Apparently, that night was the night Otis's luck ran out.

"Hey, kid. This is my territory! Get!"

Otis's head spun around just in time to get a foot smashed against his teeth.

"Fuck!" Otis tried desperately to fight back. He was weak, hungry and cold, but he put up a damn good fight. Until the other homeless man pulled a knife.

"Miserable weird ass piece of shit!" Otis narrowly dodged an attempt at his stomach, but didn't dodge a cut to the thigh and across his chest. Screaming in fury, the other man, plunged his knife into Otis's shoulder. Otis pulled it out, grabbed his things and ran, still clutching the knife in his hand. The homeless man followed him, finally tackling him into another alley. "Come here, you fuckin' freak!" He screamed. Otis threw the knife away as he was pummeled by the larger man, beating his face into a bloody pulp and then beating him indiscriminately. "I oughta show you!"

Otis felt him pulling down his pants. He was too weak to fight back. He groaned in protest, gurgling and choking on his own blood. There was nothing he could do except spit in the man's face, which only made him angrier and rougher, earning Otis more of a beating.

When he was done, the homeless man pulled Otis's pants back up, stole what little food he had, and left.

"There. Fuckin' freak. That's all you're good for is a good fuck. Nothin' else. You're disposable."

Being called special and disposable all in one day, Otis mused as he lay, helpless. He couldn't move. He knew some ribs were broken, probably had twisted an ankle in the fall. His face was beaten and he had been stabbed multiple times.

This is it. This is the end. He thought bitterly. At least he had fought. At least he had gotten away. He would freeze to death here. Or die from infection. He was too weak to move too far, so he slowly pulled his blankets over himself and settled, trying to pretend he was one of those children he had seen long ago, curled up in front of their fireplaces on cold winter nights, their loving parents reading to them, or talking to each other about how much they loved him.

Katie was discouraged. She hadn't seen that boy in the library for a few days. She had lost count of how many, actually. she knew he had been chased out by a security guard, but she wished she could find him.

Passing by an alleyway, she grimaced at the smell. It smelled rotten- like an infection. She stopped and peered into the alley. Volunteering at a homeless shelter had trained her to keep an eye out for such circumstances.

She gasped when she saw him. Unblinking red eyes stared back at her. He wasn't shivering, which was enough to spur her into action. She knew hew as hypothermic, if he wasn't shivering in these temperatures. She wondered where the smell was coming from, but she would find out sooner or later.

Otis awoke in a soft, warm bed. White was all around him. He was warm and comfortable. Was he dead?

"Shhhhhh..." He felt someone stroke his head, and he flinched, recoiling into the blankets. "Oh! You're awake! He's awake!" That familiar voice...He felt a hand on his cheek and whimpered in protest. He was too weak, and every movement caused excruciating pain. He definitely was not dead. There was no pain in death. "Shhh...It's okay."

He opened his eyes, seeing that sweet smiling face back at him. Katie.

"Thought you had a place to stay?" She quirked an eyebrow at him. "Either way, you do now. You're safe here."

That was the thing. Where was 'here'?

"I found you in that alley. You...You weren't moving...You weren't even blinking. Your body was shutting down. You had sever hypothermia...And did you get into a fight? Those wounds were bad, mister. And they're all infected. Each and every one of them. I don't know how you managed it, but you did."

He squeezed his eyes shut, wincing. God, his head hurt.

"You're lucky someone found you. You would've been dead in a few more minutes."

Was he lucky? Or would the sweet embrace of death been better than suffering through this miserable life he lead?

"You were so cold they had to give you a peritoneal lavage. That's when they pump warm saline into your belly to warm you up quicker. But you don't have much of a belly, do you? That's why you were so cold...That's why it was so bad." She shook her head. "I should have taken you when I saw you. I knew you were lying to me...Maybe this wouldn't have happened to you."

Otis tried to speak, but it came out as a gargle.

"Shhhh...Just relax." She stroked his face again, and he flinched. "...Someone hurt you, didn't they...?"

Otis stared back at her, fear in his eyes.

"I know they did...I'm so sorry. But you don't have to worry about that here, okay?" She adjusted the oxygen mask on his face that Otis hadn't noticed. He tried to move his hand to remove it, but pawed dumbly at his face. He was too weak, too numb, still. "No, no. Don't do that." She tucked his arm back under the blankets. "You just rest now. We'll take care of you." She smoother the blankets over his chest.

When it came time to eat, she propped his head up and removed his oxygen mask, feeding him small bites of food.

"I know you're probably starving, but I don't want you to choke..."

Otis turned his head away.

"Oh, come on now. Don't be stubborn." She tapped his chest to try and get his attention. He ignored her. "Hey, now. I saved you. Can't you eat for me?"

Otis turned back to her, concern on his face. She took the opportunity to shove the food in his mouth.

"There. Now you let me feed you and take care of you, you hear? It's my job. So don't think you're puttin' me out any by accepting our help. You need it." She held his head up to help him drink some warm tea. "There. That'll warm your bones."

She pulled his blankets down and he shivered. She pulled the bandages away from his chest, making him cringe.

"I know, sweetie. I know." She looked at the wounds, inspecting them. "Looks like their still healing well." She covered him back up. "Now you just rest. You're safe here."

"Where...?" He managed. His own voice sounded foreign to him.

"The homeless shelter, sweetie. It'll all be okay." She replaced his oxygen mask.

He drifted to sleep, thankful that at least he was warm.