Hospital

Author's Note:

Many of you have asked for Character Descriptions, so I'm going to put them in this chapter. I'm not putting them in every chapter moving forward. Please keep in mind, I write these for myself when I create the characters, to keep things consistent, and occasionally I choose to tweak aspects of these descriptions if that aspect hasn't really been part of the story yet.

Robert Wolfe

36 Years old. Brown hair and beard, blue eyes. A little shorter than average, and carries a few extra pounds. Married to Jane for 12 years, no kids, but has always wanted them. Has a ton of past trauma, and a bad habit of trying to save people, dating back to before his and Jane's marriage. Initially works as a manager at a corporation, and then becomes a Director in HR.

Jane Wolfe

35 years old. Medium length brown hair, brown eyes. 5'3", curvy, DD breasts. Has undisclosed health issues limiting her libido and ability to do anything physical for too long. This has also prevented the couple from having children. Loves kids, but doesn't want them as badly as Robert does. Escaped a very abusive relationship, and immediately reconnected with Robert, who was her friend in High School, after not talking for years. Has been married to Robert for 12 years as of Chapter 1.

Lucia

18 years old. Hispanic. Long black hair, and light brown eyes. 5', 100 lbs. tiny all over, A cup breasts. Pale complexion. Was a virgin prior to joining the house.

Loves to read.

No previous work experience, but had planned to go to school to be a nurse. Currently in charge of cooking and meal planning. Currently supervises Mei, Lindsey, and Samira.

Alexia

23 years old. Hispanic. Short to medium length black hair, brown eyes. 5'4", 140 or so pounds, with a large, soft ass and C cups.

Worked as an administrative assistant, currently in charge of house upkeep and cleaning. Supervises Emily, Taylor, and Valentina. Deeply devoted to Jane in particular.

Amber

26 years old, 5'3", 90 lbs when arriving at the house. Long brown hair, green eyes. Scars from her previous time in a Gorean household are present. Has a small Kef tattoo on her left thigh, an unfortunate reminder of her previous life with her previous Master, Jackson. Due to her near starvation, has A cup breasts.

Amber has no obvious hobbies or interests, beyond ensuring that she is valued and appreciated by her Master and Mistress. This may change and develop over time as she becomes more secure in her position.

Amber has no previous 'job' experience, but is used to running a household as the primary girl, and also has experience training other girls to serve their master. Currently in charge of laundry. Supervises Reyna, Megan, and Layne.

A Kef tattoo is essentially a stylized K, sometimes looking like a key. You can google it to get an idea of how they can look. Gorean lifestylers sometimes tattoo or brand their girls with this, usually on the upper left thigh, but sometimes in other places, to mark the girl as 'owned.'

Mei

19 years old. Half white, half Chinese. Long black hair, dark brown eyes. 5'1", 110 lbs. B cup breasts, toned but small ass. Very pale. Virgin prior to entering the house.

Mei loves reading smut, and is generally a nerd. Loves technology. Also has daddy issues.

Mei previously worked in the family restauarant, but was going to school for business management with an IT minor. Currently working with Lucia doing meal preparation.

Lindsey

25 years old. Medium dark hair, hazel eyes. 5'5", 150 lbs. D cup breasts, average ass.

Likes to read, and enjoys teaching.

Former elementary school teacher. Currently working for Lucia, primarily doing prep work, and a bit of cleanup.

Lindsey is struggling with depression, and misses her husband, who was detained. She is bisexual, but not active with anyone in the house.

Reyna

24 years old. Half Filipina, Half Hispanic. Medium length dark hair, dark brown eyes. 5'4" 130 lbs, very fit. B cup breats, very toned ass.

Reyna loves the outdoors, and especially being alone in nature.

Reyna was a Forest ranger, with some previous experience as a security guard. She also has some martial arts experience. She reports to Amber, and helps a bit with laundry, but her primary job is to keep everyone safe, both from internal and external threats.

Taylor

27 years old. Long blonde hair, blue eyes. 5'6", 120 lbs, wiry build. A cup breasts, medium sized, toned ass.

Taylor is very bisexual, and has an oral fixation.

Taylor is a veterinarian, and previously worked with her father at his practice. She reports to Alexia.

Emily

24 years old. Medium black hair, green eyes. 5'3", 145lbs. Thick, but muscular build. C cup breasts, muscular ass. Hides her physique under baggy clothes. Wears large glasses. Very shy and a bit awkward, with self esteem issues. Was a virgin upon entering the house.

Emily loves to read, and is obsessed with plants.

Emily is a gardener, focused on permaculture. She reports to Alexia.

Megan

21 years old. Native American. Has bleach blonde hair when arriving at the house, but her natural color is black. Brown eyes. 5'5", 150 lbs, formerly fit, but has become less fit since going to college. C cup breasts, thick ass.

Loves horses.

No previous work experience, was going to school for an undisclosed major. Family owned a working farm in the mountains. Reports to Amber, and is being trained by her after a series of incidents.

Samira

22 years old. Syrian refugee. Medium length dark brown hair, brown eyes. 5'4", 140 lbs. Soft build, C cup breasts, largish ass for her size. Virgin upon entering the house.

Samira's family was very religious. She is anxious to leave all of that in the past, and resents religion in general. Bisexual, but finds women more appealing.

Samira is an RN, and she had planned to become a NP. She reports to Lucia, but her real job is the health of everyone in the house.

Valentina

33 years old. Hispanic. Short black hair, dark eyes. 5'5", 130 lbs. B cup breasts. Masculine appearance by choice. Lesbian, has absolutely not interest in men.

Valentina was a construction worker and handywoman. She reports to Alexia, and is responsible for anything wrong with the house.

Layne

20 years old. Half Native American. Dark brown hair, Blue eyes. 5'3", 110 lbs, more cute than classically beautiful. Borderline A-B cup breasts, small ass. Very inexperienced and naive. Layne is diagnosed with ADHD Inattentive disorder, causing her to fidget, lose things, and struggle to pay attention to things that aren't deeply interesting to her. Layne is a bit shy, has been very sheltered by those around her, and has struggled with having a social life due to the effects of her ADHD. Layne is unrelentingly positive in spite of this, and can be happy even when things are not great.

Layne knew Megan in their previous lives, but they were just acquaintances.

Layne loves making things, specifically clothes and traditional leather goods.

Layne reports to Amber.

Jia

28 years old. Ethnically Jia is a melting pot, including African, Korean, Italian, and various Mediterranean ancestry. Dark brown, almost black curly hair, dark eyes, and golden skin. 5'8", initially 125 lbs, but with a pre-detainment weight of 150. Jia has a fierce demeanor. Initially too skinny, with ribs showing, but pre-detainment Jia was slightly muscular, and very fit, with B cup breasts and a slightly larger than average and very tight ass. Jia struggles with the trauma she faced during her time with Jason, and will take time to recover physically, emotionally, and mentally.

Jia was a captain in the army, leading an infantry unit. Her role most likely will involve security, including training the other girls with firearms and general self-defense.

*****

"Do you want me to go inside and check before we haul her out again?" Robert asks as they pull into the third hospital of the evening.

"Yes." Jane says shortly, pulling up to the curb, and putting the van in park.

"I'll be right back." Robert says. "I'll call when I come out if you have to move."

"We aren't moving." Jane says.

As Robert walks away, Jane looks back at Reyna and Samira. "We should go back and burn his house down."

"I don't think Robert would like that." Reyna says.

"He doesn't need to know." Jane says with a faint smile.

"Mistress, I really don't want to end up in a camp." Samira says nervously, hands having not left Jia's neck since they got her in the van.

"I don't think she's being serious." Reyna says quietly. "Are you?"

"Not really." Jane says. "If I was sure I could get away with it though..."

"I'm pretty sure we'd be the only suspects." Reyna says.

"Probably." Jane says. "Samira, is there any change?"

"No." Samira says. "We really need to stop hauling her around though. Every bump could be causing damage."

"I know." Jane says with a sigh. "This is the last hospital that takes our insurance. If they won't see her, should we just take her home? Or start driving towards home, stopping at hospitals along the way?"

"I..." Samira says, stopping to think.

"He's coming back." Reyna says, saving Samira from having to answer the question for now.

"Well?" Jane asks.

"They'll see her, but it may be a bit of a wait." Robert says. "Concubines have the lowest priority, apparently."

Jane looks back at Samira, who nods. "She needs a real doctor. Even if we have to wait, that's better than nothing."

"Ok." Jane says. "Samira, you are in charge, what do you need from us?"

*****

Rolling Jia into the ER was a bit more difficult than they imagined. Robert pushed, while Samira and Reyna kept her neck straight, which required them to all move at the same speed. Once they make it inside, Jane points to a group of empty chairs.

"Let's set up over here." Jane says, moving a chair in the middle to make room for the wheelchair.

"Can we lay her down?" Samira asks. "And maybe get a neck brace?"

"We can ask." Jane says. "Robert, take Samira's spot, so she and I can go ask about the neck brace."

When Jane reaches the ER desk, she clears her throat, eventually getting the attention of the young woman behind the desk.

"How can I help you, ma'am?" She asks.

"We have a seriously injured concubine." Jane says, waving behind her. "Samira here is our nurse, and she has a few requests."

"One moment." The woman says, picking up the phone, and dialing something. After a few moments muttering into the phone, she says. "The triage nurse will be out in a moment."

After a few minutes of impatient waiting, Jane finally sees an older nurse exit a room off to the side and walk in their direction.

"What now?" She asks, and without waiting for an answer, continues. "Y'all gotta learn to stop damaging your girls. It's done getting out of hand, I've got one of you in here every day."

Jane interjects before she can continue. "We acquired a damaged concubine earlier today. Her old master beat her, and then left her in a doghouse. My girl Samira here is a nurse, I'll let her explain the injuries."

The nurse looks at Samira, waiting for her to speak up. "She's over there." Samira says, pointing. "I can't tell if she has any neck or spinal injuries, or broken ribs. I just finished my RN a few months ago. I'm..."

"In over your head." The nurse says. "Let's take a look."

Jane follows the nurse and Samira, stopping a few feet behind them. The nurse slowly walks around them, looking Jia over, starting with her lower body, before stopping when she reaches the neck. "If you suspected neck or spinal injuries, you shouldn't have moved her." She says.

"We weren't sure an ambulance would actually come get her." Jane explains. "And we needed to get her off the guy's property before he changed his mind."

"Or let his dogs back out." Robert adds. "They didn't look friendly."

Glancing Jia over one more time, she says. "Concubines are seen last, and generally don't get admitted. You are in for a long wait. If she does have spinal issues, the recommendation will be to put her down. You might be better off taking her down the street to the emergency vet clinic, they do the x-rays cheaper than it will be here, and most concubine insurance covers emergency vets now."

"She's a fucking person." Robert says angrily. "Why the hell would we take her to a vet? And we aren't putting her down."

The nurse looks at him dispassionately, and after a moment responds in an almost bored tone, as if she's had to explain frequently. "Your insurance isn't going to cover surgery on a heavily damaged concubine. Concubine insurance is closer to auto insurance than traditional health insurance. If the cost of the repairs exceeds the monetary value of the concubine, she's considered to be totaled."

"Wait, and you all are ok with that?" Jane asks. "What about the Hippocratic Oath? Do no harm or whatever?"

"That's not actually part of the oath." The nurse says. "And it's really more of a suggestion anyhow. This is the reality of the situation. Not liking it won't change it. Are you waiting, or do you want to try the vet clinic?"

Jane looks at Samira, who appears to be overwhelmed. "How long do you think the wait will be?"

"That depends on how many people walk through that door." The nurse says. "Could be three or four hours. Could be three or four days. She gets seen when we have already dealt with all citizens."

"Give us one second." Jane says, grabbing Samira and practically pulling her a few steps away. "Pull yourself together, please, Samira."

After a moment Samira looks up at her, looking slightly less panicked. "Sorry, Mistress."

"If we take her to the clinic, they do the x-rays, and they are negative, or only show minor injuries, can you treat her?" Jane asks.

"I should be able to." Samira says quietly.

"Then we'll try that first." Jane says. "If it's more major, we may just have to come back."

Turning back to the small group behind her, Jane says. "We'll try the clinic."

The nurse nods, turning and walking away without a word.

"Can we get a neck brace at least?" Jane asks.

The nurse keeps walking, stopping to say something to the woman at the desk, before continuing back to her triage room. After a moment of rummaging in a drawer, the woman at the desk waves a cheap foam neck brace in the air.

"I'll go grab it." Jane says. "After that, we are leaving."

*****

"Well, we shouldn't have to wait too long here." Jane says.

"Yeah, this place is dead." Robert says, noticing the complete lack of cars in the parking lot of the slightly run down building. "Are we sure it's even open?"

"The lights are on." Jane says. "I'll go check, just to be safe."

When Jane reaches the front door, it doesn't open automatically as she expects. Instead, a note on the door says "Press buzzer for service after Five P.M."

Jane pushes it once, and when there is no immediate response, presses it again, holding it down for thirty seconds.

"... pushing the goddamn buzzer." She hears when she lets up on the buzzer. "Oh, umm... How can we help with your pet emergency today?"

"You can open the door, and help us carry her inside." Jane says.

"Uh... Sure, I'll be out in a minute." Jane hears. Looking inside through the tinted glass, she vaguely makes out a shape jogging towards the door, diverting for just a moment to throw something into the trash. When the door opens, a sloppy man with what looks like shredded lettuce stuck in his beard emerges. He swallows the last bite of his food, before asking. "What kind of pet is it? And what happened?"

Jane turns back towards the van, the vet following closely behind her, brushing crumbs off of himself as he does. "She's a rescue. We picked her up a few hours ago, her old owner beat her, and then left her to die in the backyard."

"Bastard." The vet says. "Make sure to give me his info, the local cops don't treat animal cruelty as seriously as they should, but..."

He stops talking when Jane opens the van door, revealing Samira, Jia, and Reyna. "Where is the dog?" He asks dumbly.

"I never said it was a dog." Jane says. "We rescued Jia here a few hours ago, but the hospitals here don't seem to give a shit about concubines. Samira here is a nurse, and she needs her to have some x-rays done, so we can be sure nothing is broken."

"Look, lady." The vet says, taking a few steps back. "I'm so over this shit. I'm a vet, not a doctor."

"We aren't asking you to do any doctoring." Jane says. "Just do a few x-rays, and help Samira decipher them."

"And a CT, if you have it." Samira says. "She could have a brain bleed or something, and those don't show up on x-rays."

"All we have is an x-ray." The vet says. "Look, I'll do the x-rays, but that's it. I didn't sign up for this shit."

"That's fine." Robert says, opening the door and taking a step out. "Samira, if you'll take her head, Reyna and I can take a side each, and you can take the feet." Robert nods at the vet.

The vet sighs dramatically, but helps them carry her inside. "Through here." He says, guiding them straight to the back, and then to a too-small table. "You'll have to support her head. We aren't set up to treat people here. I've told those idiots at the hospital to stop sending people here."

"Let's just get the x-rays done." Jane says. "I'll hold her head, you three get behind the wall."

"I should do it, Mistress." Samira says.

"Nope." Jane says. "Where's the lead apron or whatever?"

"Over here." The vet says, already strapping one from the rack on the wall across the room. "The rest of you need to wait in the hall, the walls are shielded."

When Jane is dressed in her outfit, Samira switches out with Jane.

"Jane, are you sure about this?" Robert asks.

"You aren't an option; the last thing we want to do is irradiate your swimmers." Jane says. "Reyna is already trying to get pregnant, and Samira could be soon. I'm the only choice."

"I love you." Robert says, giving her a quick kiss, before stepping out of the room.

"She'll be ok." Samira says reassuringly. "A few x-rays won't give off that much radiation, and those lead aprons catch most of it."

"I know." Robert says glumly. "I just don't like her taking any chances, given how sick she was a few years ago."

"She told me a bit about that." Samira says. "A few x-rays won't bring that back."

"It's less about that coming back, and more that I worry about her in general." Robert says. "She almost always has something going on. This is probably the healthiest stretch she's had in a while."

"... She was getting tired really easily earlier this week." Reyna says quietly. "Like, having to sit down after going up a few stairs."

Robert looks at Samira, who says. "She could just be tired. Or not used to going up and down stairs frequently. I've noticed she tries not to go up or down the stairs at home unless she really needs to."

"She has always struggled with stairs." Robert admits. "And stuff like hiking."

"See?" Samira says. "It's probably just that. I can ask her about it when we get home though, if you want."

"Let's just leave it for now." Robert says.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Jane opens the door. "All done."

"Ok, let's see what we are dealing with." The vet says, pulling up the x-rays on a monitor on the wall. "First one is her rib cage."

"Samira?" Jane asks, looking over at her.

"This isn't something they teach in nursing school." Samira says. "I mean, nothing is in the wrong place, as best I can tell."

The vet steps around the counter, and stares at the x-ray. "See the shadow here?" He says, pointing at the screen. "And here." He says, pointing at the rib below the first. "They are partially fractured. If I had to guess, she got kicked."

The vet steps around the counter, flipping through a few more x-rays. "Her skull is intact, which is good too." He says. "If it wasn't, you'd be headed back to the hospital."

"Then why the hell is she ****?" Jane asks in frustration.

"She got the shit beat out of her." The vet says with a shrug. "Could just be a pain response. Or it could be something else. I'm not a doctor."

"So, what do we do now?" Robert asks. "Does she need something for the ribs?"

"She just needs to take it easy for a month or two." The vet says. "You can ice it a few times a day to take down the swelling, and give her something for the pain. I don't carry human meds, so don't look at me for that."

"I've got a few things we can try." Samira says. "Do you think I should try a sternum rub to wake her?"

The vet flips back to the original x-ray, looking at it carefully. "That's not near the broken ribs, so I don't think it would hurt." He admits. "But I wouldn't bother until you have her home. She's going to be in pain when she comes to, there is no point waking her up and then sticking her with a painful car ride."

Jane looks between Samira and the vet. "So, are we saying she is going to be ok?"

"All I can say is that she won't die from a broken bone." The vet says. "Beyond that, I can't make any promises."

"Samira?" Jane says.

"If I can get her awake, I'll know more." Samira says. "If she wakes up, knows who she is, can talk, etc... Then I'll know more. Hopefully she can tell us if anything else hurts badly."

"If it does, take her to a hospital." The vet says. "People keep bringing these girls in here, and I don't know what the fuck to do with them."

"We only came here because the hospitals wouldn't see her anytime soon." Jane says. "Trust me, we'd have preferred not to resort to this."

*****

When the van pulls into the driveway, Emily yells. "They are back!"

"Isabel, why don't you and Lucia go watch your cartoon in our bedroom?" Amber suggests.

"I should go check on them." Lucia protests, trying to sit up.

"Emily and I will do that." Amber says, and then adds a bit more quietly. "I need you to keep Isabel occupied, until we know what is going on. Please."

Lucia nods, and after a moment, manages to find her feet. Isabel practically drags her into the bedroom, excitedly chattering about her show. Amber shuts the door behind them, before moving to the bedroom across the hall.

"Lindsey, they are home." Amber says, knocking on the door. "You need to come out and help."

After a few moments without an answer, Amber knocks again, before trying to open the door. "Lindsey, unlock the door!" Amber says firmly.

After a few more moments, Emily asks. "Do you want me to go check on the situation at the van?"

"I'll come with you." Amber says. "Mistress Jane can handle Lindsey."

As they make their way outside, they find Robert emerging from the van, looking in their direction.

"Is Isabel out of the way?" Robert asks quietly.

"Lucia is keeping an eye on her in our bedroom." Amber says. "I shut the door before we came out."

"Good." Robert says, visibly deflating. "We are going to have to carry her inside, she's ****."

"Master, shouldn't we take her to a hospital?" Emily asks, somewhat in shock as the side door on the van slides open, revealing Samira and Reyna on either side of Jia, still supporting her gently.

"We've been to three of them." Jane says, as she makes her way around the front of the van. "And even a vet clinic. For now, we just need to make her comfortable. Samira can give you the details on what is wrong with her. I'm going to call Tom after we get her situated, hopefully there is a doctor in town who will see her, once we make it back home."

"What if there isn't, Mistress?" Amber asks.

"Robert and I will figure that out." Jane says brusquely. "Samira, do you just want us to carry her straight inside?"

"Mistress..." Amber says tentatively.

"What is it, Amber?" Jane asks, a note of frustration entering her voice. "I'm really tired, I really just want to get her inside, so I can do all of the other things I need to do tonight."

"Lindsey is in the spare room." Amber says. "I couldn't get her to come out. And the door is locked."

"Goddamn it!" Jane yells. After a moment of pacing, she stops, and turns back to them. "Amber, swap out with Reyna please. Reyna, Emily, please come with me."

"Jane..." Robert says.

"I've got this." Jane says. "Don't try to carry her in until we get back. The last thing we need is anyone else getting injured."

A moment after they enter the house, Robert turns to Amber and Samira, and says. "I'll be right back."

When he enters the house, he finds Jane pounding on the bedroom door. "three seconds to open this door." He hears Jane say.

"Do you think you can bust down the door if you need to?" Jane asks Reyna.

"We aren't doing that." Robert says.

"We aren't leaving Lindsey in there." Jane says. "This is the height of selfishness."

"Just give me a second." Robert says, standing on tiptoes and feeling around above the door frame. After a moment, he moves to the bathroom door, and pulls something down. With a grin, he shows Jane.

"See, no need to break the door." He says, putting the key into the door, and twisting.

Jane pushes past him, to find Lindsey lying on the bed, pillow over her head.

"What the hell are you doing?" Jane asks loudly.

"Jane, Isabel is a few feet away." Robert warns.

"You are right." Jane says. Turning around, her face brightens, and in a cheery voice, she asks. "Emily, can you grab my purse?"

"Sure." Emily says, clearly a bit confused. A moment later, she returns with the purse. When she holds it out, Jane doesn't take it, instead rummaging through it, until she finds the object of her desire. "You can put it back now. Thank you."

"Jane, no." Robert says, stepping between her and the bed. Lowering his voice, he says, "If you set that off in here, it's going to get into the ventilation. The whole house is going to be uninhabitable for hours."

"If she decides to get out of the bed, and stop being a spoiled brat, then I won't." Jane says. "But she is getting out of that bed, one way or the other. And I don't plan to waste time."

Robert turns, looking at the bed. "Lindsey, I need you to get up. The new girl is seriously injured, and we need the room."

After a moment with no response, Robert shakes her shoulder, causing her to roll over, and curl up into a ball.

"Lindsey!" Robert says sternly.

"Ok, time's up." Jane says, brushing past Robert, and grabbing the pillow with one hand, trying to pull it away. Lindsey grips it tighter, and after a moment, Jane lets go. "Reyna, can you remove the pillow for me?"

Reyna glances at Robert for a moment, but doesn't manage to catch his eye. Stepping forward, she grabs the pillow with both hands, and then says. "Lindsey, if you don't get up, I'm going to pull away the pillow. Then you are going to get a dose of pepper spray. That's going to ruin all of our day, and probably ruin any chance you have of staying in the house. It doesn't have to go this way. Please just get up and move to the living room."

After a few moments, Jane opens her mouth to speak. "Fuck!" Lindsey shrieks, rolling away from them, and off the bed, before turning to face them. "You can't just fucking leave me alone. Lindsey, clean the house. Lindsey, cook dinner. Lindsey, go to California. Lindsey, watch this brat." Lindsey seethes. Grabbing a blanket off the bed, and retaining her hold on her pillow, she storms out of the room, and through the sliding glass door onto the porch.

Jane glances up at Robert. "There aren't any vents out there..." She says, glancing at the pepper spray in her hand, and grinning.

"Just leave it." Robert says, reaching down to grab the pepper spray. "We need to focus on Jia. Let Lindsey sleep outside tonight. When we get home, we can have a come to Jesus talk with her."

"She might run away." Reyna interjects.

"Honestly, I'm fine with that." Robert says. "If she tries, just let her go."

*****

Once they finally get Jia situated on the bed, Samira looks up at Jane. "Are you ready for me to try the sternum rub?"

"Let's try something a bit gentler at first." Jane says. "Sternum rubs fucking hurt. Trust me on that one."

"You had the bruise for like three weeks after the last one." Robert agrees.

"Why don't we try a sponge bath first?" Jane suggests. "She desperately needs to be cleaned up anyhow."

"Do we have any other clothes that will fit her?" Robert asks. "The ones she has on are trashed."

"Some of my stuff might fit." Reyna says. "The shorts will be kind of short on her, but they should work until we can buy her something."

"Go pick something out." Jane says. "Something comfortable, ideally. There should be a washer and dryer around here somewhere, if you are running low on clean clothes."

"I should step out, if you are planning to give her a bath." Robert says. "The last thing I want is for her to wake up naked with a strange man in the room."

Jane leans into him, giving him a kiss. "Why don't you go hang out with Isabel and Lucia?" She suggests. "Amber, can you supervise here? I need to call Tom and find out about the doctor situation."

"Yes, Mistress." Amber says. When they exit the room, Jane peeks onto the back porch to make sure Lindsey is still out there, before going to the master suite. Closing and locking the door behind her, she dials Tom's number.

"Hello there." Tom says. "How are the ninety's treating you?"

"I wish." Jane says with a laugh. "If only we could rewind the whole world just by going to a different state. In all seriousness, we have a bit of a problem. The girl we picked up needs a real doctor, and none of the hospitals here will see her. Our girl Samira is doing her best, and we found a veterinarian who was willing to do x-rays so we could be sure she didn't have any badly broken bones, but we need to know if she can get treatment in town, or if we need to take her somewhere else before we head back."

"You know there isn't a hospital in town, right? Just the clinic." Tom says. "The surrounding counties have small hospitals, but I have no idea if they are seeing concubines. It hasn't really come up yet."

"You may want to start checking on that." Jane says. "What about the doctor at the clinic?"

"Doctor Cook is reluctantly filling in for now." Tom says. "The doctor that ran it got detained, and we had to call him out of retirement. I don't think I'd trust him with anything serious at this point, he's almost ninety."

"Who are you using for the women you've got detained?" Jane asks. "You've got to have someone."

"The doctor who ran the clinic is taking care of that." Tom says. "But she's only one woman, and we need her up there."

"Can I buy her?" Jane asks. "I'm not asking for a discount or anything. If we can't take the girls to a doctor, then we need a doctor in house."

"She's over the age limit." Tom says. "Even if I wanted to let you, I couldn't."

"Fuck." Jane says.

"There is no need for that kind of language." Tom says seriously, before giving a small laugh. "I've got one idea. Give me a few minutes to pull up the BAA site, and then I'll text you."

"One more thing." Jane says. "We are having trouble with our teacher. If we need to get rid of her, do you know of anyone who would take her off our hands? Maybe you could use her with the detained kids?"

"What kind of trouble?" Tom asks.

"She just isn't listening or obeying directions." Jane says. "And she's so selfish. I could probably fix it, but Robert's a big softy. He wouldn't be ok with me doing what is necessary to get her into compliance."

"Yeah... No, I don't want her around the kids." Tom says. "You are welcome to see if anyone wants to buy her, but if not, your best bet is to put her back in the auction where you used to live."

"Robert won't go for that." Jane says. "If I could though..."

"Maybe see if Rosie has an idea." Tom says. "You know we are struggling to get people to accept concubines here still, which, by the way, I still need your help with."

"I know, I know." Jane says. "When we get fully moved in, I'll do the ladies' lunch at least a few times."

"Gotta go." Tom says. "Text you in a bit."

*****

"Have you ever done this before?" Amber asks.

"A few times in school." Samira says. "But it's been a bit. And the people weren't ****."

"What do you need from us?" Reyna asks.

"First we need to undress her." Samira says. "Then it's mostly just wash, dry, and gently rolling her so we can wash the other side. Then we'll need to change the sheet most likely."

Looking around, Samira says. "Let's start by getting off her shirt. I'm going to pull it up as best I can, but then I'll need some of you to lift her a bit so we can get it over her head."

Reaching down, Samira touches the skin of Jia's stomach at the edge of her shirt, beginning to lift it, before she stops, startled.

"Don't." A voice growls.

Samira looks down, seeing Jia's hand locked onto her wrist. "I'm stopping." Samira says, releasing the shirt, and shuffling backwards until the hand releases. "How long have you been awake?"

"Don't know. In and out." Jia mutters, eyes trying to flutter open.

"We aren't going to hurt you." Samira says. "I'm a nurse. I'm just trying to get you clean, and check you for any damage."

"Where?" Jia asks before a cough cuts her off. "Fuck, that hurts."

"You've got some cracked ribs." Samira explains. "Try not to cough, or breathe in too deeply."

"Where... am I?" Jia asks again.

"It's complicated." Samira says. "Let's call it an Airbnb, in Little Rock. My Master bought you earlier today."

"How?" Jia asks weakly. "Dickhead said I was going to die in that doghouse."

"You would have, if we weren't having unseasonably warm weather." Samira says. "I'll let him explain the how, I wasn't there. None of us want to hurt you, we just need to get you clean, and make sure you don't have any other injuries."

Jia relaxes, and just as they begin to question whether she's **** again, she mutters. "Ok."

"Do you have the energy for a bath?" Samira asks. "Or do you just want us to do the sponge bath?"

"Bath." Jia says. "Please."

*****

"Mistress!" Jane hears, as well as an insistent knock on the door.

"Rosie, Something is up. I've got to let you go." Jane says, hanging up the phone, and quickly opening the door.

"What...?" Jane starts to ask.

"Mistress, she's awake." Amber says excitedly. "They are putting her in the bath now."

"Interesting." Jane says. "Has she said anything yet?"

"She asked where she is." Amber says. "I didn't stick around past that; I thought you would want to hear it yourself."

"Thank you, Amber." Jane says warmly. "Let's go."

When they reach the bathroom, they find the door shut, and the water running. Jane turns the knob, poking her head inside once the door cracks open.

"Everything going ok in here?" She asks.

"Yes, Mistress." Samira says from the floor in front of the rapidly filling tub.

Jia's head moves just enough for Jane to recognize that she was sneaking a glance at her.

"Jia, my name is Jane. Do you mind if I come in?" Jane asks. "I have so many questions, but I'll try to keep it short for now."

Jia nods, head lolling a bit afterwards, as if the gesture took the little energy she had left.

"I'll step out to give you room, Mistress." Reyna says from the other side of the door, and when she leaves, Emily follows, leaving Jane with Samira and Jia.

Jane moves over towards the tub, sitting on the closed toilet lid and examining Jia.

"He really did a number on you, didn't he?" Jane asks quietly.

"Fuck him." Jia mumbles.

"He might enjoy that." Jane says. "I thought about burning down his house, but he has other girls in there."

"Fuck them too." Jia says, leaning back a bit as the water nearly finishes filling up the tub. After a moment, she leans the rest of the way back in the tub, turning her head to look at Jane.

"Jia, can you tell me where it hurts, other than your ribs?" Samira interjects.

"Toes. Face. Hands. Head. Just about everywhere." Jia murmurs.

"Should I get some painkillers?" Jane asks.

"Not yet." Samira says. "Jia, is it just general pain? Or does it feel like anything is broken?"

Jia coughs, and then winces. "Don't know. Just hurts."

Samira looks over at Jane. "Can you get my bag, and some water?"

Jane pops open the door, finding Reyna sitting just outside. "What do you need?" Reyna asks.

"Water, and Samira's bag." Jane says.

"I'll get them." Reyna says.

Jane looks back inside, seeing Samira gently touching Jia's feet.

"You are so lucky it's been warm lately." Samira says.

"Luckiest girl in the world." Jia snorts, and then groans.

"I..." Samira says.

"I know what you meant." Jia says. "Don't worry about it."

"Jia, are you hungry?" Jane asks. "When did you last eat?"

"Yes." Jia says. "What day is it?"

"February 21st." Jane says.

Jia takes a moment, looking down at her bruised body. "He didn't feed me for three days before the store. That's why he chose the grocery store; he wanted me to be hungry."

"That was several days ago, at least." Jane says. "Assuming he posted it the same day he took the video."

"Let's go light at first." Samira says.

"We've been through this before, with Amber." Jane reminds her. "I'll get some crackers."

Jane steps out, gently closing the door behind her, and heads to the kitchen.

"I heard she's awake." Robert says, sitting at the small kitchen table with Amber and Emily, while digging into a bag of chips.

"She is, but she's really weak." Jane says. "And starving. Do we have some crackers?"

Amber stands up, digging through the bags on the counter until she pulls out a box. "Here, Mistress. Is there anything else we can do to help?"

"You are already doing it." Jane says with a smile. "I talked to Tom and Rosie about the situation here. Hopefully they'll get back to me before we go to bed tonight."

"I updated Marsha too." Robert says. "She said they don't care what happens with her, as long as it stays out of the press."

"I assumed as much." Jane says.

When she makes it back to the bathroom door, she finds Reyna waiting again. "I handed in the water and meds." She says.

"Thank you." Jane says. "You've been such a big help today. You've got to be starving, why don't you and Robert order something in for the three of us? And maybe get a tiny bit extra in case Jia can eat real food tonight?"

"Ok." Reyna says. "I'll get Emily to take over, in case you need anything."

"It's fine." Jane says. "I'm capable of walking to the kitchen, and if anything comes up, I can text."

Stepping back into the bathroom, Jane opens the crackers, holding out one for Jia to take.

"Did you already give her the painkillers?" Jane asks.

"I want her to eat a bit first." Samira says, shaking her head. "Once she gets a few down, then we try the pills."

"What do you want with me?" Jia asks after she swallows the first cracker.

"What?" Jane asks.

"Why did you buy me?" Jia asks. "What do you plan to do with me?"

"That's up to you." Jane says. "We bought you to get you away from Jason. Once you are better, you can stay with us, or if there is someone you want us to call who can take you, we can do that. It's not something you have to decide today. Do you have any family you want us to call now?"

"Just my sister." Jia says. "But she would have been detained too."

"I'm sorry." Jane says. "Do you know her number? I can give it a shot."

"It was in my phone." Jia said. "And he smashed that."

"I have a friend I can ask." Jane asks. "Maybe she can figure out who owns her."

Leaning down, Jane quietly asks. "Do you want to talk about what happened with Jason? Only if you want to, of course."

"Master Dickhead?" Jia smirks. "It turns out, guys get really upset if you laugh when their equipment doesn't work when they are trying to **** you."

"So, he didn't..." Jane begins to ask.

"Not for lack of trying." Jia says angrily. "But I'm sure you saw that I'm not his type."

"That's something, at least." Jane says. "Why did he buy you in the first place?"

"His son was in my unit when I first graduated." Jia says. "We caught him trying to **** a local girl when we were deployed. The sergeant wanted to let it go, but I reported it, and he got court-martialed. I'm guessing he's still locked up, or he probably would have been the one beating the shit out of me."

"That... makes sense." Jane says. "He blamed you, and wanted ****."

"Basically." Jia says. "I'm getting tired. Should probably get out before I fall asleep."

"I'll get Reyna and Emily to help." Jane says. "Do you think you can travel tomorrow? We'd like to get you to a real doctor, and maybe get ourselves home."

"I'll manage." Jia says, a tiny smile showing for half a second before she stops, putting one hand up to her split lip.