Disclaimers - See Part 1 for disclaimers.

Chapter Twelve

Marika spent a couple of hours that morning in her office, making arrangements to juggle appointments and picking up what she needed to work from home. She also left instructions for maintenance to replace all the carpet in her waiting room. When they tried to tell her that they could just replace the acid damaged patch and steam clean the blood away, she had instantly rejected the suggestion. When Rhiannon returned to work, Marika didn't want the slightest reminder in their office of what had happened that awful day, not even a vaguely discoloured spot on the floor or an imperfectly matched bit of carpet. That being accomplished, the lawyer left to pick up her assistant from the hospital.

When Marika arrived at Foothills, Rhiannon offered to let her out of their arrangement. Sensing that her assistant was wavering at the prospect of staying in her boss' home, the lawyer gently reminded her of David's warning. Much to her amazement, it served to immediately eliminate any further objections, and Rhiannon had meekly accompanied her to the car.

Marika watched closely as Rhiannon eased herself out of the car and reached into the back seat for the gym bag. The lawyer raised one eyebrow in rebuke and firmly took the bag away, shifting it to her far hand. She debated internally whether to offer support, but knew it wouldn't be welcomed. Instead, she simply walked close beside the young woman as they made their way to the bank of elevators from the parking garage.

As they rode the elevator up, Marika stole a surreptitious look at her guest. Rhi appeared pale and fatigued. She held her right arm tightly against her body, minimizing the limb's movement. The lawyer hoped that her assistant wouldn't resist the suggestion of a nap once they got to the apartment. She had no doubt that it would take a while for her guest to feel comfortable, and as much as possible, she wanted to quickly ease Rhi into a routine of resting and recovering.

When they reached her unit, Marika unlocked the door and held it open for her guest. She smothered a tiny smile at how warily Rhiannon entered, and stifled the urge to ask what the young woman expected to encounter in her home.

Spooky greeted them, strolling up and sniffing at the stranger.

"Behave yourself, Mister. Try to keep the attitude to a minimum," Marika cautioned her pet as she tossed her keys on the side table. She was pleased when Rhiannon knelt and clumsily held out her left hand to the cat.

Spooky ducked his head, running his body under the outstretched hand with an audible purr. Both women chuckled, and Rhiannon stroked the luxuriant gray and white fur several times before standing. She swayed a bit, and Marika took hold of her uninjured left arm.

"Hey, why don't I show you where your room is?" the lawyer suggested. "If you want to, you can lie down for a nap. I'm just going to catch up on a few things in the den, and I'll wake you for lunch if you like."

She was relieved when Rhi accepted her suggestion readily, having half expected an instant demurral. Leading the way down the hall, she gave a quick tour of the condo.

"Kitchen, living room and dining room are that way," Marika said, pointing to the right. "The den is next to the master bedroom, and the bathroom and utility/laundry room are across the hall. When you need towels, you'll find the linen closet beside the bathroom."

Drawing even with her bedroom, she gestured for Rhiannon to enter. "This is your room. There's an en suite, but you'll probably want to use the bathtub in the main bathroom to keep the stitches as dry as possible. Dana will be over tonight to take a look at them and show me how to care for your wound until...well, while you're here."

She broke off awkwardly, watching as her assistant surveyed the large, tranquil room, and then turned to her with a frown. "Everything okay?" Marika asked, wondering if she'd overlooked something when she'd prepared the room for her guest's arrival earlier that morning.

"This is your room," Rhiannon said bluntly.

"Well...yes, but it's yours while you're here, and I'll take the daybed in the den."

"I can't kick you out of your own room," the young woman stated firmly. "I'll take the den."

Marika sighed. She knew it had been going too smoothly with her recalcitrant assistant. Might as well get the first battle over with. Deliberately keeping her voice calm but resolute, the lawyer said, "No, it will be easier on your wound if you should take the bed. The better care you take of it, the sooner you'll be out of here and independent again, right?"

Inwardly, the lawyer crowed when Rhi reluctantly nodded. She congratulated herself for couching her rationale in terms the young woman would respond to, but knew this was probably only the first skirmish.

Setting her assistant's gym bag on the embroidered boudoir chair, Marika wondered for a moment if she should offer to put things away, but decided the suggestion would trespass on Rhiannon's unspoken, but formidable personal boundaries.

"Um, well, I cleared some space for you," Marika said, crossing to the bureau and opening the top drawer. "And Lee couldn't find your toothbrush and things, so I bought some basics and left them in the en suite for you. Why don't you get yourself settled, take a nap, and I'll call you in about an hour or so for lunch?"

Rhiannon still stood stiffly in the centre of the room, but she gave her boss a curt nod. Marika smiled encouragingly at the young woman then left her to her own devices, closing the door softly behind her.

Crossing the short distance to the den, the lawyer shook her head, and for the umpteenth time since the previous day, questioned her sanity. What the hell do I know about looking after someone? Especially someone who resents being looked after? She was grateful that Lee hadn't pushed for the reasons behind her insistence on bringing Rhiannon into her home. Marika was well aware it made no logical sense at all. She only knew that she needed to do this, both for her assistant and for herself.

Glancing at her watch, the lawyer decided she had at least an hour to work before she had to consider putting lunch together. Entering the den, she sank gratefully into her padded, leather executive chair, and swiveling slowly, stared sightlessly across the wide desk. Finally, forcing her mind back on her work, she booted up her computer and logged into her office files.

*****************************************************

Rhi put the last of her meagre attire in the drawer and slid it shut. She turned and, leaning back against the dresser, stared at the bed she was to sleep in. The queen-size bed was neatly made with rose-coloured sheets and a pale pink, hand-sewn quilt that reminded her of the inside of a shell her father had once shown her. Piles of lacy pillows banked against a French provincial headboard. The assistant was half-convinced she'd never be able to rest in such finery, but an unexpected yawn persuaded her to at least lie down for a few moments.

Kicking off her shoes, she gingerly sat on the bed, favouring her shoulder while trying not to disturb the banks of pillows too much. She sank back into the soft bed and sighed with pleasure. It was radically different from the thin, lumpy pallet she'd slept on for the last decade. Deciding it would be all right to rest for a few minutes, she closed her eyes and, without conscious thought, was asleep in moments.

When Rhiannon awoke, it was with an instant sensation that she wasn't alone, and her eyes flew open in alarm, only to find her boss leaning against the open door, arms crossed, with an odd expression on her face. Rhi watched her watcher, noting the slightly confused look in expressive gray eyes. She wondered what was baffling Marika, and was uncertain if she should again offer to go home. Then the older woman smiled at her, and Rhi's doubts eased.

"Feel like some lunch?"

Marika's voice was casual, but warm, and Rhiannon nodded, rolling slightly to get up before a wave of pain stilled her motion. Her involuntary moan brought the lawyer instantly to her side, and slender hands steadied and assisted her to sit up.

Embarrassed, Rhiannon mumbled, "Sorry 'bout that."

"There's nothing to be sorry about. You're not going to be 100% for a few days yet. That's why you're here, so please let me help where I can."

Her boss' voice was so matter-of-fact that it assuaged Rhiannon's nagging worries about imposing on the woman. Wordlessly, she allowed the lawyer to assist her to her feet. She noticed that even though Marika immediately stepped back to allow her room, those keen gray eyes regarded her closely. As they left the room, the blonde was never more than an arm's length away.

Lunch turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Rhiannon hadn't suspected that her elegant boss had a domestic side, and was mildly amazed at the lovely meal laid out for just the two of them. She wondered if Marika always ate like this, or had gone to some lengths just for her.

After a day of hospital food, Rhi decided she wasn't going to waste time analyzing the lunch. She nodded her thanks as the lawyer filled her plate with chicken salad and pushed the tray of still steaming, thickly sliced French bread towards her.

When Rhi found it difficult to butter the bread with only one hand, Marika quietly took over. Muttering her thanks, Rhiannon dug into the salad, enjoying the flavour of the cold chicken, greens, orange slices and almonds in a lightly piquant dressing.

"Wow, this is great!" Sure beats the hell out of my cup-of-soup and bologna sandwiches.

The lawyer smiled, obviously pleased with the compliment. "Do you like iced tea?"

Rhi swallowed before answering. "I don't know. I don't think I've ever had any."

Marika raised an eyebrow, but only said, "Well, try it and if you don't like it, I'll find something else."

She found she did like the iced tea, as well as the fresh blueberries served over yogurt for dessert. There was little conversation during lunch, but neither woman seemed uncomfortable with that. Rhi tried to help Marika clean up afterwards, but the lawyer shook her head.

"No, that's okay. I've got it. Once you've got two working arms, you can help out again."

"Once I've got two working arms, I'll be out of your hair," Rhi pointed out reasonably.

"You're not in my hair."

The words were soft, and Rhiannon couldn't see her boss' face as she loaded the dishwasher, but she sensed the sincerity behind them. Her reaction to those words surprised her. A week ago, she'd have been embarrassed or uncomfortable by such an expression, not that her standoffish boss would have offered it then. Now—now, she felt an inexplicable pleasure at the sentiment, but as always, sought safety in silence.

Marika closed the dishwasher and, facing Rhi, thrust her hands in her pockets. "I should get more work done this afternoon." Before her guest could interrupt, the lawyer said with a little grin, "No, you're not allowed to help. You're supposed to be resting."

Rhiannon frowned, simultaneously averse to not pulling her weight and worried about missing more days' pay. She was mentally marshalling her arguments to be allowed back to her job, when Marika again broke into her thoughts.

"Rhi, you do know you're on full pay and benefits while you recover, don't you?"

Startled, the young woman gaped at her boss, wondering when the lawyer had added mind reader to her professional accomplishments. Marika smiled gently. "Considering you could sue the firm for inadequate security on the job, I'd say it's the least they could do."

Indignantly, Rhi protested, "I wouldn't sue!"

The lawyer chuckled. "I know that, but they don't. Besides you were injured in the line of duty. You're entitled to be paid until you're able to work again."

Rhi fidgeted restlessly in her chair. No longer tired after her nap, she wanted something with which to occupy herself. Again Marika appeared to read her mind.

"I have a small collection of videos and a better collection of CDs. You're welcome to use them, or you could watch TV or read."

"Read?" Rhiannon perked up. "Do you have some books I could borrow?"

Marika laughed. "You could say that. Come with me."

The assistant trailed her boss out of the kitchen and back down the hall to the den. Following the lawyer into the room, Rhi stopped short and stared. Slightly smaller than the master bedroom, one wall of the room was lined with built-in floor-to-ceiling bookcases and an attached sliding ladder allowed access to the upper shelves. A mahogany double pedestal desk with a padded leather chair sat at one end of the room, angled so the occupant had a view out the large windows. Two large file cabinets sat beside the windows. A daybed and side table lay alongside one wall, with a black leather recliner and reading lamp in the opposite corner. The condo's predominant colours of gray and white with rose accents continued in this room, but the bookcases were the same mahogany as the desk and file cabinets. It was a peacefully inviting room, and Rhi had no doubt that her boss spent many hours in there.

An amused voice said, "Help yourself to any of the books you want. I'm just going to get some work done." The lawyer switched on the mini-stereo sitting on top of one of the cabinets, and took a seat at her desk, booting up the PC.

Rhiannon listened to the soft, mellow instrumental music for a moment, not recognizing the piece, and then began her inspection of the impressive library. Starting at one end, she moved swiftly past the legal and reference books to find shelves of fiction, non-fiction, classics and contemporary works, and even a wide-ranging collection of traditional fairy tales from many lands. Feeling like a kid in the candy store, she gleefully opened one book after another, reading the cover pages and trying to decide which one to choose. Finally settling on an old favourite she hadn't read in years, Rhi glanced at the recliner and bit her lip, unsure if her presence would be an annoyance while her boss worked.

"You're welcome to read in here, Rhi," Marika said. "You won't be a bother; and I can tell you from experience, that's the most comfortable chair in the house."

Shaking her head a little at her boss' prescience, the young woman sat carefully in the chair, then frowned as she realized the handle to recline the La-Z-Boy was on the right. Before she even had time to form the words, Marika was kneeling at her side, pulling the lever for her. Rhi grinned with delight as the chair went back and her legs went up. She wiggled into the comfortable depths, and nodded her thanks when the lawyer snapped on the overhead lamp.

The two women spent the afternoon quietly, each intent on her own pursuits, with little conversation until Marika asked Rhiannon if she'd like a snack. Lost in the streets of London with Oliver Twist, the young woman looked up from her book, and glancing at the wall clock, was startled to realize three hours had flown by. She grimaced as she noted the throbbing in her shoulder had increased too.

"Sounds like a good idea, boss. And I think it might be time for another happy pill too."

Marika was quickly at her side, pushing the lever back and offering a hand to assist Rhi out of the chair. The young woman accepted gratefully. Now that she was no longer engrossed in her book, she was feeling the full effects of the wound again.

"Um, if you don't mind, I think I'll just go lie down for a while."

"Not at all. You do whatever you want to, Rhiannon. Rest when you need to. That's the whole point of being here. Do you need any help?"

"No, thanks, I'm just going to take a couple of pills and nap for a bit." Rhi moved stiffly out of the room, but stopped at the door to smile at her hostess. "I don't think I've said it, but I really do appreciate all you're doing for me." She left then, but not before she saw the look of surprised delight on Marika's face.

Rhiannon slept for almost three hours, and was only awakened by a gentle shake to her uninjured shoulder, when Marika summoned her for dinner. Groggily, she allowed the lawyer to help her up again.

"I'll meet you in the kitchen," Rhi yawned. "I just want to freshen up a bit."

Marika nodded and left as the young woman made her way to the en suite. After washing up awkwardly, Rhi dried her face and grinned at the selection of toiletries on the counter that the lawyer had gotten for her.

Her boss' definition of basics certainly went far beyond her own, but Rhi knew Marika was trying very hard to do her best. Her first impulse had been to find out what she owed the lawyer and pay her back, but an unaccustomed inner voice prevailed, and she decided to accept the generosity in the spirit it was offered. When her boss had accepted her thanks graciously and with obvious pleasure, Rhi knew she'd made the right choice for once.

Maybe we can get through this without driving each other crazy. The first day went okay. Rhi's musings continued as she headed for the kitchen. I mean it's not like we're best buddies or anything, but we're getting along all right.

The women shared another quiet meal, and Rhi was again impressed with Marika's culinary skills as she dug into the shrimp and vegetable pasta mixture. She couldn't remember the last time she had eaten that well, other than the night at Lee and Dana's. Cooking, to her, was merely an inconvenience, and she kept it as simple as possible. Not that I could afford to cook like this anyway.

After a citrus salad and coffee, Marika said, "Dana called earlier. She'll be over in about an hour to take a look at your back. Do you mind if I watch what she does so I'll know how to help you?"

Rhi considered that. Marika had been calmly unobtrusive about the assistance she'd offered thus far, and the younger woman was growing more comfortable with the concept of her boss helping her out.

"No, I guess not. It'd be okay."

"Good. Want to take our coffee in and watch the evening news? I like to keep up on what's going on in the world, and I don't always have time to read the newspapers."

The newscast was almost over by the time the buzzer rang from the lobby, announcing Dana's arrival.

When the stocky woman came in the door a few minutes later, Rhiannon greeted her warmly, then looked past her to see if Lee was following.

Dana grinned. "Sorry, Rhi. Your Dragonslayer was called into work this evening, so it's just me."

Rhi blushed at being read so easily, and was glad when Marika diverted their friend's attention.

"Since when did Lee have to work nights again? I thought being a partner in the business got her out of that."

"Normally, yeah," Dana agreed as she crossed the room and dropped into the easy chair, accepting the coffee Marika offered. "Unfortunately, one of their employees was caught drunk on duty, and since Willem took the last one, it was her turn to catch the trouble call."

"Let me guess," Marika said dryly, "Turner again, right?"

Dana snorted. "Of course! That man's been trouble since the day Willem hired him. I have no idea why he insisted on keeping him on. He's given Lee more gray hairs than all their other employees combined. This time he's gone too far though, and not even Willem will be able to protect him. When Lee left tonight, she was breathing fire!"

Rhi grinned at the image of her Dragonslayer breathing fire. As fond as she was of the big woman, she definitely wouldn't want to ever be on her bad side. Her attention was drawn as Dana addressed her.

"So, Lady Mouse, how is our hero feeling today?" The tone was teasing, but Rhi saw the genuine concern in Dana's compassionate eyes.

Slightly embarrassed by the hero appellation, Rhi squirmed and mumbled, "Okay, I guess."

"She was in quite a bit of pain earlier this afternoon," Marika offered.

Dana nodded. "To be expected for a few days, I'm afraid. Lee called Father David, who put me in touch with Dr. Mathieu. I told him I'd be monitoring Rhi's recovery, and he filled in the gaps for me. In some ways you got off lucky, but at its deepest point, you're looking at a half to three quarter inch incision. It's not going to heal overnight."

Noticing Rhi's flinch, Dana smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, Lady Mouse. We're going to make sure you're well cared for."

Rhiannon mumbled an acknowledgement as Dana turned to give Marika care instructions. The young woman was somewhat dazed at this sudden turn in her life. She could remember with vivid clarity the very last day she'd felt genuinely cared for by another person, and it was over ten years ago. Now, virtual strangers were freely offering affection and concern, and she didn't know how to handle it. Rhi felt like she was in way over her head, unsure if she was drowning or being bathed in benevolence. Her instinct to accept these people at face value warred with a deeply ingrained suspicion of other's motives. She was watching helplessly as her tightly controlled life was swept away by events beyond her influence.

Lost in her thoughts, Rhi didn't hear her name being called until a hand softly touched her arm.

"Rhi?"

The young woman blinked at her boss, who smiled at her woolgathering.

"Hey, Dana was suggesting you might want to take a bath now, and then she'll show me how to clean and dress your wound."

"Uh, okay."

As Rhiannon stood, Dana cautioned her, "Don't get your back wet. Just wash what you can comfortably, and I'll take care of the rest."

Marika added, "Don't forget the towels are in the linen closet, and if you want to use any of the bath oils..."

Dana broke in. "Better to keep it plain soap and water for a few days."

"Okay, no problem," Rhi agreed and left the two older women in the living room. Grabbing a towel from the linen closet, she started the taps running, amused by Spooky's position curled up on the thick, soft bath mat.

"Is this your favourite place in the house?" she asked, kneeling to stroke the somnolent feline. "You might want to move, my friend. It could get pretty wet in here."

Rhi chuckled as he stretched, and then deliberately strolled out of the bathroom as if it had been his idea to vacate the premises all along. With the tub filling steadily, Rhi began to undress and was immediately glad that the nurse who'd helped her dress that morning had decreed no bra so as not to aggravate the stitches. Her left hand was clumsy, and it took her twice as long as usual to get her buttons undone. She knew she'd have had to ask for help with a bra, and it galled the independent woman not to be able to handle such a basic task.

Turning the taps off, Rhi carefully lowered herself into the bathtub, sighing with pleasure as the warm water gently lapped about her waist. She longed to lay back and let the last couple of days soak away, but she stayed upright and used her good hand to soap away the lingering hospital smell. Eyeing the extension hose, she was just trying to work out how to wash her hair without getting her back wet when a light tap sounded on the door frame and Dana poked her head around.

"Okay to come in?" the stocky nurse asked cheerfully.

"Sure," Rhi answered, drawing her knees up and leaning forward with her left arm wrapped around them. If Dana noticed her instinctive modesty, she didn't say anything as she came in and knelt at the side of the tub. Marika followed her hesitantly, but stayed back where she could see and still be out of the way.

"Okay, sweetie, I'm going to peel this dressing off and then clean this up a bit. I'll go slowly, but you let me know if I'm hurting you."

Rhi hunched her shoulders then relaxed a little when Dana rubbed her back lightly, well away from the wound.

"Don't tense, Rhi, it'll just make it harder."

She nodded, but couldn't help the involuntary stiffening as the tape was peeled away and she felt the first pressure of the washcloth. When Dana's deft touch proved gentle, the tension in her body eased.

"You're doing great there, sweetie. Your doctor did an excellent job with the stitches, nice and small and tight. Your scar should be hardly noticeable by the time it all heals."

Rhi listened to Dana's soothing tones as the nurse carefully washed away the dried blood. Absently she realized that her caregiver's left hand kept stroking her back even as the right hand did the delicate work around her wound. She smiled, wondering if this was what Spooky felt like when she petted him.

"Rika, see what I'm doing here? Once I've gotten the worst of this cleared away, you won't have as much to do next time. Just be very careful not to snag any of the stitches and keep the pressure really light."

Letting her head drop onto her bent knees, Rhi found herself actually enjoying the procedure, and she was disappointed when all too soon Dana pronounced her done.

"Would you like some help washing your hair there, sweetie?"

Rhi grinned at Dana and nodded. "That'd be great. I was just trying to figure out how to do that without soaking my back."

"Can you grab a small towel, Rika? We'll put that over it and have you lean forward. I'll use a light spray and get you cleaned up no problem." Dana unhooked the hose and began to adjust the head for the mildest flow while Marika went to get another towel.

Between the two of them, Rhi was soon bracing herself on her left hand while Dana held the towel on her back with one hand and directed the hose on her head with the other. Somewhat to her surprise, Rhiannon realized that it was actually her boss washing her hair. With eyes closed, she enjoyed the gentle massaging and lathering. I could get to like this. Part of her mind nagged about the impropriety, but long-buried hedonistic responses reveled in the sensual pleasure.

When she was completely clean, strong hands helped her from the bathtub and wrapped her in a bath sheet almost as big as she was. Rhi felt like a little kid as Dana brushed back her hair and impulsively planted a kiss on her wet forehead. She smiled shyly at the nurse, grateful eyes saying what she couldn't. Dana smiled back, apparently understanding the unspoken communication perfectly.

"C'mon, let's get you settled in bed, and then I'll get Marika to do the actual dressing so she knows how to change it tomorrow."

Marika lingered by the door, politely averting her eyes as Dana helped Rhi into her pajama bottoms and guided her between the sheets, lying on her stomach with her right arm carefully positioned by her side.

"Okay, Rika, grab my bag and bring it here. I brought you some antibiotic ointment, Q-tips, a small roll of dressing pads and there's a big roll of surgical tape too." She grinned down at Rhi who was watching her out of the corner of her eye. "The clinic will never miss it, and I figured it was for a good cause."

Suddenly very grateful that she could number this woman among her tiny circle of friends, Rhiannon returned the smile wholeheartedly. She rolled her head back onto the pillow and felt the mattress shift as Dana and Marika changed places beside her.

"All right, Rika, very gently use the Q-tip to spread some ointment lightly right over the wound."

The young woman didn't even flinch at the feather light touch, as her boss carefully did as instructed. It took about five minutes with Dana murmuring encouragement, but eventually the nurse was satisfied.

"Well done. We'll make a nurse out of you yet," she teased. "Now cut off enough of the padding to cover the length of the wound, I'd say about eight or nine inches. Uh huh. Good girl. Now lay it over carefully, and we're going to tape it on."

Rhi heard the ripping of tape, and then Marika's warm hands gently pressing the edges of the dressing down.

"All right! Johns Hopkins, here you come!"

That got a chuckle from both Rhi and Marika before Dana turned serious again. "Okay guys, one more thing. Rhiannon, I'll bet you've been minimizing the use of your arm and shoulder, right?"

"Uh huh. It hurts like crazy if I move it too much."

"And that's good. Pain is your body's early warning signal, and it shouldn't be ignored. However, there's also a danger that if you shy away from using it for long periods, the muscles will freeze up on you and even when the wound heals, you'll have to work twice as hard to get full use of them back."

When Rhi looked up at the nurse in alarm, Dana soothed, "Don't worry. It just means we have some adapting to do. What I want you to work on is small passive movements, bringing your right arm forward, back and out from your body about six inches to start with. Increase the movements a little each day, as much as you can comfortably tolerate. Also, Marika, if you wouldn't mind, gently massage the muscles of her back twice a day, not touching the wound but working around the general area very softly."

Rhi was surprised when her boss answered without hesitation.

"I can do that. We can do it first thing in the morning and last thing at night."

"Great. Well, why don't you start now, and I'll see myself out. You both did really well tonight. You're a good team, and I don't forecast any difficulties. Rika, Lee asked if you'd give her a call when you have a free moment tomorrow."

"Okay, I'll call her at the office, or she can call here if she wants. I don't think we're going out anywhere."

"Thanks, Dana," Rhi said, shivering slightly as warm fingers began a gentle stroking and probing of her shoulder, back and down her right arm.

"You're very welcome, Lady Mouse. I'd say anytime, but I'd prefer to see you on a social rather than professional basis. You two have a good night, and if you have any problems, call me at home or work right away."

"Thanks, Dana. You're an angel," Marika said, her fingers never pausing in their work.

"Ah well, wait 'til I send you the bill," Dana said airily. All three chuckled and the nurse left the room.

The room was much quieter now, and Rhi drifted on the edge of sleep, enjoying Marika's attentions. She'd never had a professional massage, but she could now understand why people enjoyed them so much. When the soft hands finally ceased their motion, she was disappointed, but only turned her head and said, "Thank you. That felt really good."

Marika gave a low chuckle, then asked, "Would you like some help getting your top on, or would you rather do without while you sleep?"

Rhi considered that for a moment. She really felt far too comfortable to move, but she reasoned that it would protect the wound and the dressing to add one extra layer of fabric between it and the bedclothes.

"Mmm, guess I should put it on," Rhi conceded, rolling into a sitting position with Marika's help. It was only when her boss turned to get her top from the drawer that she realized she was sitting in front of the other woman half-naked, but then she gave a mental shrug. She saw all of me getting out of the tub. Don't think this will faze her.

Marika carefully slid one sleeve over Rhi's right arm, pulling the fabric gently over her back and letting the young woman work her left arm into the other sleeve. Then, kneeling in front of her assistant, she began to fasten the buttons.

Rhi watched the look of concentration on the lawyer's face, and noticed a slight tremble in the long, slender fingers as she worked the buttons. She's nervous! The realization caused an odd sense of wonder in the young woman. From the moment she'd met her boss, the woman had projected an aura of cool, impenetrable confidence and professionalism. Seeing this hint of vulnerability, Rhiannon suddenly felt protective. As the last button was closed, she laid her left hand over Marika's.

"Thank you."

The lawyer raised her eyes at the simple words, and the two women stared at each other before Marika smiled and nodded.

"You're welcome. How about another couple of pain pills and then lights out? I know it's early, but I suspect a good night's sleep would be just what Dana would order."

Rhi grinned. "Yeah, I don't think she'd be impressed if we stayed up watching midnight movies."

Marika chuckled, then stood and retrieved a glass of water. Handing it to Rhi, she took the pill bottle from the night table, shook two of the tablets into her hand and held them out. Rhi hesitated for the barest moment, then with a tiny shrug leaned forward and nipped them off the soft palm with her mouth. Taking a deep swallow of water, she threw her head back and felt them slide down her throat. Handing the water back to the lawyer, she was rewarded with a nod of approval.

As she sank back into the bed, Rhi felt a strong sense of well being, and even her annoying inner voice reminding her this was just temporary wasn't enough to prevent a smile when Marika drew the covers up and gently tucked them around her.

*****************************************************

"Honest to God," Lee fumed. "If Willem even thinks about countermanding Turner's firing, I'm going to hit my partner over the head. That man is an idiot! He's a bloody lost cause, and I'm not going to have him running the company's reputation down one minute longer."

Dana sat in bed, watching her mate's angry disrobing, as Lee tossed clothes haphazardly about their bedroom. She'd been home for several hours before her partner got back from troubleshooting, and Lee was still highly agitated about the evening's events.

Deciding the big woman had had enough time to blow off steam, she said, "Come to bed, sweetheart. You can go in tomorrow and fight with Willem. Right now you've got to calm down before you blow a gasket."

Lee looked at her with a trace of sheepishness. "Guess I have been going on, huh?"

"Yup," Dana agreed cheerfully, "and I certainly understand why, but I don't intend to sacrifice a good night's sleep because of your lame brained employee."

"Ex-employee," Lee muttered, but she finished stripping off her clothes and slid under the covers with her mate.

Dana gratefully snuggled into the large, warm body, relishing the strong arms that wrapped around her and held her close. They were silent for long moments, enjoying the peace that slowly settled over them, when Lee asked, "How it'd go over at Rika's tonight? Everything all right?"

"Uh huh," the nurse murmured sleepily. "I showed her how to clean and dress Rhi's wound, and suggested a routine of slow, passive movements to keep her arm from freezing up. I also indicated that it might be a good idea if Marika massaged Rhi's shoulder and back twice a day."

There was a beat of silence and Dana grinned to herself.

"Um, how is that supposed to help the wound?"

The nurse couldn't help a small giggle. "Oh it might not do much for the wound, but I suspect it'll do wonders for their relationship."

Lee rolled Dana over and looked down at her with amiable suspicion. "Partner of mine, are you matchmaking again?"

Dana turned serious now. "No, sweetheart. What I'm doing is allowing two lonely people to connect, and giving them an excuse to touch each other. If nothing more comes from it than the beginning of a friendship, I'll count my work well done. Father David was right, Lee. Marika needs to take care of Rhi. She needs to be responsible for something more than a darned cat."

"And Rhi?" Lee asked softly, stroking the side of her mate's face.

"And Rhi is even more isolated than Marika. She at least has Terry and us. I don't think Rhi has a single soul in her life except that priest, and from what you told me, he only recently came into touch with her. Lee, do you know what happens to babies denied human contact?"

The large woman shook her head.

"The technical term is 'failure to thrive,' but what it means is they simply don't have much reason to live. Humans need to be touched, my love. That's the most basic expression of their humanity. I doubt that girl has been touched with affection in more years than she can remember. And Marika, hell, she's been touched all right. By the likes of Cass and others that don't give a rat's ass about her beyond her looks and her performance in bed."

"They need each other," Lee said simply.

"They need each other," Dana agreed, and the lovers regarded each other with deep understanding.

Finally, Lee broke the moment with a grin. "You are very sneaky, love of my life."

Dana grinned widely. "Yup, but then I have to be with you and Danny in the house."

"Oh, is that right?" Lee pouted, tickling her fingers over Dana's belly and causing her mate to giggle. "So about this touching theory, can the touches be anywhere?"

She wiggled an eyebrow at the nurse, who smirked in response and cupped Lee's left breast. Running her thumb firmly over a hardening nipple, Dana murmured, "Well, some touches are more effective than others."

"I think I'd like to explore your theories a little more thoroughly," Lee husked as she leaned over and took possession of her lover's willing mouth.

Continued in Chapter 13