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As soon as the door clicked, Ty carefully reached his hand up to the back of his head and gingerly prodded at the goose egg there He winced as pain lanced through his head, and when he brought his hand back to his side it was trehtly from the pain Slowly, he made his way to the bed, and he crawled into it and burrowed under the layers of soft chocolate-colored sheets as he admitted defeat for the day

It was only a few minutes before Zane returned He shut, locked, and latched the door before pulling off his jacket, knives, and gun He filled the heavy plastic bag that came with the bucket half full of ice and carefully crunched the ice on the carpet, nottoo much noise He wrapped it in a towel and walked to the bedrooh-thread-count blankets Setting the ice pack aside, Zane started peeling back layers A soft groan met his efforts, and finally he uncovered Ty, who hadn’t even bothered to take off his jacket

"Ty," Zane sighed under his breath The other et some of your clothes off You’ll be a hell of a lotoff the ruined jacket first

Ty huffed and whimpered softly as the jacket was re "Want out of the rest?" Zane asked quietly as he sat back down at Ty’s side

"Fuck," Ty groaned "Just let ruly "Lie back down and turn on your side--bu a little

"Shut up," Ty huffed even as he obeyed the directive Zane didn’t answer the barb, instead lifting the ice pack and settling it carefully over the swollen area of the back of Ty’s skull and holding it there The hair was still matted with dried blood Ty hissed in protest and closed his eyes, shivering hard

Zane rubbed his free hand along Ty’s shoulder and side, just behind the bruises; he didn’t want Ty jerking around in pain "Want anything to eat or drink? I’m supposed to keep you awake at least a couple h," Ty answered pitifully All he wanted to do was sleep

"I know Been there How about you hang onto this ice, and I’ll call out for soht keep your attention?" Zane asked as he clasped Ty’s shoulder

"No," Ty ot to his feet He snapped on both la up the volued on the toes of Ty’s boots as he walked by "No sleeping," he reminded

"Mmkay," Ty muan to drift off

Zane looked down at him and yanked away the pillow and then all the covers "Ty, I o to sleep," he said firmly

"Nap Nazi," Ty accusedto ed Ty’s lower back "Now sit up, and don’t 192

forget the ice pack"

"Look, Florence Nightingale, blasting the TV on a guy with a headache is just cruel," Ty pointed out grumpily

Zane waved him off and walked into the front roo to the bedrooed on the bed, but his head was lowered as he held the ice to the back of it, and his eyes were closed His brow unconsciously furrowed in pain

Zane sighed quietly and dropped the rabbed the ree of the bed slightly behind the other agent "Here, lethis hand to touch Ty’s on the ice pack "Sure you don’t want soe off?" he asked quietly

"I told you," Tyback there, so aainst his chest, still holding the ice pack "It’ll wait," he murmured

Ty shuddered as he leaned back, but he was too hurt and tired to protest being coddled

"Couy, I’m sure you’ve had worse than this"

"My head hurts, jackass," Ty ainst Zane’s chest

Zane s Ty couldn’t see him "Does it hurt worse than your ass?"

"Shut up," Ty whined, diving into a sulk like a pro "Jesus, just stop fucking talking"

Zane chortled "You can’t win, heads or tails" He curled one arm around Ty’s waist to hold him securely "Buck up, Marine; you’re roaned as he tried to turn onto his side and curl up

Zane grinned and turned so Ty could lean sideways against hi, Ty How much of this badass bastard is really you, how much is the Marine, and how much is a show?" he asked

Ty was silent, the only sound his soft breathing as he lay unily, "Are you taking advantage of a concussion to puht," Zane said i, "Nice"

Zane smiled a bit and lifted away the ice pack to look at the head wound "Learned it from you"

"Not a complete loss, then," Ty murmured

"Nope," Zane said as he turned over the ice and reapplied it gently

"Not at all I would never have thought it, but there you go"

"Hain

"Ty," Zane said warningly, a little louder He set down the ice pack, took the other ht position He sat beside him as he turned his shoulders and ducked his head to try to catch Ty’s eyes "Don’t you go to sleep on s to your body if you do"

Ty opened his eyes wide and blinked the sleep away, giving his head one little shake as he cleared his throat "You’ve already done that," he relad you remember," Zane said wryly "You did recently take a knock to the head"

"Just let ht, you sadist," Ty groused sleepily as he closed his eyes