Chapter Ten: Girls Don't Go To The Bathroom Alone

Present day…

Dean POV

With the hunt now over, and Freddy Kruger now dead and gone, that left me to deal with the elephant in the room. With my best friend bloody and traumatised, I knew something had happened today, and not with that bitch Constance. Kneeling between Katie's legs as she sat perched on Baby's bench seat, I rested my hands on her knees. She had her head down, but even so, I could see her face was covered with dry blood and snot, drool perhaps. She was a mess, and not even a hot one, not at the moment. Her wrists were bandaged, and she winced if I went near them. She looked worse off than Sam did, and he's the one that almost got chest burst by a ghost. Glancing over my shoulder at Sam, I raised a brow. He shrugged. Great.

''What happened?'' I demanded and he rubbed the back of his neck, looking awkward. He knew something was up, I knew that much, but I wasn't sure what she'd told him, if anything. Katie was a pretty close to the chest person, and it was a miracle she'd even let me in in the first place. She really hadn't changed much since highschool.

''I don't know,'' he said and I glared at him. Either he was lying, and leaving it up to her to fill me in, or he was completely useless when it came to girls, and given the pretty little thing he had stashed away at his apartment, I didn't think it was that one. On the other hand, Katie was no ordinary girl.

''You don't know?'' I barked, standing up. Anger simmered within me. Something had happened, Katie was hurt, and I needed to know what was going on. With Dad AWOL and in trouble, the last thing I needed was more drama. Fingers slid past mine as I stood there, ready to march over, and gripped my hand. Glancing back, I saw Katie looking up at me, shaking her head. She looked abysmal, yet she was still pleading with me to lay off. What gives?

''You called me, and I went to the laundry looking for her after I slipped out the back window. She was cuffed to the shelf in the store room. I found her like this, and said she didn't wanna talk about it,'' he explained and I scanned Katie's face. She nodded at me and I sighed, squatting down again. Putting my hands on her thighs, I rubbed gentle circles up and down.

''That cop, when he came back from searching dad's room he had blood all over his pants, that you?'' I asked and she nodded. Sighing, I gave her leg a squeeze. ''Your blood?'' she shook her head. ''Okay good.''

''We gotta get back home. Take me home. Lex hasn't spoken to me at all while we've been gone, I think he's in trouble,'' she told me and I shook my head. Lex was a teenage boy, his mom was outta town. He was probably busy doing that Carmen chick, partying or drinking. It was unlikely he was in trouble. ''I know what you think, and you're wrong.''

''Katie, you wanna tell me what happened?'' I asked, she shook her head. ''Alright,'' I said with a sigh, standing up again. ''You driving?'' she shook her head again. That was a bad sign. ''We gotta hit the road, get the hell outta dodge before the cops figure out I booked it, if they haven't already.''

''Dean should we…'' Sam said and I shook my head at him, gesturing for him to get in the car. Katie scooted back on her seat, swinging her legs into the footwell. Closing her door, and sitting in the back, ready to roll out. Heading around to my spot, I wondered what had happened, and why she'd just shut down mid hunt, but it was over now. Sam had killed Casper, and we had bigger problems on our plate. Like where the hell was Dad?

''Katie, we dropping you off first, or Sam?'' I asked, testing the waters. She glanced at Sam and considered things for a moment. She flipped open her cell and texted something before closing it again.

''The interview,'' she nodded, pressing her lips together into a thin line. Her phone beeped and she looked at it, relaxing instantly when she read the message. ''Who are we closer to?''

''On this highway? We'll get to Stanford first if we don't turn off,'' I told her and she nodded again, thinking. ''Katie, it's not a problem, we'll make the interview either way.''

''He needs to prepare, Lex is… so long as he's at home, he'll be safe, nothing can get in there,'' she said, seeming to relax a little. I still wondered just what the hell happened. What had spooked her so bad she wanted to run home with her tail between her legs. ''Sam, do you have… flash cards or something? Did you wanna do practice questions?''

''Uh no,'' he said, shaking his head. He had a book of maps open on his lap, using a ruler to find coordinates. He went back to it and Katie took that as a sign to retreat back inwards and I felt a little bad. Like sure, I didn't want to go all gushy and talk about things, but Katie had trusted me with everything before. What was so bad she couldn't tell me now? ''Okay, here's where Dad went.'' he said, pointing to a spot. I took a glance. ''It's called Blackwater Ridge, Colorado.''

''Sounds charming. How far?'' I asked, nodding at the name. It sounded familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on why.

''About six hundred miles,'' he answered and I bounced the idea around in my head. Colorado wasn't too far of a drive.

''Hey, if we shag ass we could make it by morning,'' I suggested and he gave me a look of hesitation. Looks like this trip hadn't been enough to tempt him back into the Family Business like I'd hoped. Damn, Sammy, well there's always next time.

''Dean, I, um…'' he said and I glanced between him and the road.

''You're not going,'' I said and he shot me a guilty expression, flicking off the torch. Called it.

''The interview's in like, ten hours. I gotta be there,'' he said and I nodded, still feeling that disappointment. To avoid showing it, I returned my attention back to the road, intent on brushing it off.

''Yeah. Yeah, whatever,'' I said simply. But that felt too mean. ''I'll take you home.''

With Jericho well into the rearview, I mulled over what I was supposed to do. Katie usually got injured whenever I got her involved in a hunt, and I had no idea why. She was an accomplished hunter, skilled, yet she'd had her leg broken, been stabbed, and now something else. Through all that, she'd never been spooked until now. Whatever happened, was bad. A big bad. I didn't really wanna talk to her, especially if she didn't wanna talk about it. There was no way I was going back to her screaming at me for no good reason every time I tried to help. But, I'd been the one to drag her out here, and it had only been for moral support and a quick fuck. She, admittedly, deserved better than that, even if something hadn't happened.

''You're quiet Katie,'' I said, internally sighing. I so didn't wanna do this. ''Uncomfortably so. Are you sure you won't tell me what happened?''

''Later Dean, I need time,'' she said, relenting. Cocking my head to the side and pulling a face, I decided that was about as best as I could expect for the night, and moved on. Progress, no matter how minimal, was progress.

''Katie,'' Sam said, glancing between myself and her. He bit his lip, looking awkward and like he was debating whether or not to say anything at all. ''I don't presume to know what happened today, but uh…''

''But what Sam?'' she snapped and I mentally braced myself for the bitch fit. At least this time it wouldn't be directed at me. ''I already said, time and time again, I don't wanna fucking talk about it. I'm tired, I'm sore, and I just wanna go home. I need to get home to deal with real world problems, big scale problems, not some stupid interview for my pretend life. So will you just shut up already?''

''A word of advice, Sammy,'' I said, tilting my head slightly to look his way. He glanced between Katie and I again, looking a little affronted. ''Don't poke the bear. Katie's always had a temper, and if she doesn't wanna talk, she won't.''

''I was only going to say it wasn't her fault,'' he said indignantly and Katie shot up from her seat, throwing herself forwards over the back of the front seat. She grabbed his shoulder and while I knew she could do some real damage if she wanted to, I let her be. She didn't want to. She was just mad.

''I fucking know that, Sam. The only person to blame is him, but it doesn't change what's happened just because we know who's responsible. I'm still hurting whether we have a place to point fingers or not, now shut. up.'' she hissed, before climbing over the seat completely and into the front.

Lifting the box of tapes up into her lap, I watched her rifle through them for a while before she picked one, slipped it into the player and pulled the motel blanket out of the back. Throwing herself onto her side, she snuggled under my arm, pulling the blanket over herself like a minimart burrito. Sighing, I reached for the volume control and turned it up so she could sleep, although with whatever Sam was hinting at, I didn't think she'd be able. With one arm dedicated to driving, I wrapped the other one around her, gently stroking up and down her back between her shoulders.

Outside Sam's apartment building, Katie shifted from foot to foot. It was clear she wanted to say something, she wore that uncomfortable look she always got when she was trying and failing not to say something. Glancing at Sam, I frowned. I'd missed him. He was my best friend before all this, sure, a snot nosed little kid, but he was family. It hurt to see him walk away again. He swung his bag over his shoulder, glancing between the two of us as Katie leaned on the hood.

''Call me if you find him?'' Sam said and I nodded. He bit his lip, pausing mid step as he turned. He looked back at me. ''And maybe I can meet up with you later, huh?''

''Yeah, all right,'' I agreed, knowing fine nothing would come of it. Well, if I could ever figure out what was wrong with Katie, at least I'd have her. Sam pushed off with his right foot, headed for his apartment. He was halfway across the street when I felt the urge. That urge to say something, even if it sounded kinda dumb. Seems I was doing a worse job than Katie at covering it.

''Sam?'' I said and he looked back at me. ''You know, we made a hell of a team back there.''

''Yeah,'' Sam nodded with a smile, disappearing off into the stairwell for his apartment. Katie was still shifting, looking increasingly more uncomfortable. Glancing at her, I raised a brow. She pressed her lips together in a thin line as she stared back.

''What?'' I asked, biting the bullet.

''I have to go to the bathroom,'' she admitted and I scoffed, tilting my head back and laughing.

''That was what you wanted to say that whole time?'' I asked and she made a face, glaring harshly at me. Which only stood to make me laugh more. ''Just go, Sam's not an asshole, he'll let you pee at his house.''

''But I yelled at him…'' she murmured and I smiled.

''We're Winchesters, yelling is the only way we know how to communicate, go on,'' I said, gesturing for the apartment block. ''I'll wait in the car, then you can come tell me what this is all about.''

She looked like she wanted to argue, but clearly decided the need to pee outweighed her apparent discomfort at asking Sam for a favour, no matter how meagre and insignificant. Jogging across the lot, she also disappeared into the stairwell of the building, and I smiled to myself, leaning against Baby's hood. She was a badass who took on spirits, ghouls, and all manner of monsters, yet she was afraid to ask to go to the bathroom. Yep, Katie was a weird one. It had been a while since she'd gone, so I assumed she either got stuck talking to Sam, or worse, Jessica and had to explain why she was friendly enough with Sam she could pee at their place.

Walking around to the driver's side, I turned the keys in the ignition, starting up the tape for something to do while I waited. The radio was silent and I furrowed my brow, sitting on the bench seat and turned the volume up. Sam must have turned it down when I hadn't noticed. All that played was static and I wondered if the tape had ended. Popping it out, I checked my watch, wondering what was taking Katie so long. Looking at the tape in my hand I saw it was only halfway through and that the static was still coming. Wait a second… Checking my watch again, I saw now it wasn't ticking.

''Shit!'' I yelled, taking the keys with me and running across the street.

Up the stairs I ran faster than I had in a long time, knowing both Sammy and Katie were inside, and probably knee deep in trouble. Dad did seem like he was worried about something coming after him, what with all the salt in his motel room. On the correct floor, I ran through the corridor, boots slapping across the lino.

''No!'' Sam screamed and I lifted my leg, jumping through the door, sending splinters of wood flying left and right.

''Sam!'' I barked, watching the room light up, roof engulfed in flames. Sam was standing at the foot of his bed, arm covering his face as he stared up at the ceiling. Running across the floors, I skidded to a halt by my brother. ''Sam! Sam!''

''No! No!'' he yelled and I glanced up at the ceiling fire, seeing what was once his girlfriend stuck to the ceiling and burning alive. Or, probably dead at this point. Dragging him away from the bed, I yanked him back through the broken apartment door and out into the hall. ''Jess! Jess! No!''

''Sammy, you can't help her now,'' I said, tugging him down the hall and to the stairwell. ''I'm sorry Sam, she's gone, you gotta get out.''

''Dean,'' he said, shaking his head. Pulling back from him, I looked down the hall. Where the hell was Katie? Shoving him towards the stairs, I pushed him, planning on going back for her.

''No listen, you go. Get out the door and don't look back. Where's Katie?'' I said, visions of Dad saying something similar to me all those years ago.

''Katie?'' Sam asked, shaking his head again. ''I thought she was with you?''

''She went inside after you, had to pee,'' I said and I watched a thought flash across his face.

''She's probably out already, there's a staff toilet on the first basement floor for the building manager,'' he said and I nodded, sighing in relief. Continuing down the stairs with a hurried pace, I reached for my cell in my pocket. While we waited for the fire trucks I could call her, if I couldn't see her right away. She was likely waiting in the Impala already though, so I wasn't worried.

Main POV

Swallowing thickly, I stepped into the stairwell of the building, trying desperately to come up with some kind of apology for Sam, calling his problems small and fake. Nothing came and I was bricking it at the thought of knocking on his door and asking for a favour after what I said. He was only trying to help. Part of me knew I'd always had a temper, but it annoyed me Dean had mentioned it. That meant all the work I'd done to quell it had amounted to nothing, especially after snapping at Sam. I didn't want to be known as the angry one, having a biblical, old testament level temper.

''Excuse me,'' I heard and turned over my shoulder. Standing in a khaki workmans uniform was a man, smiling warmly at me. ''Ma'am, I don't recognise you. Do you live here?''

''No,'' I replied honestly, because while it would have been easier to lie in the short term, he might want proof of my tenancy, which I didn't have. And I certainly wasn't punching someone until they fell unconscious just so I could pee. I wasn't that desperate.

''If you don't live here, then might I ask what it is you're doing here?'' he said and I sighed, leaning back against the wall of the stairs.

''I'm friends with one of the tenants, I just dropped him home but realised I needed to use the restroom, I'm here to ask to..'' I said and he cut me off, nodding in understanding.

''Ahh, I see,'' he said and then took a few more steps so he was standing higher up the staircase than me. ''Well, I'm afraid as you don't live here, and I can't prove the validity of what you're saying, I can't let you go up there. But, I may be able to offer a solution.''

''Oh?'' I said, raising a sceptical eyebrow and scoffing.

''Yes, if all you have to do is go to the bathroom, there's a staff one in my office,'' he explained and I checked his nametag. Manager.

''Right,'' I said, nodding. Well, peeing in a scungy office was certainly easier than coming up with a half assed apology stemming from unresolved feelings of guilt and self loathing.

''Follow me,'' he said with a smile, seeming a little creepy but I just assumed it was one of the many people that bent over backwards for me for some unknown reason. Doing as I'd been told - for once - I followed after him through down the stairs and through the door to the basement. It was eerie down here, creepy, almost like the abandoned buildings and houses we had to go through for work. Apparently it wasn't just unoccupied dwellings that looked this rundown. Man, Sam really lived in a shithole. Talk about Roach Motel.

He opened a door to an office and just behind it was a door with an upside down bathroom sign on it. He led me over to that door, and opened it for me, standing in the doorway to the surprisingly large bathroom for an office this size. Honestly, it had to be the same size, if not bigger. There was a handrail by the toilet, and I assumed it had at one point been disability access, which, made no sense. How could someone disabled enough to require toilet handrails have made it down the stairs to the basement in the first place? But maybe I didn't know enough about differently abled people, or the apparent architecture. The grout was beyond black and filthy, and the floor to ceiling tiles were covered in dirt and dust, clearly this place hadn't been used nor cleaned in a long time.

''Here we go, sweetheart,'' he said and I wrinkled my nose at the pet name. Stepping through the door, I turned to close the door after me, but he was still in the room. Raising an eyebrow, I gestured for the door. ''Ahh, here you go.'' He closed the door behind him, leaving the two of us stood in the bathroom together.

''No, I had something different in mind,'' I told him and he cocked his head to the side in feigned confusion.

''You have to go to the bathroom, right?'' he said, small smirk on his face.

''Not that badly,'' I said, stepping towards the door, intent on leaving. If he wouldn't let me up to see Sam, I'd go tell Dean. And while I'd probably expect him to stop at a gas station or fast food place, he'd probably go knock the guy's lights out. Either option would work for me though. Not that I couldn't knock this guy's lights out myself. Grabbing hold of the handle, I tugged it open and went to step through it. A hand wrapped around the collar of my jacket, yanking me back into the room.

''I promised you I'd be back, didn't I?'' he said and my eyes snapped to his in shock. They flashed black and he stood there, smirking at me. With a wave of his hand, the door slammed shut, and I was thrown back against the far wall hard enough to break the white tiles. Groaning, I watched him approach. Apparently he'd upgraded from handcuffs and moved on to using his demon abilities. But I suspect it was so I couldn't fuck him up like I did last time.

''My answer is still, no, whatever you want, no,'' I said, fighting against the powerful hold.

''This is getting a little old, sweetheart,'' he said, striding closer to me. ''It doesn't seem to matter how many times I tell you, you don't have a choice, you still insist on fighting,'' he reached for the waistband of my jeans, unfastening the button and fly. ''Don't get me wrong, your attempts are very cute, but it'll never work,'' he yanked them and my panties down my legs. ''You might as well make things a little easier on yourself,'' he said, stepping back and grabbing my ankle. With one hand holding my calf up, he tugged my boot off with the other and tossed it on the floor. ''After all, it would be a shame to damage that pretty little meatsuit you got there.''

''Go to hell,'' I hissed as he tugged my other shoe off.

''Been there,'' he dismissed in a sing-song voice. Pulling my bottom half off all the way, he dumped it in a pile on top of my boots. ''Now, you said something about needing the bathroom?''

''Let me down,'' I snapped and he cracked his hand hard across my already tender face. Lifting my shirt and bra up over my breasts he ducked down, biting roughly into the flesh. He twisted the skin beneath his teeth, tugging and pulling. Crying out, I slammed my head back against the wall. Surely it had been long enough now, that Dean would notice I was missing. He'd come find me, I just had to hold out, to fight him off long enough for Dean to come find me.

''Now sweetheart, you're not going anywhere until you do what you came here to do,'' he told me quite firmly, threatening tone to his voice. Why did he want me to pee? Was my fear really that arousing? Mind you, he'd preyed on me when I was a child, a virgin. He was a sick bastard, why bother psychoanalysing the guy?

He moved his mouth down my body, mimicking the way Dean had nipped and bitten down my abdomen the other day, only with a lot more malice. He reached my lower stomach, just above my pubic bone and ran his tongue across it. He pressed his hands down and I moaned in discomfort. He chuckled then.

''Oh yeah, you really gotta go, huh? Bladder's fit to bursting,'' he said, putting more pressure on it. I moaned again, trying to shift away from him as I was pressed up against the wall. His hands moved down to my thighs, spreading them apart to stand between my knees. ''Well, sweetheart, you better not hold it.'' He shoved me further up the wall with his powers so his head was waiting between my legs. He opened his mouth expectantly. ''What's the matter? Performance anxiety?'' he joked and I glared down at him. ''You're gonna do it, sweetheart, I'm not letting you outta here until you do. May as well get it over and done with it, make it your choice, instead of waiting out the clock. You still care about choices, right? Or is that just your cute form of foreplay?''

''Fuck off!'' I yelled, still fighting and failing to break free from the force holding me to the wall.

''Now that's not very nice,'' he tutted, shaking his head and waggling a finger at me. ''I can make you do it, if you insist on being difficult. You know me, I always get what I'm after.''

''Stop this,'' I said, shaking against the wall. The broken tiles were cold against my naked skin, biting into the flesh enough to bleed. My blood was warm, hot even, a stark contrast to the icy tiles. It rolled in beads down my back and the wall, pooling on the floor beneath me.

''No! You stop,'' he commanded, putting his palm down flat on top of my bladder. ''You're going to take a piss, and I'm going to drink it. That's it. There's no arguing, there's no waiting out the clock, the Winchesters, they're not coming for you. If you want to get out of this alive, you do this. Because the apartment's burning, sweetheart, don't you hear that? And I'm not letting you go until you do what I say. So either you pee, or you burn. Your choice.''

Suddenly I noticed the alarm blaring overhead. Before he'd pointed it out all I could hear was the sound of my pulse hammering in my ears, my body had been consumed by the fear and the urge to fight. As if adding to the terror, smoke began to plume, rolling under the door in waves and I coughed, breathing it unintentionally as I hyperventilated. Dean would come. Dean had my back, he would always come for me. But if the building was on fire, that probably meant Sam was in trouble. Somehow I had to get out of this, get him out of here too.

''You make your choice?'' he asked, bringing the hand not currently pressing on my aching bladder up between my legs. He stroked up my folds with his thumb, trying to stimulate something. Dryer than the Sahara, I felt him spit between my legs and I jerked back in shock. With a little moistening, he rubbed his dirty fingers up and down my pussy, slipping them inside me with quite a bit of resistance. His thumb worked my clit while he thrust in and out, the other hand still pressing hard. Whimpering, I shook my head.

''Don't do this to me,'' I said, trying to come up with some plan to get out of this. It seemed pretty futile at this moment, it was getting harder and harder to breathe with all the smoke filling up the bathroom and it seemed like I really would burn. If I didn't die from smoke inhalation first.

''Don't you get it, sweetheart?'' he said, smiling and looking pretty damn proud of himself as he worked me up. Despite my best attempts not to feel what he was doing, he was actually stimulating me pretty well. It didn't matter my mind did not want this, my body responded. ''You're mine to do with however I please. You're mine. And you're gonna do as I ask, one way, or another.''

What if he knew that the Winchesters wouldn't come, what if he'd seen to it. What if they were sitting somewhere, waiting for me to come and save them. Dean would be in the same position - well, not exactly the same - knowing in his heart that I'd always come for him, even if he didn't ask. Crap. The hand pushing against my centre got harder and harder, hurting me and still I would not release. But if I did, maybe he'd stop thrusting his fingers in and out of me. Maybe I could get out of this, and help them. His thrusting fingers hit something vital and I cried out, realising I needed to make my decision fast, lest I be further violated by this monster. Fuck.

''I'm gonna,'' I said softly, mumbling my words. He looked up at me, glee in his black eyes.

''You gonna cum for me?'' he asked and I shook my head. He smirked then. ''You gonna pee for me?''

He withdrew his fingers from inside of me, putting his lips to my hole, waiting with eager anticipation for the glory shot. Burning tears rolled down my cheeks as I felt my muscles start to relax and I did as asked. Hot liquid streamed free from me and I heard him pornographically slurping it up, gulping it down without spilling a drop. He pulled back, gasping in refreshment and stepping back from me completely. Dropping down the wall, I could now touch the ground with my toes, but I wasn't free of the wall yet. I supposed that was so he'd have time to get away before I murdered him. Somehow…

''What a good little slut you were for me,'' he told me and I scowled at the name. ''What? You not into name calling, sweetheart? It's all in good fun. Tell you what sweetheart, I'll call you whatever you want. You wanna be my princess? Daddy's little girl?''

''I want you to leave,'' I barked and he laughed.

''Until next time,'' he said before he started screaming, black smoke pouring out of his mouth and blanketing the room. His vessel dropped to the ground, and I was finally free to stand on my own. Not that I could manage it. Between the ordeal I'd just been through and the amount of smoke I'd just breathed in, I couldn't stand on my own. I couldn't stand. Laying on the ground just next to his passed out, or likely dead, vessel, I felt myself praying Dean and Sam weren't actually in trouble. I prayed they were safe, that I was back with them. Please.

Dean POV

Staring at the fire truck parked outside Sam's apartment building, I watched each and every person coming in and out. Police had set up a perimeter, keeping all the gawkers in line, still no sign of Katie. Sam was at the open trunk, loading a shotgun. Glancing at the gun, and thinking of the police perimeter, I turned to Sam. He was a look of anger, of desperation, a man trying to keep it together. Sighing, I put my hands in my pocket, walking over closer to him.

''Hey, how you doing?'' I asked and he looked up at me, and then back at the trunk. He sighed.

''I'm fine,'' he said and I nodded. ''Any sign of Katie?'' I shook my head, swallowing hard. I shoulda just taken her to a gas station.

''No,'' I said and he pressed his lips together into a thin line.

''Do you think…'' he said and was cut off by a flash of blinding white light. We both threw up an arm, covering our eyes and trying to get a glimpse of what was going on. The epicentre of the blast of light was on the grass beside Baby and it slowly collapsed in on itself as if faded, revealing Katie laying on the ground, her clothes in a pile a few feet away.

''What the hell,'' I said, rushing the few steps to her side and dropping in the grass. She was crying and coughing, covered in black smoke. And naked. Very naked. Looking back over my shoulder at Sam, I gestured to him. ''Sammy, get that motel blanket from the front seat.''

''I'm on it,'' he said, tossing it through the open window at me after he'd gone round to the driver's side of the car. Stretching it out, I opened my arms and covered her up, holding her wrapped in the blanket in my arms.

''Katie, are you hurt,'' she sniffed, still crying and shook her head. Blood seeped through the blanket and I knew she was lying, brushing everything off. ''What the hell happened?''

''The building manager, he was possessed,'' she said through tears. ''Just like the cop from Jericho.''

''Wait, you're saying you got attacked by a demon in the laundry room?'' I asked, at a loss for words. No damn wonder she was so distraught. ''Who was it? Did you know it?''

''It was him,'' she nodded, curling in closer to my chest. ''I gotta get home, Lex is in trouble.''

''Alright, let's get you dressed, okay?'' I said and she nodded.

She was sitting there, in just her socks, her shirt and bra lifted over her boobs. She reached for her panties and I helped her tugging her shirt and bra back down. Sliding her panties up her legs, I lifted her hips to help her and we did the same with her jeans. Helping her into the car, she slid into the middle of the front seat and I tossed her boots in the back. She shook as she sat there, still wrapped in the blanket she was bleeding through, no speaking as she glared out the windshield.

''For the record,'' Katie said eventually, turning to face me. Looking her way, I watched her nod to herself. ''This is why girls don't go to the bathroom alone.''