In which Yeeting a Flare at a Wolverine Ends up Being A Bad Idea Mostly
The first time Sam woke up at the Wolf’s Den she remembered thinking Tammy Barnes was a smart woman and everyone else she chose to interact with (Eli) needed to take a page out of Tammy’s very suspicious book. Sam wasn’t to be trusted. Not anymore, maybe not ever. She was reliable sure. Sam could admit she had some damn redeeming qualities, she wasn’t entirely self loathing. But at the end of the day even she knew her brain was a hellscape before the whole conditioning shit. But now? There were some thoughts in her head so disturbing she would never know whether or not they were actually hers.
Eli, almost thankfully, chose to ignore every single red flag Sam waved around in his face from the moment he laid eyes on her forward. Otherwise she would be bleeding out in the forest by herself with only a fat diabetic bear to care for her and not bleeding out on the cot Eli dumped her on so he could at the very least, stop the bleeding and stitch her up. A lucky gal indeed.
“I’ve seen you walk off almost impossible hits,” Eli grunted, “and yet it’s a fucking wolverine that takes you down? One you goaded by the way.”
“Kicking a girl while she’s down I see,” Sam flinched when Eli pressed down a little too hard. For all she pretended to be tough and indestructible she was still human, and liable to reckless behavior. So maybe she shouldn’t have shot a flare directly at a wolverine. Miraculously it was leaving her the hell alone before she decided death by wolverine was a fun way to go. Of course, she was wrong. Whoever said Sam Rook was smart needed to have a five second conversation with her.
“I wouldn’t have believed it if we hadn’t seen it on the security tape,” Eli muttered. Mostly he was pissed off. Sam was injured and for the moment was no longer useful to the resistance. “What the hell were you thinking?”
“That I could take it. Stupid wolverine—”
“Stupid you, Sam, you gave me a fucking heart attack when you didn’t get back up.”
“Aw,” Sam grinned at him. She lifted her head a bit to get a good look at him. He was staring intently at the work his hands were doing. She remembered this as well.
When she first woke up she was greeted with Eli’s face. With those pretty pretty eyes, brow furrowing in worry. She found the beard suited him well, something she usually wouldn’t care for. And when she finally got a look at him in action... christ almighty, she’d had better things to do but ogle at him using that bow of his. Now those incredibly focused eyes and precise hands were focused on her. She wanted to do something about it but she doubted Eli would reciprocate. She forgot the joke she was going to make. Something sinister that she knew would fire Eli up.
“You shouldn’t worry about me Palmer, I always come out on top.”
“Yeah when you’re opponent is dead on top isn’t always that far away. I quite like you when you’re alive and not dying.” There was tension in his voice that made her so incredibly curious. She wanted to poke and prod and pull, she could. It would be so easy, she used to do it all the time. A little smile here, a little touch there. A comment, a compliment, an innocuous conversation with someone who didn’t know she wanted anything from them. But the thought of manipulating Eli into revealing something important, something he’s not willing to share left a taste in her mouth so putrid she didn’t even want to think about it anymore.
She doesn’t know how Jakey wants her to kill Eli when he’s her biggest weakness. There’s a lot she’s willing to do for the man patching her up, she would rather Jacob killed her than hurt Eli.
“Yeah, yeah,” Sam grunted entirely unaffected. “Can’t save the county if I’m dead.”
“Is that what you think I’m saying when I ask you not die?” Eli asked incredulously. No, but Sam can’t handle the truth of what he’s asking of her. She doesn’t answer. “Sam—“
“You done?” She interrupted. Forced herself to sit up only to be stopped by the same two hands that fixed her up. He lets his grip on her loosen. Free’s up one of his hands to guide her head toward his own from beneath her chin. Forces her to have nowhere else to look but directly at him. His eyes searching for an answer Sam doesn’t want to give.
“Hey,” Eli said sternly soft, “look at me.”
It’s not order or a demand but a request. See what I have to offer. So she does. His eyes, as always, are gentle. Sam wonders what she has to do to get that same cold calculating stare she knows he’s capable of. It’s nothing like Tammy who makes her feel like a child all over again. Or Wheaty who wants to ask a million questions but doesn’t want to push her away. Excitement at every little thing she deems him worthy of knowing about her. It’s gentle. Like she’s a delicate little thing.
Eli Palmer looks at her like he already knows everything he needs to know and it scares her that he might.
“You are not a tool for me to use, you aren’t disposable. I want you alive Sam because I—“
God bless Sharky Boshaw. Who Sam forgot she brought along with her and left at the Wolf’s Den while she went out for a quick breather with the damn bear.
“Deputy? Dep! You alive in there? Heard ya got mauled by a wolverine again. Just wanted make sure you were fine. Can’t have the second half of this buddy cop movie dyin’ before the climax.”
“You’re not a cop,” Sam said plainly. She half wanted to kill him and half want to ignore him in favor of getting Eli back in her personal space. He’s the fire and she’s the moth.
Sam stood up with a grunt and limped over to where the door was locked. Moving her right leg exacerbated the wound across her abdomen but she’d be damn if she let it show too much. She pulled the door open and moved around to let Sharky in.
“Aww, dep. don’t ruin my fun,” Sharky teased. He didn’t move to help her only because he knows she won’t accept it and only make her injuries worse. For all he joked Sam knew he was really worried.
“I don’t want you going out and poking the bear while you’re injured,” Eli told her, “I’ll tie you to that bed and keep a guard if you even try to leave the den before being cleared.”
“Kinky!” Sharky crowed, “just how you like ‘em, dep.”
Sam’s face heated up at the comment and while she knew she couldn’t chase after Sharky lest Eli go through on his promise, she glared at his retreating self.
“Fuck off, Boshaw,” Sam called after him as Eli chuckled behind her. Guided her slowly back to the bed for her to rest.
“If you’re not here when I come back I’m taking a leaf out of Jacob’s book and sending a search party after you.”
Sam scrunched her nose in distaste the comparison. Eli was nothing like that little bitch.
“Don’t get your little boxer briefs in a bunch. I’ll be here.”