"Just another quarter mile."
"I can't make it, it hurts so bad. Why, why did I have to twist my ankle? I can't make it another five feet. The last two were excruciating enough. Let me just rest a moment. "
Limping slowly off the trail to the long soft grass; falling to my butt, then resting on my elbows. Looking up at you apologetically.
"I'm sorry, Love. I ruined our afternoon. I couldn't make it another step."
"You didn't ruin anything, Love. I only had another five miles planned." You say giggling. Taking my shoe and sock off, resting my leg across your lap. Looking at my slightly swollen ankle, "Well it doesn't look too bad. I'm no doctor, but I think a soft massage might help relax some of the strained muscles."
Holding my heel in the palm of your hand you start stroking my ankle very softly, watching me flinch a little; not so much from pain per-say, but of fear of pain. Rubbing the palm of your hand across the top of my foot.
"I'm no doctor either, but if you keep touching me like that my ankle isn't going to be the only thing relaxed."
Very tenderly rubbing just above my ankle, you start rubbing the bottom of my foot as well; with a knee jerk reaction I pull my leg from your lap. "Ohh ouch, oh my that hurt. That was dumb, yup."
Looking at your painful expression and saddened eyes, obviously thinking you hurt me in some way.
"No honey, it's ok it wasn't you; well it was kind of, my feet are so ticklish and the last three miles of hard trails made it so extra sensitive. I didn't mean to make you think that you hurt me I'm so sorry. What hurt was the reaction, not you Love. That actually felt really good."