Having some rare time to herself, Pam had, unlike usual, gone out for a walk instead of painting or drawing somewhere. For the most part, she hadn't even been paying much attention, keeping to the path and staying to the side whenever anyone else was passing by, but the sounds of barking and someone apparently falling - and landing - were enough to catch her notice. Instinctively, she headed over, wanting to make sure everything was okay, but the sight of Lennox on the ground prompted her to drop into a crouch at his side, expression twisting into one of concern. "Oh, oh, God," she said, wincing without really even knowing what the problem was. "What happened?"
"I decided today would be an excellent day to fall down the side of a hill," Lennox said with a slightly pained groan as he sat up and rubbed his shoulder. He didn't want the dogs or Pam to worry, though, and he grinned at her. "I'll be okay. No head bumps."
"Thank God for that," Pam said, noticeably relieved when he smiled, letting out a breath that didn't quite count as a laugh. Given the situation, that was probably the best they could have asked for, but it still didn't stop her from worrying. "Do you think you'd be okay to stand? Or did you want to hang out on the ground for a while? 'Cause I don't mind waiting with you."
"I kinda think..." But he wasn't sure what else really hurt, so he paused for a moment to take stock of the pain. "My right foot hurts pretty bad," he said after a second. "I don't know if I should walk on it right away."
"Okay," Pam replied, nodding. A hurt foot could have meant a lot of things, at least as far as she could tell after a fall like that, but it still was hardly the worst case scenario. She was just glad she'd come by, not wanting him to have to wait there alone. "Well, when you want to, I'll help you over to the clinic or something. Then you won't have to put too much weight on it."
"That's probably a good idea, baby," Lennox said with a grin, which was about as good as he could muster at the moment. "I'm not sure if walking on my own would be such a good idea. I'd probably take another few tumbles and have to resort to the dogs dragging me or something."
"Oh, and we can't have that," Pam said as seriously as she could, shaking her head. Thank God, she thought, that he had a sense of humor about this; if not, she was sure she would have been freaking out. As it was, she was worried but calm, capable of staying relaxed and making light of it. "I'll make sure you get there safely, don't worry."
"Are you gonna carry me?" Lennox asked with a grin. "Over your shoulder like a sack of potatoes? I'm not sure Jim would be okay with that, y'know. Might seem a little too friendly, if you get my drift," he teased.
"Oh, I get your drift," Pam assured him, mock-serious, with a nod and a barely suppressed grin. "We'd just have to make sure he didn't see. If I could do that, which... I probably couldn't. You'll just have to settle for leaning against me, instead."
"I guess I can settle for that," Lennox said with a dramatic sigh. It was easy enough to goof around when he wasn't in too much pain. The more he could joke, the more likely he was to forget about his ankle. "C'mon, baby, help me up," he requested, offering Pam his hands.
Shifting to be better positioned to pull him to his feet, Pam took both of his hands, nodding as if to give him the go-ahead. "Don't worry, I've got you," she said, smiling all the while, despite knowing that her strength probably wouldn't have been any match in the event that he fell again. "Just take it nice and slow."
"I'm in no rush," he promised, trying to lever himself slowly to his feet with the help of Pam's hands. He didn't want to pull her down on top of himself, so he moved carefully, getting his good foot under him and finally pushing himself up.
"Well," he said. "Step one down. Several hundred steps toward the Compound to go."
"Well, this was probably the hardest part, at least?" Pam said with a shrug, though there was still something a little more serious in her voice. They needed to be careful now and she knew it, not wanting to inadvertently cause him any further injury. Stepping slowly to the side of his hurt foot, she ducked down just a little. "Here, if you put your arm around me, this'll probably be easier."
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"Well," he said. "Step one down. Several hundred steps toward the Compound to go."
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