Ergastulum's New Sweetheart

Chapter 1

Disclaimer, this is simply fanfiction and the only character that's original is Kate. ANything in bold is what is being signed, when words 'LoOk LiKe ThIs' that's when Nic is talking, nearly everytime Kate signs she also talks out loud. Please enjoy!! :)

Kate's POV:

I was currently filling in for an old woman that had let me sleep outside her shop because she was took sick to go in today. At first she thought I was working the corner, but once I convinced her that I wasn't a prostitute she seemed to like me more.

After running away from my abusive father in West Gate, I found myself here, in Ergastulum. A crime ridden town full of drug lords, pimps, and prostitutes, but it was away from home which was good enough for me. When I was a girl I used to be a maid for the Archangelo family, but once my mom left, and Mr. Archangelo was killed, I lost my job. Being 13 I took it pretty hard, and my dad took everything he was going through out on me. I shook my head at the memories that currently were clouding my ability to enjoy what I had now.

"Hey Granny, can I get my usual's." I looked up to see two men. The one closest to the window was a tall blonde with long hair and an eye patch, overall very attractive, but at the moment he was distracted, trying to get his lighter to work.

The man behind him had bored eyes and an unimpressed expression. He had dark hair that hung over and covered a small part of his forehead and eye. He wore a nice button up with a jacket, which was odd considering it was warm outside. The dark haired one elbowed his friend forcing him to look up.

"Oh sorry, I thought you were Granny. What's your name?" He smiled and leaned one elbow on the window seal. "Yeah, Granny's sick today and asked me to watch the shop, and Kate. What's your's?"

"Oh I'm Worrick, and this handsome brooding fellow is Nicolas." He gestured to his friend with a playful smile. Nicolas' face didn't change. "Okay well what's your usual?" I asked Worrick. "Oh just the cheapest smokes you got." I handed him his cigarettes and he turned around mumbling something to Nicolas while taking off and leaving his friend behind.

"Is he okay?" I asked Nicolas. He started to move his hands and then gave up, shaking his head and scratching the back of his neck. "Can you talk?" I asked, maybe he wasn't rude just mute. By this time he was looking down but didn't react to anything I'd said. "Nicolas?" I asked again.

By now Worrick had come back and nudged Nicolas. "Dude, she's been calling out your name. You could have at least said something." Nicolas just growled under his breath. "Sorry sweet cheeks, poor guys deaf." He put an arm around his deaf friend as they both looked at me. 

"Well why didn't you say so?" "Hi Nicolas, I'm Kate. I was just asking if Worrick was okay because he left in a hurry." I signed. "Oh, sorry." Nicolas signed back. "You know sign language? Hmm that's a rare find in a town like this." Worrick told me. "Yeah, I'm not from around here." I chuckled and continued

"My mom was deaf, she worked as a Mercenary and lost her hearing out in the field." I said as well as signed making sure both were apart of the conversation. Worrick actually looked a lot like Wallace, but Wallace had gone missing and he probably wouldn't have made it this far. I shook the thought off.

"Well where are you from?" Worrick asked while taking another drag of his cigarette. "West Gate." I mumbled while looking down. I knew damn well that I was lucky to have made it out of there alive.

"Well we're gunna head out, you take care Kate." Worrick waved as he walked off. Nic just followed closely behind.

I was only there for an hour or so before 'Granny' came back with a sandwich for me. After that she sent me on my merry way. I wanted to walk around a bit and try to find a place that was hiring. Before I turned to go down an alley I bumped into a girl. She had dark hair, tan skin, and bright blue eyes.

"Oh hey, I'm sorry." Once she turned around I noticed her bloody lip. I took out a napkin that Granny had given me along with my sandwich. "Here." I handed it over.

"You don't.." I stopped her, "you need it more than me." I chuckled. That got a smile out of her. "I'm Kate." I told her. I didn't expect her to answer considering that in this town a lot of people just kept to themselves.

Before the girl could speak some asshole with a gold chain came behind her and shoved her down. "You're telling me you can't make more than this? I know you're sweet ass can bring me more!" He kicked her while she was down. Being the impulsive idiot I was I yelled. "Hey you ass get away from her" and before the guy could say anything I punched him in the face.

He rubbed the blood that was running from his nose. "Damn, you punch pretty hard for a bitch." He backed me against a wall. I looked around trying to find the girl but she had taken off. 'Serves me right, I was nice enough to help and she ran' but then I'd convinced myself that any smart person would have ran in the first place.

While I was looking for her the man with the gold chain dug a knife into my side. I gritted my teeth not giving him the satisfaction of hearing me beg. "Hmm tough one. Maybe I'll just recruit you." Before he could do anything else he saw the lights of a car and ran as fast as he could.

"Hey you alright?" A young guy wearing a suit asked me. At the moment I was biting down too hard to talk to him, so instead I moved my hands to show him the blood. "Shit." He muttered and guided me to the car. I looked over only to notice that it was a cop car. 'Thank God.'

"Hey Chad she's hurt pretty bad." The younger guy helped me into the backseat as he went back to the driver's seat. Chad was an older blonde man that had a cigarette in his hand. He took one look at me and directed the younger guy to take me to a doctor named Theo.

I had heard that when you lost enough blood you'd black out or feel out of it. I guess I wasn't so lucky because I felt everything, the car ride seemed to take way too long.

When we pulled up to the doctors the doctor was outside of the building smoking and talking to a younger girl with short hair. She led me inside while the officers talked to the doctor. "Hey, I'm Nina, now let's see what you've got." She laid me down and lifted up my shirt. "Wow, it's at least four inches deep." Just then the Doc walked over and sat in a chair he had pulled up beside the young girl.

"Hmm, well we're not gunna have enough time to put you under, so you'll have to be awake while I stitch this up." I coughed and groaned "man, I just can't get a break today." The Doc laughed and proceeded to stitch me up. I continued clenching my teeth not wanting to irritate him with my pained groans while he was helping me.

Once he was done he told me that I could sleep here over night and he'd prescribe me some painkillers tomorrow morning. I was currently laying down trying to sleep. "Here, it's honey tea, it always helps me sleep." "Thanks Nina." I managed to get out as I sat up and took the cup from her. She didn't stay long but she was right about that tea. After a while I felt myself dose off.