The buzzing in my head wouldn't stop. I could feel myself floating on the edge of thought. I heard voices around me, and I could feel blood running from my nose. I couldn't make out what anyone was saying. I felt my hat being moved and winced as it rubbed against the wound on the back of my head. Two sets of arms hoisted me to my feet and a throbbing pulse joined the buzzing in my skull; I felt myself sinking back into the dark. Suddenly we were moving. One set of arms had grabbed me around the waist to stand me up. I tried to open my eye and see who was with me, but try as I might I couldn't force it open more than slightest bit. It was all a blur; nothing but light and my own eyelashes which were flooded by tears.

I could feel the blood oozing down my face as we hurried through the streets. The further we got the more clear my head became. I started to put more weight on my own feet. When we had neared the docks, I could hear the voices of other boys around us. As we approached the building they were taking me to I heard feet running towards us. I could make out Mush and Racetrack's voices, but the words were still hard to understand against the buzzing. They helped me inside and sat me in a chair. Awhile later I was able to understand more of what they were saying. Despite the fact it sent me spinning, I tried to talk; the sound of my own voice was like an explosion in my head.

"Where's Kyndall?"

No one answered me. "Where is he, where is Kyndall?"

I heard Mush questioning someone. "How hard did he hit his head?"

And then Racetrack echoed, "What's he talkin about?"

I still couldn't see much beyond my own lashes, but I stood up and turned towards the door we had entered from. "Where is Kyndall?" and raised my voice louder, "SPOT?!" With that I felt a wave of blackness flooding over me.

I felt a pair of arms catch me. "Let's get him up to a bed."

I had no strength to argue at that point, and let myself sink into the arms lifting me by the shoulders and another set lifting my legs. I could feel them lay me on a bed, and it felt much better to be laying down. The buzzing quieted down and the pounding stopped. I heard Jack, Race and Mush talking at the door, and heard another set of feet coming into the room. He set something down and a few moments later I felt cool wet cloth against my face wiping at the blood.

"I hope Spot doesn't mind me using his shirt." He laughed to himself.

"Topper, where is he?" I asked grabbing for the arm in front of me.

"Shh, don't worry. He's with Jumper and Train, they were givin him time to cool down. I'm sure they will be here soon."

"What the hell happened? It's all a blur in my head. He hit me?"

"Yeah Kid, I know he didn't mean it though."

"But why? What did I do?" I thought back to all that had gone on today and then a face flashed in my mind. "Brick."

"Bastard took your eye . . . but some wounds ain't that easy to see." With that he walked out of the room.

I lay there for a few minutes thinking, remembering the refuge and the night Brick put out my eye. Suddenly it hit me. That look on Brick's face and his hand on my thigh, him trying to pin me to the bed.

I knew then. It made me sick to think of it.

"No!" I cried out. Hoping God or someone would take that image from my head.

I heard the others come back in the room. "You ok, Kid?"

"Yeah." I answered. At least with my eye swollen and watering they could not see the tears that sped up as imagined my friend's pain. I heard voices coming from down stairs, followed by Race.

"Wait 'til I get my hands on ya, I'll kill ya!"

My heart raced, as I knew I couldn't get up to stop him. I heard arguing down the hall as Mush got up and walked away from me. I knew it was Kyndall. Jack called into the room, "Conlon is here Kid; he wants to talk to you."

"Send him in Jack, its fine, I want to talk to him."

"Mush, Race, let's go. We'll be down stairs Kid." I heard them leaving and some shuffling in the hall before they went down the stairs.

I saw a blur enter the room and sit down next to the bed I was on. I waited a moment before asking, "Kyndall?" I tried to open my eye further, but try as I might I could not force it open against the swelling.

"Yeah Doug, it's me." I relaxed when I heard his voice. It felt nice knowing he was there, though it made me sad I couldn't see his face. We sat in comfortable silence for a time.

"Are you ok?" He laughed dryly at my question and I heard him shift in his seat before responding that he was. I needed to know for sure and so I decided to ask him out right. "Did he hurt you too? I mean he tried to . . ." I couldn't bare to finish my question. I tried to turn and look at him, but my face froze as I wanted to cry at the thought of his pain.

I heard him stand up and walk away from me. I wished I could see him to grab his hand and pull him back. His breathing was ragged and shaky, after a moment he took a long slow breath and walked back towards me. I felt the bed sink as he sat down next to me. I fought back a smile as a warm firm hand gripped my own.

"I'm the one who's supposed to ask if you're all right."

I couldn't resist the smile any longer and let it slip through; I didn't trust my voice enough to speak. So I nodded, and regretted it as the wound on my head rubbed against the pillow, stinging against the coarse fabric. When I told him I was doing better he gripped my hand harder. All too soon there was a knock at the door and I felt his hand let go of mine as he abruptly stood to answer it.

"Train wants you downstairs. He's wants ya to go get food with the big guys before the fun begins." Came the voice that entered the room. I heard someone come to sit on the chair next to me but couldn't make out the face. I lifted my head to watch Kyndall moving.

"I'll bring ya back some food."

I nodded at him and growled at the pain that intruded my happiness. I nearly jumped when I heard Mush sitting next to me call after them to bring him food too. He leaned back and kicked his feet up on the side of the bed.

"What was that all about?" He asked.

The only response that I gave him was, "We met in the Refuge." And that ended the questions. None of us wanted to talk about or remember that place. Nothing more needed to be said. "I'm gonna sleep for a bit, Mush. Wake me up when the party starts." I closed my eyes and drifted off into a fitful sleep, trying not to think about Brick and the Refuge.