Without having to see, Mark guessed at what the Cinsaid was trying to hide when he turned away and wretched. So, with a slight winced, he turned away. He wished he could feel right leaving, but there was no reason to be so cruel.

"I've been to the pound before," he commented thoughtfully. At first, he didn't realize he spoke aloud. When he did, his face reddened. It was probably not the best time to have lighthearted conversation.

“Oh, well that’s nice to know.” Seige gasped and sat back up, once he could speak again, wiping the blood from his mouth.

He leaned back over a few seconds later, and coughed up even more blood. A pool was starting to form beside him, he’d coughed so up much.

“It’s a good thing I’m big or I’d be dead, I’m almost there as it is, and it’ll be a God-send.” He mumbled. Looking over at Mark he started to laugh a shaky, wheezy laugh that made him cough again, bringing another wince and scream.

“He got you.” Seige pointed at Mark’s head.

Mark felt the bump welling up on his forehead and frowned. “That’s nothing,” he said hollowly. “Look at you.” He paced the room for a moment. “I’d do something more than stand around, but I’m not sure what I could do,” he said, stopping to stare at Seige. It was driving him absolutely mad not being able to help him. “Is there something I could do?” He demanded.

“I’ll heal…Eventually.” Seige gurgled a laugh, making him cough agian.

“Well, I know what to do but I don’t think you’d want to help do it, so just get me a knife, a small tube about as big around as your finger or a little smaller, a bowl, and some tape.” Siege leaned his head back against the wall, “Oh, and a pair of pants.”

Wordlessly, Mark scrambled out the door to begin his search. Since he didn't know the house well, it would be difficult. He wandered through each room aimlessly. I don't know what to do, he kept thinking as he rummaged through the kitchen, which had thankfully been straight down the hall.

The knife was easy enough to find as was the bowl. Tape was in a junk drawer. A tube... well, that was the tricky one. He must have gone through every drawer before he stood in the center, looking around him frantically. Then, his eyes fell on the spray nozzle. That could work. He went over and cut off the end and then pulled it out as far as he could to cut it away from the sink.

Quickly, he was back in the room to present the asked for items to Seige. Once he handed them over, he went to the closet and grabbed a pair of pants.

“Thank you.” Seige took the items and shifted into his human form putting on the pants for decency.

He knew that what he was going to have to do couldn’t be done in Cinsaid form. Just as he picked up the knife, Zink came in smiling proudly, holding a large chunk of meat in one hand and Yolam in his arms. “I thought it would just be better to bring her here.”

“Ahh. Zink, just in time, come here.” Seige held out the knife to Zink. “Collapsed lung.”

“Oh. Great. I just love these.” Zink said, rolling his eyes. Setting down the meat, and his wife, he knelt beside Seige, and took the knife.

“You’re the one with the doctorate degree in medicine.” Seige told him crossly.

"Meh, meh meh. Blah blah blah."Zink immitated Seige. "It doesn't make me like doing it. Know this is going to hurt. Bad."

Zink cut the skin, put his finger in the hole in Siege’s chest feeling for the lung, ignoring Seige’s squirming and teeth grinding, he turned, and grabbed the make-shift tube. Taking his finger out of the hole, he swiftly shoved the tube into the hole in the skin, and situated the bowl under the other end of the tube. Seige screamed loudly but let it turn to a soft “Ahhh” as the blood from his lung started to run out of the tube and into the bowl, releasing the pressure in his chest.

“Give me the meat, Zink. Now.” Seige demanded, ripping into it when he did. He ate with such ferocity that almost before he had begun eating, he was done.

"It was cow by the way." Zink muttered, sullenly.

Mark realized that Zink was going to perform the procedure on Seige, and he quickly stepped outside the room. To avoid the sound of Seige’s pained cries, he walked down the stared and stared at the art on the first floor’s walls.

“Alright. Let’s do this thing.” Seige said getting unsteadily to his feet. He grabbed the knife and cut Yolam’s palm and squeezed out a little blood mixing it with the blood already in the bowl.

He made a design on the floor around her body with the blood, then knelt in front of her, speaking the ancient language he began summoning her soul back from the void between the afterlife and forelife. When her soul came back to their dimension he grabbed it, and shoved it back into her body, motioning for Zink to start CPR, he put a hand over her heart and sent a burst of his life energy through that hand, jump starting her heart, making her soul stick.

She sat up with a loud gasp, and Zink hugged her tightly, looking at Seige with astonishment. “Thank you.”

“Well, what else could I do?” Seige replied, stumbling away down the hall, and down the stairs, stopping only to say, “She’s alive.” and moving on. He stumbled out of the gallery and gulped in the night air for a minute, moving on to the coffee house to tell see if Zink had told them anything about what had happened. There wasn’t any way Zink hadn’t stopped by the coffee house before finding him, that was where Zink had thought he was.

Gin and Sade stared at Seige with wide eyes as he entered the Mensten. "What the hell happened?" He started in immediately, sounding more concerned than downright rotten for once.

Gin stood up quickly and asked, “Is there anything I can get you? Ice? Or something?” She wrung her hands together tiredly. Dark circles at formed under her eyes. She had been asleep when the door opened.

Swinging the door open as if it was made of lead, Mark dragged himself into the coffee shop. He nodded to Sade and moved towards the stairs. “I’m going to sleep if you don’t mind,” he said with a yawn.

“Damn. Everyone is dropping like flies,” he muttered. “Go ahead.”

Seige looked at Sade, with half open eyes, “Mr. Vanderburg happened. He beat the life out me with a candlestick and a firepoker, so three broken ribs, a collapsed lung, a crushed hand, and a concussion later here I am.”

He turned to Gin, reaching out for a table that wasn’t there as his knees started to buckle. “A shower, and about ten days worth of sleep.” He answered her from the floor, holding his head in his hands.

“Did Zink say anything about his wife, when he came earlier?” Seige asked looking up at the two.

“Good night, Mark.” Seige told him as he passed through.

"You can use Sade's room," Gin insisted. For once, the coffee house owner didn't protest.

Instead, he shook his head at the next question. “He didn’t say much of anything.”

She cleared her throat. “Actually, he said she died. He looked pretty upset, but as soon as we told him where you were… he left.”

“I think I’ll stay here, too tired to move.” Seige yawned and laid back on the floor, thrilled that the floor was so cold. “I brought her back.” was the last thing he said before falling asleep.

"Brought her back where?" Sade asked as he crossed the cafe to turn off the open sign. There was no way he could do business with a Cinsaid asleep on his floor. He even let the blinds down just to be sure no one peered inside.

Gin shrugged. She didn't say what she thought, though. Sade would have rolled his eyes, but she was sure Seige had meant that he brought back Zink's wife from the dead. "Locking up?" She asked instead, and he nodded. Before she left, she paused to give him a hug. Surprised, he halfheartedly patted her back.

“Long day?” He asked jokingly. She punched his shoulder and slipped out the door with a small grin.



Three Days Later

“Gin!” Sade pounded on her door. He was irritated, as usual. This time it was because Seige was still asleep on his door. Skipping a Sunday and Monday of business had been no big deal, but by Tuesday… he was growing murderous. He continued pounding on her door, knowing she’d be asleep. After all, it was 2 in the afternoon. “Gin!” He bellowed.

Malia stuck her head out the door and then stepped out, hands on hips. “What’s wit all da bangin’?” She shoved a finger against his shoulder. “Ya be keepin’ people awake like dat,” she grumbled.

“I’m trying to wake Gineja up,” he replied, pausing in his knocking to look at the short woman.

“Let me try.” She thrust him aside with her hip and twisted the knob. It swung open easily. “Much easier, ya no see it?”

He glared at stepped into Gin’s apartment with Malia close behind.

Seige woke with the worst headache ever, trying to sit up unsuccessfully due to his injuries and headache. His hand hurt the worst, lifting it up he saw a cast covering it. What? Where am I? How long was I asleep?

“Dude, I didn’t think you were ever gonna wake up, man!!” Zink said excitedly. “What do you think of your hand? It was a bugger to pin.”

“Yeah, thanks. How long was I asleep?”Seige squinted his eyes at the light coming into the room.

“Three days. You were out like light, man.” Zink went and sat next to Seige.

“Mmmm. That’s great, I need sustenance.” Seige sat, up his head done spinning.

“Oh, ok.” Zink left to get more food.

Seige got up, usteadily to his feet, and went over to the sink , turned the faucet on, sticking his head under the faucet he washed his face, at first surprised to see the water turned a rust, then remembered what had previously happened, and continued washing his face. After that he gulped water until his stomach was so distended that it would burst if he drank any more.

Feeling better he sat back down on the floor to wait for Zink to come back.

Gin lay asleep on her pullout sofa, her blankets bunched up around her, leaving most of her limbs and light blue sheets uncovered. One arm was flung over the side and her legs splayed out in a childish show of trying to possess the entire bed. Sade shook his head and Malia sat at the kitchen table and began munching on an apple.

“Gineja El?” Sade shook her shoulder. She didn’t even groan. He sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. “Gin?” He said loudly. Nothing. “Are you deaf?!”

“Maybe she be drinkin’ too much last night?” Malia suggested after swallowing a huge bite of apple.

“She never drinks that much,” he snapped and turned, shaking Gin’s shoulder violently. “Why won’t you wake up!?” He knew she wasn’t dead. Her chest rose and fell evenly.

Malia stood up, suddenly alert and nervous. “Should I be callin’ an ambulance?”

Seige got bored just sitting in the room, so he decided to stand outside to people watch. They all stared at him as they would walk past and occasionally one person would cross the street to avoid walking by him. After a while Zink returned with a hamburger and a large steak.

“You really shouldn’t stand out here like this. People won’t like you and it could cause problems for that Sade fellow.” Zink told him, handing him the steak, as they went inside.

“I know, but I’m tired of being inside all the time. I need to get outside and walk around.” Seige leaned against the wall beside the door staring around the room as he chewed.

“How’s Yolam?” He asked, watching Zink sit at one of the tables and unwrap his sandwich.

“She’s fine. She wants to see you though. Wants to thank you I guess.”Zink told him, taking a bite of the hamburger.

“Yeah, I guess.” Seige replied falling silent, and they ate the rest of their breakfasts in silence. Seige cleaning up the mess they made when they were done.

The paramedics arrived quickly. Both Malia and Sade watched as they carried her away on the stretcher and watched as the ambulance sped down the street. She wrung her hands together, he jingled his keys in his pocket.

“What now?” Malia asked.

Sade shrugged. “We can go to the hospital. Someone needs to be there when she wakes up.”

“I be getting’ Mark, den,” she said, turning and running up the stairs to fetch their friend.

Seige was still tired but needed to walk around and since he was still scared of Malia, he had gave up on getting clothes that fit him, so decided to take Zink and go over to Velige’s house to see if she was ok and to check on her husband. No one was home so he and Zink went to see Yolam, and ask her if she had anything for him to do.

“Seige!” Yolam ran to him and hugged him tightly. She leaned back and looked up at him as he laughed.

“Good thing I’m not shorter.” Seige told her, peeling her off. “I’m still not 100% yet. I heal fast but…well yeah, you know.” Seige shrugged.

“So, are you all there? Last time I did that I didn’t get all of their soul in them fast enough, I missed the toe.” Before she could answer, Seige knelt down, grabbed her face with both hands and stared her in the face, looking her in the eyes. Content with what he saw, he let her go.

“So, I guess I’m fine then?”

“Yes. When did you guys get here? Why didn’t you tell me you were here?” Seige sat down, spreading his legs across the floor.

“We just got here.”Zink told him.

“Oh. Well, anyway. Yolam do you need help with anything?” Seige wanted to do something but he didn’t have a job and probably would never get one.

“No. Actually, you’re distracting me. Zink, you need to stay.” Yolam told him crisply, suddenly back to busying around.

“Ok, well let me know if there is anything I can do.” Seige told her, standing carefully back up.

Seige didn’t know what to do so found himself wandering aimlessly around the town, smiling and nodding at anyone who stared too long.

"Stop the cab!" Sade practically yelled in the poor man's ear despite the divider. With a look of extreme irritation, he pulled over. “Roll down the window!” He commanded Malia.

She did and looked out the window to see what the big deal was. “Seige?” Her eyes widened. Why was he walking around like that? The cab driver shrank back into his seat.

“Seige!” Sade shouted, leaning across both Mark and Malia. “Seige! Come over here! It’s important!” He was relieved to see the Cinsaid awake, but business wasn’t exactly on his mind. He thought Seige might like to know about Gin; they seemed to be friends after all.

Seige had been contemplating whether he should go find a shower and wash the rest of the blood off his body or if he should find a corner to curl up and sleep in since he was so lost, so it took him a second to figure out someone was yelling his name.

“Sade? What’s wrong? Why are all of you crammed in that thing?” He looked at the cab, not trusting the snarling monster spewing out of its rear, but at the same time he knew Sade wouldn’t be yelling at him like that unless it was important. Reluctantly he went over to the cab to listen to what Sade had to say.

Once Sade was done telling him what had happened, Seige stood in shock, staring straight ahead. “Is she ok? You know what? Just tell me at the hospital. I'll meet you there. I won’t get in that thing.” He knew it was stupid, but couldn’t help himself.

After getting directions from a scared looking young man, he took off running for the hospital at full speed. When he got there he entered the building and started looking around for Sade.

“Hit it taxi mun or I be breakin’ yer neck,” Malia threatened, kicking the back of the seat. Boy did he hit it.

When they reached the hospital, the three scrambled out of the vehicle and inside. Sade waved to Seige as soon as he saw them. “Hey, over here Seige!” He called, not caring if anyone saw them talking. He jogged over to him instead of waiting for him to come over and said, “Malia is trying to get some information or something. Mark is just sitting around. And Gin… I have no idea about Gin. That’s why we’re here. I… I…” He looked around frantically, unsure of where to start or what to say.

“Um, try… Um, I don’t know.”Seige was extremely confused, and just plain didn’t know what to do, so he just stood around until people started staring at him and giving him dirty looks for blocking the doorway, so he went over to one of the walls, to look confused there, instead.

After a few minutes “So what now?” was all he could think of to say.

A nurse walked up to Seige with a concerned expression that also held a hint of fear. "Sir," she said as confidently as she could manage, "Do you need to be admitted?"

Sade couldn’t help the laughter that rose in his throat. The Cinsaid did look pretty beat up. Mark shook his head and smiled, remembering the night it all happened. Of course a nurse would be concerned.

Malia was reaching across the desk and grabbing a woman by her shirt collar. “I be needin’ to see my fren’ n’ ya be sayin’ I cyann? Who da hell do ya think ya are, mon?”

The poor nurse shrank back from her, uncurling her fingers from her scrubs. She could barely understand her words through her thick accent. “I’m sorry. I understand you’re upset but no visitors right now. And if you bother me further, I’ll call security.”

“Raas!” She screeched and stormed away to sit by Mark who shrugged away from her a little, sitting on the edge of his seat. “Bomba claat.”

Sade stopped in his pacing to ask, “What?”

“Ya don’t even wanna know, mon,” Malia assured him.

OOC: I'm so sure I'm butchering Jamaican. >.< I have limited resources.

“Uhhh.” Seige stood there and stared at the nurse stupidly for a moment before realizing; Yes she is talking to me. “Oh, no. I’ve been taken care of. I’m here to see my friend.” He walked away from her toward another corner of the room, as far as he could from Malia, and sat on the floor, when he saw she was no longer completely distracted by the nurse at the counter.

Playing with the tape in his side, he tried to think of something he could do to help, and how he would do it.

Malia called out to Seige from across the room, “Why ya be sittin’ over dere?”

Sade stood and impatiently approached the nurse at the desk. “When will we know anything about Gineja?” He asked as politely as he could.

“Look, I already told your friend with the accent that you’d have to wait,” she said heatedly.

“I realize that. And I’m being nice. So please give me an answer.” He spoke between his teeth, chopping up his words with irritation.

“I don’t know, sir,” she growled.

Suddenly, a doctor appeared behind the nurse and asked, “Is he asking about Gineja?” She nodded. “Alright, well, send him to my office and we can talk. Is he family?”

“She doesn’t have any family around. I’m what she has. So please talk to me,” Sade begged for the first time in years.

“I be comin’ too,” Malia said, jumping up. Mark followed wordlessly, his face twisted in worry.

The doctor sighed. It was against procedure, but he wasn’t the type to follow rules. “Anyone else?”