With the looming sense of dread, Aqua resigned herself to work the next day. A full night's sleep and a proper meal hadn't changed that awful situation she was in. It had just delayed it until she reached the hospital. Jack had been checked in and would be waiting for her. A knock outside the door labeled 'Frost' proved it when she heard someone call 'come in' and with a heavy sigh, she did. She found Jack lounging like the hospital was a five star hotel and she had just been coming in to change the sheets or provide room service.

"I'm ready for my sponge bath," he grinned.

Aqua had to take a deep breath to keep her temper reigned in. He was still in the bloody clothes from the day before. His bandages had stained a dark brown. No one had tended to him. They were probably too busy or they were aware of who (and what) he was. They would leave him to her. Making him her priority. Frightened of him or not, they couldn't neglect a patient like that. He needed their help. She would have to have a word with them later.

"I'll… run some water."

She was at his beck and call. At least until his injuries had healed. And he had a point. With the stitches she had to put into his chest and abdomen, he couldn't exactly shower on his own. His survival depended on the nurses. But he had his own 'insurance' policy that guaranteed his safety. If he died, the Guardians could take it out on the staff. It was a vicious circle. The only way to break the loop was to avoid falling into it in the first place. She could not sink to his level. She would play the good nurse for now and run him a shower.

"You know you've seen me half dressed. I'd love to see you like that some time."

She hissed when hot water scalded her hand. She cradled the appendage, willing the scorching heat away. Eventually, she shot him a venomous look. Jack's smile was unrepentant. He seemed to like getting her flustered. She wouldn't let him win at this little game. It was the same as showing him any sign of weakness. She just had to last longer than Jack. They were keeping him for three days at the hospital. Then he would be released. He would have to come back in seven to ten days depending on when he could be scheduled in. That was to make sure he hadn't done anything strenuous to tear them.

"Don't be all ruffled, doll face!"

She ignored him and came back to the main room. She would have to help him into the shower herself, which meant stripping him down bare. For other patients, this was a normal part of the job. She had helped plenty of people before, but none of them were quite as adamant in their flirting as Jackson Frost. She took a deep breath before helping him out of bed, minding his injuries. She shook away the image of him, covered in his own blood in that dark little room. If she hadn't been there, that's where he would have died.

"Whatever dirty little thoughts are going through your head, keep them to yourself!"

"Don't worry, it's not like I'm in any position to try anything funny."

"As if I'd believe you."

She politely looked away while she helped him undress. She was pretty sure he found amusement in it, but she ignored that as well. She had to be business as usual. Without her help, he limped into the shower area and took a seat on the plastic chair. Aqua refused to look his direction, but passed him soap. It was probably a bad idea to not look at a dangerous man, but in looking at him, she would amuse him. In not looking at him, she would amuse him as well, but also deny him the chance to flaunt.

"I'm serious."

"And next you're going to tell me Doctor Yen Sid will come in here doing the Jitterbug."

That startled a laugh from the young mob boss. For a criminal, he smiled and laughed a lot. It frustrated her that someone like him could be so happy when others around him were clearly not. But she supposed a lifestyle like his, where each moment could be your last and he had all the money in the world, led to him being happier than most. He didn't have to scrimp and save just to get by. He didn't have to pay protection fees to the local mob bosses. He didn't have to lock the doors and hope that loud popping noise down the street was just fireworks or a car backfiring.

"If he could I'd pay big money."

"Exactly. You have the same chance in me believing your tall tales buster."

"What a big front." Jack huffed.

"Excuse you? Front?"

She raised an eyebrow and she turned when she heard him scoff, remembering at the last second they were still in the showers and he was naked. She made a point of only looking at his face. For a moment, the only sound in the room was the shower, washing over Jack's head as he tried his best to look stern with her. Which, in a way, was a bit of a relief, because he wasn't very intimidating when he was in her environment - the hospital.

"Look I get it, we're both not in ideal situations to meet-"

"I was kidnapped." She interrupted, "Despite my best efforts your boss made it so I was the nurse selected for your care."

"Because you're good at your job. And you're the first nurse I didn't scare away."

She scowled at him. She had been terrified out of her wits, thinking each step would be her last. That she would never make it home. That she would die as soon as she was done doing what they asked of her. Now she had to deal with the anxiety of the day to day. Would the enemies of the Guardians find her? Would they kill her if they found out? What if her boss found out who Jackson Frost was? Would he fire her? What would she do without a job?

"I'm pretty sure it was 'save your life or die' when I was taken."

"I'm sorry they scared you. Aster was always a job first kind of guy."

Jack didn't understand. It wasn't just Aster that had frightened her. They all had. They all still did scare her. Even him, as bare as they day he was born, scared her. Every inch of him oozed danger. She couldn't get rid of the alarm bells in her head, telling her she should be as far from him as humanly possible, especially if she knew what was good for her. So she looked away, folding her arms across her chest.

"How could they not? The things the Guardians do are all over the papers."

She had seen those awful things. Every week there was another gristly story about slayings in the Guardian Territories. But it wasn't just the Guardians. All the other gangs had articles too. It was like a competition to see who would have the headliner. Each gang trying to outdo the other with horrific stories and bragging about the headlines. Aqua herself had on occasion run into the victims. More often than not, she was unable to help them by the time they came into the hospital. Either they had lost too much blood and the transfusion killed them or they hadn't had their wounds treated properly by the doctors and died of infection.

"Guardians, Heartless, Organization we're all in the papers, Aqua."

"Carving moons into corpses is just part of the job then?" she retorted.

It was how people knew the corpses belonged to the Guardians. The moon insignia. It was awful to do such things to the dead. As if they hadn't gone through enough already. They had suffered until the end. It frustrated Aqua to no end because she wanted to help these people. She knew that she could. But the practices in the hospital weren't enough. She even questioned things, but if she wanted to keep her job, she had to keep her mouth shut about it.

"By claiming them as ours, we keep the other mobs off them."

"They're dead Jack. No one should mess with the dead."

"The Heartless would. The less you know about what they do with their dead the better."

The only thing she knew about the Heartless was they were involved in drug trade and to stay as far away from them as humanly possible. It was all but common knowledge. The only people that tended not to know, were the police who were more often than not, in the pockets of the gangs. Paid to look the other way when a crime occurred. The cops were honestly just as bad as the gangs themselves. Bullies that used their power to strike fear into the hearts of the people they had sworn an oath to protect. Not all cops, but enough of them that people were wary.

"But that's beside the point. You and yours kill people. For all I know once you're healed I'm next."

Jack looked offended at the mere suggestion that she would hurt her. She wasn't sure what to take of that. He was a criminal. She didn't know what he expected her to think of him.

"What if I told you I asked the Man in the Moon not to hurt you?" he asked.

"Jack, one life doesn't change all that you've done..."

Though, it was a relief to know that Jack wasn't going to have her killed the moment he was well. But how long would that last? If she kept rejecting his advances would he strike that? Or was he making false promises to lure her into a false sense of security? She hated herself for being so paranoid, but if there was anything she had learned was that you only trusted those who had earned your trust. Just because someone seemed nice, it didn't mean they had good intentions.

"I can't go into detail without getting you in more trouble."

"I think that's something we can agree on. The less I know... the better..."

She also didn't want to get drawn into his world. A violent criminal like him had to have known all the dirty little secrets about the Guardians. The less she knew, the less she could get in trouble for. She had seen the politicians fall or step down after scandal. Things that were probably set up so that the gangs could get around whatever that person was opposed to or to get them out of the way. People who tried to protest were effectively silenced.

"...um..."

He shifted as she washed his back, still refusing to look at him. He let her work in silence after that, seemingly lost in his thoughts. He didn't even say anything inappropriate as she redressed him and helped him back to his room, where the sheets had been changed by another nurse. His dirty clothes would likely be thrown out considering how they were practically tatters. She couldn't believe that his friends just sent him to the hospital in ruined clothes. Didn't they expect people to ask questions?

"I need to go get your lunch from the cafeteria. What do you want?"

"That Bolognese sounds good. Can I get some of that?"

"I can do that."

Once he was settled back in bed, Aqua moved to go to the door. Escape was finally in her grasp when Jack grabbed her wrist. Annoyed she spared him a glance, only to give pause. He was giving her the most sincere smile she had seen on him. He let go of her wrist when he realized that she wasn't comfortable with it. At least there were small mercies in that. She took a deep breath and gave him a stern look, raising a brow to see what he wanted.

"Thank you."

She blinked in surprise and fought back any sort of reaction as she rushed for the door. Aqua completely missed the hurt expression that crossed his face when she left without a word. Once outside she pinched the bridge of her nose. The next three days were going to be taxing, but the good news was she was half way through the first day. She just had to push on a little longer.