"When I find the son of a bitch that did this, He's going to pay!" Brian said, sitting in a wheelchair in the doctor's office. There was a man with him wearing navy blue, mechanic's work clothes. He was nodding his head.

"What time is it?" Brian asked him.

"Two-twenty," the man said.

"What the hell? My appointment was for two o'clock. What's taking so damn long?"

"It's alright Brian," he said.

"No it's not, Uncle Al," he retorted. "You got to get back to work."

"I don't mind. I'm not in a real hurry," Al said. "Let Jim handle it for a change. It's good for him."

The waiting room at Dr. Ravensdale's practice was full. There were patients of all types and ages. One young mother had her three children with her, including a baby. She looked extremely tired. There were several elderly adults and plenty of people who looked like they just rolled right out of bed. There wasn't much room for wheelchairs but they made due when they needed to. One young man sat in a corner looking at a magazine and trying to act like he wasn't listening to anyone but, he heard every word Brian said.

It was Grant. This was his penance. Ellie made him sit in the waiting room for every one of Brian's appointments. She wanted it to be real for him. She wanted him to see what his anger did. It was a hard pill to swallow but it was a good medicine. He wouldn't let his anger get the best of him like that again.

*******************************************************

The hot water felt so good, as it ran down over her neck and back. It was the best shower she ever had. At least, that's what it felt like after spending weeks in the hospital. Runa was so tired; she didn't even see the marks until she started washing her stomach and arms. Then, there they were. Orange and red and yellow covered her sides and parts of her upper arms. They were the wrong color for bruises. It wasn't bruises, she realized.

It was paint. What the hell?

She jumped out of the shower and wiped off the mirror. She turned herself back and forth and tried looking closer at her arms and her body. There were strange designs of flames and symbols all over her sides and back and the upper parts of her arms. She felt afraid. She felt violated. She didn't understand what was going on.

She began to dry herself off and tried to rub the paint off. But it was already fading somewhat. She couldn't really remove it completely. She took a washcloth and put some peroxide on it. She rubbed her skin and it barely started to fade more. She rubbed harder and harder but nothing. She sat down on the toilet lid for a minute and looked at her arms some more. She shook her head.

"I don't understand. Am I just going crazy? Maybe I am."

Runa stood at the sink in her pajamas and took her pills. She sat down on her couch and pulled her knees into her chest and laid her head on top of them. She sat deep in thought.

"What am I gonna do, Houdini?" she asked the cat who was sitting there looking at her.