TOMMY

I slowly open my eyes and realize that we aren't in the rehab place anymore. I have no idea who just saved me from that place, or how he got me out of there so fast, but I am very glad he did. After all, it can't be any worse here, can it?

The man slowly relaxes his grip on me - thankfully as he was starting to hurt my ribs a bit - and I look up at him. "Can you stand on your own, Thomas?"

I consider the question and nod slightly. As he releases me, I take another quick look around and frown unhappily as I realize that this is just another hospital. Why won't anyone just let me go home? Why do I keep having to go to these places? I just want to be done with them. And didn't he say we were going home when he took hold of me? Trick. Too many tricks from everyone.

Looking up towards the ceiling the man raises his voice as he gives what sounds like an order. "Computer, return to home coordinates. Begin medical scan oh one oh on human being known as Thomas Oliver."

"Commands confirmed." Okay did anyone else just hear that?

"Oh and computer, relay the report in basic terms not that medical garbage."

"Understood."

He leaves me to stand on one side of the room as he begins pulling things out of cabinets and drawers. Continuing to take out this and that he seems to be searching for something as well, and unable to find it. A string of curses confirm this last guess. He turns away from the drawer he was searching and I flinch at the anger on his face, even though he isn't looking at me.

"Subject Thomas Oliver - remain still during scan." Tattletale. I cringe a little when his gaze turns on me and I'm not very reassured when his look and voice change to something calmer.

"Thomas, I need you to be still while the computer scans you. Once it has finished, I will attend to your injuries and then you can sleep. I promise you will be safe here and I won't hurt you."

Just then, the computer interrupts him. "Scan complete. Damage assessment - three broken ribs, two partly healed and one newly broken. Left wrist sprained. Swelling and bruising on face, arms, legs and torso. Core temperature lower than normal parameters. Throat interior swollen and torn."

"What?" Interrupting the mechanical voice he turns his full attention back onto me. "Thomas, is there something wrong with your throat?" Keeping one wary eye on him, but not looking him in the eye, I nod. "Can you tell me?"

"Hurts. They hurt me." My voice sounds rough and hoarse even to my ears as I can see him getting angry, but I don't understand why. Did I give the wrong answer? Was I not supposed to tell him that? He swears and I flinch again and back up against the wall, arms wrapping protectively around my broken ribs. Though oddly instead of attacking like the others had he almost instantly gets his rage in check

"Shit, Thomas, I'm not mad at you. I'm sorry. I'm not trying to scare you. I'm just - I'm sorry." Frowning and rubbing his eyes not looking happy, he finally raises his voice talking to the computer once more. "Computer, repeat damage assessment."

Once it does, he looks thoughtful and speaks again as he crosses to a door I hadn't noticed before. I barely hear him instruct the computer to turn up the temperature as he opens it. Is that my new cell? I edge slowly toward the door. I will NOT be trapped again. I don't care what I have to do it's not happening. No way no how so he can just forget it if he thinks - I freeze in my tracks as he speaks my name again. Oh man I'm doomed.

Emerging from the small room which I can now see was just for storage, he walks back towards me a blanket and clothes in his hands. "Thomas, come and sit down on the bed. I have some salve that will help your cuts and bruises heal along with some warmer clothes and a blanket. We need to get you warmed up." His voice is not commanding, but it has a tone that says that he is used to being obeyed.

Hesitating as he lays the items on a table I take a bit too long in complying it seems as I hear him heave a sigh. I'm not trying to be difficult, I'm really not, it's just I don't even know who this man is and yet he knows me and yes he saved me but then he just brought me to another hospital which isn't good.

As I watch him, he approaches me slowly, hands out and palms up. "All right let's see if we can get past this little trust issue here. I have not hurt you so far, have I?" When I shake my head, he nods. "Exactly. And I know you saw what I did to your tormentors." Oh yeah I definitely did. "If I was going to hurt you, I would have done it by now. I can't promise that cleaning your wounds and changing your clothes won't hurt, but I'll do what I can to make it as painless as possible, all right?"

Suddenly too tired to fight, I take the hand he holds out to me and let him lead me over to the bed. Please don't let him be lying, please.

"I know it's difficult, but I promise you can trust me." Helping me up onto the fairly comfortable bed, he studies me for a moment looking as if he's deciding what to do. "Thomas, there is no way to remove your shirt without hurting you and keep it intact." At my blank stare, his brow furrows and he tries again. "I'm going to have to cut your shirt off." Oh. I guess that's okay it's just the stupid white shirt that they put on me at the rehab place, it's not like I like it or anything. I nod slightly to let him know I understood and he fetches a pair of scissors from the countertop nearby.

He cuts the shirt front and then the sleeves so I don't even have to move my arms much for the shirt to come off, before he studies the damage and grabs a small jar of stuff from the counter. "It might be a little cold," he warns.

I nod and as he begins to apply it, I jump at how cold it actually is. Fortunately, whatever is in the stuff also takes away some of the pain. He treats my front and my arms before circling behind me. I can't help but tense up and I hear him suck in a breath. I can hear him gritting his teeth and I shiver. God, please don't let him be getting turned on by this. I don't think I could handle my savior turning rapist. Barely hearing his warning, I jump when the cold cream touches my skin and suck in a breath when the movement jars my ribs.

"Easy, Thomas." His voice is quiet, but the reprimand is still there. I start to shiver and I can't seem to stop. He finishes with my back quickly before setting the jar down and picking up a very long white strip of what looks like bandaging.

"I'm going to wrap your ribs now, it's needed so that you won't twist your upper body too much and cause the damaged fragments of bone to rub" Trailing off when it becomes clear he's going over my head again, he rethinks his explanation before trying a second time. "It needs to be done so that they heal right." Oh. "So I need you to sit as still as you can for me. I'll make this fast, but you need to do as I ask, understand?"

Nodding again, and glad that he's trying to be fast and nice about it I let him lift my arms up just enough so that he can begin wrapping the soft white bandage around my ribs.

"Okay now I know you're not going to like this part too much, but I need you to take a deep breath in so I can get it tight enough to do its job. So on three take a deep breath. One, two, three." Waiting until I suck in enough air to bring my stomach in and chest out, he quickly tightens the bandages before finishing the job of wrapping them. "Good, you can breathe normally again." Ow, no I can't.

Wincing and torn between complaining that they're too tight to be comfortable, or being quiet and staying on his good side, I in the end give up really just so tired of pain. "Too tight."

Frowning as he finishes taping it down, he checks for himself before shaking his head. "They need to be tight to be effective, Thomas. I'm sorry I know you probably don't like it very much, but you can breathe comfortably as they are and the pain will lessen as your ribs heal. When we get back home I'll see if I can't do something to help them heal faster.

Very unhappy as it seems I'm not getting them loosened, I nevertheless sit still and don't bother him about it anymore, not sure how good his temper is just yet.

Helping me into a shirt next, Im thankful that it buttons up the front so it's easier to put on than trying to pull it over my head, though it is a little annoying that he has button it for me. Just wanting to sleep now I'm not really given the chance to lie down as he turns his attention to my legs, staring thoughtfully in the direction of my knees. He finally speaks. "Thomas, I need to treat the rest of you as well."

It takes a minute to process what he means and when I do, I am less than happy, but again too tired and too worried to do anything about it. He looks at my eyes for a minute and frowns slightly.

"Do you understand?"

Nodding and looking away, I don't fight him as he pulls me to my feet and eases the pants off before letting me sit once more. Putting my hands in my lap to cover myself I watch him as he picks up the jar again and treats the bruises on my legs, waiting for him to break his promise like Hayley did.

Being gentle and fast he soon finishes treating my legs before helping me up once more to check my hips and backside, which has me shaking even harder, afraid of what he's going to do.

"Shh its okay, you need to calm yourself Thomas." As a bit of the cold cream is rubbed onto a few spots here and there he less than a minute later turns me back around and hands me the jar. What does he want me to do with this?

I look at him questioningly making him sigh gently but more like he's growing tired of my lack of understanding, "You have some abrasions that I thought you would rather take care of than have me do it." What? When I shake my head, still lost, he points at my genitals and I finally get it.

I can't stop shaking, but I treat the sore spots as quickly as I can before giving him the jar back and watching as he puts it on a table to be put away later.

"I think that will do for now." Helping me into a new pair of pants, these black and more comfortable then the ones from the rehab place he gets me back on the bed before grabbing one last thing. "This will help your throat. It won't fix the damage done exactly, that will take some time, but it will help with the pain you're feeling. Now open your mouth as wide as you can."

Not liking this request at all, I study the small spray bottle in his hand for a long moment before giving in and doing what he said, just really wanting the pain to stop.

Spraying a few squirts of green sour tasting medicine into my mouth and throat he smiles just a bit at the face I pull. "Sorry, I know that doesn't taste very good but it will help. Helping me lie down after I settle from the medicine, he shakes out the blanket he'd gotten and puts it over me.

"Sleep now, Thomas. When you feel better, well talk more." I don't even get the chance to nod as the exhaustion hits hard and I fall asleep.