{Hayden's POV}

It had been a total of three days since I found out from our resident CNA, Hailey Bazirk, that Ashley was going through drug withdrawals. Specifically, Heroin. I don't think I had ever felt so much rage in my entire life; knowing that Ashley was being given Heroin injections to keep her calm, relaxed, and pain-free to service her former master's clients all night. I couldn't even believe it when Hailey first said something; I was entirely shocked, and once it set in, I was pissed. As Hailey explained to me more about the drug, and it's effects on a person, I started to understand why she had been so obedient to me, and calm. That's what Heroin did to the user; gave them a euphoric, happy feeling, and combined with opioids, Ashley would have been able to stay relaxed, happy, and pain-free to work all night on customers without a problem. The next thing I asked Hailey to tell me was how much worse the withdrawal symptoms could be, and after learning them, I knew it was going to be a rough week with Ashley to get that shit out of her system. I took a week off work for personal reasons, explaining to corporate that I wasn't having an easy time coping with my parent's deaths, and needed a little time just to get my head together.

Thankfully, they understood it. After all, I had lost my parents back in January, and someone didn't just get over losing their parents in a tragic car accident in so little time. Something else I took care of on the second day of Ashley being with me; I contacted the police about her being found. When the officers came to confirm things, I explained everything to them, including that she had been given Heroin by injection as a reward for a good day's work. The officers suggested a medical center to deal with the withdrawal, but I said everything would be okay with me, as I had a nurse coming over every day to check over and make sure things didn't get worse. I told the cops they could do what they wanted with the whorehouse situation, but Ashley would stay with me so that I could get her back on her feet. Originally, they were going to take her, but as she was over eighteen, and they knew how much I cared, they said I could be in charge of rehabilitating her as a functioning member of society. All the cops knew me, and they knew my word was good, so that was all taken care of.

Ashley's withdrawal was just entering the peak of the ordeal, ninety-six hours without drugs, and the more severe symptoms were beginning to show in addition to what she already had. Day two brought on tremors and fatigue added to the abdominal cramps, sweats, muscle and bone aches, vomiting and nausea. At this point, Ashley was dealing with restlessness, a rapid heart rate, and the craving for more drugs. Hailey and Ford were over to help me out because a lot of this; I wasn't sure how to help her. Hailey suggested water, light foods, and offering aspirin to keep Ashley hydrated and provide a little relief from harmless painkillers. Hailey guessed that the Heroin was likely being used with an opioid such as Vicodin or Percocet, and those were easy to get addicted to. I sincerely hoped that after this was over, Ashley would be doing better because she would have a clear head, and that might make it easier to talk to her about things. However, this was only the fourth day she'd been in my care, and Hailey said to expect that for about ten days, things would be rough with getting Ashley clean; only seven or so left to go.

At the moment, Ashley was dealing with one of the tougher moments of wanting the drugs to make the withdrawal stop. I was sitting on the bathroom floor against the side of the tub while Ashley was puking, and crying. I was keeping her hair out of the way while staring at the ceiling. Finally, I heard the vomiting stop, leaving only the soft whimpers of misery.

"Pl-Please? Please, j-just…a li-little…" Ashley begged.

"No, Ashley. I'm sorry, but no more drugs," I told her.

"I'll…d-do…any…thing, please, ma-mast…er?" Ashley turned a little, putting her hands together, and pleading on her knees for me to give her more Heroin.

"It's not going to happen, Ash. You can offer anything you want, beg, and cry until you pass out from exhaustion, but I am not giving you anything except water, aspirin, and light foods," I sighed. Ashley was shaking, sweating, and crying all at once. I hated seeing her like this, and I hoped to God that the police shut down that whorehouse and made Virgil Grimborn, and all his workers who did this to others pay. I had told my friends they could come over if they wanted, and to let themselves in if they ended up deciding to visit. I had told Gabriel about recent developments in my life, and he said he was glad I found Ashley, and if I needed anything to let him know. I was beginning to consider the idea of putting Ashley in a medical center for the remainder of the detox, at least then they could give her something to keep the withdrawal down. Hailey is the one who said it might be good for Ashley to go through it, so she would understand how much it sucks if she couldn't afford the habit, all the things she'd never want to feel again if she couldn't shoot up.

I saw Ashley lowering her head, crying still. I pulled her in for a hug, letting her lay her head on my chest. "Ssh now. It's going to be okay," I tried while rubbing her arms and back a little. I wasn't sure if it would help, but I was willing to try anything at this point. Ashley had suffered four years without the touch of someone who cares. All she knew was pleasure her master or get hurt, and I hated that. I wondered that if I showed her, I wouldn't hurt her, would she come around to seeing me as a friend rather than her master? I suppose it was worth a shot to try. "I know it hurts, and it would go away if I let you have what you're craving, but that stuff isn't good for you, Ashley, and I'm not like your old master. I'm not gonna drug you up to fix things. Once this passes, you'll feel better, I promise,"

There was silence between us for a few moments as I sat there holding her against me. "Why are you so nice to me?" she asked and I froze a moment, wondering how to respond. "He never held me the way you do; he was rough, and mean,"

I settled on using the only card I had to play. "I told you, Ashley; I'm not like him. I'm not your master, I am your friend, as I always have been, and always will be,"

"W-Why did…you buy me from him? Virgil said-," Ashley started.

"Hey, I don't care what that pig has said to you. Alright? I don't care about him. Anything he said to you, forget it. I bought you from him to get you out and protect you. We've been best friends since Pre-School, Ashley, and we promised to keep one another safe," I reminded. "One of these days, you'll remember that. You'll remember me,"

"I-I know your voice. I remember it, just not…who you are to me," Ashley said.

"It will come to you in time. For now, know that I am your friend, and you are safe with me," I informed. Ashley didn't respond or nod. I saw her yawning, so I adjusted myself to get off the floor and pick her up in my arms. Carefully, I moved to the living room, and placed her on the couch, then covered her up. "Get some rest," Ashley stared at me a moment, then she closed her eyes. I watched her a few moments until I knew she was asleep. Hailey said that the withdrawal would make Ashley tired, so it would be good for her to rest as much as possible. After Ashley was out, I went to the bathroom to flush the toilet, and clean up a little. I returned to the living room to check on her and saw my friends pulling into the driveway. There was a knock on the door a few moments later, and I opened it up, putting a finger to my lips so they would stay quiet.

"Ashley sleeping?" Seth inquired.

"Yeah, she just knocked out about fifteen minutes ago," I nodded to him. "Alicia in school?"

"Yep, she had to stay after," Seth replied as everyone came inside, then I closed the door.

"How is she doing today?" Roxanne wondered.

"Hard to say. Before Ashley fell asleep, she was begging me to give her a little Heroin," I sighed.

"It's to be expected. This is why addictions are hard to kick by oneself; the withdrawals alone will force someone to start using again just so they don't have to feel all this," Ford mentioned.

"On the brighter side, I think I'm starting to get through to her about being a friend, not a master," I informed.

"Really?" Eli asked, I nodded and began to tell them about the conversation Ashley, and I had in the bathroom before she got tired. "Well, that's good, right?"

"Of course. Hayden and Ashley are the oldest of friends next to us. Sure, everyone met in Pre-School, except Hailey, Devon, and you, Eli, but those two were friends first. Hayden helped her make friends with us two months after they started a friendship," Roxanne said.

"Roxy is right. It's great that Ashley recognizes Hayden's voice, and the bond they had as friends will be a form of comfort to her," Hailey enlightened. "When she wakes up, I'll check over her," she offered.

"Thanks," I replied. "Would it help her to see photo albums of everyone together? Maybe videos?" I questioned.

"It could, but I would hold off until we see how things are when the withdrawal is over. Ashley may stop having all the physical symptoms, but there is the mental aspect of things we have to look out for. Removing the drugs just means she's clean. However, it doesn't account for any of the mental or emotional trauma of things the drugs may have suppressed," Ford suggested.

"Yes, Ford is right. We don't know how long she's been on these drugs for, and I'm betting that to ensure she got the shot as a reward, she did whatever her former master expected of her, as she told us. Although, there is the breaking in they inflicted upon her, which might have been pushed back by the drug use. What we're saying is that there are long-term effects of extended drug abuse. These girls, ones like what Ashley went through, these masters will do anything to make their slaves obey. Trauma can stay with a person, and the drugs likely blocked out all she endured," Hailey looked at me.

"What do you think they did to her?" I dared to asked.

"It depends on how much she fought them, and you know how Ashley was, Hayden. You know her better than anyone else. Ashley knew something was wrong when she got taken, and who did she turn to for help? You. Some girls will do as they are told to avoid punishment if they disobey the will of their master. Some girls end up liking what happens, and those usually become pets rather than slaves. Pets would have more free reign because their boss knows that the girls will come to them in anticipation. It's sad to say, but yeah, some females start liking the constant screwing and feel pleasure from it. These are the ones who don't need drug control. In Ashley's case, though," Devon said.

"For Ashley, who was a fighter; she would not have given them an easy time. These people will do whatever it takes to break a slave in so they work for them," Ford frowned.

"You're saying that they probably raped her?" I cracked my knuckled.

"You've seen how she's acted with you, Hayden, believing that you're her master. Ashley wakes up when you do, eats when told, and tried to give you head when you were just lounging around. These were things she was trained to do, and like with any training, it takes work and knowing what to do to get what you want. Ashley was likely denied food, whipped, chained up, molested, sodomized, raped, etc. It would have taken a great deal to break Ashley, and you admitted that she is a mindless slave because all she knows is making her master money, and please him sexually. If she does good, she got Heroin, and if not, she would be punished," Eli sighed.

"Even when she's clean from the drugs, there will be underlining problems such as the trauma of what she endured to be broken in, depression from the betrayal of her mother selling her to these people. It's not going to be easy, and it's a delicate matter, Hayden. Getting clean will not heal her, it's only the first step in a very long process to rehabilitate her," Ford reminded.

"Like rehabilitating abused and injured dragons. Having to gain their trust slowly, show them affection, love, and get them to realize they are safe, and everything is okay," I said, understanding more now of what needed to happen. I know it didn't seem like much to them, but to me, it was something that Ashley remembered my voice, and that she remember me as Hic, my nickname from her when we were kids. It meant to me that we were getting somewhere.