The Soldier and The Spy: Tess Danvers- Episode 7

Chapter 5

Using all the strength she had and getting some more through his loud laugh she pulled herself and her pants up and tottered over to the door, unable to help smiling when she saw his proud grin. Still he was quick to wrap an arm around her waist and she let him take most of her weight, halfway back to the bed when there was a quiet knock at the door. She was already glaring when it opened but it quickly fell when she saw it was the nice nurse, and when she saw the kind smile she aimed at both of them.

"How are you doing this morning Tess?"

Suddenly shy she just nodded, her eyes finding Jay's for reassurance when he sat her down which he gave with his own small nod and a rub of this thumb across the back of her hand. "This is Sophie- she's the nicest nurse on base. Stickler for making you eat your veggies though. Not that you're there yet."

"And not like you eat yours." The nurse quipped.

"I eat them if they're good." He said with a wink but she caught him glancing at his watch as he stood back up.

She'd known he couldn't stay with her forever, he had his own duties and if she wanted him to come back they couldn't give his superiors any reason to tell him not to, but she still didn't want him to go.

"Hey Soph, you think you could help her shower? She needs it."

"Jay!"

"Fuck you." Both of them looked at her in shock but Jay's mouth quickly pulled up, that strange pride shining in his eyes and before she realized it she found herself swinging her foot at him. "You need one too."

"That's probably true." He replied, giving himself a sniff before he looked between them with another grin before he looked at her. He seemed to waver on something then crouched beside her, gently taking her hand. "I'll be back later okay? With what you asked for."

He just winked when she blushed but when his hand squeezed hers she returned it, giving him as brave a smile as she could when he hesitated again and that seemed to do the trick, one more squeeze before he stood, nodding to Sophie as he left.

"That boy has a heart of gold."

"You know him well?" She asked cautiously as she looked the other woman over- some might be fooled by her youth, her pretty blonde hair and amber eyes but Tess knew she had to have a spine of steel to do a job like this.

"He's been in a few times- not the best patient, absolutely hates needles, but he's never anything but respectful. And he's right. You could use a shower."

She really could.

Not just for the smell, but because it was the next step in making her feel human again.

So she let Sophie help her. She'd wanted to stay in here but the nurse convinced her to use their actual facilities, the ones that had benches and handrails to stop her from injuring herself more and though she'd hated every second of getting there, being wheeled around like invalid trying not to shrink under all the curious, pitying stares the second she got under the water that all faded away. Fuck it felt good to get clean. To watch the dirt and blood swirl down the drain, not a complete dismissing of what had happened to her, not that she could pretend when her body was still broken and most of her skin a light shade of purple but it was something. She was safe now, she was clean, and everything else would heal too. She would.

She just had to accept help from the people offering it.

That didn't mean it wasn't awkward to sit naked in front of a grown woman while she washed her hair and the parts of herself she couldn't reach but Sophie was good about giving her space and making her laugh.