Cutter waited in the entryway to the brothel, awaiting his purchase for the night. He heard and saw Otis's door open and another man come out, blood on his knuckles. He remembered Otis saying that he was the most gentle client he had ever had, and his stomach dropped.

The madame at the desk was otherwise occupied- not that she would have cared, anyway- so he climbed the stairs and opened Otis's door, bracing himself.

The smaller man was sprawled on the floor, dazed. He had obviously had the hell beaten out of him- blood ran from his nose and lip and a bruise was already beginning to form around one eye, as well as down his torso and hips.

"Otis..?" He called, advancing toward him. "Otis?" Cutter snapped his fingers in front of his face.

"Nnn...Cutter?" Otis snapped to attention, eyes finally focusing as he sat up. "I...Did you buy me..? I usually don't have anyone after him..."

"No, someone else...Jesus christ, kid..."

"M' fine...Just a few...bruises..." Otis drug himself to the bedside, then trying to stand and hoist himself onto it. Instead, he swooned as blood gushed from his nose and he crashed to the floor again.

"Fuck, man." Cutter rushed to his side, grabbing what fabric he could and holding it to Otis's face.

"Ah!" Otis flinched away, but was trapped between the bed and Cutter's body.

"Hey, relax...You're alright. You're safe with me, remember?" He gently stroked Otis's hair.

"I told...Madame not to schedule after him...no one wants...me when I'm all busted up..."

"She lets this happen to you?"

He nodded. "Jerry comes at leas'...every two weeks...Davey's another one...like him..."

"You'll need two weeks to recover from this alone, christ..."

Otis snorted.

"I can't believe she lets this happen...She's losing money- I know she's heartless so she wouldn't care how it affects you. But damn...You're out for the rest of the night..."

"She charges them more...because they like to bust me up...That's why..." Otis closed his eyes. "Worth another five dollars an hour..."

Cutter pulled the cloth away from Otis's face. "...You shouldn't have to do this..."

Otis shrugged. "It's a warm, dry place to sleep at night and a meal a day..."

"You live here?"

"Mm-hm...Most of us do. Some just come in for night shifts..."

"Christ...Well, here let me get you settled in bed if that was your last client-"

"No...Huh-uh. I-I...I'll...I sleep down here..."

"What?"

"Bed ain't for sleepin'..."

"They don't let you sleep in the beds?"

"N-No, they do...I just...The bed ain't for sleepin'...Bad things happen in it..."

"Oh...Okay...?" Cutter peered at Otis, confused.

"I don't sleep on a bed...Only bad things happen on a bed..."

"Otis? Are you-" A woman peeked her head into the door. "Okay? Oh! Sorry! I didn't know you had a client!"

"He's not...He's just checking on me..."

"Do you need anything, sweetie? I'll get you your tea you always need after that jackass comes..."

"I'm okay...Thank you."

Cutter told Otis to stay put, and then followed the woman. "What tea do you give him?"

"I don't think it's any of your business, sir." She scowled. "And I don't appreciate you being in there when he's so vulnerable. He's been hurt enough."

"I wouldn't...I wouldn't ever do that..."

Recognition flashed on her face. "Ohhh, you're everyone's favorite client. The gentle clown."

Cutter chuckled. "That's me, I guess."

"Everyone actually orgasms with you. They all love you. It makes us feel like we're not just being used."

"I appreciate that. So...what's in the tea?"

She sighed. "I give him a little pain medication dissolved in some hot blueberry tea when that fuckhead comes. Poor kid...He doesn't know it has that in it, so don't tell him. He'd never take it. I steal 'em out of Madame's purse. Puts him right to sleep every time and takes the edge off for him. Poor SOB hardly ever sleeps and when he does, he's havin' nightmares."

"Why doesn't he sleep in the bed?"

She carefully eyed cutter, gauging whether she should trust him or not. "Because of what his parents did to him."

"He said only bad things happen in beds...what do you mean what his parents did?"

"His parents did terrible things to him in a bed. I'll let you figure that one out. He doesn't know what love feels like. From anyone. That's why we try to be kind to him."

"We?"

"The other workers. We try to at least...make him not as miserable."

"That's very sweet of you."

"We're hookers, not heartless fiends." She cocked her head. "What did you do to him the last time you were here?"

"Huh?"

"He was so different after you left. All...blushing and kind of had a little smile on his face...He was real shy about it. For days he was like that. But it finally wore off when...Another customer came in..."

"I showed him what love feels like."

She pursed her lips, shifting her weight to one hip. "Here. You take him the tea, then. Keep showing him."