Roller Derby Match

"Your dads not here, I can help you Jo, I know what I'm doing ok? Just stay calm with deep breaths" he patted the area with the chloroprep. "It's gonna sting, alright? But tts a good signI

Josefina felt the sting and couldn't tell why it was hurting so much. But she wanted it to stop. Physically, she was a 16-year-old, roller-derby bully. Mentally, she was about the equivalent of an abused 7-year-old. "Please... Stop...!"

Jackson removed his hands slowly. "Jo, if you want me to help you, it's going to sting for a moment ok?" Jackson furrowed his brow, trying to think. "Please, just allow me to help you Jo, then you can start skating again" he offeredX trying to help

What came out of Jackson's mouth as soft words, Jo heard as screaming. She flinched and seemed to shrivel up, whimpering a quiet: "I'm sorry,"

"There is nothing to be sorry about" he said, lowering his tone. "Just relax, I'm here to help you. I'm not someone to hurt you" he tried to reassure her, worried about the infection

Jo swallowed thickly, seeming to have to built up the courage to even speak. "...Do I get an extra beating tonight...?" She asked, trembling, fearful of the answer. "Are you gonna revoke my eating privalleges? Please... I won't do it again," she squeezed her eyes shut tight.

"No beating, I'm not going to hurt you" Jackson said calmly "I'm not taking away your food either, I'm only here to help you heal, I'm your friend, I'm someone who will help you" he repeated, trying to reassure her he wasn't going to beat her.

Jo stared at him for a long, long time without saying anything. It was unsettling, really. It was as if she wasn't looking at him, but looking into his soul. Her delerioualy fevered brain seemed to switch tracks, suddenly. "You hurt me," she said calmly. Her voice was completely level, now. She wasn't accusing him at all; she was just stating a fact. "You could've killed me. You tried to kill me. You wanted me dead," she said just as calmly, as if she was working it out in her head.

"Am I a monster?" She asked. But quickly, she answered her own question. "No, no. I'm not the monster,"

Jackson paused, staring at her. "I....yes I hurt you once, but it was a fight, it was a fight that you had started" he explained, watching her like a hawk. "No one is a monster unless they admit they are, so, are you a monster?" He asked as he watched the infections slowly fill and spread. He would have to get to work quickly before it got as sever as muscle had to be replaced, possibly bone or maybe just plain old amputation.

"Will you let me help you now?"

Josefina thought about it long and hard. "No. I am not a monster. I don't hurt people. Well, I do. I give bruises and black eyes and bloody noses. Sometimes I break bones- only in Roller Derby, though. But they heal. I don't even carry a weapon. I hurt people, yes. But I don't hurt people. Not like you do. I don't like seeing people bleed. But I need them to fear me. Because if they fear me, them they don't worry about me. And I can show up to school with the two black eyes dad gave me, and nobody asks me questions. It keeps me safe,"

Then, Jo closed her eyes, seingly ready to accept help.

Jackson slowly worked his way towards her shoulder and the horrible wound that resided there. Quickly his hands flew into his first aid bag, leaving the small remainders of the nectar and ambrosia alone in case he need it himself while he was attempting to rid the horrible infection from inside of her shoulder. Working with steady hands he began to drain all the fluid. He knew what had to be done, but honestly, if he was her he wouldn't have accepted help. But, now that she had he had a much better shot at healing her.

"Would you like me to keep talking to you?"

Jo's head rolled to one side and all she could manage to say was: "...It doesn't matter,"

"Why doesn't it matter?" He asked, watching her carefully

Jo's breathing began to shallow. "Hm..." Was all she could muster.

Jackson instantly began to resume the healing "your gonna be fine"

"Dont get your hopes up,"

Jackson smiled "an optimist and a pessimist"

A sad smirk slid across Jo's face. "You'd be a pessemist too, if you'd the world,"

Jackson shrugged "i lost my family in a fire, but I'm no pessimist"

Josefina closed her eyes. "'M sorry..." She said quietly, tiredly.

"It's alright, but your infection isn't"

"It'll be fine...'m sure,"

"I don't think soL

"If you're so sure I'm going to die, then why don't you just kill me, and finish the job- you ready tried once," Jo snapped half-heartedly.

Jackson raised his hands defensibly "hey, you started that fight and I never said you were going to die"