Chapter 3 - THE CHANGING OF THE BANDAGE
As Luca shifted his position on the edge of the mattress, the movement strained the upper muscles of his chest. Elena’s sharp eyes instantly caught a faint, dark crimson stain beginning to bloom outward through the pristine white cotton dressing wrapped tightly across his upper torso and arm.
Elena stepped closer to the side of the bed, her practical instincts immediately taking over.
"That needs changing," Elena said, pointing a finger toward the darkening spot along his right shoulder.
Luca glanced down at his chest with mild, dismissive indifference, his face remaining entirely emotionless.
"It’s fine," he replied dismissively.
"Not if it opens," Elena countered firmly, her tone leaving no room for argument. "If the dressing saturates, you risk an infection, and the incision won't close properly."
Luca looked up at her, meeting her unwavering gaze. For a moment, a tense, electric silence hung over the bedside. He was unaccustomed to being commanded, let alone by a household assistant. Yet, reading the total absence of malice or fear in her eyes, Luca let out a quiet breath and gestured with his chin toward the heavy brass-trimmed medical chest resting on the nearby dresser.
Elena walked over, retrieved the fresh roll of sterile gauze, antiseptic solution, and medical tape, and returned to his side. She dropped to her knees beside his seated frame so she was at eye level with his chest.
May you like
With extreme care, Elena began unpeeling the old adhesive tape from his golden-brown skin. As her soft, cool fingers made contact with his bare shoulder, every muscle along Luca’s torso instantly tightened into hard iron. His chest rose in a shallow, controlled intake of breath, his hands gripping the edge of the mattress so tightly his knuckles turned white.
Elena worked with gentle, practiced precision, gently dabbing the antiseptic over the healing wound before laying down the fresh, immaculate white dressing. Throughout the process, Luca sat completely still, his dark eyes locked onto her face, tracking the absolute dedication in her expression while suppressing the involuntary physiological jolt that her gentle touch sent through his system.
