Their combined effort allowed for Barnaby to make it onto the bed, though he winced as he sank onto the edge of the bed. "The wounds are too high for me to roll my pants up," he pointed out. "We'll have to take them off."

It wasn't an ideal situation, but none of this was. Thankfully, Barnaby wasn't particularly shy about his body if the need to shed clothing arose, and he worked to remove his pants.

Of course, that was easier said than done. Any weight he put on his feet exacted a terrible price on the gashes in his thighs. The pants didn't make it much further beyond his hips before Barnaby was forced to pause. He didn't quite meet his partner's gaze. "I'll need your help," he finally confessed in a subdued tone.