All Roads Lead to Swatragh - Chapter 47

It was not more than 15 minutes when Peter arrived, disheveled and barely awake, but he had come.

“What's going on Grace?” he asked sleepily.

“It's Quinn...follow me,” she explained.

“What happened to him? And how did he get all undressed?” Peter looked at Grace confused.

“Peter, he was all beat up and I needed to get him cleaned up. I hope I did okay. He's not really coherent. What should I do?” Grace blurted out everything at once.

“Grace, I'm hardly a paramedic, but it does look like you got him cleaned off. Did you put some ointment on his cuts?” Peter was trying to remember anything he would do if he fell while running and was bruised and cut.

“Yes, I used the first aid ointment. But he's still not responding. Do I need to call an ambulance?” Peter could see Grace's worry.

“I'd call the doc in the morning. I'll give you his number. Quinn might have a concussion. Why is he here and not in the clinic?” Peter was still full of questions.

“The police brought him here. They said he didn't want to go to the clinic or a hospital. I have no idea how they even got a response from him. He had a cottage business card on him, so they delivered him here,” Grace was getting tired of all the questions and lack of help. Even though she had no idea how Peter could help.

Both Peter and Grace jumped when Quinn groaned. He seemed to be regaining consciousness, albeit slowly. When they looked at each other, they chucked at how they had both jumped, but moved away from the bed to finish talking.

Peter gave Grace the phone number for the local doctor to call in the morning and headed back home. He said he would stop by again after getting some sleep. It was now well after midnight and Grace was exhausted, but she could not leave Quinn alone. She pulled a chair near the bed and sat down. It was not long before she was asleep.

“Grace..., Grace...” someone was whispering to her. Jerking awake, Grace realized it was Quinn. His head was turned toward her in the chair and his eyes barely opened.

“Quinn, shhhhh.. Are you okay?” Grace whispered back to him.

“What happened? Where am I?” Quinn was gradually regaining his focus.

“Quinn, just calm down. You've here at the cottage, in my room. Lie still and try not to move too much. You've been hurt.” Grace didn't want to have to explain everything at once.

Quinn moaned as he tried to move. Grace tried to gently help, but was not sure it was good for Quinn to be rolling over on his side. She was worried he'd cause more pain for himself if he tried to move. Another moan left Quinn's body as he tried to move again.

“Stop, Quinn, you're only going to feel worse,” Grace pleaded. “Do you feel like a cup of tea? Or is there something I can get you?”

“Tea, that sound perfect. How about a little whiskey? That would be even better.” Grace could see that Quinn was gaining back some humor with his energy.

“No whiskey until I know it's okay for you. Now behave yourself while I get a cuppa made,” Grace demanded as she left the room.

Grace realized that she had slept most of the night in the chair as she stretched her stiff back while waiting for the water to boil. It was barely light outside. She carefully put the tea cup on a tray and added a small biscuit just in case Quinn had a bit of an appetite.

“Hey, who took my clothes?” was Quinn's first question as Grace entered the room.

Grace put down the tea before she explained that she had cut Quinn's torn biking clothes off. She had pulled up a light weight coverlet over Quinn as he was barely conscious, but he seemed to be feeling a little exposed knowing she had taken off his clothes.

Grace helped Quinn lift his head enough to sip some of the tea. She slipped an extra pillow behind his head so he could be more comfortable. Every once in a while he would grunt or moan as he moved, but she could see he was regaining his strength gradually.

“Quinn, will you be okay for a while? I have some guests to make breakfast for and need to get changed and freshened up myself,” Grace gazed around the room wondering how that freshening up and changing was going to happen with Quinn in her room. She just decided to give up on that notion for the moment and headed to the kitchen to get the breakfast ready for her guests.