" Jesus God!” His fingers sprang open, releasing her. They rose to gingerly probe the lump at back of his skull and he groaned again.

The sound was echoed by the body crushed beneath him.

“Beacom?” A lavender arm lifted to see what was beneath. “Good God, man, what are you doing under there?”

“Waiting for you to rouse, your grace,” came the gasped reply. “Hoping that in your boundless compassion, you might even be willing to heave off me! "

― Marsha Canham , The Iron Rose (Dante Pirates, #2)