In the middle of the room was a wood-burning stove—currently not in use. Against the far wall, a small range, an old white refrigerator, and a tiny sink. Above the appliances were rows of wooden shelves filled with glasses, plates, a couple of pots and cooking utensils. And next to the sink was a large cabinet.
A bookcase filled with books was located against the opposing wall, and beside it, a tiny single bed with a simple metal frame. The couch she was laying on and a small two-person table with a couple of chairs nearby seemed to tie the room together. There was also a recliner that had seen better days, not far from that bookcase. She imagined Red sitting on his recliner at night, reading a book in the stillness of this little cabin, away from all his cares and worries.
Right now, Red was kneeling down in front of the large cabinet by the sink, digging around for god only knew what.
She sat up a little on the couch and looked at her ankle. It was pretty bad already, somewhat discolored with deep purple bruises and swollen to about twice the size of her good ankle.
Red stood up and saw her examining her injury. “You lay back down and elevate that ankle,” he said, forcefully but also with concern. He was carrying an Ace bandage and tape in his hands, coming back to the couch to tend to her.
“You really don’t need to do this,” she told him.
Now that she was recovering her senses and the pain in her ankle had lessened slightly, she could really take in Red’s unshaven face, the dark circles under his eyes. He even looked thinner.
“Let me see that ankle,” he said, taking her foot in one hand and then beginning to wrap the bandage around it. “This will help stabilize things a bit. And then we’re going to get some ice on it for the swelling.”
“How do you know so much about treating ankle sprains?” she asked.
Red just shrugged. “My brother’s a doctor. I could probably remove your appendix too, if we were in a pinch.” He looked up and grinned at her—the old Red grin that she loved so much.
Nicole felt her heart flutter, and then her stomach. That reminded her of why she’d come here. How was she going to tell him? She swallowed and remembered how thirsty she was. “Can I have a cup of water?” she said.
“Of course,” he replied, finishing with the Ace bandage, and laying her foot on the top of the armrest of the couch. “One second.” He walked back to the sink and grabbed a cup from one of the shelves, then poured her water straight from the tap. “This is much better than the crap in New York City. Fresh as can be.”
He came back and she took the cup gratefully from his hands, drinking it all at once. “Thanks,” she said, after she’d gulped it all down.
“Wow, you weren’t kidding about being thirsty.” He went to the refrigerator and opened the freezer door. “Let’s see now. Here we go.” He came back with a couple of packages of frozen peas.
“I’m not a big fan of peas,” Nicole said.
“Well that’s fine. You’re not going to be eating them.” He pressed the peas against her ankle on both sides. “Don’t move around too much. We do this for twenty minutes, every three hours. Got it?”
She shrugged.
He put his hands on his hips and looked her over. “Are you hungry, Nicole? I figured I’d fix us something to eat in the next hour or so.”
“I don’t know if I should stay that long,” she said, barely able to look at him. She was still scared of him, she realized. Who knew when he’d get angry again or decide she needed to be sent away? Especially when he found out she was pregnant.
“Of course you’ll stay,” he said. “Don’t be silly. Now that you’re here…” Red trailed off. Then he started to smile again. “I’m glad you’re here, Nicole. Not glad you hurt your ankle, but still. You’re here now and I’m not letting you get away so fast.”
“If you’re glad I’m here, then why did you act so angry when you first saw me?” she asked, finally allowing the hurt she felt from his reaction to show on her face. “You looked like you wished I’d just disappear in a puff of smoke.”
Red shook his head and came towards her. “No. Hell no, I didn’t want you to disappear. You’re all I think about.”
“I don’t believe that for a second.”
“Well it’s true.”
“You made sure I couldn’t find you,” she said. “That doesn’t sound like someone you think about all the time. Unless you think about how much you want to forget about me.”
“Is that why you think I did all of this? Because I don’t care about you?”
“Yes, Red. That’s what any normal person would assume.”
He nodded. “I can see why you’d assume that. But the fact is, I came to the cabin to protect you from me—not to protect myself from you. I told you before. I’m not good enough for you, I’m just a bad guy.”
“That’s not true.”
“It is true,” he snapped, color blazing in his cheeks. “I’m a mess, Nicole and it’s better for you to stay away from me. I knew that I had to protect you, to make it impossible for us to see each other.”