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ng while in transit Her eyes were closed again and her breathing was shallow and laced with a sharp intake of air

His general pulled open the door, Morgan and Dr Schaeffer having already arrived at the cottage

Darien said, “Get some towels Lay them over the bed”

The old physician yanked back the coan spread out the towels Darien set her on the mattress and the doctor whisked off her boots as Darien tossed aside the jacket covering her and then unbuttoned her sweater

Schaeffer groaned “Good heavens” His gaze fell on the gaping cut on her chest, but then lifted to Jade’s face “We need more towels to clean her up”

“No,” Darien said “She needs the blood on her skin I’ll explain later” To Morgan, he said, “Help et her sweater off”

He lifted her hair as Darien eased the arment aside

“Darien, look at this”

The grave expression on the general’s faceover Jade’s shoulder, Darien fought back e The doctor took a peek as well

“My God,” Schaeffer said “Those are second-degree burns, with soes of the red patches and blisters And it looks as though she has a fractured rib on the right side”

Darien’s heart sank The dained No wonder she’d wanted to give up and let her injuries consume her

“She needs morphine,” he insisted

The doctor went for hisand rooted around until he had the needle and vial in hand

The physician said, “Her skin’s already damp and chilled from her soaked sweater That should help to cool her back But I can’t apply a towel at this point, because it could stick to the burns and peel away skin when it’s removed—and the more she loses, the more susceptible she’ll be to infection Unfortunately, I do need her on her back in order to close her chest wound, and so she can rest”

“What about soan quickly whipped one off the many pillows on the bed while Darien carefully unhooked her bra