Marriage is Murder

"No," Robert said. "We'll disturb Khaat up there. Just put him on the sofa for now, please." Once Brian was there and his leg was fresh and clean, Robert got out a jar of otion and soothed the skin from irritation with the lotion. The lotion was designed to stop itching and irritation from all sorts of conditions. Then Robert examined the knee carefully. "Its still swollen, and its bruising," Robert said. "That's all part of dislocating the joint. It will improve in time. We need to ice it yet today and then we'll start heat on it tomorrow. We can reduce the bruising, but I don't want to use magic just to stop the bruising because it tells me what stage your knee is at if I leave it largely alone. Alright, Jess, let's wrap this. I'm sorry I don't have the wildly colorful sports tape that the muggles have. Mine is merely flesh colored. You'll have to make do with it unless you want to cast a color spell on it."

"Flesh colored is good with me. I have no particular need to have it made pink or green or anything," Brian said.

"Watch how I wrap this, Jess," Robert said. "We want to provide it firm support while its healing but we must be very careful because of how swollen it is. And after awhile, its going to hurt and he's going to want us to undo it for him for awhile. I want it elevated constantly, and ice regularly. Every couple of hours. Any other questions, either of you?" He started to wrap the knee and showed jess a new technique for wrapping sports tape and the right amount of tension. Then he handed the roll of sports tape to her. "Continue," he ordered her. "Finish the roll. That will provide him the right support."

Jess took the tape and wrapped it the same as he had showed her while Jack got a foot stood with a pillow on to elevate it up yet keep him still with the children around them . " hows that Robert ?" she asked moving back so he could see " tight enough to support but not to cut off any circulation" she said and smiled as jack placed his leg on the foot stool.

" don't worry this one won't run off on you " he said and chuckled as he gently placed Brian's leg down on the pillow then moved back to sit in the chair he'd occupied not long ago.

"Excellent," Robert smiled. "Nice work. Now, when it swells duriing the day, if you need to, you can take the tape off, ice it and then replace it again for him. Very well done."

"Thank you," Brian said. "I do appreciate it. You have no idea how nuts that was making me. I hate casts."

"I think we got that message," Robert laughed. "But if you break your word, I'll put it back."

"The only reason I'd be up is to check on Khaat or my kids," Brian said.

"We'll take care of them. You just behave."

Upstairs, Khaat eventually woke. She felt sore and achy and tired, like she had been beaten. It took her a moment to remember what had caused her to feel that way. She looked and saw no trace remained over her heart of the terrible hexing spell. She got up and managed to shower. Replacing the bandages over the burns on her back were a different matter, though. she decided to just wear jeans and a very soft, worn out red flannel shirt with a simple white plaid design that she found in a bag of clothes Brian had intended to throw out. It was overly worn and it made the shirt soft enough that it didn't hurt the unbandaged burns on her back across her ribcage. She had been tempted to wear a halter top but then everyone would see the burns. So she merely resorted to the well worn shirt and brushed out her hair and tied it with Brian's leather lace and then made her way downstairs.

Jess smiled and breathed out she was glad Roberts training was coming in handy, looking at Brian she chuckled " ow I do know how it feels " she said and chuckled looking at Steven who chuckled as well and walked over to him.

" yeah was remembering when john had his arm in a cast, he complained the whole time he itched , in the end Janet gave him a knitting needle to scratch with" he said and smiled as Cassidy brought some tea and coffee for them both.She was not bothered buy his reference back to his first wife as she felt he was with her now and it was ok buy her.

" how did he brake it?" she asked and he smiled .

" he was climbing the fence to look at the horses he caught his foot and tumbled off landing on his arm" he looked at Brian knowing this was different but the relief of no cast was still the same.

"What are you doing up?" Robert asked Khaat. He stood up and went over to her. He laid his hand on her forehead. "I'm not sure how you're up. Why?"

"I'm alright," she said.

"Well, I think we'll be eating lunch in an hour or so. Why don't you go join Brian on the sofa and sit with him?"

"Because I need some coffee," she said.

"I'll get you coffee. You go sit." She obeyed. Robert got the large leather ottoman for Brian to elevate his leg so that he could let Khaat sit with him. She curled up on the sofa laing against his shoulder.

"Where did you find that awful shirt?" Brian frowned. "Did you get that out of my rag bag?"

"Actually, I did," she admitted.

"that's what I thought," he said wrapping his arm around her. He felt that there were no bandages around her burns. "And I know why you did, too." He accio'd Robert's bag from across the room to him. He tied her shirt up as a halter and looked at her back. "That's jus getting to the gruesome stage," he sighed. "You have to keep it covered." Robert brought back coffee just in time. He helped Brian dress it and wrap layers of gauze around her ribcage before untying her shirt and allowing her to put it back.

"That should feel better," Robert said, handing her the coffee mug."

"It does," she said.

"Now--put my shirt back in the rag bag," Brian laughed.

"Later," Robert said, "Let her enjoy her coffee. It was work for her getting this far."

Jess smiled as she saw Khaat coming down to sit with Brian she was happy to see her up but she could tell she had no bandages on and was going to say something but Brian had it well under control so she staid sat back with Jack with her cup of tea. " feeling better Khaat?" she asked as he glance at the children playing around them as they sat. Even Cassidy was sat playing with Fallon who giggled as she blew raspberry on her tummy while Steven sat with James on his knee sucking his thumb.

"I am better," Khaat said. She wasn't in pain anymore. Well, not from the hex anyway, and the burn only affected her when she rubbed it against something, but since Brian had redressed it, that friction thing wasn't happening anymore. "I just don't quite have the energy I want to have."

"That will come," her father said. "I haven't been able to let you know but you all helped me save Angus's life last night. I dont' know if I'd have done it without you. Nice job. He's going to be fine. He just needs to regain his strength now. I would expect it to take a couple days and then he'll be up again."

"I didn't begin to see it coming," she sighed.

"You wouldn't have," he replied. "He didn't see it coming either. it blindsided him. That's probably why it blindsided the rest of us. The good news is that he did completed the mission we sent him for. And that will shut down a large part of James's or Gelding's operation in Italy. Not sure who is in charge of that right now, but either way, we inconvenieced them in that country for a good long time. So he believes it was well worth it."

Jess smiled feeling some what better for knowing Khaat was feeling better. " it will come as you heal" she said and looked at Robert as he too spoke to her. Jess spoke up again and smiled "We can't see everything Khaat just only one possible scenario" she said hoping she had read it right. She breathed out a little hearing Robert talk about gelding or James's operation going out of business.

" about time" Jack said and folded his arms across his chest as he looked at Robert . He knew he should not let those two men gt to him but he could not help himself he felt anger at every evil thing those men had done to innocent people and Khaat.

"Some enemies are pains in our backsides for generations," Robert said. "Look at how many generations suffered under Voldemort. Unfortunately, sometimes we just have to let those things play themselves out before they quit causing damage. We might be able to shut him down in Italy--either permanently or temporarily--but we still do need to contend with where they are in the rest of the world. I am hopeful, though, that my need to leave England has improved my relationships w/ my counterparts in other countries enough that we can strike an alliance with them as well to eliminate trafficking or at least cause a serious dent in it."

"One can only hope," Brian said. "But that leaves me unemployed if we do that." He cast a slight smile to Robert.

"Oh, believe me, I'll find you a job if that ever happens," Robert said. "And, if worse comes to worse, you could simply take care of your children and enjoy your wealth. As it is, I am counting on you to continue to run Sparks and fill in at St. Mungos when I get shorthanded so Khaat can do her other jobs when she returns to power."

"And indeed i shall," Brian said.

Jess smiled and nodded " and I'll be at St Mongo's as well as a healer so you can still call on me too and Jack though not sure what he'd do " she said and chuckled as Jack looked up at them oblivious to everything going on around him , Steven chuckled and looked at Robert .

" yeah I hear that Robert " he said and nodded " some take many generations to get over what it is and all because they can't remember what started it in the first place" he said and shook his head " this is different though I know , this is two evil men wanting the same thing...power and control" he sat back and finished his coffee placing his empty cup down next to him on a low table.