Confrontations September 29, 2513

“Matthew you Go Neong Yung Duh! What were you thinking?” He leans down beside him and gets in his face, “For all your harping on her low class it is you who stoops to the level of a common drunken street thug. Mother would be proud! Father would certainly be happy. You’re more like him than you know. Are you proud of yourself? Did you want to grow up to be the kind of man who would rape a girl? Did you?” Matthew’s eyes widen and he looks at his brother in fear, “No I just wanted to scare her! She was on me and I thought, and she, and I…she shouldn’t be fighting with men.” His voice trails off; heavy with guilt, knowing his brother won’t believe him at this point. Marcus reaches up and grabs Matthew by the hair, wrenching his head backwards, “You heal and you get out. No more Matthew. Don’t come back until you’re sorry and ready to obey me. Take nothing but the clothes on your back. Do not cause trouble while you’re gone, or I will find you and send you home.”

Moments later he returns to Rae with a bowl of warm water and a rag. Removing her guns for his own safety, he stashes them in his dresser. He then sits on the edge of the bed and commences to clean the remnants of dried blood off her face. It is in the middle of this that she raises a limp hand to push the rag away mumbling, “Es, ow? Wha, where?” As her eyes open and try to focus her expression goes through curiosity, surprise, panic to blank neutrality. “What am I doing here? Don’t touch me!” Instinct causes her to reach for her gun only to find it missing. She freezes and looks around the room searching for escape like a trapped animal. Not spotting an exit she look at him trying to maintain her calm exterior. He notices the fear and anxiety leaking out around the edges and searches for how to comfort her. “Rae, you’re safe, it’s ok.” Rae eyes him with a doubtful expression. Marcus continues, “I-I’m sorry about what happened. I would have stopped him if I had known.” When she does not interrupt him, he rushes on hoping he’s making a difference. “I had a d-doctor come and help and he said you need to stay awake as long as you can, and he gave me something incase you get sick or your head hurts and something for your scratches.” He flushes at the last part and turns away from her, “Did, did he, are you okay? Wh-why didn’t you kill him today?” Rae looks at him with wild eyes, “I want to go home.” Marcus reaches up and removes his glasses to rub his eyes. “Rae, I don’t think it’s safe for you to wander around yet. Please, I promise you’re safe. Can you sit up?” He reaches down to assist her with sitting up but changes his mind when she flinches. Getting up he moves from the bed to a chair to give her room. He puts the bowl of warm water on the floor by the chair and watches her. She slowly relaxes as she looks between the bowl, him and the doors. “Why am I here? What are you going to do with me?” He shakes his head, his face filled with sincerity and regret, “Nothing Rae, just make sure you’re okay like the doctor said. You p-passed out in the alley.” Rae sits up little by little and swings her feet to the floor, “That’s a lie. I shot your brother. You’re going to do something. You took my guns.” Her hand goes to her head for a moment and he stands up without warning, setting her on edge. She watches him like a cornered animal as he goes to the bedside table.

When his back is turned she stands up as fast as she can and makes for the door, only to be blocked by Marcus at the last second. She sways back and forth for an instant and he reaches out to steady her. “N-NO Rae. Your head hurts and you feel sick don’t you?” She looks at him in shock, not believing he means her no harm yet won’t let her leave. “What do you care Marcus? Just let me get out of here if you don’t plan on doing anything to me. I won’t bother you and yours again as long as you leave me alone.” She is calmer now and does not seem to notice his hands on her elbows, steadying her, or it no longer matters to her. He holds up the medicine and shows it to her, “This will help with the nausea and headache. You still need to be watched and you can’t sleep. If you don’t calm down you’re going to hurt yourself.” He moves forward in a patient manner, forcing her backward and back to the bed. It hits her knees and she sits back down. He gets the bowl again and crouches in front of her, continuing to clean her face up. She stares at him for a moment suspicion in her eyes. In the next instant her face crumples and she is covering it with her hands as she bursts into tears.

Marcus moves her hands and guides her down onto her side on the bed. Leaning over her he says in an intimate whisper, “D-don’t cry Rae. It’ll make your head hurt more. Here, take these.” He puts the medicine in her hand. When she just looks at it, he guides her hand to her mouth. Handing her a glass of water to go with it, he lifts her head enough so she can swallow. “Don’t fall asleep though Rae. Stay awake and talk to me.” He watches her, knowing the break in her composure is hard on her and wondering if she knows how strong she must be to make it this long without a break. Kimiko would have been broken from the moment it happened. She glares at him and says in a voice coated with restrained tears, “I don’t want to talk, I want to rip your glasses off and stomp on them! Then I want to stomp on you! Then I want to finish off your brother.” She wipes an eye with her hand and then closes them. He pulls up a chair and sits in it, relieved inside that she is up for verbal warfare. “R, Rae, open your eyes! No sleeping!” She opens her reddened eyes and glares at him. “If I had kn-known you didn’t like m my glasses I’d have changed them R-Rae.” He tries a lame attempt at humor accompanying it with a half smile. “You’re not funny! Estes is going to find me and beat you to a bloody pulp,” her voice regaining some of its pomp. Marcus sighs and pushes up his glasses. “ I know he did an awful thing Rae, but he’s my brother. If it makes you feel any better I’ve told him to get out as soon as he gets on his feet.” This seems to bring on another tearful moment for Rae and she says, “It’s not fair, brothers like yours will live forever and brothers like mine don’t get any time. I should have killed him.” Marcus looks at the ground and asks, “Why didn’t you?” She looks him square in the eye and says, “Ta ma duh, because of you.”

His heart skips a beat, as he has to repeat what she said in his head, “What do you mean?” She slowly rolls over so she is facing the wall, “I owed you. I pay my debts. As horrible a person he is, he’s your brother. This is his one free pass though. Next time he touches me I’ll kill him.” She says with false bravado. He gets up and goes to sit on the edge of the bed, moving with slow caution in case she lashes out. “R-Rae, what happened to your brother?”