Ripley was moaning when I got back to the bedroom.  I peeled back the blanket and slid in next to him.  I put my head on his chest and my hand went to his abdomen.  It was wet.  “Ripley, are you bleeding?  Why didn't you say something?” I got up and turned on the light.  I got a towel from the bathroom and came back.  I got on the bed, found the stab wound, put my hand on it, then put the towel on top of my hand.  “Is this the only one?” I asked him.  “I don't know,” he answered, “my back hurts really bad too.”  “Did he stab you or shoot you?” I asked.  “He shot me,” he whispered.  “Did it go all of the way through?”  “I think so,” he grunted.  “I need you to roll up on your side,” I told him.  I put my hand on the wound on his back long enough to feel it seal up, “okay you can lay down on your back again.”  He did so.  I put my hand back on the wound in the front.  It was taking longer, healing the internal damage.  I laid down next to him and put my head on his chest.  I closed my eyes and watched in my mind as he healed internally.  I dozed off watching and fell asleep.

“Jade,” Ripley speaking softly.  I lifted my head and looked at his face.  “Thank you,” he whispered.  “You're welcome,” I smiled.  I lifted my hand to see that the wound was sealed shut.  Blood was everywhere and all over the both of us.  “How do you feel?” I asked him.  “Like I have been shot,” he whispered.  “Do you think that you can get up?” I asked.  “For a bath, I will crawl,” he answered.  I got up and off of the bed.  He slowly sat up.  “Wait here and I will start the water,” I told him.

I went in the bathroom and turned on the water.  I put bubble bath in and sat the usual toiletries on the side of the bathtub.  I went back into the bedroom.  He stood up holding his side.  I followed him into the bathroom.  “Jade, I don't feel like stripping down to put on swim trunks,” he started.  “It's okay,” I told him.  He took it all off.  It was all soaked with blood.  He descended into the bathtub.  I didn't even change.  I just wore my tank top and shorts in.  We both sat down.  I moved to sit behind him.  He washed himself in the front, then handed me the soap for his back.  I soaped up his back, then started to rub it in.  “That feels wonderful,” he told me.  I helped him lean back to rinse off.  He sat back up and I soaped him up again.  I made the pajamas disappear and soaped myself up too.  I rinsed off, then rubbed his back again.  I helped him rinse off.  “Do you want me to wash your hair?” I asked him.  “Not right now,” he answered, “I just want to relax for a minute.”  I leaned back and he leaned back against me.  “Did you take your clothes off?” he asked.  “Is that a problem?” I countered, “I had to wash up too.”  “No it's fine,” he answered relaxing.

“I have sent for Lia and Max to come help with the mess,” he told me, “Yaris said that it is fine for us to lay in his bed.”  “Can we still smoke in the hot tub room?” I asked.  “Yes,” he answered.  He relaxed for a few minutes, then, “I think I am ready for that cigarette now.”  He stood up slowly.  I followed him as he climbed the stairs.  We went to the closet and put on robes.  I put his bloody clothes down the laundry chute then followed him into the bedroom.  The amount of blood on the bed was staggering.  He probably shouldn't be alive.  “Thank you, Jade,” his eyes glistened.  I went to him and hugged him tight.  “I almost lost you,” I whispered.  He hugged me back, “I will be okay.  Do not worry.”  We stayed like that for a minute then, “Jade, could you at least find me some shorts to wear.  I do not want to be naked in a robe when my sister and her boyfriend show up.”  I helped him over to the plush chair in the corner.  I found him some underwear and a pair of pajama shorts.  He was fine with that because we would be going back to bed.  “Do you need my help to put them on?” I asked.  “I do not know,” he answered.  I helped him put his feet in the leg holes and he was able to do the rest.  I put on a sweat suit and took off the robe.

I followed him downstairs and through the house to the hot tub room.  The chair that he had sat in only had a small amount of blood on it.  I got a towel from the changing room, got it wet in the hot tub and cleaned up the blood, while he sat in the clean chair.  I cleaned a small amount off of the floor.  I sat down and he handed me a lit cigarette.  We smoked our cigarettes in silence.

“I think that I need to go back to bed,” he told me when we were done smoking.  He got up, holding his side.  I followed him as he slowly made his way to the stairs.  He had to sit down and take a break at the bottom.  “Lia and Max are here,” he told me just as the back door chimed.  I went and let them in.  “Thank you for coming,” I told them as they took their coats and boots off.  “Show us the way,” Max told me.  They followed me to the stairs where Ripley sat waiting.  “It is a big mess,” Ripley told them, “Jade saved my life, but I am still really weak.”  He stood up and Max helped him up the stairs.  We showed them to the bedroom.
I could hear Lia's gasps at the sight of all of the blood.  She went to Ripley and hugged him.  “I do not know how you are still alive,” Max told him, staring at the mess.  “It is all Jade,” Ripley told them, “She saved me.”  “But, how?” Lia looked at me.  “I just did it,” I told her, not really knowing what to say.  She came to me and hugged me tight, “Thank you Jade.”  She let go of me, “of course we will clean it up.  Then we will make something for you two to eat.”  “Thank you,” I told her, fighting back tears of my own.

“We are going to lay down in Yaris' room for now,” Ripley told them.  “Do you need help?” Max asked him.  “That would be great,” Ripley agreed.  I lead the way and peeled the blanket back so that Ripley could get in.  Max helped him to the bed.  “Thanks Max,” I told him.  He turned and left the room.  Ripley took the robe off and I put it in the chair in the corner.  He laid down and moved over.  I got in next to him and covered us up.  I put my head on his chest and my hand in that same spot.  There were still repairs to be made.  I fell asleep watching them again.

“Jade,” Ripley said softly.  I lifted my head and looked at his eyes.  My hand was no longer in that same spot.  “Lia says that the food is ready,” he told me.  I started to rise up off of him.  He stopped me, “Jade, I do not know what would have happened to me without you.”  “I don't know what I would do if you had died,” my voice cracked.  He put his arms around me and pulled me to him.  I slid my arms around him and felt a tear slide down my cheek.  We stayed hugging like that for a minute.  His hold on me lessened and I raised up to look at his face.  He was crying too.  “We are going to be okay,” I promised him, kissing a tear stained cheek.  “Thank you,” he told me.  “You're welcome,” I whispered.

He let go of me and I got up.  He sat up and scooted to the edge of the bed.  He sat for a minute with his feet down on the floor.  I changed into a sweat suit and put his slippers by his feet.  He put them on and stood up.  “How do you feel?” I asked handing him his robe.  “Better,” he answered, “still sore, but better.”  “Do you need my help?” I asked.  “I think that I can make it,” he answered.  I did help him put on the robe though.  I followed him out of the room and, slowly, down the stairs.  When we got to the dining room table, he pulled my chair out, then his, then he sat down heavily.  “Are you okay?” I asked him.  He just nodded his head yes.  He just sat and waited to be served.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” I asked Lia and Max.  “No,” Lia answered, “you just keep taking care of my little brother.”  I sat down in my chair and scooted close to the table.  I searched for and took hold of Ripley's hand under the table.  He pulled my hand up above the table and kissed it.  “How are you doing?” I asked him.  “I am okay,” he answered, “I am looking forward to eating, then going back to bed.”  “Your bed is clean now,” Lia told us, bringing us plates of eggs, bacon, sausage and hash browns.  “This looks so good,” I complemented her.  Max brought two more plates and set them down.  Lia went back and brought a fifth plate.

“Is Aris coming for breakfast?” I asked.  “He sure is,” I heard him say from behind me.  I hopped out of my seat and rushed to him.  “I can only stay for breakfast,” he told me.  “I need you to check Ripley to make sure that I am doing it right,” I told him.  “I can do that,” he agreed.  We went to the table.  He pulled our chairs out and we sat down.  We all started eating.  I was hungrier than I thought.  I finished my plate and had seconds.  Ripley was eating slow and only mostly ate one plate.  “Do you feel like having a cigarette?” I asked him when everyone was finished eating.  “Yes,” he answered, “Then I will need to go back to bed.”  I stood up.  He slowly stood up and slowly headed toward the bath tub room.  “Do you need help, Rip?” Aris offered.  “That would be nice,” Ripley agreed.  Aris caught up to him.  Ripley put his arm around Aris' neck and Aris put his arm around Ripley's back.  I led the way opening doors for them.

In the hot tub room, Aris helped Ripley into a seat, then took the other seat.  I went to sit on Aris’ lap.  “Sit on Ripley,” he told me, “He needs you.”  I moved to Ripley who sat up a little straighter to accommodate me.  I sat down gently.  He still winced.  Aris lit a cigarette for each of us.  I put one arm around Ripley's neck and smoked with the other.  “Is this helping?” I asked.  “Yes,” he answered.  I kissed his cheek.  “I will help you to bed, then check you out,” Aris told him, “I can already tell that Jade has done a great job on you, though.”  “I would be dead without her,” he told Aris.  “So I have heard,” Aris said with a little pride.

“Can I give you something?” I asked Ripley, trusting the skin.  “What is it?” Ripley asked.  I held my hand in front of him, palm up.  A small white orb appeared.  “I do not want one of those,” he said, fearful, “I have seen what they do.”  “Not this one,” Aris told him, “do not fear it.  This is what she gives to her second.  If you do not accept it, you are rejecting her and she will have to accept another.”  “I don't know how, I just know that it will protect you,” I told him.  “Okay.  I accept it,” Ripley told me.  It formed into a ring in my palm.  He sighed with relief.  I looked at him, feeling confused at his reaction.  “I was afraid that you would attach it to my head,” he told me.  “No, just your finger,” I answered.  He held out his right hand and I put it on his ring finger.  I pulled his hand up to my mouth and kissed the ring.  I felt that same fire run through me that I had previously felt.  He closed his eyes, then slowly opened them.  “That felt so good,” he told me, “it helps with pain.”  I smiled and kissed him on the lips.  He closed his eyes again and slowly opened them.  “Thank you,” he told me.

“Are you ready to go back to bed?” Aris asked.  “Yes,” Ripley told him.  I got up and Aris helped Ripley up.  I walked ahead of them to open doors.  We went up the stairs and back to Ripley's room.  I peeled the blanket and sheet back so that Ripley could lay down.  I couldn't even tell that he had bled here.  Aris helped him into bed.  I put Ripley's robe in the corner chair.  Aris got down on his knees and rubbed his hands, palm down, over Ripley's midsection.  “I know that he hurts a lot, but he is healing nicely.  It just takes time,” Aris told me, “keep doing what you have been doing.  Tomorrow it would be good for him to sit in that hot tub for a few minutes.  Overall, nice job Jade.”  “Thank you,” I smiled.

He looked at Ripley, “Jade is going to see me off, then she will be back.”  “That is fine,” Ripley agreed and closed his eyes.  I followed Aris out of the room and down the stairs.