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"What happened? Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine A splinter, that's all"
"Are you sure? Splinters don't usually bleed like that"
She thrust her sheets aside and padded over to exa her sudden concern for hi But he was painfully aware of her seht, savoring the touch of her soft fingers against his, and the delicate brush of her cotton covered breast against his upper arm
She gasped, and he saw his injury as she must Thick blood oozed fro where the splinters of wood remained He'd heal as soon as the splinters were re that
"We need to clean those cuts, and pull the splinters out You don't have any hydrogen peroxide in your bathroom, but ater should work I'm more concerned about hoe'll pull the splinters Do you have any tweezers?"
"No, but I won't need any" He dropped his other arht squeeze, the briefest of caresses, before he broke away Regrettably, he couldn't linger with her She needed to get ready
His touch re to stretch the nightshirt to coverpity on her, he turned aside She relaxed, unable to tell he could still see her out of the corner of his eye
"I'll use the other bathroo for the hospital in twenty et your chance to see the research application wing of the Institute"
"Twentythe door shut behind her
Alone in the other bathrooht sink Thick blood oozed froers to drip into the sink Slowly, the blood forced the splinters fro the wounds, then slowed to a trickle He leaned down to rinse off his hand and splash the blood off the porcelain By the tihtly reddened blemishes In half an hour, they'd fade completely
He stepped out of the bathrooe And she'd demand an explanation
He kept a box of adhesive bandages decorated with cheerful teddy bears in Gillian's rown man to use, especially since he didn't need them, but it would forestall any questions
He rejoined Gillian in the kitchen She noticed his new pluh his thin es of Gillian with a skinned knee, cut finger, skinned elbow and otherchildren Each time, he or Mrs Waters had been instantly at her side to kiss her "ouchie" and es and disinfectant
"Did you get an ouchie, Daddy?"