

Sitting down, Shelby took one of Kris' hands into her own. "You are going to have to talk to me when you wake up. No more of this 'it's better if you don't know' stuff. Do you hear me? Don't you know I love you?" Shelby squeezed Kris' hand reassuringly when she stirred. "I don't know what I'll do if something happens to you." Looking at the now still, silent woman, tears welled up again. "Oh, Kris, what have you gotten into?"

The last question reverberated through her mind chillingly. Shelby knew only highly trained experts would have been able to overcome Kris and beat her so brutally. She still questioned the wisdom of not calling an ambulance, but nothing appeared to be broken and each time she checked Kris' pulse, it was strong and regular. You should call someone. She tried to ignore the voice of reason. I know, but I can't. Not yet. Not until I talk to her. If I do, they'll hurt her. And if you don't, both of you are going to end up dead. Shelby sighed, and leaned against the headboard, still holding Kris' hand. Not yet.

Even as she made the decision, her mind was haunted by doubts. What possible justification could she give for not calling Dennis or Earl? I will, just not yet. I need to talk to Kris first to get all the facts. She removed the cold pack after twenty minutes, her mind continuing to torment her. Her eyes finally closed in exhaustion, the emotional events of the evening taking their toll.

Shelby's eyes snapped open and turned to Kris. She heard a moan, and immediately knew that was what had awakened her. Glancing at the clock, she noted it was nearly 0100, so she'd only been asleep for a half-hour. If the note were to be believed, Kris should be waking up at any time. Shelby returned her attention to her companion, watching as Kris continued to shift restlessly. When her eyes fluttered open, Shelby squeezed her hand. Her heart cried out in sympathy when pain-filled blue eyes met her gaze.

Kris tried, with little success, to ignore the throbbing as she gazed at Shelby, her mind still groggy. She tried to connect the pain she felt wracking her body with the sight of her partner regarding her with such loving concern. Gradually, the pieces began to fall into place. An image of her mother filled her mind. I am so screwed. She closed her eyes tightly, half-expecting Shelby to start grilling her with questions. Instead, a soft voice asked, "How about some Aleve?"

Her mouth dry, Kris rasped, "Thanks."

"Be right back."

Kris' mind turned to the events of the evening, and she sighed in frustration. What the hell am I going to do? What is Shelby thinking? The effects of the sedative had just about completely worn off, and it even hurt to take deep breaths. She began moving her legs and quickly discovered she was naked. This was even worse than she'd thought. Shelby had seen the damage, and there was no way the woman was going to let her brush it off as a simple mugging.

Shelby returned a couple of minutes later with two pills and a large glass of water.

"Let me help you sit up."

"Wait." Kris knew she had to sit up to drink, but the idea of moving was abhorrent. She also knew it would be much worse for her not to move, and the idea of accepting help for such a basic movement increased her feeling of helplessness.

Shelby watched the conflicting emotions flicker across the tall woman's face and suddenly realized the reason. "If you'd rather do it yourself, it's okay." She held her breath as she waited for Kris to respond. If Kris couldn't accept her help for something this simple, they had no future.

Kris gazed into the sympathetic, green eyes regarding her gravely. She nodded. "Thanks, I'd appreciate it. I'm a little sore."

Relieved, Shelby looked at Kris pointedly. "I would imagine you are." She slid an arm beneath the tall woman's shoulders, helping her up until Kris was supporting herself on an elbow.

Kris took the two pills and swallowed them with water. After drinking deeply, she handed the glass to Shelby and broached the obvious. "You saw."

"Kinda hard to miss."

Nodding, Kris decided to take care of immediate needs first. "I've got to use the bathroom." She focused on getting out of the bed with a minimum of movement.

"Need some help?"

Kris knew she could manage by herself, but was unwilling to turn down the compassionate offer, knowing it could be one of the last she'd receive. "Yes, but let me get my feet on the floor first."

Nodding, Shelby waited at the side of the bed. She watched as Kris gingerly brought her legs around until they reached the floor. Holding out an arm, she said, "Take hold. I'll help you stand up."

Kris grasped Shelby's arm and began to stand, surprised at the strength of the smaller woman, even as her body protested every movement. She leaned heavily on Shelby for several moments until a wave of dizziness passed and the pain became more manageable. Shifting her weight to her own legs, Kris began making her way to the bathroom.

Shelby remained at the operative's side as she slowly walked down the hallway. She left her at the bathroom door, handing her the sleeping shirt she had removed earlier.

Even though she was burning with a desire to know just what was going on, Shelby was more concerned about how Kris felt, and it was obvious to her that the operative was still very groggy and desperately in need of healing sleep. She decided to put her questions on hold until later.

She had already tried to think of all the likely scenarios, and some of the possibilities were frightening. There was no doubt in her mind that Kris was involved in something illegal. But what? And she had obviously displeased some highly trained people. Tonight had proved that. Her thoughts turned briefly to the note, and the words, 'To do so would greatly endanger both of your lives.' Shelby sighed. She could speculate all night, but only Kris held all the answers.

Left alone, Kris examined her body, unsurprised at the damage. She was lucky, really. None of her ribs appeared to be broken, even though it hurt to breathe deeply. She carefully donned the shirt and opened the bathroom door to look for Shelby.

Seeing her standing in the bedroom doorway, she asked, "Did you happen to see my gun?" She hoped it had been returned with her.

"Yeah. I put it in the closet. I'll go get it."

"Would you bring the box of ammo on the top shelf, too?" Kris knew it wouldn't have been returned loaded.

"Okay. Go ahead on into the bedroom, and I'll bring it in there."

Kris eased down into the chair near the bed and waited for Shelby to return. She knew she had a lot of explaining to do, and wished the painkiller would kick in to alleviate some of her discomfort. On top of that, she was exhausted. She snorted derisively. Just woke up and I'm still tired. Go figure.

Shelby walked into the bedroom and handed Kris the gun and box of shells, watching as Kris loaded them. She noticed the operative lacked her usual smooth movements, and couldn't miss the signs of pain Kris was trying desperately to hide.