Seeing Red

Chapter 4 - Basic Understanding

A/N: Thank you to coconutjuice for the amazing cover!

Once she and Joe had gotten in the door, Katarina had deposited him on his couch and went off to search for what Joe called a First Aid Kit.

Which left Joe alone with time to think.

He leaned back against the over-stuffed, blue couch and sighed. Why was she familiar with only certain human concepts? She could understand that her wounds were beyond what a normal human being could stand, yet she didn’t know what a first aid kit was? And even the fact that she understood what a name was, and why it was important baffled him. He had so many questions, yet so little answers.

Joe looked over at the window; he was sure they would come eventually. He had to leave, and he had to take Katarina. Now. Before it was too late. If the scientists got a hold of her-

He shuddered. He didn’t want to think about what would happen. He wanted to keep Katarina close. Ad if she was close, she was safe. All he had to do was outsmart the people who wanted her.

Which was going to be hard to do.

She was supposed to be an assassin- the best one yet. She was supposed to work under a gang leader, a government official, a war lord-

But now she was human. Well, she was still human in the start, only, she didn’t act like it. Now, her gentler nature was coming in, she felt like she had to care for him after she hurt him; it was endearing, almost as if he had another close friend, wife- or on a stretch, a daughter.

He closed his eyes and thought about Bill. His friend who helped make Katarina human. He had died for a cause he didn’t even believe in. The scene kept replaying in Joe’s head; Bill screaming at him, grabbing on to Katarina’s arm and trying to hold her still for him, Katarina slashing and stabbing him, the light fading from his eyes as he took his final breath.

Joe couldn’t believe that he was still trying to help her. After killing his friend, a part of him was sure that he should be furious, almost screaming for her blood. But he knew that he couldn’t do that. She wasn’t acting like she would have if she grew up normally. If they didn’t create her. Now, he felt that it was his duty to help her, to save her from the people who wanted to use her.

He heard footsteps come down the hall, Katarina soon appearing with the first aid kit.

“Joseph, this is it, right?” She held out the kit, a slight frown on her face. He laughed and nodded, motioning for her to bring it over.

“Yes, isn’t it a bit obvious?” She cocked her head, confused and he sighed again. She was so naïve. “Never mind, forget I said anything.” He opened the kit and grabbed the disinfectant and gauze, beginning to clean and bind his wounds.

“Joseph? What are we going to do about Bill?”

He swallowed, tears stinging at his eyes and continued on his work. “I’ll call somebody about him. Another friend. She works at the crematorium, she’ll take him.” He wiped the tears from his eyes and tried to busy himself, but the longer he spent bandaging himself, the more he thought of Bill.

Finally, he threw everything down and let himself be consumed by the tears. The sobs racked his body, making him cough and hack. Each sob came harder than the last until finally he was only left hiccupping, the worst of it over.

He felt Katarina’s hand on his back, soothing him. He looked up at her and she wiped the tears from his eyes, giving him a hug.

“Are you alright?” He nodded, pulling back. He looked at her, a slight smile spreading across his features.