R_S: Sooo it's been over 2 years. I got nothing to say to that except, y'know… life. So here ya go.

Chapter 13

That Time

It was her own cry of pain that woke her from a fitful sleep. Good rest was difficult to come by; ever since the incident with the boys from B-Tent, her subconscious was rife with nightmares. Normally she could manage, getting by on a restless night and an unrelaxing afternoon nap. But that night even fitful sleep would not come. Kat bit her lip to silence herself. She rolled to her side, curling more tightly into a ball and clutching her abdomen with shaking arms.

"Bambi… y'okay?" She heard one of the boys' call to her from the other side of the tent, a couple sets of eyes peering over at her curtain. She moaned under her breathe, too low for them to hear.

"Mhmm," she answered quietly, struggling to keep her voice even, "I'm good." They seemed to buy it and drop back down quickly, snores picking up. She waited a long moment before carefully slipping out of bed and quietly pulling on a jumpsuit- she knew better than to go out uncovered. Trying to shuffle out silently, however, served to be more difficult than anticipated. She clutched her knees together, barely able to walk, and she bumped Zero's cot. The metal frame scraped against wood harshly.

"Sorry." She groaned, moving to escape the curious eyes staring at her.

"Where you goin', girl?" Squid's voice was gravelly from sleep, "It's the middle of the night."

"Bathroom… just getting some air. Go back to sleep guys; sorry I woke you." The boys were too thoroughly roused to buy her excuse.

"Shit, Bambi, you don't look so good…" Zigzag trailed off uncertainly as X-Ray donned his glasses and squinted, trying to make out her form.

"I'm fine, really." Her voice cracked, and she darted painfully out of the tent and around back. The boys followed.

"Damn, where the hell'd she go? Bambi!" Squid half whispered, eyes darting around the darkness. They found her a few feet out behind the tent, hunched over on her knees and wiping vomit from her lips. She groaned at the sight of them, knowing she looked disgusting and wanting nothing more than to be alone in her pain.

"Bambi! One'a you idiots go get Mr. Sir or mom, now!" X-Ray's commanding tone left no room for argument, and both Armpit and Magnet took off toward the counselors' cabin.

"No, don't." Kat called to them weakly, but it was a moot point, as she gagged again.

"S'gonna be ok, Bambi." Zigzag told her with a slight quake to his voice, "M'sure it's just food poisoning or somethin'. They'll fix you up in no time."

"I'm fine guys, really. Please just go-"

"This ain't fine, darlin'. We're not goin' nowhere, not when you're hurtin' like this." Squid informed her brusquely, dropping down. They all kept their distance, unwilling to come near the vomit, but Zigzag and he came the closest. She moaned again with another stab of pain and indulged another wave of nausea. Through her painful gasps and violent expulsions, she heard the dull slaps of Armpit, Magnet, Pendanski, and Mr. Sir's feet as they ran over to the group.

"See, Mom, we told ya- she's really sick!" Armpit stated.

"I think she's dying, homes." Magnet told him without a hint of irony.

"I'm fine." She gasped out, before puking once more. Mentally, she sarcastically commended herself for being so delicate and ladylike.

"Now Katrina, you don't seem very fine." Pendanski said, sounding annoyed. Of course, that was when she felt it.

"Shit…" she looked down and there it was, blood seeping against the inside of her thigh. And as soon as she noticed it, so did the boys.

"Oh shit…" Squid cursed, eyes widening.

"Oh… oh I see…" Even Pendanski looked flustered, though Mr. Sir just sneered. Poor little Zero seemed by far the most horrified, eyes wide and mouth opened. For a moment, she wondered if he even knew what a period was, but then she was distracted again by the pain and whimpered.

"This was the emergency you dumbasses woke me for? Psh," Mr. Sir spat on the ground, looking at her with open annoyance, "this ain't my problem; I ain't no nurse." Pendanski gave D-Tent one of his patronizing smiles.

"Now you boys go on back to bed. These things happen to ladies, you know; they're delicate flowers. Go on, nothing to worry about, perfectly natural." He shooed the blushing boys away and back toward the tent. They climbed back into their cots and listened to the quiet sounds of the counselors and Kat shuffling around outside, voices too muffled to make anything out. After a few minutes, the counselors and she hovered outside the tent door.

"Just go grab what you need, and we'll grab ya a fresh uniform." They pretended to be asleep as she slipped into her area and grabbed something from her bag, but it was perfectly clear by the silence that they were awake. She was too mortified to call them on it. As the sounds of walking and Mr. Sir's annoyed muttering faded into the distance,they boys rolled over and went to sleep.

The next morning, D-Tent woke to find Katrina back in her bed. She was too mortified to meet their eyes, pulling on her uniform stiffly behind the curtain. She counted her blessings that they were not making her wear the one with blood on it, though she was sure the marks stain permanently for the duration of her stay. The day so blended together at Camp Green Lake, she had honestly not realized she had been there a whole month… it seemed longer to her and yet somehow too short for her time of the month to have already visited. When she came out to the main tent area, the guys snuck glances but seemed uncertain.

"Hey Bambi, how ya feelin'?" Zigzag finally asked, looking over at her cautiously.

"Fine… sore." She mumbled, bushing. Zero stared at her warily from his cot, like he did not know what to make of her anymore. The boys took notice and used it as an excuse to alleviate some of their awkwardness.

"Hey, look at Zero- thinks she's diseased or somethin'!"

"Awww, Zero, ain't nobody ever told you 'bout the birds n' the bees?"

"Y'see, when a mommy n' a daddy love each other very, very much-"

"Man, shut-up, we gonna be late." With a blushing and mortified girl in tow, the group made their way out for the usual day's activities.

Unfortunately, the day was not quite so usual for Kat. She was able to take something for her cramps, but they still coursed dully through her abdomen. It made the effort of lifting buckets of dirty water and dinner slop twice as hard, and for part of the day, she cried silently. By the time lunch rolled around, she had vomited twice from the pain. Usually, her periods were not quite this intense- it must have been hormones and stress, the way the heat interacted with her body, anything. The experience was miserable. Nonetheless, she was thankful for small blessings, namely her maintenance assignment. How she would have managed digging in such a state was a mystery. The boys seemed wary as they came to visit her after their holes were finished. There was far less of the day's work done than usual.

"I can't believe they didn't give you the day off after all this." Zigzag commented, shaking his head. She shrugged, picking tiredly at her food.

"Guess they don't wanna give me a free pass every month." The boys shifted uncomfortably, unhappy with the topic of conversation. X-Ray offered no words of comfort, only sneering as though the additional evidence of her womanhood somehow made her disgusting to him. That boy was a mystery to her. Finishing her dinner (when had it become usual for her to finish that inedible slop, she wondered?), she trudged back to the tent to lie down. The lack of sleep and exhaustion from the day's sickness wore her down, and she slept until the boys came back in. She woke at their raucous laughter and stretched but did and said little, only changing her protection to something more appropriate for a long night before falling back asleep, not to wake until morning.

The next day, when Kat exited the dark cave they called a laundry room, there was a new car parked outside the infirmary tent. There was no shortage of whispers regarding what it could be, but no one seemed to have any idea. Rumors were rampant, but most were ridiculous- why the president would be visiting and in such a vehicle was inconceivable.

"I heard that new guy, Lump, sayin' some guy n' a nurse went in there to speak with the warden. Dunno why, though, just went right in." Armpit told her when she asked the guys about it back in the tent. She was braiding her newly washed hair tiredly, looking paler and anemic. She always looked that way during her period, she had assured them.

"Huh, weird. I hope everything's alright." She commented. Squid opened his mouth to say something, probably some snarky comment, but Mr. Sir interrupted by stomping in.

"You there, girl." He snapped, pointing to her before jerking his thumb back over his shoulder, "C'mon, they're ready for ya." She stood slowly.

"Who's ready for me, Mr. Sir?"

"Some fancy lady doctor from the city, state sent it over to deal with your… problem." Nervousness sizzled through her, and she puttered out after him. She could feel the boys' eyes staring holes into her back as deep as the ones they dug. Kat shot them a nervous look back as she followed Mr. Sir.

She almost immediately forgot the nurse's name, but she was fine, silent but gentle and pitying in her manner. The doctor, however, Dr. Feinman- he was probably the worst doctor she had ever had the misfortune of dealing with, and she spent days with Dr. Pendanski. He was cold and judgmental, regarding her with distaste. He made no secret that he thought her a worthless, petty criminal- that dealing with her was far beneath him. Her complaints about her period, though backed with proof from both Mr. Sir and Pendanski, were brushed aside as melodrama. Katrina put up an initial fight about having a male OBGYN, but it fell upon deaf ears. She was ushered into the infirmary and changed into a gown. She couldn't meet their eyes during the background questions.

"Are you, or have you ever been, sexually active?" God, how she wanted to say no.

"… Yes." The expression on Dr. Feinman's face told her he expected no better.

"And when was the last incident of intercourse?"

"Um… like 6 months ago, I guess." He snorted disbelievingly, as though he did not believe that she could be keeping her legs closed in a camp full of boys. The nurse gave her an apologetic look.

"Ms. Zales, I'm a doctor. I can't help you if you're not honest with me."

Her voice was small, "I am being honest, sir. It was just the one time." He hummed but let it drop, instead delving into humiliatingly detailed questions about the type of sex she was involved in. How oral and anal penetration were relevant to a gynecological visit, she did not know, but somehow that was part of the standard line of questioning, evidently.

The worst part came with the actual exam. He was cold, and Kat felt vulnerable and detached. By the end, tears had leaked from the corners of her eyes. She was pretty sure she caught Dr. Feinman rolling his eyes as he turned away, discarding the gloves and leaving her to get dressed. Only then did the nurse put a kind hand on her arm and offer a pitying smile.

"The warden mentioned you'd been having some difficulties with some of the boys here. I know it's scary, but this is for your own protection. Things will get better; you'll see. And you'll feel a lot better without cramps." Kat just nodded and gave her a weak smile, moving to get dressed. At the end, she all but ran back to D-Tent. By then, all the campers had figured things out. There was only one reason for a doctor and nurse to come to see only the girl, and she could hear the comments and feel the appraising stares. Her boys had waited for her rather than going to the Wreck Room. They took in her frazzled appearance immediately.

"You a'ight, Bambi?" X-Ray asked, and she nodded.

"They really got you a doctor that's a dude?" Armpit asked. Another nod. "Man, that's messed up."

"That sucks, girl, I'm sorry."

"It's ok, Zigzag… but thanks." She sat quietly on the cots near them, desperate to be surrounded by comfort.

"It ain't alright, that's fucked. After everythin' you been through, they bring in some guy to touch you- what gives them the fuckin' right?" Squid threw his gloves across the room. She did not react, far too used to his righteous anger. She felt numb down to her soul.

Mr. Sir interrupted by stepping into the tent again, glaring gruffly at the group. He tossed a little plastic container on the bed in front of her with instructions to "start takin' 'em once you're… done- n' I don't wanna hear no more of your girly whinin'," before stalking out. Kat flushed and grabbed the birth control quickly, scampering over to her cot. X-Ray frowned.

"Don't let anyone know you're takin' that. It'll give 'em ideas."

"Man, I think they already know." Magnet's voice was reticent and regretful, "There ain't a lot of reasons for the warden to bring in a doctor special and just send in the girl." The implication of what that meant hung heavy in the air, but none dared speak it aloud. Katrina hoped and prayed that no one would find out.

Her life did not work that way. By dinner that evening, it seemed every boy in camp knew about her special 'lady doctor' visit and were able to connect the dots. She weathered smarmy leers and ravenous gazes. A few asked if she was 'open for business' and similar such questions, but she steadfastly ignored them, tears brewing in her eyes. Still, now that the risk of pregnancy was alleviated, there was an even greater influx of interest among the general population. After a final, particularly gross comment, she dropped her tray and stormed from the building. Some of D-Tent called out from behind her.

"Bambi- 'ey, Bambi! Come back here!"

"Where you goin', girl?"

"Bambi, you ain't allowed to go alone- shit."

By the time she was halfway to the tent, she heard the heavy crunch of one set of boots on gravel behind her as someone jogged to catch up. Squid pulled up beside her looking nonplussed, a scowl marring his handsome features. She did not look at him, furthering his annoyance.

"Look, fuck those guys, Bambi. You shouldn't give 'em this satisfaction. And you know you ain't supposed to be out wanderin' camp by yourself. X-Ray is not happy with your ass right now." She said nothing in response, stomping stubbornly forward toward the tent. He made an annoyed sound, cursing beneath his breath, but followed. "Can't believe I'm missin' dinner for this shit."

Kat said nothing to that either. She wanted to tell him to go, then- fine. She did not need him anyway. But she was too afraid to do that. She did need him, him and all the other D-Tent boys who kept her safe. She was too tired to feel all that sorry for him for missing dinner, though. She would probably just end up sneaking him extra cookies the next day anyway, so what was the point. Hell, he would probably steal something out of her bag- she knew he rooted through it when she was not there, reading her letters and snagging just little enough food that at first she thought it was her imagination.

As they reached the tent, Kat realized she was too antsy to just sit on her cot and mope. Being cooped up inside for even more of her day would just make her stir-crazy, an unfortunate side effect of her new role at the camp. Who knew how much she would value the open air of digging holes once it was gone? To Squid's surprise, she abruptly turned on the step and sat, staring out into nothing like Zero often did. He stood beside her expectantly for a long moment, but when he realized she had no intention of moving, he slowly sunk down beside her, eyeing her warily. Her voice was monotone, dead sounding when she finally broke the awkward silence.

"Do you remember earlier when I said I was ok?" He nodded slowly, annoyance still there but melting away.

"Yeah… but I strongly suspect you were lyin'."

She shook her head. "I'm not ok." She admitted quietly, and he slid over closer next to her. He rested his hand next to her thigh but did not touch her. Her voice gained expression as she spoke.

"I thought the warden might understand, that she could at least respect how hard this has all been, but… that doctor was so awful, Squid. He was mean and cold and I hated it… I hated him touching me." Tears leaked down her cheeks. She turned and looked at him seriously.

"It was worse than what happened. I felt so… so violated. I expected it from the guys at camp, but… They were supposed to be the ones who protect me… how am I ever supposed to feel safe here? I feel so alone…"

"You're not alone… we're all right here. And we're gonna keep you safe."

"I know, but…" She trailed off. He hesitated for only a moment before pulling her over to him, keeping her wrapped against his form. She was curled awkwardly beneath one arm, head resting on his collar so her hair tickled his face. It was uncomfortable for both of them, but neither moved until the rest of camp made their way back from dinner. At the first sound of the canteen doors opening, they pulled away gently and stood, making their way into the tent. Squid and Kat each did their own thing, acting as though they had been in there the entire time. Neither spoke of that night to the others or each other.

End of Chapter

R_S: I think I may have made X-Ray being gay canon in this story without meaning to…