Free A Changed Man (Altered Book 1) by Unknown

sheepishly.
    Jackie let out a small laugh. "It's okay.  Your bath is ready."  Jackie helped Remington to the bathroom. "Do you need any help getting in?” She asked.
    "You would do that?"  He asked surprised. "You would help a naked stranger get in to the tub?"
    There was that half smile again. Reminding Jackie of the cat that ate the canary. She couldn’t help but smile herself. "Well, I don't really want to, but I could close my eyes if you needed me to help."
    "No, that’s okay. I can manage."
    Jackie let out a relieved sigh. It’s not that she wouldn't mind seeing more of this well built specimen, but under the circumstances it wasn't a good idea. "Okay, well I'm going to go rustle up some bandages and ibuprofen.  If you set your clothes just outside the bathroom door I will throw them in the wash.  I left a shirt and a throw on the sink. Just yell if you need anything."
    Remington was still surprised by this woman’s generosity; living way out here all alone had to be scary for her sometimes. Then having a bloody stranger show up with a crazy story about a kidnapping and wanting to stay the night would have had most people calling the cops without hesitation. He got lucky, and he wouldn't forget it. "Thank you, you're very kind."
     
     
    Jackie left the room pulling the door closed. She went to the guest room and opened the trunk at the foot of the bed. She pulled out fresh sheets, pillowcases, and a down blanket and made up the bed. She then went over to the closet where she remembered seeing the big white case marked with a red cross that was the first aid kit.  She hoped it was stocked for Remington’s sake. Jackie laid the case on the bed and opened it up.  It looked like a surgeon stocked it. It not only had a variety of salves and different sized bandages, but it had surgical sutures, scissors, clamps, scalpels, a hemostat, forceps, and a few other tools she had no idea what they were.  It held alcohol pads, an EpiPen, and ace bandages. She also found numerous bottles of pills; some for upset stomach, some for allergies, a prescription bottle of amoxicillin, and two prescription bottles of oxycodone with her grandmother’s name on them. What in the world did you need these for gram? She thought. She talked to her grandmother at least twice a month and she never mentioned being hurt or in any pain; she never mentioned owning a shotgun or having a handyman for that matter. Jackie felt like her gram had some double life she didn't know anything about. And who in the hell stocked this thing? Jackie noticed the lid of the case had black cloth stretched over it.  It was closed with a zipper. She unzipped the material and there were numerous braces; one for the knee, elbow, wrist, ankle, and a big one you wrapped around your back. Jackie closed the case back up and brought it to the living room, setting it down on the coffee table. She walked back to the bathroom and saw Remington had left his clothes outside the door.  She picked them up and made her way to the small laundry room beside the kitchen.  She put them in the wash, turned the knob to HOT, and doubled the amount of detergent she normally used.  Jackie returned to the bathroom door and tapped on it lightly. "You okay in there?" She asked. She couldn't hear anything coming from the bathroom. She knocked again, this time harder. "Remington? You okay in there?"
    "Yes! I'm fine. Sorry, I must have fallen asleep again."
    "That's okay. I found a first aid kit and some pain pills.  I'll wait for you out in the living room."
    "Great!  I'll be out in a few minutes," he said.
    Remington didn't want to get out of the tub, but the water was starting to cool off. He was feeling better already; with his stomach full and the hot bath loosening the knots in his back and neck, he didn't feel to worse for wear. His ankle was throbbing though, and the gashes on his legs stung. There were a few that would need stitches he was sure. He stood up slowly, balancing