Red squeezed her closed eyes. Why's it so bright? She gently lifted the lids by sheer willpower. Why's dis so hard? She flopped her head to one side, wincing in pain.

Ouch. Where am I?

She tried to glance down to see her body, but failed. She sighed in frustration and instead closed her eyes, mentally checking her person.

I gotta go sell. What'm I doin' in bed? Why didn't Kloppy come an' git me up?

With this thought she opened her eyes and willed herself to sit up. As she pushed herself up on her arms she gasped. A pain ripped through her body like the one time she'd tried running away from Snyder. With this she remembered some events of last night. She groaned.

Great. Probly ruptured a spleen. Her eyes widened as another pain socked her like a Delancy's brass knuckles on Joe Bernstein. What the heck!

Against all bodily protests, she swung her legs over the side of the bed. She paused, closing her eyes, as another pain hit. Holy cow, I feel like I'm givin' birth or sumptin.

With one grunt and a painful heave, she raised herself off the bed. After steadying herself, she took a cautious step forward.

The door slammed open. Shocked, she fell to the floor, letting out a small whimper. Kid Blink quickly scooped her up and put her back in bed. "What da heck was ya doin' outta bed?" he exclaimed, disbelief tracing his voice.

"I ain't…dat bad…off." She stuck out her chin, defiant.

"Sure, babe. Dat's why you're shakin' all ova." His anger expressed itself in the clearly enunciated words and the sheets hastily thrown over her body.

It was true. Her fingers trembled as she jerked the covers up to her chin. "Don'…call me…babe!" she managed.

Blink grinned, all anger melting away with her defiance. "Glad you're up, goil. You've 'ad us worried sick down dere."

"When…" she winced, gritting her teeth, then continued, "kin I…sell agin?"

His glee dissolved as he glared at her in a don't-ya-dare-argue-wit-me tone. "Considerin' ya been out fer a day 'er so, not fer a while."

She managed to let out a strange sound between a snort of disbelief and a groan. Reciprocation for that time long ago when he was sick. "Whoeva…made you da…nurse 'round heah's…crazy."

"You did."

She glared right back at him. "I t'ink I'd know bettah…dan you how I am."

Blink placed a gentle hand on her forehead. "An' I says dat roight now you'se gotta stay in bed 'til dat fevah o' yours comes down." He took his hand away and grinned at her angry features. "Ya want some soup? We brought back a whole big pot o' it from da nun's place dat dey gave t' us fo' bad days." Red nodded in meek compliance. "K. I'll be roight back. Don't try anyt'in' stupid."

The door shut silently and firmly behind him. She rolled her head to look at the ceiling and let out a sigh. I can't stay in bed indefinitely. I'll go crazy! She lifted her head and pushed back the covers a bit, grateful for the pants still attached to her body. Swiftly, she rearranged the pillows behind her head so she could sit up easier. As she fluffed the two lumpy pillows as best she could, she sighed, then shuddered as a pain ripped through her body. Through clenched teeth and a haze of pain, she set up the pillows and gently lowered her upper back onto them. Finally, sitting up and relaxed, she let out a small whimper as the pains eased. She was just starting to drift off when a small knock at the window startled her.

Red watched in half shock as a hand and foot hauled themselves onto the sill, then the entire body landed on her floor about three feet away.Her shock became curiosity as the figure raised itself so she could see his face.

Oscar Delancy had just landed in her room.