Chapter 3

Gently he laid her out on the couch, Roslind broke out in a feverish sweat. Doctor Smiley walked through the moment he laid her out. He looked up to see him carrying a large duffle bag. His red eyes connected with Slender. He only nodded. His black hair clung to his neck while he wore a doctor's surgical mask with a bright smile drawn on it. He was the most human serial killer he had ever seen, and was a real doctor. Smiley walked around the couch and in front of him.

"Alright, let me see what I have to work with." Smiley's voice was lighter than most would assume. Yet he still had an athletic build, just enough to throw someone off. He took off his doctor's coat, and was left with a white shirt, black tie and khaki pants. Kneeling, he reached into his large duffle bag, he pulled out a stethoscope and blood pressure cuff.

"Did you do this?" He asked, Slender shook his head no.

"I didn't." He replied, Smiley sucked air through his teeth looking her face over.

"Whoever did this, really screwed her face up. I'm not promising any miracles in saving her facial structure. She has a fractured eye socket, broken nose, split lip and." He pressed his fingers to her ribs, her eyes opened slightly Roslind let out a surprise cry.

"I know it hurts." He reached into his bag, pulling out a cloth; placing it to her lips she opened her mouth and bit down as hard as she could on it.

"That's it. Bite down as hard as you can. The night is going to be full of this." He looked away from her face, back down to her ribcage. He put the stethoscope down, and ripped her night gown from her. Slender looked away not wanting to be rude. Doctor Smiley winced.

"Christ…she's covered in bruises…fuck…her ribs are completely broken on her right side…" He touched with gentle fingers to her left side, she sobbed in pain.

"I know it hurts, keep with me Roslind." He shook his head slowly.

"There's nothing I can do with the ribs. They have to heal all on their own…now…" Slowly he pulled the soaked gown from her body.

"She's going into shock, I'm going to need space." He looked to Slender who only raised his hand and walked to the fireplace. Taking the match box, he struck it lighting the wood in the fireplace. He stared into the flames. Doctor Smiley returned his focus on his patient.

"Normally I'll be helping the person die." He whispered, Roslind looked at him. Her violet eyes were wide, filled with terror.

"However." He took the bandages from his bag out, along baby pins.

"You're a different cause. What he has planned for you, is much different. Normally he would allow the human to suffer. You, caught the eye of the second most dangerous monster in the world." His cheeks rose in a smile, Roslind sobbed silently, her chest shuddering. Doctor Smiley didn't look at her in a way that made her uncomfortable. But the look of pleasure within his eyes with each sob, each painful cry made her feel sicker then she already had.

"I'd say you're lucky dear. Only a minor concussion with a split temple. Your nose is broken, so is your eye socket. Well, fractured. I can just tell by how it looks. Your lip is going to need some glue, I'm going to wrap your ribs up. Prescribe you with morphine pills and rest." His cool hands touched her back, gently lifting her up. She held onto the couch, nails digging into the fabric.

"Hey maybe a monster, but he has decency. He refuses to look at you, I'm not quite sure why. You have a rather attractive body." He looked at her face.

"And a facial structure. I hope whoever done this to you, didn't scar your face up for life. You might actually be rather beautiful under all this mess." He chuckled. He took the bandages, wrapping them around her ribs. She spat out the cloth, her fingers wrapped around his wrist.

"That fucking hurts!" She squealed. Smiley nodded.

"I know, you have to relax and let the good doctor help you. If not, then you won't get better." His voice was made to soothe his patients. However, Roslind stared at him. Her eyes filled with anger, and pain. As if he was torturing her.

"Could you at least give me a little something for the pain?" She asked, Doctor Smiley scoffed.

"You humans can't even stand broken ribs. The monsters I patch up don't complain. Not even with a gunshot wound." The snapping voice behind him, startled him.

"Give her something. I can't stand seeing her in pain." Doctor Smiley turned to look at Slender, both Roslind and he was in shock. Slender turned to look back in the fire.

"Her crying is irritating me." He lied through his teeth. Her pain was causing him deep distress. There was something about her, that made him hate her being in pain…what it was, he wasn't sure. It was confusing him. He felt horrible letting Smiley work on her, but he knew jack about medicinal things. He wanted to make sure she was in capable hands.

"Good thing is, she doesn't have any internal bleeding. If she did. She would've been dead by now, and or puking up stuff that looks like ground coffee." He finished her ribs, pulling the bandages tight. Roslind only let out a small cry of discomfort, Smiley pinned it down. He only looked up at her, to her bloodied, broken face.

"Please…just make the pain go away." He gently laid her back down. His hands were fast, grabbing this and grabbing that from his duffle bag, first he took her blood pressure, then he listened to her heart and lungs. He went right to the needle and thread. She only looked up at it in his gloved hands. Her heart just now started ramming into her sore ribs.

"You have to knock me out for that…please…" She whimpered, Smiley shook his head.

"Nope, not this time. This is the only way to make sure you don't die." She shot Slender a look, his back was still to her. Her eyes roamed over his muscular back, he was built like a brick house. And it made her wonder, wonder how long it took him to look like that, or if he always had looked like that.

Smiley was working on her head; the pinching of the needle didn't hurt nearly as bad as she thought it would. It was annoying, and she tried hard not to wince. The last thing she wanted was to be stuck in her eye or him giving her a new piercing. He dabbed alcohol on the wound, and that got a rise out of her. She sucked air through her mouth and cried in pain. He chuckled lightly; he pinched her bottom lip together. The glue was warm going on her lip, it felt almost soothing to her.

"He's not going to let you die. You know, that right?" Doctor Smiley stepped back, dipping into his bag pulling more bandages out. She only looked at the strange red eyed doctor. His eyes put her off.

If that man over there can be real, why can't this 'Doctor Smiley'. Or, I'm dead and this is just a different kind of hell. She tried taking a deep breath in, her ribs were pinching and she winced.

"I don't know. Death doesn't seem to be that much worse than this, can it?" She replied, Doctor Smiley chuckled.

"Depending on who you ask. If you ask me, I don't get enough of patching up the broken. You, I want to dispatch of you. You're a worthless human. But." He looked at Slender.

"He won't allow it. His rules go." He shrugged, wrapping the bandage around her head. Once he was finished he laid her back down, pulling two pill bottles from his duffle bag he shook them.

"Antibiotics and morphine pills. You take the pills once every twelve hours, same goes with the antibiotics. It's a precaution. Don't want you to get an infection somewhere." He knelt placing all his things back into his bag.

"Now, you need a ton of rest and a lot of water and soup. Nothing else. These pills will be hard on your stomach so you need to be careful of what you eat and drink." He took his gloves off tossing them in the bag. He looked at Roslind, she was trembling even with the fireplace roaring. He looked back to Slender.

"Make sure she's fed and watered. You don't want her dying on you." He stopped a minute before covering her with a wool blanket and slipping a small pillow underneath her head.

"You rest." He looked to Roslind before giving Slender a look.

"And I need to speak to you." Slender turned, seeing Roslind laying out on his couch. Her eyes were darting around the room as if looking for a way out. He looked to Doctor Smiley and nodded.

Both men walked from the living room outside. The storm was at its worse, the tress groaning in distress. Smiley's red eyes glowed within the darkness.

"You're lucky I got here as soon as I got your message. She's not as bad off as you thought, but she's not out of the woods yet. Make sure you take care of her, and be sure she stays away from the pills. You give them to her, don't let her take them herself." He handed the bottles to Slender who nodded.

"You've been awfully silent tonight Adrian. Why?" He asked, Slender took a deep breath in and slowly let it out.

"I'm not sure. I'm feeling something…something strange with this one." Smiley's eyes rose in surprise.

"Oh? Not like Jane?" He asked, Slender slowly nodded.

"Not like Jane. This is…is a warm feeling. Her sobbing distresses me. Not irritates me. There's something about her that's different." He moved slightly uncomfortable.

"And it's not like a sick feeling either. It feels rather pleasurable. Almost like I want to be around this human. It's…disturbing me." He shook his head slowly. Doctor Smiley only tilted his head.

"The only thing I can diagnose you with, literally could be indigestion and or heartburn. Considering you hardly eat, I doubt it." He made a soft 'hmm' noise.

"Could also be something with your brain. Did you manage to strike yourself with a branch?" He asked, Slender shook his head no.

"Or, it could be love." He shrugged, Slender's brows creased.

"Impossible. A monster can't love, they have no heart." Shaking his head, he looked at the pill bottle within his hand.

"Well, you could always end it." He shrugged.

"Just kill her. It's that easy." Slender looked at him.

"I would, but I can't. I physically can't." He sighed, Smiley backed away for a second.

"Now that is a problem."

Hot, cold, hot, cold. Her body kept flushing from the heat. She would kick the wool blanket off, then pull it back on. Her body couldn't decide what it wanted. Her mouth was dry, and she wanted something to drink. Each time she tried calling out she would refuse. She didn't want him to help her anymore then what he had. He already went out of his way to shelter her, give her medical attention…why should she ask for a glass of water? Each time she tried getting up, her ribs would stop her. There would be times where she would swallow something with a taste of water, then she would want to fall back to sleep.

She dreamt of her mother.

She could see her bright blue eyes shining at her, then she would be gone. Roslind would reach out and try to find her. Though all she would see would be darkness. A darkness so thick she could hardly breathe. Then the hot and cold would start back up. She would kick the blankets off, then they would be placed back on her. A hand touching her head, the gesture would remind her of her mother and what she would do when Roslind had the flu.

The memory faded and she was once more left in the never-ending darkness. She had never truly been a religious person, but she prayed that something would come and she would have had a reprieve. And nothing answered. She would curse, scream and kick…and she felt nothing. Her body had finally refuse. In those moments, she had felt the most peace, where there would be no pain…she slept peacefully.

Then the pain would return and she would fight, fight hard against the gentle hands that would try to help her. At times, she could hear her mother calling her name, and she could see a light. Something that was blindingly bright, each time she would run to it, it would fade away…and her mother would tsk at her. As if, it wasn't her time.

Roslind wanted to die. She wanted this madness to end. She couldn't stand knowing she was cheating death, while her actions costed her mother, her life. She was stuck knowing, she killed her own mother. And no one else would know, other than Damien. It was his fault. He forced her to pull the trigger. If he hadn't choked her out, her mother wouldn't have gotten in the way and took the bullet.

I want to be with my mom…I want to tell her how sorry I am. It was all my fault, if I would've stayed upstairs…who knows what could've happened that night. Mom might've still been alive, maybe Damien would've killed her, and then come after me. All I'm left with is what if's…Those cool hands touched her forehead again, she opened her mouth to speak.

"Water…" Her voice was cracked.

"Please…"

A straw was placed against her lips and she sucked as hard as she could. The voice that came through the darkness made her stomach flip, and her heart stutter.

"Drink slow. You'll make yourself sick if you drink it that fast." She moaned, she wanted to drink as much as she could.

"At least you're coming out of the fever, that means this medicine is working." She moved her hand, and it fell back to her side. She was too weak to move, she couldn't even open her eyes. She was tired…so tired…

I'm going back to sleep…I need to rest. More rest means the more I can dream about mom…She sighed, turning her head and continued to dream.

The dreams weren't what she thought they would've been. They were repeats of that night…the night she shot Mary-Anne dead. She wanted to dream happy dreams, yet nightmares plagued her…the guilt swallowed her hole.

Roslind was running through a labyrinth of darkness, making sharp turns, turning around, chasing a shadow. A memory…each time she had gotten close, she would find herself in bright pain…she would cry out for her mother, every time she would fail. She would collapse within the darkness sobbing…till the same voice floated to her within the darkness, made her want to wake up.

"Please stop crying…I hate watching you cry…"

Her eyes opened, her body had a very settle ache…her head thumped, she had a thin sheen of sweat along her skin. The only light within the room was the fireplace, roaring like a lion. She turned her head and looked at it. She swallowed, her mouth was dry, her tongue felt like cotton. She wanted water. Her eyes wondered to the coffee table, littered with bandages, old and new. Her two pill bottles, and of course an empty glass with a straw. She smacked her lips.

Fuck feeling better, I still feel like a tar mat…She pushed the blankets off her and slowly lifted herself from the sweat soaked couch. Though the room spun, she could sit up with a little bit of pain that she eased through with breathing. Her ash blonde locks fell over her glistening shoulders. Her elbows touched her thighs and she just sat there staring into the fire.

Christ I'm thirsty…She smacked her lips, trying to coat them with spit. Her mouth disagreed, she created no saliva flow. Roslind ran a hand through her hair, it was not free…creasing her brows she brought her hair to her nose and breathed in. Her hair smelt of pine and rosemary…

He's been taking care of me…? She looked at herself, she was still in her bra and panties, they too were laundered. It must've been embarrassing to take care of her…to wash her clothing, to bathe her.

"You're awake." The voice was behind her, giving Roslind a jump. She turned to look over her shoulder, the rest of the room was casted in shadows, she couldn't see anything other than the outline of a man.

"You gave me quite a scare…you were in and out the last week now. Even Doctor Smiley thought you wouldn't pull through. You contracted pneumonia. He did everything in his power to keep you alive, and it worked." At least he sounded relieved to Roslind. She took the blanket and wrapped it around her, finally aware of how naked she was to him.

"I'm sorry you had to take care of me…" She looked back at the table, to the glass. She licked her lips again. He was walking around the couch, her heart running a million miles an hour against her ribcage. Though they were better, they were still sore as hell. The bandages kept her movements very limited. Her voice was hoarse, and yet the man still understood what she was saying…

I can't remember anything that's happened the last few weeks…all I remember was red eyes. She closed her eyes, trying to concentrate…still nothing came back to her. His white hand came in front of her, his long elegant fingers wrapped around the glass and pulled it away from her. Her eyes traveled up the black suit sleeve, and she saw nothing from the shadows.

"I'm sure you're thirsty. It's about time for your glass of water." He moved in the shadows. She tried watching him, yet the light only went so far. She tried squinting, and all she could make out was his large shoulders and how tall he was. However, when he did look at her she felt it right down to her core. Her inner self had started screaming.

What the hell is this? I'm feeling like someone is pouring warm water all over me…it's not unpleasant…but…She took a slow deep breath; her internal voice was silenced by his.

"Here you are Roslind." He placed the glass down in front of her, he was avoiding the light…but his eyes stayed on her. She reached out taking the glass and slowly sipped at the water. It poured over her tongue and down her throat. It made her feel like she was in haven…her eyes closed and she took a deeper drink.

"Slow Roslind, you don't want to throw it back up. You've done that twice now." She opened her eyes and looked over to him. He was standing away from her; she wouldn't, couldn't blame him. She probably smelt rank. She put the glass back on the table, her lip felt better, so did her face.

"Thank you, sir, I'm sorry but I can't remember your name…" She kept the blanket tightly wrapped around her body. She felt naked as is. He only chuckled at her.

"I know I must've been a burden…I'm sorry. I can leave as soon as I-" He interrupted her.

"Adrian. My name is Adrian. And please you're no burden to me." He managed to take a good look at her face, other than the stiches on her brow, and the scar on her lip…he was rather awestruck at how picturesque she was. Roslind seemed almost ethereal with the fire…her pores weren't visible…her bruising had become very minimal…and her face had recovered rather well in the healing process. Slender was stunned one morning when he came in and saw the swelling had gone down, and he was finally able to see what she looked like, and he was pleasantly surprised. Her lips were full, her face delicate, her brows were a beautiful brown while her hair was ash blonde. That same day, he sat down and washed her hair, combed out the tangles, dirt, and grime. He washed her clothing, he didn't look as he undressed her. He was a monster, not a pervert. He sat there, washed her sickly smelling skin with rose water that he made from his own garden. He made sure, she was going to be healing quickly. And she was. Her voice caught him by surprise.

"Thank you, Adrian. I mean it. You saved my life, and I can't thank you enough." Her violet eyes danced with the fire, and he loved hearing her say his name. It brought goosebumps to his skin. He took her glass, refilled it and placed it back down in front of her. She took it, and slowly she sipped it.

"If you wish, you can use my shower to make yourself feel more human. Just please be careful and don't pop the stiches on your brow. They were quite a hassle to put in." He slunk back into the darkness, she wanted to see who he was. What he looked like. She held the water in her hand, staring at herself. She almost looked back to normal…the bruising was still there, but the swelling was almost completely gone.

"Please help yourself. My home is your home till you're ready to leave." His voice sounded warm, inviting…she almost didn't want to leave. The sound of a nice, long, hot shower sounded too good to pass up.

"Don't worry, I have instaheat, and money is no issue. Stay in as long as you need." He was walking away from her, she gave him a quick look. She only caught the back of his head, seeing he was bald, with a large muscular frame. Her heart started to beat faster. She kept the blanket wrapped around her body, when she managed to look around the room Adrian was gone. He had disappeared somewhere else in the home. She kept the blanket around her, the bathroom door was wide open and she sighed lightly. Stepping in she closed the door, letting the blanket fall to the floor. There were towels already laid out for her, and she couldn't help but let herself smile just a little bit.

What a gentleman…She gave another smile, the glue tugged at her bottom lip and she dropped the smile.

I'll stay for as long as I can…there's nowhere left for me to go. And I can't go back to mom's house. That'll be suicide…I should figure out a way I can stay here. Possibly be a maid for him? Work for my stay? This place is huge, he could use a home cook…She ran her hands over her arms, she couldn't go back…it was suicide.

Unhooking her bra, and dropping her panties, she walked to the large shower. Turning the water on, the room filled with steam. She finally felt somewhat at peace, and her body slowly stopped aching.

He heard the shower turn on as he came from his own room, he went out and bought her some new clothing. That way she wouldn't be wandering around his home in just her undergarments. He stopped in front of the shower, the door was cracked. He reached forward to close it, when he heard her softly weep. Creasing his brows, he leaned forward. He saw her standing in the shower, her body was covered in fading bruises, old and new scars. It angered him to see how much pain she was in. She had kept the bandages on around her ribs, she moved with some issues…he wanted to go in there and help her. However, he knew he shouldn't push it.

Now that's she's up and walking, she might not be here much longer. He shook his head.

Shut up, that's not fair. She has nowhere to go, and no one is looking for her. I read the news…she's all alone with no one there for her. I'm not allowing her to go through this by herself. He watched her slowly slide down the wall, ball herself up and sit there.

She has a father, you read Masky and Hoodie's report. Take. Her. Back. He couldn't. He couldn't take her back.

No. He doesn't care about her, if he did he would be working his ass off to find her. She's alone. He's the one who did this too her…and I swear, if I ever see him again, I'll end his life. The anger was coming back like a tsunami. He couldn't believe the war this young girl was going through. And had went through. Seeing the damage that man brought down on her…she lived through hell.

She's the one…she must…every night I had gazed upon the stars, she was the one who was looking back. Why else would I feel this warmth? He moved, the door creaked. Roslind stood up, albeit slow and looked at him. He looked at her, there was no terror in her eyes. She just looked at him.

"Are you alright? You're rather quiet and I wanted to check on you." His voice waivered. She stayed silent a moment longer.

"I'm fine, thank you." The water turned off, she was coming out. Slender took a step back, closing the door completely. He heard her move about in the bathroom before the door was opened again, her eyes were rimmed red from crying. He could tell.

"Why were you crying Roslind?" He asked her, she looked up at him. Again, the very look she was giving him made his stomach become warm. She reached out her elegant fingers touched his tie, her chin was starting to tremble.

"I can't go back to him…to my father. He'll kill me." Her voice cracked, he became infuriated.

"If I go back to him Adrian, he'll make sure I'll never see the light of day again…" He gently took her into his arms, holding her to him. He felt her muscles relax.

"I won't allow you to go back. I won't. This is your home as much as it's mine. I swear, the moment I see him, I'll make him regret the day he was born…" She looked up at him, he reached forward his fingers softly stroking her sore lip.

"I'll make him pay, for every scar that's on your body…every broken bone you have suffered…" He leaned forward placing his forehead against hers.

"Every single tear you've shed…I'll make him pay."