as though comforting a child. He didn't know what it was about this girl that affected him so strongly, but this was the girl he would marry. He kissed the top of her head, then held her as he got down from the picnic table and returned to the van.
Back at the campground, he carried her into her tent and laid her on top of her sleeping bag, after Julie had unzipped it enough to fold back the upper part. He pulled it over her and zipped it back up. "She's groggy from the pain pills," Tom told Julie. "I think she'll want to go right to sleep now. She'll be fine. She got eleven stitches in her foot. She'll be on crutches for two weeks, and I'll have to take her back in a week to have the stitches removed."
Julie patted Carrie's shoulder. "Good night, girlfriend," she said.
It was a long, long night for Carrie. She had fallen right asleep, thanks to the medication. But after a couple of hours, the pain in her foot was as bad as the pain in her ass. She was freezing, it was dark, she couldn't find a flashlight and she had to pee in the worse way. Julie wouldn't wake up, and Vicki wasn't even in the tent. She had zipped her sleeping bag to Henry's and they were sleeping together under the stars. Carrie cried, she was so frustrated. Then she dried her tears. It was time to use her head. Tom was treating her like Mrs. Bart, so she would act like it. She fumbled for her crutches. Outside the tent it wasn't quite as dark as it had been earlier. A quarter moon was out, with a sky full of stars. The earlier fog had lifted. She hobbled over to Tom's tent, then poked at it with a crutch. "Tom? Tom! Wake up, I need help," she said.
He was instantly awake. "Carrie? What's wrong!"
"Sh! Nothing that I want to share with everybody. But I could really use your help," she hissed.
Tom grinned at her. She could tell he was grinning, as the moonlight highlighted his even, white teeth. "I can't find a flashlight," she began. "I'm freezing, I need another pain pill, and I have to pee."
"I'm sorry, Carrie," he said sincerely. "I should have thought of that myself."
"You are not responsible for my urinary needs," she said, with more than a touch of sarcasm.
"No. But I could have made sure you changed out of your swim suit before you went to sleep, and set out your pills and a water bottle in case you woke up. I'm sorry."'
Tom wiggled around inside his little tent, emerging moments later as he tugged up the zipper on his pants. Carrie wondered if he'd slept in the buff, or with his drawers on, then bit her lip to distract her. It was none of her business how he slept!
"What do you want first," Tom asked. "The bathroom?"
She nodded.
He flipped on a flashlight and scooped her up, carrying her easily across the uneven ground.
"I could walk," she said.
"Yes. But this is faster," Tom said. "And it's an emergency."
They both chuckled. Carrie leaned her head against his shoulder. Her bottom was still burning, her foot throbbed, she was shivering, but she had never felt more protected.
Tom handed her the flashlight once she was inside the dirty rest room, which was a lot better than it had been before. Someone had started cleaning it. Then Tom waited outside until she called for him. He carried her back to her tent, and held the flashlight for her while she dug through her duffle bag for pajamas. He shook two tabs of the pain medication into her palm, then opened a water bottle for her. She swallowed back the pills. It would be a while before they kicked in, and they hadn't done anything for the pain in her bottom - only her foot. She didn't know how medication could be so smart like that. She knew it was time to go back to bed, but she didn't want to go. If he asked her to join him in his tent, she would in a heartbeat. Not for anything more than just to be held... she wasn't ready for more yet. Annoyed with herself, she was a little rude when she thanked him and crawled back into her tent.
"Good night, Carrie," Tom said. "Keep the flashlight,
Back at the campground, he carried her into her tent and laid her on top of her sleeping bag, after Julie had unzipped it enough to fold back the upper part. He pulled it over her and zipped it back up. "She's groggy from the pain pills," Tom told Julie. "I think she'll want to go right to sleep now. She'll be fine. She got eleven stitches in her foot. She'll be on crutches for two weeks, and I'll have to take her back in a week to have the stitches removed."
Julie patted Carrie's shoulder. "Good night, girlfriend," she said.
It was a long, long night for Carrie. She had fallen right asleep, thanks to the medication. But after a couple of hours, the pain in her foot was as bad as the pain in her ass. She was freezing, it was dark, she couldn't find a flashlight and she had to pee in the worse way. Julie wouldn't wake up, and Vicki wasn't even in the tent. She had zipped her sleeping bag to Henry's and they were sleeping together under the stars. Carrie cried, she was so frustrated. Then she dried her tears. It was time to use her head. Tom was treating her like Mrs. Bart, so she would act like it. She fumbled for her crutches. Outside the tent it wasn't quite as dark as it had been earlier. A quarter moon was out, with a sky full of stars. The earlier fog had lifted. She hobbled over to Tom's tent, then poked at it with a crutch. "Tom? Tom! Wake up, I need help," she said.
He was instantly awake. "Carrie? What's wrong!"
"Sh! Nothing that I want to share with everybody. But I could really use your help," she hissed.
Tom grinned at her. She could tell he was grinning, as the moonlight highlighted his even, white teeth. "I can't find a flashlight," she began. "I'm freezing, I need another pain pill, and I have to pee."
"I'm sorry, Carrie," he said sincerely. "I should have thought of that myself."
"You are not responsible for my urinary needs," she said, with more than a touch of sarcasm.
"No. But I could have made sure you changed out of your swim suit before you went to sleep, and set out your pills and a water bottle in case you woke up. I'm sorry."'
Tom wiggled around inside his little tent, emerging moments later as he tugged up the zipper on his pants. Carrie wondered if he'd slept in the buff, or with his drawers on, then bit her lip to distract her. It was none of her business how he slept!
"What do you want first," Tom asked. "The bathroom?"
She nodded.
He flipped on a flashlight and scooped her up, carrying her easily across the uneven ground.
"I could walk," she said.
"Yes. But this is faster," Tom said. "And it's an emergency."
They both chuckled. Carrie leaned her head against his shoulder. Her bottom was still burning, her foot throbbed, she was shivering, but she had never felt more protected.
Tom handed her the flashlight once she was inside the dirty rest room, which was a lot better than it had been before. Someone had started cleaning it. Then Tom waited outside until she called for him. He carried her back to her tent, and held the flashlight for her while she dug through her duffle bag for pajamas. He shook two tabs of the pain medication into her palm, then opened a water bottle for her. She swallowed back the pills. It would be a while before they kicked in, and they hadn't done anything for the pain in her bottom - only her foot. She didn't know how medication could be so smart like that. She knew it was time to go back to bed, but she didn't want to go. If he asked her to join him in his tent, she would in a heartbeat. Not for anything more than just to be held... she wasn't ready for more yet. Annoyed with herself, she was a little rude when she thanked him and crawled back into her tent.
"Good night, Carrie," Tom said. "Keep the flashlight,
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