Struck by Thunder

by Taylor Lee

  Joey went to his bedroom. He came back in the room and handed Wyatt an undershirt.

  “This is the best I can do,” he said with a sigh.

  Wyatt stood up and helped Lei to her feet. When she wavered, he held her arm and said quietly, “You need to tell me if you need help. Understand, Princess? What do you think? Can you get that camisole off? Put this shirt on?”

  She nodded, then pulled away from him. She pressed her lips together with a grimace. “I can do it myself. I don’t need your help.”

  She walked unsteadily into Joey’s bedroom closing the door behind her.

  Wyatt stood by the doorway. He ran his hand through his hair. A hard frown creased his forehead, a wry grimace tugged at his mouth.

  “Christ, Joey, did you ever think we would be dealing with breasts in the dojo?”

  Joey smiled, shaking his head.

  Wyatt lit a cigarette and started pacing across the room.

  “I knew what she was doing when she challenged him to come at her. But, Holy Christ, I didn’t expect her to just take it. To stand there and let him kick her full force. Twice, for God’s sake.”

  Joey nodded in pained agreement.

  “Obviously we didn’t teach her that. It was smart strategic thinking, but in practice a terrible decision.”

  They abruptly stopped talking when Lei opened the door and came back in the room. Wyatt noted her difficulty walking and increasing pallor. He moved carefully next to her. Ignoring her attempt to pull away, he led her back across the room, easing her onto the straight backed chair.

  “Okay, Lei, sit back. Let me take a look. I need to see what we’re dealing with.”

  He pulled up her shirt, startled to see the huge bruise across her midsection. To his dismay, he also saw the ragged edges of several displaced ribs poking against her skin. They had to be excruciatingly painful.

  Wyatt couldn’t hide his shock. “Jesus, honey, you’re lucky you weren’t killed. You have a couple of serious breaks here.”

  He muttered to himself, “And that goddamn son of a bitch did it on purpose.”

  He gently probed each of the cracked ribs, then examined her stomach for evidence of internal injuries. He eased her forward, running his hands over her back, neck, and hips feeling for additional breaks. He saw the tears well up in her eyes and wanted to put his arms around her. Hold her tight. Seeing her determination not to cry, he pulled up Joey’s shirt and tied it carefully under the bindings she wore to contain here breasts.

  “That’s better, little Warrior Princess. Now I can see the full extent of what we’re dealing with. Hell, Lei, my only question is how you managed to beat the crap out of him when you were hurt like this!” he said with a grin, trying to cheer her up, but barely hiding his fury.

  Ri and Zhi came back, looking more frightened than before. Wyatt was relieved to see Chief following behind with a pouch full of supplies. Ri blushed when he saw Lei sitting among the men wearing Joey’s undershirt.

  Lei whispered to Wyatt, “My brother can’t see me like this, without my jacket. It is a great shame for him. It is also shames him if you see me this way.”

  Wyatt ignored the last part of her statement. With a curt nod he dismissed Ri’s attempt to move in next to her.

  “Look, Ri, I know you’re concerned. Joey, Chief, and I have been working with injured fighters for most of our lives. Your sister is going to be fine. But she is in a hell of a lot of pain and I need to reset her ribs.”

  Ri jumped back, shocked, his eyes wide, his hand at his mouth.

  “Her…her ribs are…broken?”

  “Yes, they are. I can reset them and lessen her pain once we get her bandaged up. Right now, the best thing you can do is let us get to work.”

  He nodded to Chief, who escorted Ri and Zhi to the door. He told them he would call them as soon as they were finished caring for Lei.

  When Chief closed the door firmly behind them, Wyatt called out to Joey in a hearty voice.

  “Joey, how about a big glass of your best bourbon for our fierce little fighter? And, Chief, whatever you brought for pain, let’s give it to her now. No matter how careful we are, this next thirty minutes is going to be a real bitch.”

  Joey poured her a large glass of bourbon and handed it to Wyatt.

  Wyatt knelt down beside her.

  “Okay, Princess, I’m going to give you a pill that Chief brought for you. We give it to horses ten times your size when we are working on a break. It will help to deaden the pain. You can swallow it down with this bourbon, okay?”

  He handed her the glass of bourbon. She nodded and took a gulp then coughed, choking on the harsh liquid. He nodded his encouragement and handed her the pill. She closed her eyes tight and put the pill in her mouth, then took another swallow of bourbon.

  “That’s the way, honey. You drink bourbon like the ass-kicking fighter you are. I am proud of you.

  “Lei, we’re going to give you about ten minutes to let this medicine do its stuff. I want you to keep sipping on this bourbon because that will help. Just so you understand, I am going to have to manipulate these ribs back in place. It won’t do any good to bandage you up if they are all out of whack like they are now. You’d have severe pain for the rest of your life. Honey, no matter how hard I try to be gentle, it’s going to hurt like hell. It’s only fair that you know that, okay?”

  She gulped, nodding her understanding, then took another sip of bourbon.

  While they were waiting for the medicine and bourbon to take effect, Wyatt pulled up a chair and sat in front of her, his knees up against hers. He rubbed her hands; her arms. He told her how amazing it was that she had been able to fight the way she did with injuries this severe. He knew that her aerial display and every fierce strike she landed on Mouchi had exacerbated her injuries. He was astonished that she had been able to fight the way she did with what looked like five cracked ribs. He shoved down his tortured knowledge of what could have happened. Christ, any one of those ribs could have punctured her lung and caused severe injury -- even death.

  When she appeared drowsy, Wyatt signaled to Chief and Joey. The three men moved into action. Wyatt picked her up in his arms, laying her carefully on the table. Chief moved forward to hold her head and shoulders. Joey held her legs.

  When they had her secured, Wyatt squeezed her hand. “Okay, Warrior Princess, I’m going to do this one rib at a time. It will take longer, but it’s the best way to make sure they heal right.”

  Lei looked terrified, but laid still. She kept her eyes closed as Wyatt snapped each rib back in place, one at a time. As he worked, he murmured soft, comforting words, praising her for her courage, marveling at her bravery. When he finished, he sat her up on the edge of the table. With Chief’s help, he put on the ointment and then the tight bandages. She was stoic throughout, never once crying out.

  Wyatt was impressed. “Princess, you’re amazing. No wonder you kill those guys on the mat.”

  He stood her up and led her to the back bedroom Joey reserved for injured fighters. Wyatt helped her take off her boots, stockings and her pants. He sat her down on the edge of the bed wearing only Joey’s shirt and her underwear. He noted but didn’t comment on the exotic silk and unusual cut of her drawers. God, he thought to himself, she really is one of a kind. He helped her lay down, knowing that the slightest movement hurt. He sat beside her for a few minutes, murmuring to her to go to sleep. Urging her to let the medicine do its work.

  ~~~

  When she drifted off to sleep, Wyatt went out to join Chief and Joey. He helped himself to a cigar and a big glass of bourbon then sunk in one of Joey’s large armchairs across from his friends. All three men were quiet, considering the implications of what happened.

  After several minutes, Wyatt sighed; his face was lined with worry.

  “Joey, are we doing the right thing? She could have been killed. Let’s face it, she will never be strong enough to withstand these kinds of blows.”

  Joey added with a gr
imace. “There is another issue. Every goddamn Chinaman who’s from a different gang or Tong would love to get at Wan Chang. What better way than to go through his daughter? You can bet that’s some of what was behind Mouchi’s attacks today. I know I don’t have to tell either of you that you can be goddamn sure that Wan Chang has already heard about the attack and has ordered retaliation.”

  They were quiet for a few more minutes, thinking through their options.

  Wyatt said with a sigh, “I don’t know, Joey, what we are going to do with her?”

  To their surprise, they heard Lei’s voice from the doorway. It was harsh, angry, anguished.

  “Yes, Joey, do tell. What are we going to do with the pitiful girl who is such a terrible fighter she got hurt?”

  The three men turned in surprise to see Lei standing in the doorway, shaking, clinging to the frame. Her face was pale, contorted with pain. Her eyes were flashing with fury.

  Wyatt stood up and moved toward her. “Lei, that’s not what we’re saying.”

  Lei whirled on Joey with tears streaming down her face. She cried out in an agonized voice. “You are my sensei. I counted on you! You are supposed to believe in me. You are supposed to support me!”

  Joey’s voice was strained. “Lei, I do; we do.”

  She glared at him, then spun around to face Wyatt. “And you. You never believed in me. You don’t now. You don’t think I can ever be a kung fu master.”

  She burst into tears and said through her sobs, “I hate you. Goddamn you, Wyatt! I hate you! I take back my apology. I was right to spit at you. You dishonored me. You wouldn’t give me a chance. You weren’t fighting me the way you did Ri and Zhi. I should never have apologized! You should apologize to me!”

  She tried to spit at him, but started weaving, clinging to the doorway as all three men surged toward her. She held up her hand to keep them back. She turned to Chief, forcing down her sobs, her face was rigid with anger.

  “When wonderful Wyatt got hurt, Chief, did you say, ‘Let’s pack it up? He’ll never succeed. Why should we support him, he just gets hurt?’ Or, was he so wonderful, so accomplished, and so perfect that he never got hurt?”

  Wyatt grimaced at the sight of her anguish. He moved slowly toward her, the way he would approach a riled-up, skittish mare.

  Chief said in a quiet voice, “You are right, Lei. Wyatt got hurt plenty. Many times I wanted to pull him out. But Joey and I hung in there and he got stronger and stronger.”

  Wyatt managed to edge up next to her.

  “Here, Lei, let me hold on to you. You look like you’re about to fall over. We gave you medicine that would knock a two thousand pound stallion back on his ass.”

  She whirled on him, shoving his hands away. “Don’t you dare touch me! Don’t you dare! Get away from me! I hate you! Do you hear me? I despise you!”

  Her eyes were wild with fury and pain. She glared at him. Her voice was harsh with anger. Furious tears welled up in her eyes.

  “And, goddamn you, Wyatt. Don’t you ever again do what you did to me today! I am not some display animal, a freak circus act, for the amusement of you and your friends.”

  Chief looked surprised at the remark, but Wyatt frowned, exchanging a pained glance with Joey.

  She was pale, shaking – clinging to the doorway.

  Wyatt’s voice was hard, strained.

  “Okay, we’re done. That’s enough of this.”

  Reaching out, he scooped her up in his arms. Ignoring her furious struggles, he carried her to the bedroom. Over his shoulder he instructed Chief. “Bring me another of those horse pills and some water. We’re going to need to knock her out so she can get some sleep.”

  He put her down on the bed. He insisted she swallow the pill and drink the water Chief handed him. When he laid her back against the pillow, she turned away from him, sobbing.

  He sat on the edge of the bed next to her and began rubbing her back, her neck, and her shoulders. His expert fingers found the painful places and he massaged the tight muscles. She resisted him at first, but then her sobs quieted. She relaxed as the medicine and his soothing touch took hold. All the while, he crooned soft comforting words.

  She was almost asleep when she said, “I hate you.”

  “Mm hmm,” he responded.

  When he thought she had finally gone to sleep, to his surprise he heard her say, “I wish I had blond hair.”

  He shook his head with a pained smile, more rueful than humorous.

  ~~~

  When he was sure she was asleep, he dragged one of Joey’s armchairs into the bedroom, knowing this was where he would spend the night. He went back to where Chief and Joey sat smoking cigars and drinking bourbon.

  Wyatt lit a cigar and sank down in one of the other chairs. He sat quietly for several minutes.

  “I have to admit that a lot of that was deserved – especially the things she said to me. God, have I been that much of an asshole?”

  Joey and Chief both raised an eyebrow and nodded.

  Chief was thoughtful. “I don’t think it has been intentional – any of this. We are dealing with something new to us all. In the past, if a student couldn’t cut it, we sent him home and told him to take up pistol whipping. But here we have a beautiful talented young woman – fighting on an all male field, traditionally ruled by the biggest and strongest.”

  Joey sighed. “Then you add that the field is open to Chinese only and she is the daughter of the head of the fiercest gang in the country. Hell, every opposing Tong would be delighted to kill her to get back at Wan Chang.”

  Wyatt agreed. “It’s the question we’ve been asking since she got here. Can we teach her moves that will let her compete with bigger stronger fighters—assholes who are out to kill her?”

  He stood up, pacing the room, his face tight with anger.

  “She had no business standing there today, taking that full frontal kick—no, two of them. I understand she wanted to suck him in. Good strategy, horseshit implementation. That was our mistake as much as hers. We have to think differently. We have to teach her differently. We have to build on her talent, emphasize her strengths. Goddamnit, we gotta figure out a way to deal with her disadvantages.”

  Joey nodded in agreement.

  Chief asked, “What was that about being a circus act for your friends?”

  Wyatt felt the heat flush his face.

  “I didn’t know it would upset her like that. I was showing Jesse around the ranch. We went to the dojo right before Lei and Mouchi fought. Jesse watched the fight.”

  “I see,” said the Chief, exchanging a look with Joey.

  Wyatt knew what they were thinking and wasn’t interested in having the conversation. Picking up his glass and a bottle of bourbon, he headed to the bedroom.

  “I’ll sleep in here tonight. Keep an eye on her,” he said, closing the door behind him.

  Chief watched him go, a troubled frown creasing his brow. “I dunno, Joey. I don’t like the look of any of this. Lei is a lovely girl. I can’t bear to see her getting hurt like this, both physically and emotionally.”

  “Tell me about it,” Joey said with a sigh.

  ~~~

  In the middle of the night, Lei woke. She saw Wyatt sitting beside her bed. She asked in a soft voice, “Wyatt, are you awake?

  “Yeah, I’m awake. What do you need, Princess?”

  “I hurt everywhere. Can I have more of that medicine?”

  “I’d like you to wait a couple more hours, if you can. That is powerful stuff. Your system isn’t used to it. How about if I rub your feet? See if I can find some of the places that are hurting?”

  “Do you know how to do that?”

  “Joey taught me a lot of the traditional techniques. As strange as it seems, I use them all the time when I work with horses. It works surprisingly well. We use a lot less medicine than we used to.”

  He picked up her feet and started massaging them, working on different pressure points to help her relax and lessen the
pain.

  “Is there anything you can’t do, Wyatt?”

  He gave a wry chuckle.

  “Apparently, I don’t know how to make a talented woman know how much I admire her.”

  When she didn’t answer, he asked, “Do you have any suggestions?”

  “Do you admire me?”

  “I sure do. You have astonishing talent. I admire your courage. It’s not easy to be a trailblazer. That’s what you are. That’s especially important to me, Lei, because I hope that my daughter can go down the trail you are blazing.”

  “Thank you, Wyatt. That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

  “Can I tell you something else?”

  “Sure.”

  “I think you would look like shit with blond hair.”

  ~~~

  Chapter 10

  When Wyatt left the next morning, Lei was asleep. As he turned to go, he said to Joey, “Let her sleep as long as you can. Then give her another of Chief’s pills. Maybe she’ll sleep for the rest of the day.”

  Joey raised an eyebrow. “Any other orders?”

  “Sorry, Joey. I didn’t mean to sound like the head of a chain gang. I think we agree the more she rests right now, the quicker she’ll recover.”

  “Of course we agree. Are you going somewhere?”

  “Yeah, I have prior commitments. I’ll be gone for the day.”

  “When can I tell her you’ll be back?”

  Wyatt was surprised at the question. “Should be this evening. I’ll stop by to check on her when I get back.”

  Joey replied, “At some point, you and I, with or without Lei, are going to have to put together a training program for her. If we aren’t going to send her home, then I agree with what you said last night. We have to start training her to protect herself.”