The moment they entered the room Sands raised his gun, making El to do the same while Catalina rolled her eyes.

"If you two want a showdown, you can get out of my apartment and only after he finishes stitching me up."

"I thought you died." Sands said his gun still pointing towards Catalina who was in fact standing in front of El.

"I did, a very long time ago." El responded aiming over Catalina's shoulder.

Sands moved his hand aiming a little higher, realizing that El was in fact behind Catalina, but knowing that he was taller than her.

"Would you please stop this, at least for the moment. I have the strangest desire to not die of exsanguination."

Both of the men lowered their guns. "Good. Now let's get to business."

Lin said moving towards the bed. Sands got up and brought the trolley Catalina used when she took care after his wounds. El drew a chair next to the bed where Catalina laid down on her stomach. "Use only a local anaesthetic, and make sure you clear the wound properly." She said her voice slightly muffled by the covers she was resting her head on.

~Yes, yes I know. It's not the first time I'm doing this.~

After cleaning his hands and getting some gloves on, El removed the blood soaked towel and pulled down the bra strap that was now in his way and he started by cleaning the area. When he finally finished cleaning he took the syringe with the anaesthetic and gave her the shot.

He started preparing the tools he was going to use, giving time for the anaesthetic to work. Sands was standing in a corner listening to everything, cussing in his mind the situation, the fact that he couldn't see if she was alright, that she had to call for El because he was not capable to help her and then getting even angrier realizing that if he hadn't lost his eyes he wouldn't even be here and she wouldn't have gone through this. But what annoyed him was the fact that he seemed to care about her, he would have given anything for him to not have lost his eyes, but in the same time he would have stipulated still meeting her if someone offered him the possibility to travel back in time.

Sands was brought back to reality by El "Come here and help me out." He shook lightly his head, as if trying to chase away the thoughts and feelings he was having and he approached the bed.

"Get on the other side and hold her arm and shoulder down, the anaesthetic isn't very strong and I don't want her to flinch." El added.

Sands circled the bed and hopped up feeling around for Lin's arm.

"You'll have to come a little closer." She spoke to give him a chance to figure out her location.

Sands re-adjusted his position, but in doing so he placed his knee on Lin's wrist. "Ouch!" He moved back fast, but the blunder made El raise an eyebrow. "Are you blind?" he asked annoyed.

"No, not at all. I just don't have any eyes you fuck-mook." Sands replied angrily.

"Boys, let's not forget why we're all here, shall we?" Catalina said, her voice low and lacking energy.

They both shut up, Sands managed to find Lin's arm and shoulder, securing his hands on her and El started working. Lin was clenching her teeth, letting air go out at equal intervals, she was covered in cold sweat and her body temperature was going down making her shiver.

"Are you done? She's not going to be able to stand for this much longer." Sands said feeling Lin drifting slowly into unconsciousness.

"Almost, I just have to stitch the wound. Don't worry she's stronger than she seems." El answered still bent down over her shoulder.

When he was done and he finished dressing the now clean and stitched wound, Catalina was in a sedative induced sleep; El risked and gave her a sedative shot even though he knew she'll be very mad when she would get up from her slumber. He wasn't planning to be here when that would happen so he knew that she'll take it out on Sands and that made him smile to himself. They both left her to her sleep and headed for the kitchen.

El was getting ready to leave, but Sands wanted some things cleared out.

"When I made you the offer and told you that you have nothing to live for, why didn't you contradict me, after all she's clearly an important person to you."

"Not as important as you think." El answered while washing his hands in the kitchen sink.

"I think you're lying, but that's not actually important. I was merely curious." Sands lit a cigarette and inhaled the smoke with lust. "You don't have to worry about her wellbeing, I don't intend to hurt her, especially that I need her."

"Right, and after her usefulness has run its course? Will she become another piece of chess that you'll remove from the playing board? Another piece of good pork that needs to be balanced out?"

Sands smiled, he exhaled the smoke through his nostrils, looking like a raging bull from kids cartoons. "So you do care after all?! If she plays the game right she will be in no danger, not from me anyway."

"I don't really trust you with that."

"I know, which makes me wonder why didn't you make a bigger effort to convince her to ditch me, or even tried to kill me. You seem to think that I'll kill her, your friend, and yet you take no measures to see that that won't happen."

"Are you suggesting I should kill you?"

"No, but why didn't you try?"

"Catalina's business is her business. She's smart enough to know what kind of man you are, and if despite knowing she still chose to help you, then so be it. She's a firm believer that each should make their choices in life and face the consequences of those choices. Anyway she is quite capable to survive. Don't be fooled by her small figure and melodic voice, she could knock you out in a minute."

El took his guitar case from the floor and headed to the back door. He stopped on the threshold and turned around towards Sands "Oh, also, don't live with the impression that your special, you're just another mutt from the street that she took pity on, she does this quite a lot, your just another challenge to her, another project. She needs this because she gets bored, but you mean nothing more than a distraction."

"You sound quite bitter about it. That's what you were? Another distraction, another mutt?" Sands asked with a malicious smile playing on his lips.

El didn't answer, he turned his back and left, closing the door. Sands smile faded, there were some things that bugged him. Was Catalina as dangerous as El made her be? Was she really a physical threat? But what disturbed him more was the question 'Did she really see him just like a charity case, a stray dog that needed someone to take him in?' The question annoyed him, it made him angry with himself, because he asked himself this question and because he cared about the answer to this question.

Why the fuck should I care? I don't fucking care, I'm using her. I think you do care, and you know you do, you use her, but you also care about her. I don't. She's just a tool. I agree that I feel a certain attraction to her, I would have a tumble in a hay with her, but that's the extent of it. Is it, really? That's why you were so worried when she passed out in the bathroom or when you held her down for that fucker to get the bullet out? Of course I was worried, need I remind you that I need her to get to El Paso? I can't let her die or get too wounded to be able to drive. I don't have time to find someone else to do the job. I can't afford to pay anyone right now considering that the Agency is not funding me anymore and the money I was planning to run with are gone by now. But she's doing this for free. It does make me wonder a little bit why is she doing this for free. Because you are a charity case, just like he said, that's why. What? You thought she's fallen in love with you and that's what pushes her to help you? You thought a smart and beautiful woman, at least that's what your informant said, will fall for a blind agent that was planning to go rogue. You think a criminal psychologist would fall for a sociopath? Fucker!

He didn't know how much time has passed since El left and he got stuck in his head, but a small, weak call of his name snapped him out of his internal conversation.

"Sands! Sands! Where the fuck are you?" Lin said, slowly getting up, trying to ignore the pain in her shoulder and the dizziness produced by the sedative. "I said no fucking sedatives, but oh no, why would they listen? Men!" She managed to get in a sitting position and she flung her legs over the edge of the bed and forced herself up only to fall on the floor like a puppet that had her string cut in one motion.

"What are you doing, sugar-butt?" Sands asked amused entering the room.

"I'm making out with the floor. Do you mind?" she answered sarcastically while trying get back up. "I could use your help here."

"Now you need my help?! Shouldn't you call for your friend back?"

"What the fuck is your problem? What are you in high school? You know what, I'll manage by myself. I don't have the time nor the patience for jealousy fits."

"I'm not jealous. Don't flatter yourself."

"Right, then you're just a dick. I helped you out, you still need my help, but it's too much for you to help me get up. It's too much of an effort. What? Should I offer you money? What are your prices? How much goes to your pimp? I don't know if I can afford you."

Sands got next to her and he helped her up and back in bed. "I'll make an exception this time. No charge."

"Don't I feel special." Lin said, showing him the finger, knowing that he couldn't see her. But he did sense her and he grabbed her hand, still in the air, with the finger still sticking out.

"You're very rude, sugar." He said while still holding her hand, expecting her to pull away. Lin looked at him, a little surprised and a little impressed. He was becoming better and better every day to adjusting to his situation. Most of the time you couldn't even tell that he was blind. She smiled and glanced at his lips for a second before finally getting her hand out from his clutch.

"I said no sedatives. Why was I sedated?"

"You should ask your friend, he's the one who did it."

"Why did you let him?"

"I didn't want to butt in between you two. How was I about to know that that wasn't your thing?"

"Don't be an ass. Now we'll have to postpone our departure. I can't drive while being dizzy and drowsy."

"We'll leave in the morning. You'll have a whole night to get back in shape."

Catalina relaxed and closed her eyes, she was feeling quite tired, she needed sleep to recover. Sands remained with her until she fell asleep, then he went on the living room and opened his case. He felt around for his guns, his badge and passport. He made sure that everything was there, even some money that he had the inspiration to put aside, just in case. After trying to count the money, but not succeeding, he closed the case and laid down to take a nap. There wasn't much to do. He wasn't interested on listening to the TV and if Lin wasn't around to annoy and flirt with, he didn't have a reason to stay up. Of course it also meant that he didn't have to think about what he felt about Catalina and their situation. At least that's what he was hoping, but he couldn't stop a lustful thought form in his mind before finally falling asleep himself, and that thought lead to a wet dream.