Rebuilt

Chapter 4

"Elmer," JoJo said softly. "Da baths ready, for uh the girlie."

Elmer placed me back on the counter and I detach my shaking limbs. Elmer looks at JoJo, then to Race, then finally to Albert. He just simply smiles then politely says. "We'se should give her some privacy."

They all nod and exit the room. Except Elmer.

"You'se okay?" he asks. I shake my head. "Well at least you'se honest."

He walks over to the bath and dips his hand in. "It's nice and warm for you'se. Do you need help?"

I nod simply and tug at my wrist and it's bandages. He smiles starts to unwrap it. He does it slowly, careful not to hurt me. If he saw any signs of me in pain he would slow down or stop.

While Elmer was unwrapping my wrist I looked up and really got to look at him. His chest was still bare, and I could see the lines defining it. He had two freckles on the tip of his nose and his hair was black and wet causing it to be spiky. His eyes were dark brown, so dark you couldn't tell where his pupils started and iris ended.

He looked up from my wrist catching my eye, "you'se checkin' me out goil?"

I shake my head.

"You don't speak much do's you'se?"

I shake my head again.

"Why'se that, doll?"

I try to speak normally, though my voice comes out raw and crackly. "Pain."

"Does it hurt to speak? Is that's what you'se mean?"

I shake my head. "I would get hurt."

"Where were you'se?" Elmer asked looking at your wrist.

I ignore the question, scratching my back with my left hand. When I look at it again its red with blood. Elmer looks and frowns. "May I'se please takes a look at you'se back?" I stare at him for a second. He asks again, "please?"

I nod and turn around, avoiding looking at the mirror. Elmer hiked up my shit on my back side with one and holds the front down with his other hand. His wrapped around my waist and I could feel his breath down my neck.

"I'se...uh... sorry 'bout that." He says shyly.

I toss a dismissive hand in his direction.

I see him look up in the mirror. "You'se got a strong accent girlie. Where ya from?"

I shrug.

"Well you'se got an accent that could put good ol' King 'O Brooklyn Spot Conlon to shame."

I raise a dirty eyebrow. "Who'se dat?" I rasp.

Elmer stopped looking at my back at gasped. "You'se dont know who'se Spot Conlon is?"

"I'se been in the Refuge for ten years," I say, barely a whisper.

"Dats a long times," was all Elmer said before dropping the subject. "Before you'se bathe, why don't ya get in the shower?"

My eyes grow big in my head and I hop off the counter. I stare at Elmer then slowly back against the door.

"Aye, aye? What's gotten into yas? I jus says' ya should shower." Elmer looked concerned and confused.

I look from the shower to the bath, to my dirty bare feet. I shake my head thinking of all the things that happened at the Refuge. "No." I pause taking a breath.  "Please, just no," i rasp

I walk over to the tub and hand my head low.

Elmer stays where he is on the corner of the counter. "You'se dont have to bath if you'se dont want tos."

I shake my head. "I'se need to."

"I'se dont got any clothes thats will fit a goil. And you's so skinny." Elmer points out my frail figure.

I draw up my shirt and look at my chest. It's flat. Though I can see my rib cage perfectly. Elmer looks away as I do so.

He walks over and sits on the edge of the tub. "You'se take your time doll." 

He readjusts his towel around his waist, he clasps his hand in his lap, he looks up.  "You'se got a name?"

I shrug my narrow shoulders.  "Maybe," I say before I peel off my vomit and blood soaked shirt and toss it too the ground. My "bra" used to be white, though now it's brown, ripped, and bloody. I shimmy off my pants that have wholes in them and toss them next to my shirt. I dont have panties. They were ruined at the refuge. So I just stole the smallest sized boxers I could find.

"We'se could come up with a name for ya!" Elmer says. Then he turns around, and stops and stares.

He looks at my barley clothed body then looks away. "That's me que to leave, I'll see you soon. You'se have roughly 30 minuets until the boys start to get ready to carry da banner. And trust me if Albert or Race get a look at you like this...there no stopin' 'em."

He winks before shutting the door.