Before the words were even out of his lips, she had knelt and was making quick work of the large knots. "I ken I should be glad wi' ye for jus' th' asking... but I'd been planning tae help ye all along, aye?" One boot and then the other plopped to the floor solidly, socks stuffed inside. She rested back on her heels a moment before standing, her strong hands guiding him so that he was flat on his back. "Now we just have tae get ye out of these dirty things, m'ionmhuinn." Her fingers tugged on the shirt. It was going to be hard to get it past his shoulders but it had to come off. She bit her lower lip in concentration as she tried to be as gentle as possible.

He laid back carefully on the mattress, then lifted his arms over his head with another grimace at the motion, helping her remove the shirt as much as possible. Under other circumstances he would be enjoying the feeling of her fingers on his chest, but at the moment he was just hurting too much. He'd set the bundle of shaker, ice and cloth on the pillow so that when he lay back it was making contact with the lump on his head, but that didn't help the shooting pain in his back or the bruises swelling on his cheekbone and chin. His only response to her words was a little groan and a wordless nod.

Her eyes had misted with a veil of their own, his discomfort piercing her like a spike. Covering his mouth with hers, she sought to blot up a bit of his malaise while offering him a momentary relief. Her mouth hovered at his ear a moment. "Ye are a brave and bonny lad, my love... but if ye dinna take better care of yerself in the future..." Another kiss was placed before she began the delicate task of removing his jeans and rolling him onto stomach.

The kisses were a measure of pleasantness in what had been an extraordinarily unpleasant day, and he smiled lopsidedly at her again before he tried to assist her with the involved process of getting undressed and turning over. Balancing the icepack on the back of his head took some doing, but he finally managed it with another little groan. When he spoke to her, his voice was muffled by the pillow, and he could only hope she would understand him. "Well'n... I'm thinkin' yer righ'. An' I'm thinkin' I need ta get some lessons in fightin' b'fore long. Haven' been in a figh' in over five years, an' then I'm in two jus' since I got here. Shoot, even ya can figh' better'n I can!"

"None needed, mo chridhe, none at all." She strung the makeshift drying line she had used on rainy wash days and then hung the still damp towels and clothes across it, letting them soak up the brazier's warmth and steam. A generous dollop of ointment was emulsified in her hands before she set to the task at hand, steadily working it into his muscles as her touch coaxed and cajoled his nerves to unwind. Her hands were skilled and were dilligent as his tight muscles began to lengthen.

He let out his breath in a long sigh as she began smoothing the ointment onto his back, her strong fingers finding the many knots in his back, and especially the one long, ropy stretch where he had truly pulled the muscles rather than just overworking them. The constant lifting, bending and twisting involved in moving all those boxes in one day had been a long sight more than was usually involved in his work, even though he did often have to move large chunks of metal or stone. His eyes were still closed as he sighed quietly again and spoke, his voice sleepy and barely audible, "Sing me somethin', Si?"

"And what sort of song would ye be wanting, Johnny my love?" Her touch was insistent, but not cruel, pushing on the different pressure spots until the nerve clusters gave up their stubborn ways. "A silly song? A tender one? A story.. or mayhaps a dream?" Her own voice was husky with emotion as she snagged down the now warmed towels and covered his ointment coated muscles to continue the healing process.

The towels in place, he snagged one of her wrists as it passed, trying to tug her down to lay next to him, his eyes still closed and a sleepy little smile on his face. The release of tension in his back was doing wonders for the pain in his head, which made the tightness in his back loosen further. The lessening of pain, combined with the soothing touches and now the warmed towels had him well on his way to sleep. "Somethin' yer gran sang ya ta sleep with... somethin' tha's happy fer ya, an' full'a dreamin'." His words emerged as barely more than a mumble.