Chapter three

The moon had barely seceded and he had already woken up from pure dread. He prepared himself to face the cavern that day, most likely to lose and watch the scars grow over his once sacred body. Worthlessness had begun to burn in the back of his mind, and he feared it. It would be about 20 minutes until the guards would come to release them for work. But Wesleys main guard came staggering out from the other side of the wall, making him jump back in surprise. His mask was gone, as well as his uniformity. Wesley sat in a paralyzing panic when something terrifying filled the room. Sound. Had the desert sun finally taken it's toll on Wesleys sanity, or did the guard just speak to him?

"Thirsty?" he'd said with a cackle while he clutched half an empty bottle of something that reeked. The voice was extremely strained and weak, like the dust hadn't been blown off his throat. It sounded painful and he could see it was by the contorted face the guard made as he took another swig. He stumbled forward when unlocking the cell door, dropping the bottle through the bars. He pathetically reached for it as he slid slowly down. Permanent lines scarred his face where the muzzle like mask had seemly always been.

The girl now watched, with as much shock as Wesley did. It was an oddly good feeling to be in a bad situation with another person again. Like his worst fears were more acceptable as long as he wasn't alone. Suddenly, the guard screamed at Wesley to hand him the drink that was quickly emptying out onto the cell floor.

"NOW!!!" he screeched through the silence. Wesley paused for no longer than a few seconds before he let his impulses control his mouth.

"Screw you!" he barked back, chucking the bottle at the bars. Heavy breathing and falling droplets filled the silence. Wesley and her looked at eachother and back at the sight of the shattered glass and swill that dripped off of him.

Instead of taking his anger out on Wesley, he unexpectedly turned to the girl. He hastened to his feet with a new target in his fury filled eyes. Wesley jumped to his feet, ripping open his cell door and grabbing the top of the broken bottle. The man pulled her up by her hair, dragging her to the corner with blind wrath in his fist. He slammed her head into the bars just before he completely froze, releasing her from his clasp. Her hand covered her mouth as tears flooded her eyes that read the defeat in his. Wesley stood behind the man also frozen. She looked down to Wesleys hands where he was pulling out the fractured bottle he had pierced into the mans side. The man fell to his knees as Wesley pulled her with him and she followed. They hastened to lock him in as they watched him slowly give into death, his cheek hitting the ground as he bought his drink with retribution.

"God forgive me," Wesley whispered as the last of the prisoners finally woke. They would have began rioting again, but shushing from the elders quoted them because they knew that this could mean escape. He turned to the girl, noticing her beaten face. He moved in front of her, taking her arms in hands. He moved her head with his gentle hand on her jaw. She looked down sorrowfully yet comforted by having someone to care for her. His touch caused warm tears slip down her cheeks for having missed this very thing she'd never had. He sunk into her eyes, drowning in the emotion they held. He wanted to eternalize the moment, but the blood that covered her temple and cheek made his heart quicken.

For a moment her vision blackened and she swayed into him as her strength fell from her body and she could feel her legs threaten to give. He caught her from falling as he held her with a hand on the back of her head and his arm coiled around her.

Right now every crew member within a two deck radius was watching the scene unfold on the biggest monitor anyone could find. Picard had it on in the background at every moment of the day, alerting Riker and Data at situations of interest, and it always grew from there. Deanna watched calmly with contradicting feelings inside that she drew from Wesley and the girl. It was so overwhelming she could not get out a single word. A noiseless room of hot fear filled the room as they huddled around to watch.

Wesley placed her head on his chest and she steadied herself with arms around his sturdy torso. He breathed words of comfort into her ear as she tried to stay awake to hear his promises of protection. She found relief as her cheek lay on him and his words healed her as the prisoners watched in the same way the crew did. Wesley looked at all the eyes that anticipated his next step, all the damned souls casted into the same hell that he was that depended on him now.

He broke through the first cell and depended on them to do the rest as he could feel her desperation her grip on his shirt. The sound drew the attention of the rest of the guards that came behind Wesley prepared to wreak destruction when they stopped immediately at the sight of every prisoner looking at them with the same motive. The leader looked to Wesley with an emotion he'd thought them absent of.

"Please!" he forced out hoarsley, getting on his knees with hands folded together in prayer. Wesley looked at the disgusting, pathetic creature that had abandoned his dignity to beg forgiveness.

"I am not your judge. You can only pray that God may pardon you now."

With the final word Wesley left them at the mercy of the prisoners.