It is for the men.

Soon they were hauled to their feet and marched back to the stockade. He collars were removed, and Sarah hoisted Jen's arm around her shoulder as the woman staggered with her into the pen. She helped her all the way back to the gathered squad, where she helped her sit down next to a battered-looking but alert Lottie Barnes. Barnes saw them coming and eased Jen to a seat next to her, wrapping her arms around the only tenuously lucid woman. Sarah, for once able to stand on her feet and collect her wits, looked over the rest of the team.

Sangley wept on Thomas' shoulder as the tough, stocky woman held her close. Sarah looked into her eyes as she surveyed the team. Thomas looked back and gave her a slight nod; Sangley would be okay. Sarah nodded back. Moran and Dawn Groser were huddled with Sharpell and Teass. None looked happy, but at least there were no tears or obvious injuries, aside from a set of livid bruises on Groser's back. Sarah's eyes settled on Mara O'Leanne and Maria Silva, and her stomach tightened in fear as she met Mara's eyes.

Without rushing, she made her way to them. Silva was still fetal, hugging her knees to her chest. Mara held her close, talking softly to her. She gave no sign of hearing. Her eyes stared out blankly across the concrete. Sarah knelt down beside her.

"Hey, Maria." Her eyes flicked briefly off to the side and back into the middle distance. Sarah glanced at Mara; her second gave her a worried look. "Go take care of Marcus, would you, Mara? I would but, well, I wouldn't be too helpful." Mara nodded. "Lottie's got her. Thanks for holding them together..."

Sarah's voice trailed off as she looked back down at Maria. The woman's thick, dark hair flowed down her back, but so did several trickles of blood that had been hidden by Mara's body. Sarah started to slide her hand across Maria's stomach, but as she did, Maria jerked in her grasp and almost leaped away. Sarah hung on to her, grabbing her face and forcing the shell-shocked woman to meet her eyes. Suddenly Maria froze in her grasp, blinked, and collapsed into Sarah's arms. Sarah caught her and lowered her to the concrete, but the woman cringed as her back touched it. Sarah pulled her back up and wrapped her up. Maria still stared off into space, but her eyes moved around and her breath was deep and ragged.

"Are you... alright, I guess? Sarah asked. Maria swallowed hard. "No," she whispered. "No. No." Sarah could see her falling away again. "Maria, honey, I'm right here, it's okay, stay with me. It's okay. Come back, baby." Maria shuddered and her eyes narrowed, but she stayed lucid. "Okay- okay, Lieutenant. Okay. I'm still here."

"Not Lieutenant, Maria. Just Sarah. Until we get out of here, just Sarah." Maria smiled, the tiniest bit. "You think we're getting out, Lieut... Sarah?"

"For sure, hon. I know we will. Everyone knows we're here, and they'll marshal up and come on out and get us all out. I've been in and out of one of these before. Worst five days of my life, but coming back to my team was the best. We'll be alright." Sarah looked down at her and gave her the best smile she could muster after the long night. Maria tried to return it, but failed. As Sarah stroked her arms, she finally relaxed, loosening her tight grip on her knees and letting her legs go. Sarah heard her knees and hips pop as the limbs unclenched for the first time. Then she saw Maria's body and gasped.

Her stomach and breasts were a network of bruises, bloody cuts, and angry red welts. There was scarcely a single square inch that wasn't beaten somehow. Blood had tracked onto her thighs, though there didn't appear to be any wounds. Sarah almost screamed in sympathetic hatred of the man that had done this.

"Maria, Maria, oh, god... oh Maria, you'll be okay, I promise." Sarah couldn't even think of what she could do for the woman. "Lie back."