Heather dabbed at the crater in my gut carefully, as if even the slightest touch would kill me. It didn't, but it hurt like hell. Any one of those bullet holes would have been fatal to a mortal man, much less the slashes, burns...she hummed as she concentrated on wiping away the grit and slime as I lay on my couch. Another day, another dollar. The sewers were clear. That fleshcrafting bastard was perforated, if nothing else. I winced as she splashed on the iodine, the fluid bubbling as it hit me.

"Not...not sure that's necessary."

"Me neither, but better safe than sorry, master. Now, drink up. I could only get you B-pos blood, but it'll have to do," she managed with a sniffle. She was worried, I could tell. I leaned back, clsoing my eyes and trying to breathe. I didn't need to, but it was habit. I could hear the rattle fo the garbage can, the snap of her all but flinging the gloves off.

"Heather...I appreciate it."

My head rolled towards her, and I opened my eyes. She looked at me.

"I know, master. You try hard not to show it, but you care. You want me to be safe, and that means being away from you. Venus said as much. "

"You talked to Venus?"

"She dropped off some money for you. Offered me a job."

"Did you take it?"

"Yeah."

"I'll..."

"She knows," Heather murmured, arms wrapping around herself. "She knows what'll happen if anyone hurts me. She told me what you did to the Russians."

It was ugly. I tore Boris in half, left his top in the hallway for all to see. I hate men that prey on women. I killed every goon on that floor, came home soaked in blood. She must have seen the trail I made before I hit the shower. She knew I had done some evil.

"I'm sorry," I said, looking away.

"It's fine, master. I understand...you don't like seeing people hurting. You want to protect others. Sometimes, though, you can't. I start Monday as a waitress. "

I looked at her, I looked at the stained towels and spare shells littering the floor from where she had undressed me. It was a mix of 12 gauge and .44 Magnum, all on the floor for all to see. She hadn`t asked me where I had been, or what I had done. She just wanted to make me feel better.

"Alright, Heather. But I still want you to go to class," I managed, leaning back, utterly exhausted. "Grab me another bag and help me up the stairs. You know how I get if I`m awake after dawnbreak."