Here is the next instalment of Racers.
Sorry about the length of time between chapters but the characters from my other story took over.
MYGYPSY
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Ryker lay behind Cheandra spooning her as she dozed after their bout of sex on the bed. When her breathing deepened and he was sure she was asleep he got off the bed, covered her with one side of the blanket she lay on and reached for his jeans. He was doing up the waistband as he walked out into the main room where Tristis and Mace sat in chairs talking quietly.
"Where's Burtie?" Ryker asked.
"He's in with Zack." Tristis answered.
"Is Cheandra all right?" Mace asked as he glanced past Ryker as if he expected her to follow him from her room.
"She's asleep at the moment. It might be wise if you lot clear out when she gets up, she will be very upset." Ryker said.
"I said it would be silly to take it as far as you did. Cheandra won't take this calmly, she'll fight you all the way." Mace warned.
"Oh she'll fight me alright but she won't be able to do a thing about what I done." Ryker said gravely.
Mace shook his head but remained silent as he looked away from his team leader.
Ryker watched the way Mace reacted and knew that there may be some objections from the other man in the future over what had transpired not to long ago.
"Tristis can you go to the town healer and get her to come here? The sooner she sees Zack the more chance she can help him if at all possible." Ryker said as Tristis got to his feet.
"Okay, I'll go do that now. What do I offer her in way of payment?" Tristis asked.
"Say Cheandra asked that she be allowed to come and help treat Zack." Mace told him.
"Yeah, that should do it." Ryker agreed. He watched as Tristis left the room and then he looked towards Mace before heading back towards Cheandra's bedroom.
Cheandra was still asleep when he entered the room quietly and stripped off his jeans, he climbed onto the bed behind Cheandra gathering her into his arms when she started to wake up.
"Lay back down and sleep." Ryker ordered as he pulled her down onto the bed.
Cheandra struggled for a few moments until she realised that there was little chance of escaping his hold. She looked over her shoulder angrily.
"Let me go and get out of my room!" She demanded.
"Now is that any way to talk to your mate and we just been mated on this day as well?" Ryker chided as he caught her arm in self-preservation.
Cheandra made a sound of disbelief and tried to elbow Ryker but he held her securely and prevented her attacking him in any way. Finally she gave up and stopped fighting him.
"Now that is better." Ryker told her as he pulled the edge of one of the blankets over both of them.
Cheandra remained silent as she lay in his arms on her bed. The alcohol she had consumed and the warmth of the day soon combined to have her dozing in his arms as they lay there.
Ryker lay on the bed thinking about what he had done. He had been attracted to Cheandra for over a year now but he had not made any moves on her as he had believed she was with Mace. When he had learnt that there was no relationship there he had intended to pursue her but the happenings of today had fast tracked his plans. With Zack injured he could not chance loosing her as a Racer and he did not want her to take up with either of the men it was rumoured she had been with today.
Cheandra made a soft noise in her sleep and he loosened his hold on her as she rolled over to face him on the bed. He studied the mark he had left on the pale skin of her neck and nodded to himself as he lowered his head back onto the pillow and closed his eyes.
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Cheandra rinsed the cloth out in the basin of cool water and wrung it out before replacing it on Zack's forehead. His face was flushed with fever and he was sleeping fitfully.
It was two days since the incident that had seen his leg badly broke and since then infection had set into the wound just above his knee. In that time Ryker had reinforced his claim on Cheandra each night, he had removed the door to her room to prevent her locking him out of her room. She had become very angry with everyone including Shari and she lashed out verbally at anyone who gave her the slightest provocation. Only Ryker braved her moods and spent time with her but it seemed to no avail and only appeared to anger her further.
The only person she seemed to have any patience with was Zack who was suffering from an infection induced fever. Cheandra spent more than her share of time looking after him, bathing him to try to bring the fever down as well as trying to get him to swallow some of the soup she had on hand all the time for him.
"How is he doing?" Ryker asked quietly from the doorway.
Cheandra sent him an irritated glare before turning back to her patient. "His fever still hasn't broken. I fear the infection in his leg is getting worse."
"Do you think the healer could help him?" Ryker asked as he walked into the room. He placed a hand on Zack's forehead and frowned at the heat that could be felt through the damp cloth.
"Do you think I am not trying all I know to help him?" Cheandra hissed quietly.
"I was asking if you want help nursing him." Ryker answered tightly.
Cheandra turned her face away as she took the cloth off his head and rinsed it in cool water once more before squeezing most of the water out of it and replacing it on his head.
"I am going out for a little while. Mace will be here if you need anything." Ryker told her before he left the room.
Cheandra didn't answer his comment or acknowledge the fact he had left the room. She was still upset over the fact that he had turned to her to keep the team together not because of any feelings or attraction he felt for her.
Soon it became clear that nothing she could do was having any effect on the infection in Zack's leg or the fever that was stealing his remaining strength. Admitting defeat Cheandra got to her feet and headed out of the room to find Mace. He was in the main room working on a piece of wood he was trying to carve into an ornament.
"You have to go to the healer and ask her to come here or send some medicine for an infection in Zack's leg where it was cut
"I'll go now." Mace said as he got to his feet.
Cheandra watched as he grabbed his helmet and gloves and left the room, sighing heavily she turned and headed back to Zack's room. She was still there when Ryker returned to the house shortly afterwards and walked to the room when he was unable to find Mace anywhere. Cheandra looked towards the doorway hopefully but turned away when she saw it was only Ryker.
"I have had his riding leather jeans repaired for when he is well again." Ryker told her quietly.
Cheandra turned her head to look at him silently. They both knew that the chances of Zack being able to ride again where slim as his knee joint was badly damaged and would probably heal stiff. She turned her face back towards Zack's fever flushed face and nodded silently. Ryker turned and left the room, when he returned a few minutes later he carried a cup of coffee and a plate of sandwiches.
"You need to eat." He ordered softly as he placed the cup and plate on the little table by the head of Zack's bed.
Cheandra opened her mouth to argue but shut it again as she realised that she had not eaten that day and it was well past the noon meal hour. Thankfully she reached for a sandwich and bit into it with hunger, she quickly ate the food and turned to the drink thankfully.
"I have sent Mace to the healer." Cheandra admitted.
"I always knew you would do what is best for Zack." Ryker told her gruffly.
Cheandra sent him a sour look but was heartened to hear that Ryker had faith in her ability and desire to care for her team members. She got to her feet, picked up the empty plate and cup then headed for the kitchen knowing that Ryker would take over watching Zack. She set about preparing a roast for the night meal and had it sitting in a slow oven when Mace returned with the healer.
"You wish me to treat your team member?" The woman asked Cheandra.
"Yes, my skills are not able to cure what ails him." Cheandra said to her.
The older woman nodded thoughtfully before looking Cheandra in the eye. "I will try to cure the injured rider but I can not promise that my skills will be able to make his leg work as before." She told Cheandra.
Cheandra led the way to Zacks room and then stood back and watched as the healer began to examine Zack's leg.
"I will need warm water to wash the wound. Hot water to clean my instruments and a lot of clean rags." The healer said as she unwrapped the wound above his knee. She shook her head when she saw the infection that made the knee swollen.
Cheandra hurried to the kitchen to ensure that the water was put on the stove to heat then headed to the linen storeroom to find a clean sheet to tear up for rags. When she returned to the sick room the healer was bathing Zack's chest with cool water to try to reduce his fever.
"Make a tea with these herbs and sweeten it with honey if you have any." The healer told Cheandra as she handed her a packet of dried herbs.
Cheandra hurried to do as she was told. When she returned carrying the herbal tea both Ryker and the healer where working on Zack's injured leg, he lay motionless on the bed, his face colourless.
Cheandra was sitting at the kitchen table drinking a cup of coffee when the healer came out of Zack's room; she walked through the house until she found Cheandra.
"I have done all I can for your team member. I would ask that some new medicines be picked up for me in payment." The healer asked quietly. Normally a healer could not afford to pay to get supplies delivered by a rider and the normal way of passing along supplies meant aging which was generally not desirable.
"We will be happy to pick up your medicines for you." Cheandra assured her.
"The rider will never use that leg properly again. Already the knee is stiffening up." The healer told her.
"I will give you a lift back to your house." Cheandra said as she got to her feet.
"Should you not stay and look after the injured?" The healer asked.
"One of the others will watch him. We all look after him." Cheandra tried to explain.
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