“My head,” Adrianna squeaked, still clutching it like it would explode if she removed her hands.
He reached into his shower and turned the water on before stripping himself of his clothing. Then, as gently as he could, he undressed Adrianna and pulled her from the floor. She cried out again when Jack stepped the two of them under the icy water.
“I know it’s cold but it will help with the headache,” he promised her.
He held her in his arms while her body shivered until it acclimated itself with the temperature of the water.
“I need to put you down. Can you stand?”
When Adrianna nodded, he placed her on her feet and switched the shower head to pulse. Jack guided her to stand beneath the spray so that it hit just at the base of her neck and let her lean her forehead against his chest. His fingers rubbed her scalp while the cold water worked to ease her pain.
Adrianna soon felt a glimmer of relief from her head but the ache still lingered. She was freezing but welcomed it as it continued to work on alleviating the pressure from her skull. When Jack started lathering shampoo into her hair the spots behind her eyes finally disappeared. Not afraid the slightest movement would cripple her any longer, she brought her hands around Jack’s waist.
“I should just give up now,” she cried weakly into his wet chest.
“Don’t you dare,” he threatened. He tilted her head back to rinse the soap and she opened her eyes. Blue, steely orbs stared back at her. “You’re stronger than this, Ade, you’ve got to keep telling yourself that. You’re stronger than the pain and you’re stronger than those fucking pills, you understand me?”
“I’m not, I’m weak,” she insisted, knowing just how pathetic she sounded but not caring.
“Listen to me,” Jack said, now massaging conditioner into her hair. “Do you think I’d waste my time doing this with you if I thought you were weak? You can handle this, I know you can and when all of this shit is over, you’re going to see that I’m right.”
Hoping that what he was saying was true, Adrianna pressed her face back to Jack’s chest and kissed him in thanks. Again, she wondered why he loved her; why he had so much faith in her when she had none of either for herself.
When Jack finished with Adrianna’s hair he cleaned the rest of her carefully and lovingly and then sat down with her in the tub. His shower was small and narrow but he made it work by having her face him in his lap and wrapping her legs around his waist. Thank goodness the water was cold or he’d be sporting a massive hard-on.
After allowing the water to beat down on her neck and shoulders a while longer, Jack asked Adrianna, “How’s your head?”
Adrianna pulled her face from the crook of his neck to look at him. “It’s better.”
She ran her hands through his hair that was plastered to his head and then cupped his face in her hands. “I don’t know how to thank you, Jack,” she said and then kissed him softly on his lips.
“Do you love me?” Jack asked her.
Without hesitation, Adrianna answered, “Yes.”
“That’s all the thanks I need.”
Day three wasn’t as hard as day two and four went by much easier. Adrianna slept as much as she could with the help of the melatonin and valium and when she couldn’t sleep, Jack was there to take care of her every need. He made sure she took her vitamins and replenished her system with Gatorade and water. If she was able to eat he made her chicken broth or toast. When she was aching he ran her a bath or massaged her. When she was nauseated he made her tea or sat with her on the bathroom floor. When she was in pain he helped her by distracting her with stories from his past, movies, or by singing to her. He danced her around his apartment when she felt jittery and anxious. Adrianna was convinced Jack was an angel sent to her by some unknown miracle.
When Adrianna opened her eyes on day five it was like she had awoken to a new life. She sat up in bed, in awe that it was already morning. For the first time in she couldn’t remember how long she had slept for a good eight hours. The fact that she wasn’t queasy hit her immediately and when she stretched her muscles she almost cried with happiness. They didn’t scream at her in agony. Her back was sore but it was bearable.