Gently Rub Her Cheeks

Valentina woke up for a moment, her entire consciousness blurry, and soon enough, fell back into a deep slumber. By midnight, she stirred awake again, a slightly clearer mind. The inn owner was a Spaniard. William spent a considerable amount of money to get him to prepare a bowl of hot porridge. Then he reheated the water that had cooled after being boiled once. Returning to the bedside, he gently supported her neck, propping up her pillow. Then, he began painstakingly feeding her the porridge, one small spoonful at a time. He cooled a spoonful of porridge by blowing on it gently. His injured hand couldn't be hidden anymore. The initially muddled Valentina, upon seeing the thick bandages wrapped around his hand, regained a significant measure of lucidity. She stared at his hand, "Your hand..." Her hand lifted slightly under the bedding, but lacked the strength to do anything else. Seeing that he couldn't hide his injury from her anymore, William brought his hand in front of her. He rea