The good thing about being in both her lines of work so long is that Jody worked well in sudden stressful situations like this. Maternal instinct mixed flawlessly with cop training as she twisted and pulled her blanket off the couch. She carefully spread it out over the young man on her table. She knew she had to get him off the hard surface soon but that would come after his vitals.

She covered him from foot to shoulder before slipping her hand down into the hidden junction of his throat to get to his pulse. She may have been able to hear him whimpering but she still needed to check how strong he was. Though, this was hindered slightly when her fingers touched leather on his throat.

Her eyes widened for a second before she frowned. She shifted closer and gently moved his head aside to get a better look at the source of the leather. The accessory around his neck might look like a choker but she had been a cop long enough to know an ownership collar when she saw one. She swallowed down her anger long enough to move her fingers down enough to finally catch his pulse.

She found the vitals fast but still in a relatively healthy range. This allowed her to take a breath as she settled her nerves. It was as she relaxed that she finally noticed the charm on the front of the collar. Her gut twisted unhappily at the familiar design of her precious flower in metal form now attached to the collar.

"What is even happening?" She whispered softly as her hand went to pet his hair soothingly. Her fingers gently trailed through his hair in a tender gesture, a familiar motion that she had used to use to sooth her son while he had been sick. She smiled sadly as his pained whimpers turned to sleepy mewls under her soothing touches.

"Don't you worry now. I've got you." She cooed softly as her free hand moved to tuck the blanket in around him. She needed to get him off the small coffee table, he needed to stretch out so that he could heal properly. Her eyes flashed to his wings for a second as she got to her feet to fetch supplies.

~*~z~*~

It payed off to live in a community where camping and hunting were a natural occurrence. Jody had easily found her camping air mattress along with a warm sleeping bag. She quickly and efficiently set up both on the floor behind the coffee table after pushing aside her armchairs. She made a comfortable nest of the sleeping bag and some extra blankets atop of the air mattress.

It was difficult and worrisome but she managed to move him into the nest while only causing him minimal discomfort. She settled him atop the sleeping bag and gently maneuvered his wings out behind him. She had cared for a bird one time with a broken wing so it was a memory that helped her in her task now.

Now that he was settled as comfortably as she could manage, Jody got to her feet to finish fetching her supplies. She used her cop training to over-ride her motherly fear as she went to her kitchen and made a bowl of warm water. She grabbed a few soft dishtowels and then took all the acquired items back to her living room.

She sat down on the rug and settled the bowl beside her hip. She leaned towards the unconscious creature on the mattress and gently stroked his cheek. Content that he was as settled as she could get him, she folded the blanket down off his shoulders slightly. She wet a towel in the warm water of the bowl before moving to wash the grime from his pale skin.

Hunter instinct told her that the creature passed out before her was an angel and had the potential to be a problem. Yet, maternal instinct told her he was just a young man that was a victim of abuse. Maternal instinct reigned supreme and she found she did not care what he was because now he was her patient.

There was something soothing and familiar in the act of gently washing away grime from the damaged skin. It left Jody's soul aching with a loneliness that came with the memories of her family. She chased it off and focused on caring for the creature before her.

Suddenly, as she was dabbing away a trail of blood from his hairline, his eyes snapped open. His pupils were constricted with fear and pain as he gasped at the sight of her. He whimpered pitifully and tried to scramble away but was too weak. Tears shimmered in his terror-filled eyes as he locked gazes with her.

"P-please. D-don't hurt me a-anymore!" His voice was so weak and hoarse, it broke Jody's heart. Compassion and sorrow filled her gaze as she petted his hair soothingly.

"Shh. Don't worry, Sweetheart. You're safe now." She cooed tenderly, her strokes to his hair kept steady and comforting, "Just let Mama Jody help you." She reached out with her free hand and took his in hers. She lovingly rubbed her thumb over his knuckles. Her calm and collected demeanor was comforting and seemed to help him settle.

"What's your name, Sweetie?" She kept her voice low and level so not to spook him. She had handled more than enough abuse and rape victim cases that she knew the proper way to speak to them. She was glad to see that it seemed to be working on him as well. He was still quivering in fear but did not seem so stiff and skittish.

"M-my name is S-samandriel, M-ma'am." His tears finally fell down dirty cheeks as he locked gazes with her, "A-are you my new o-owner?" He sounded so lost and broken that Jody felt like pieces of her soul were chipping off. She instantly felt sick at his question and wanted to cry herself when he asked it.

"No, Sweetie. You can't own a person." She tenderly wiped his tears away from his bruised cheeks, "I'm going to take care of you, Samandriel. My name is Sheriff Jody Mills." Her soft words seemed to ease a fraction of his anxiety but he still flinched at her gentle touch.

"I-I was told once my n-name is too l-long." He whispered weakly, his wet eyes blinking rapidly, "Y-you can call me A-alfie." His damaged voice was so low by the end that she almost missed it. Jody could not help but smile at how open he was being.

"It's a sweet name, very fitting." She carded her fingers through his hair, "Thank you for letting me call you that." He made a soft, confused sound but timidly nodded.

"C'mon, Alfie, let's get you cleaned up." Jody hummed softly, keeping her voice light. He whimpered softly but nodded slowly. For all his fear, he was quite responsive to her kindness.

~*~Chapter End~*~