Terrian dropped his stethoscope when he heard Rhoswen scream. He dashed at full speed into the back room, where he found her on the floor, in her underwear, and the naked half-breed practically on top of her, holding her wrists back.
Horror and rage swept over him. For all his playful flirting, he sincerely viewed Rhoswen and Anna as daughters. He grabbed the nearest supply table and hoisted it into the air, rushing toward the half-breed. The boy instantly let go of Rhoswen and grabbed the table before Terrian could swing it down. Jerking it free of the doctor’s hands, he slung it across the room and stood up.
Terrian paused momentarily in shock, then threw a punch. The boy caught his fist and shoved him back. “What are you doing?” he asked Terrian calmly.
”You’re asking me?! You’re the one attacking my nurse!”
The boy looked at him, puzzled. “Attacking? I was trying to help her up. She bumped into a cot.”
Rhoswen looked up then. “But... you were coming toward me and...”
”I suddenly felt weak. I was heading for the cot behind you,” the half-breed said. His voice almost monotone, mechanical.
Rhoswen felt stupid. She stood up slowly, pulling the jeans still clutched in her right hand up in front of her again. “I... I’m sorry. I misunderstood.”
Terrian looked between them, then suddenly bowed his head. “Please forgive us! I misunderstood as well! I was only trying to protect my nurse! If you must punish us, please allow me to accept hers as well!”
”Doctor, you can’t-“
”Be quiet, Rhoswen!” Terrian yelled, his head still bowed.
The half-breed looked at both of them curiously. “Punish? I only intend to thank you for taking care of my wound.”
Terrian glanced up. “Oh... I see,” he said nervously, pushing the glasses back up the bridge of his nose, “Well then, you’re very welcome.”
Rhoswen bowed her head slightly. “You’re welcome,” she repeated.
The boy glanced down and then, as if just realizing he was nude, looked at Terrian and said “Where are my clothes?”
Terrian laughed uneasily. “I had to tear them off. I was in a hurry to stop the bleeding. I’m sorry.”
”No matter. May I have something to wear?”
Terrian ran over to a nearby cabinet and pulled out a pair of white and blue polka-dot pajamas. “This is all I have here at the clinic. They’re a little shameful, but they’re clothes nonetheless.”
The half-breed pulled them on wordlessly, seemingly giving no thought to how ridiculous he looked. He again looked to the two of them. “Thank you again.”
”Wait! Before you go, could you please fill out this form?” Terrian asked, holding out a sheet of paper.
Rhoswen sighed. She couldn’t believe he had the guts to ask anything of a half-breed. No one asked them for anything, unless it was to spare their lives. Even that was generally refused.
The boy took the paper, looked it over, then his eyes fell upon Terrian again. “Why?”
Terrian was looking nervous again. “Of course it’s not required, sir. It’s just... we like to keep up with our patients, so we can be sure to check on them and keep them heal. Speaking of which... I recommend you come back to the clinic in three days so I can check the wound, to be sure there is no infection.”
Rhoswen was standing behind the half-breed, she immediately began motioning for Terrian to stop right there, to just shut up and let the boy leave.
What the hell are you thinking?! We’re almost rid of him and now you’re asking him to come back? He’ll kill us all!
”Alright,” the boy said, and Rhoswen blanched, “I’ll come back in three days.” He laid the paper on a nearby counter and Terrian reached him a pen. He scribbled on the paper, and Rhoswen watched him with amazement. She had never seen a half-breed do anything so normal as writing on a piece of paper. They seemed so different, so inhuman. Normal things like writing or wearing pajamas or even sleeping were just beneath them.
When he was finished, he handed the paper to Terrian and walked out the door without another word. As soon as the door closed behind him, both Rhoswen and Terrian let out a heavy sigh of relief. Rhoswen looked sharply at Terrian. “Why did you tell him to come back?! Anna will have a heart attack!”
”Anna doesn’t run this clinic. I do,” Terrian said flatly, standing the table he had used in his unsuccessful attack back up.
”She might never come back! What those things did to her family, what they did to her... I wouldn’t blame her if she had a mental breakdown at the sight of him coming into this clinic again!”
Terrian stopped and looked at Rhoswen. She had never seen his face so serious before. “I’m fully aware of what those like him did to Anna. But I’m also aware that he was not one of the ones who attacked her. And I’m certainly aware that facing her fear of them would be much better for her in the long run, rather than running away at the very sight of them!”
Rhoswen was speechless. Perhaps Terrian was right. Maybe it would help Anna to face her fears. She pulled on her clothes, seeing no more need for modesty after all that had happened in the past few minutes. “I’m sorry, Doctor.”
Terrian smiled, returning to his normal self. “It’s alright. Just get some rest tonight, okay?”
”Thank you, for trying to save me.”
He blushed a little, pushing his glasses up again. It was a nervous habit of his. “Oh, that... don’t worry about it. You’re my precious nurse! I can’t let anyone hurt you.”
She gathered up her things and gave him a hug goodbye. “See you tomorrow.”
”Take care of yourself!” he called after her as she walked outside. The red sun was beginning to set and the dark night sky was spreading rapidly. The street lamps lit her way as she made her way toward her apartment a couple of blocks away. It was not a long walk, but an uncomfortable one even now, after three years of walking back and forth between the clinic and the apartment.
Walking by an alley, she could hear people screaming. Experience told her to ignore such things, as those that got involved in scenes like that usually ended up at the clinic. But in the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of white and blue polka-dots.
She stopped and took a couple of steps back. Straining her vision, she could see those familiar pajamas moving. She heard more screaming, then heard a child’s voice screaming “Mama! Mama!”
Without thinking about what she doing, she began running down the alley, until the full scene came into view. A woman’s body laid dead on the ground, the head nowhere to be seen. A little girl was laying over the body, shaking with sobs. A man was on his knees, his head bleeding and both arms missing, blood squirting from the stumps that remained.
The half-breed stood over them, blood all over Terrian’s pajamas. In his left hand, Rhoswen could now make out the woman’s head. The man on his knees screamed out in anger, and within seconds the half-breed had lunged toward him and shoved his hand right through the man’s chest.
The child screamed as the man collapsed, dead. The half-breed dropped the head and approached the girl, lifting his hand.
Rhoswen screamed, running forward and grabbing the half-breed around his waist. She must have somehow put pressure on his wound, as he grunted and fell to his knees. He looked at her, eyes narrowed into a terrifying stare. And then, recognition appeared on his face.
”What are you doing?” he asked, that mechanical voice from before was the same even now, while he was covered in the blood of his victims.
Rhoswen let go of him and pulled away. “Please... please don’t kill the child!”
”Her father attempted to rob me. I punished him. His wife attempted to attack me, so I punished her. The child attempted to stop the punishment, so now I will punish her.”
Rhoswen was crying. All she could think of was Anna watching the half-breeds slaughter her mother and brother, the only family she had left. “You can’t!” she cried, positioning herself in front of the child. “They obviously didn’t know what you are, because you don’t have your uniform on!”
The half-breed stood up. “Are you saying it would be alright for him to rob a normal human?”
”No!” Rhoswen said, holding her position, “I’m saying they didn’t deserve this! Even if he robbed someone, his wife and daughter don’t deserve to suffer for it!”
He was silent for a moment, watching her. Then said “You’re interfering with a punishment. Move aside.”
Rhoswen didn’t move. “I can’t... I’m sorry. Please don’t hurt the child!”
”You’re giving me commands?”
”I’m begging! Please... you... you owe me.”
The boy raised his eyebrows, the only thing on his face that indicated his surprise. “Owe you?”
Tears were streaming down Rhoswen’s face, and her hand was behind her, on the little girl’s shoulder. She could feel the child shaking. “We saved your life... the Doctor and I. You’d be dead right now if it not for us. Please... do me this one favor in return.”
The boy was quiet for a long time, as if thinking about her request. Rhoswen was surprised he didn’t kill her the moment the words ‘you owe me’ escaped her lips. But he finally spoke. “Alright. I’ll spare the child. My debt has now been repaid.”
Rhoswen took a deep breath. “Thank you,” she said, standing up.
The boy turned to walk back down the alley, and Rhoswen watched him carefully until he disappeared in the darkness. She looked down at the little girl. “I know it’s hard but... someday things will be better.”
The girl looked up at her with tear-filled eyes. “Thank you so much! Thank you for saving me!”
Rhoswen smiled weakly at her. “This world is bad enough as it is, but if every now and then one person can save another... maybe things aren’t so horrible. Remember that when you grow up, okay?”
The little girl struggled to return the smile, then glanced around the alley at the remains of her family.
Rhoswen took her hand and pulled her up. “Come on, I’ll take you to my place tonight. Then I’ll introduce you to a good friend of mine tomorrow. I think you two will have a lot in common.”
The girl followed after Rhoswen down the street and to the apartment. She had lost everything within the course of a few minutes, but in this city, in this world, it was a common occurrence. So common that it broke Rhoswen’s heart. She felt a little guilty for having saved the half-breed’s life. If he were dead now, the little girl’s parents would still be alive. But then, it could’ve just as easily been another half-breed who attacked them. One that owed Rhoswen nothing.
She gave the girl a bath, changed into pajamas, and went to sleep with the girl cradled in her arms. It was the first time she had shared a bed since her mother had died, and even though the girl cried until she fell asleep, Rhoswen felt warm at night for the first time in years.