Red Thunder

~Chapter Three: Part V~

When he had taken his fill of the water, I lowered the container and my patient plopped back down on the pillow with a shaky groan. Looking him over again, I noticed how filthy he really was. Only the area around the bandages was clean — the rest of him was covered in dirt, leaf debris, and dried blood. He sorely needed a bath and a change of clothes. In my experience, cleanliness played a large role in recovery.

"Red Thunder?" I asked hesitantly, not sure how he would react to my proposition.

"Hmph?" He groaned.

I pinched my fingers anxiously in my lap and blurted out, "I was wondering if you wouldn't mind me taking your clothes off?"

His eyes shot wide-open, brows raised incredulously.

I flushed and elaborated, "You're very dirty, so I was thinking I could get you some new clothes, and maybe give you a bath?"

Red Thunder nodded slowly with a slight smile. Or maybe it was a wince?

"If that is what you think best. I would not mind a bath by your hands."

I blushed furiously at his last comment, and came to stand over him, my hands fluttering around his waist anxiously as I cleared my throat. "I am going to remove your, uh, pants now," I told him, not really knowing what to call his unusual buckskin garments.

He made a groaning sort of grunt sound, which I took as a sign of consent.

I found the ties to his breechcloth as he turned slightly onto his side, allowing me access. I quickly undid them, drawing the loincloth off of him slowly.

I tried to avoid looking, but it was impossible given the situation, and I found myself staring at his taut, copper buttocks in utter fascination. Delicious feelings of tingling desire ran through me, warming my body from the mere sight of him. I shook my head, ashamed of myself, and continued with the task at hand.

Red Thunder's leggings or pants were more like garters, they came up high on his thighs but didn't cover him further than that. My blush felt like it was going to consume my entire body. It wasn't like I had never seen a man's naked rump before — I had been helping heal people for too long to have avoided that. (Not to mention my younger brother was quite fond of streaking in his younger days, if that counted). But I most definitely was never attracted to any of those men! It made the whole experience excruciatingly awkward.

And uncomfortably intriguing.

Finally reaching up to undo the ties of his leggings, my wrists accidentally brushed over his surprisingly silky, firm bottom. Red Thunder tensed at the contact, and I cringed in mortification.

"S- Sorry!" I stammered, and quickly yanked the tan leather off of him, immediately tossing the blankets of the bed up over his butt-naked male body. I was in shock, and felt strangely hot all over, as if the temperature of the room had suddenly risen significantly.

"It is okay," my patient murmured huskily, his deep voice once again sending shivers traveling through me.

I carefully positioned the covers around his stitched wound so it wouldn't touch it, and then told him, "I need to go fetch water from the well for your bath and get you some food. I will come right back."

He nodded, an almost imperceptible movement with his head pressed into the pillow as it was. The poor man must be in so much pain! Yet he didn't complain, not once.

I was still overly warm — I needed to get some air, and the things for my patient.

I gently touched Red Thunder's arm and told him reassuringly, "Don't worry. I am going to make sure you get better!"