The metallic restraints that held together my very being felt as if they were fazing into my flesh, and turning me into some twisted cyborg, (I was not blessed enough to be an emotionless droid, but cursed enough to feel each leeching memory that was attached to my heart).

Do I still have a heart?

Surely it's still there, I could feel the erratic beating in my chest, but more importantly, I felt each emotion, every single emotion, thought, or feeling I have ever experienced in my lifetime, painfully being torn from each vessel.

There was a brief moment, no, more like a second, that everything was clear, everything was serene...

I was at peace.

But like everything else, this was taken away, too.

Everything was shoved back in, all of my memories, everything.

And here I thought it hurt being pulled out of me, each piece of my heart was slammed back into my torso, none of the tiny pieces ever finding their match, merely thrown down, trying to be forced back into place, but with no prevail.

Then the lights go out, without my even noticing they were on... Taken for granted, but now gone, and never to return.

-' - '- '- '- '- '- '- '- '- '- '- '-' -' -' -' '-'

My senses were coming back gradually, first to come was my hearing.

It was silent, except for my own shallow breathe, no hum of a ship, I noted, so I suppose I'm on land...

But where?

My body slowly emerged from its haze, when I felt the pounding of my head, I immediately wished I was still blissfully submerged in my own oblivion again.

A water faucet was turned off nearby.

My mind was fully alert now, if only my body would get with the program.

So I just lie there, completely defenseless, my body acting as my only restraints, no, that was untrue.

My fingers regained feeling, and I immediately noticed ties around my wrists, not too tight to cut into me, but secure enough to keep me in place.

Footsteps.

Slowly, yet surely, some one was coming my way.

"I'm back, like I promised." The deep, slightly hoarse voice told me softly, no more than a foot away from my face, the being smelling strongly of shaving cream and a sweet mint.

I'm not alarmed anymore. I can't place the voice, but this persons presence was as sweet as the soap-like scent that lingered along with the mint, and cream.

"I'm safe." I thought to myself silently.

There was a gentle pressure on my cheek bone, is this what it felt like? Another persons flesh touching mine..? It must have been a long time since I've felt another's touch, due to the fact that it felt so unfamiliar.

It was warm, not only on my skin, but deeper, this warming feeling made a soft moan start to build in the back of my throat, and as soon as I made a sound, the hand retreated from me.

"I'm sorry, I know you still hurt." He was walking away from me, leaving me hungry, starving for just one more touch.

"No!" I wanted to scream, but my body remained silent. "Please come back to me!"

I couldn't place this insane need for the man I've never even seen... It was illogical, but a need all the same.

I felt a sigh leave my throat when my wishes were suddenly granted, and his palm had rested on my forehead. I received a hushed chuckle.

"Conflicted emotions, huh? I could understand, I'm not always that easy to like." His fingers left me again. Damn this man for making me crave him so.

My chest rose from the surface beneath me, and a whimper quickly followed the motion.

"Hey, hey." He said urgently, those blissful hands soothing my shoulders down until I relaxed.

"I'm not going anywhere..." My mind relaxed with my body at his promise, and without much effort, my subconscious sent me into a painful night of sleep.

-' - '- '- '- '- '- '- '- '- '- '- '-' -' -' -' '-'

I lifted the strands of hair that were an inch away from her left temple to view my patch-up work, and decided that it'd hold for a bit longer.

"As soon as you keep still, these stitches should heal up." I sigh in defeat as her slim body trembles with night terrors, her petite form writhing against the cot.

I wanted to kick myself for having to tie her wrists down to the bed, but she wouldn't stop clawing at her wound.

I eye the dried blood underneath her finger nails and decided that since its almost been a week, that the human thing to do would be to clean her up more efficiently than just the usual damp rag wiped over her paled face.

This better not be the time you decide to wake up, I think to the unconscious woman in front of me, a sponge, and a bucket of warm, soapy water in hand.

I gingerly begin to peel off her undergarments, and her body began to protest at a strangers touch, but she calmed when I mumbled words of reassurance.

"The things you must have been through..." I murmur as I bite down on my lower lip, I took in the scene before me.

Her shape was magnificent, those baggy clothes she had on sure as hell didn't give the woman justice.

But along her perfectly shaped hour-glass figure, were scars.

I've seen many scars before, and have a few myself,but this dark-haired beauty looks like she'd been chewed up by some huge beast, but the thing that stumps me, is that they're so many different ones. It'd take centenaries to be donned with so many wounds, and according to her record, she was barely in her mid-twenties.

I realize that I've been standing here, staring at her naked body longer than needed, and get myself to work.

I lift her leg to bend her knee, and make my hands get busy.

I try my best to avoid lingering on certain areas, since my body is already screaming at me to act on inappropriate impulses.

The soft moans that kept bubbling up from between her rose-red lips sure as hell weren't helping any.

Maybe she feels the same way...

"Don't be stupid," I snapped at myself, maybe I'm just imagining her moans, her body pressing slightly against my hands...

It's just my mind trying to trick me into doing something I know is wrong.

"Oh.. Yes, love..."

I nearly jump out of my skin as I topple backwards, knocking the bucket over with me.

Another, more vocalized moan escaped her ruby lips, and her eyes flutter.

"Kill me now," I beg under my breath.

Naked, receiving a sponge bath from a stranger, who not only had dirty thoughts whilst doing so, but also has an erection straining against his pants, sure is a fine "howdy-do."

-' - '- '- '- '- '- '- '- '- '- '- '-' -' -' -' '-'

My wrists are no longer tied, so that's a plus. But why am I all wet?

I sit up and take in my surroundings quickly, I was sitting on a cot, in a small, dirty room, and then there was a man who looked like he wanted to run and vomit at the same time, sitting next to me on the floor.

His orange jacket was soaked, and his mousy brown hair was messy atop his head.

I raise an eyebrow at his face, it was nicely chiseled, his features were quite attractive, really, despite the fact his face resembled the color of a ripe, red tomato.

I felt abnormally cold, and it hit me.

"I think you should have taken me out to dinner first." I wasn't angry, the look on his face was far too amusing, and I wasn't scared either, I didn't need to be.

His mouth gaped open, and he had to blink a few times to process the fact that I wasn't going to murder him.

"I-I." He stuttered, his shaky hand reaching up to rake his fingers nervously through his messy hair. "It's not what you think!" He nearly squeaked.

I get a better look at him as he sat there in a puddle of water, his deep, entrancing, brown eyes had my own locked in his gaze, until I looked down at his lap.

"Looks to me like some one was enjoying my unconscious state." I teased, and he only blushed deeper.

"You-you should -" he swallowed hard, "maybe cover up a bit."

I could tell that he was having trouble keeping his eyes up.

I waved his suggestion away with my hand, as I try to keep a smile from tugging at the corners of my lips, I stand in front of him, almost falling over, due to my immobility weakening me.

"You've already seen everything..." I shrugged, he bowed his head.

I look around again while he stayed put in his spot on the floor, and see a refresher across the room.

"Well," I say as I step over his legs to head for the shower, "my name is Attiana." I turn to look at him once I reached my destination.

"C-Carth." He choked out, refusing to look at me.

"Great meeting you," I shut the refresher door behind me, leaving Carth alone in the room with his raging hormones.