A few minutes after he left, Juho came back to the room with a small dark jar in his hand.
When he opened the jar, a sharp herbal smell hit Kaija's nose.
Kaija was still lying exactly where he'd left her on the bed, with her back fully exposed, her face pressed against the mattress, nose and mouth still breathing heavily for air.
"Hey, what the hell is that? Balm?" she asked, turning toward him.
"This will help your wounds," Juho said. "Now stay still and let me do my part."
He scooped a small amount from the jar and smeared it all over her back, the texture thick and gooey on her skin. Seconds later, burning sensations kicked in, and Juho's hands started working the balm across her bruised back.
Kaija, though she tried, couldn't stay still.
"Hey, that's… you… it's so ticklish!" she cried, wiggling like a worm and away from his hands.
