text:
Dungeon and Chains
Summary:. After finding a clearly confused and not fully with it Sam chained in their new dungeon, Dean soon begins to learn why his brother's scared of the chains and also why Sam's so determined to stay chained up as something from Sam's year alone returns to try to claim him no matter who has to die. *Limp/ groggy/in shock/hurt!Sam & Over-protective/angry/worried!Deam. (OOC Amelia also)* Set somewhere between 08x20 Pac-Man Fever & 08x22 Clip Show*
Warnings: This is another of those confusing warnings so here goes. I'm warning for language since this one does include a couple strong uses of a curse word. I'll also warn for mild suggestive themes though I'm trying for not to descriptive but there will be mention of forced drug use, abuse, and non-con.
This one won't be as dark as my last piece or I'm trying to keep it that way and as always I will warn on the 2nd chapter if it needs more advanced warnings. This is not Wincest regardless of how Sammy's dopey mouth was working at times so no fear of that.
I'm rating this M for those suggestive themes and mention of certain things since I wouldn't still feel right at doing a T rating even though I'm not going quite as dark as I did.
Also, fans of Amelia may not want to read this one as she is not portrayed in a good way.
Spoilers: There may be some but probably not too many as except for making Sam sick, the Trials really don't play a part in this.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, except for my own dark imagination. This is written for the enjoyment of others.
Author Note: Special thanks for the villain idea goes again to Wincesteriffic Kaz.
So I'd been trying to come up with a way to work in that dungeon and this plot seemed to fit. I wanted it as a one-shot but it would've gone too long for that. Thanks for reading and I hope you all enjoy this.
Chapter One
It was the odd sense that something felt wrong that first brought Dean Winchester out of a sound sleep. For over thirty years he's been trusting those gut instincts, especially if trusting them meant keeping him and his little brother alive.
Wide awake now, Dean grabbed his jeans, a t-shirt and his .45 while pulling on his boots to go down two doors to check on his drastically health declining brother and felt an odd feeling pool in his stomach at realizing Sam wasn't in his room.
The trials to shut Hell had really begun to hurt Sam, especially in the last day or so and Sam had been bad enough this night that it hadn't taken Dean nearly as big a fight as he'd expected to convince his brother to lay down and try to sleep.
There seemed to be something else bothering his baby brother in the past couple days though and Dean figured if he wasn't already worried about the effects these trials were having on Sam, to trying to stay four steps ahead of Crowley and about sixteen steps ahead of any angels that he would've already been all over Sam to find out what it was.
Sam seemed to be having serious memory flashbacks and while he'd been popping up with some that even Dean had a hard time recalling and a few that had sent his eyeballs crawling to the back of his head none of them had seemed too bad…yet.
This time though the older Winchester was starting to wonder what his brother was remembering or seeing since he'd caught the near panicked looks Sam would get occasionally or how he'd just zone out in the middle of a conversation and then nearly jump like he'd been scalded when Dean touched him.
Between the whole panicked/freaked little brother looks to his recently returned with a vengeance nightmares that had Sam screaming and then fighting when Dean tried to wake him up, he was getting some seriously bad feelings that something nasty was creeping up on Sam.
However what was tipping the scales in that area was the fact that Sam had nearly had a full blown panic attack earlier that day while Dean was checking out the full aspect of their brand new and very nifty dungeon in the lower section of the old Men of Letters base.
Dean had left Sam upstairs going through old files and books, anything to keep the kid's mind busy while he snooped around the dungeon when the next thing he'd heard was Sam's gasp as his normally calm sibling went from pale and gasping as he looked at Dean with one of the floor chains in his hand to full out panicked in a blink of an eye.
It usually took a lot to bring on a panic attack of this magnitude and to Dean's memory he couldn't recall Sam having one this bad since shortly before his deal came due but it wasn't just the panic he'd seen in his brother's face that began to get the warning bells ringing.
It was more the dull listless look that came in his eyes after Dean had managed to calm him down and how he'd practically curled into Dean's arm while whispering things that Dean only heard because he was right by Sam.
"Someone will have their lungs ripped out as soon as I get him to tell me who," he muttered, a quick but through look told him that no one was inside the base but he also hadn't located Sam yet.
Then the sounds hit him and with a harsh snarl he was running because in a place this size certain sounds, even ones from well below the ground floor, seemed to echo and the combined sounds of chains rattling and heavy retching had Dean's own panic levels notching through the roof.
"Sam? Sammy? What the hell are you…sonuvabitch," the last word was said in a broken whisper before Dean was across the room to the farthest back wall where the heaviest chains were hooked into the walls and floor. "Sammy!"
Thinking at first that Sam might've come down here to try to work past whatever had freaked him out earlier, but one look at the sight before his widening green eyes told the hunter something else was happening here.
Though right then all Dean could see was his pale, only half dressed sick and trembling brother chained in all but one etched binding as he tried to twist to one side was throwing up violently.
"What the hell, Sam?" he demanded, knowing his voice was loud and sharp but the fear shooting him made it impossible for him to sound any other way but the glazed look in the other pair of hazel eyes that appeared nearly black from shock or something told him that it was doubtful if his brother even heard him. "Sam!"
Gasping for breath as his straining lungs fought to draw in air all the while he gagged while whatever had been on his stomach came up, Sam Winchester didn't notice that he was no longer alone until a firm hand grabbed his shoulder and he fought the reflexive cry that wanted to burst free until the voice that belonged to the hand finally began to trickle in.
"Sammy? Hey, look at me," Dean stepped up to Sam while refusing to gag at the smell or the squishy sound under his boots since there was no way to get close to his brother without stepping in the mess that not only covered Sam but also the floor.
Looking for both wounds and the chance that maybe someone had gotten in to do this to his brother, Dean didn't see any obvious injuries and since Sam was only wearing a pair of sleep shorts it was easy to see that his brother wasn't bleeding nor did he seem to have any new injuries so that put the elder Winchester back to his original question.
"What the hell, Sam?" frustrated but still in the high stages of pure big brother panic, Dean started to reach for Sam's wrist that was held in the heavy chain. "Damn it. I haven't checked these yet to see if they work…well they must work…but I don't know if I can get them unlocked and…"
He'd been about to try to unlock the etched cuff when suddenly Sam shifted as much as he could with only one free hand and grabbed his brother's wrist in a hold that was frighteningly strong considering how weak Sam was right then.
"No," he managed to gasp out, trying to regain some breath as the dry heaves had finally appeared to stop. "…De, don't…"
"Don't what? Don't get you out of these damn things?" Dean shook his head, memories of Bobby's old panic room hit him and the silent vow to never see his brother restrained again shot to the surface. "You nearly hyperventilated earlier just by seeing me touch them and now you locked yourself up…Sam?"
Sam's eyes were blown until only a slight rim of hazel could be seen but he still seemed aware enough of who was with him and also what he needed to do…even if trying to explain it in full sentences didn't seem quite in his scope of ability right then.
Letting go of his brother to reach back for the final wrist clamp he made a frustrated sound low in his throat like he would as a toddler trying to do something for the first time and not being able. His next reaction was also like he'd do back then as well.
Turning tear filled puppy eyes on his brother, he tugged at the clamp again while trying to make Dean understand. "…Please…"
It took all of three seconds for that to get through the confusion Dean was feeling and then he was shaking his head, stepping back with both hands up. "Oh! No way. No way in hell, Sam!" he refused when he realized Sam was asking him to chain his free hand to the wall. "No!"
"Please, De," Sam sounded ragged and hollow but there was something else buried in that voice that truly worried Dean. "I…can't…get it and need it. I need to be chained up."
Between the huge puppy eyes, that didn't have the same effect since Sam's eyes were mostly pupil right then, the tears and the fact that he was back to using the nickname he had for Dean back before he could fully say 'Dean' it was hard for Dean to resist the almost begging pleas.
However chaining his already sick and weak brother to the wall went against the rules, unless the kid was running high on something and as far as Dean knew his little brother wasn't taking anything stronger than the pain pills he was giving him.
Though the blown pupils, the shaking, the sweats and all of the other things Dean was seeing certainly could lead one to think Sam was high on something or…coming down from something.
"Sam? Tell me what's going on?" he asked, careful to keep his tone quiet since now it appeared as if Sam was reacting to the slightest raise in his voice as if it were a weapon. "Why do you need…why do you think you need chained up? You having flashbacks to…"
Even the thought that whatever was happening to him now was causing Sam to flash back to his demon blood days and the times Dean had to lock him up to bring him down made Dean sick to his stomach.
Not as sick however as what he heard next did.
"…No, no demon blood," Sam mumbled, either not aware or not caring about the vomit covering him or how he was shaking as he attempted to get his free hand hooked. "But…need…was bad. Said I…needed to be chained again… 'minded who I…belonged…oh, God!"
The retching gave Dean a warning to move before Sam tilted to one side as much as he was able and began vomiting again but this time he was trying to talk at the same time and getting choked until a hand grabbed the back of his neck and all semblance of calm vanished with a ragged scream "Nooo!"
"Sam!" okay now Dean was past freaked and confused and had gone into scared out of his damn mind with just a hint of temper. "It's me, Dean!" swearing as the roughness of his voice made his clearly sick and in shock brother jerk back from both the voice and the hand he'd placed on his neck. "Dude, what in the hell is wrong?"
He'd been handling Sam since the kid was six months old and had never seen anything like this, not even when Sam was high on demon blood.
The closest he could come was the time when Becky had ruffied Sam but even then those reactions after he'd gotten his brother back were tame compared to this, especially since he knew Sam hated to be tied down or restrained in any manner.
Deciding he wasn't getting anywhere until Sam stopped puking again, Dean made a dash to get some wet towels and some water along with his lock picking set since he hadn't located the keys for this set of chains yet.
By the time he got back, Sam was almost hanging limply and the panic notched up again as he lightly touched his brother's neck to feel for a pulse and frowned at how fast it was beating. "Sammy? C'mon, talk to me. Let me get you outta these and…"
A shake of a shaggy head and what sounded like a whispered 'no' came when Sam struggled to lift his head up while still clinging to the still unused chain. "Please."
"Damn it, Sam," Dean's heart ached at the sound in Sam's ragged voice and while he hated this he also wondered if he did what Sam wanted if it would ground his brother enough so maybe he could find out what the hell had brought this on. "Alright, Sammy. Alright, hold on."
Lifting the heavy manacle in his hand, Dean shivered as the weight of it brought back a flash of his own time in Hell and he quickly shoved that away to focus on his brother when he noticed that Sam had turned his head as if to watch and something in those wide eyes made his gut twist.
Slipping the clamp around Sam's wrist as gently as he could almost made Dean lose his dinner but he pushed all of that down in order to concentrate on Sam as the sound of the clamp locking seemed to echo in the dungeon and as soon as it locked Sam went limp.
"Hey!" wincing as his boot slipped a little, Dean covered the grimace quickly to grab Sam's face in both hands in order to tilt it back. "Sammy! Sam, talk to me now! Who told you that you needed…can you tell me what's going on, little brother?"
Sam stayed quiet for what seemed like hours to his freaked sibling before trying to open his eyes to slits but it wasn't clear if he knew where he was or who was with him or not.
"Said…I was bad and needed to be punished. That once…I was back…get chained and…beat for days before…" his voice was low, nearly a mumble anyway, but Sam seemed to choke on the final few words and if Dean hadn't been standing right in front of him he would've missed them completely.
As it was a part of Dean was torn between being certain he'd misheard his brother and positive that he'd been ripping something out of someone fairly soon because when the words rim, suck and vibrator all rolled off of his baby brother's slurred tongue he knew blood wasn't going to be far behind.
"Sammy? Did you take anything today?" he knew he hadn't but the slurred speech; the blown pupils had him worried. "You didn't go out or…okay, bitch face is good since then I know you're still in your own head."
Mildly exasperated, Sam's mind was going in too many directions at once and he couldn't seem to focus on any one thought except for one. "Warmer here…than there."
"Huh?" blinking, Dean could see the goosebumps that had covered his brother's bare skin and could feel the cool dampness on his own skin so how Sam got it was warm was beyond him then he began to put the pieces of this broken puzzle together.
"Where wasn't as warm, Sam?" he asked, moving his one hand from Sam's neck up to try to unclench the younger man's fingers. "For that matter, who the hell told you that you were bad and needed to punished before…"
Nope, Dean couldn't go there. Not with Sam hanging in chains and only in pair of boxers while something was clearly working overtime in the hunter's mind. "Sam, let me get you out of…"
"Don't touch me!"
This time the ragged voice hit full panic as Sam tried to both jerk away from the hands that wanted to free him but push toward what he knew was his only hope. "Please, De'n. I have…to stay here cause I…don't wanna go. I don't wanna be hurt like that again…I don' wan' her to…"
The combined fear and pain in Sam's voice reminded Dean of other times in their lives that his brother pleaded with him but then it clicked home and whole of Dean switched from worried brother to worried, over protective hunter older brother.
"Her," he repeated carefully, green eyes locking on Sam's face to see the tear tracks and forgot about the rag in his hand that he'd wanted to try to clean his brother off with. "Who's 'her', Sam?" he asked, silently vowing to gank that damn obsessed super fan if she'd pulled another stunt. "Becky? Has Becky done something or…"
"…Becky's…scared of you," Sam knew that and while the thought of the seemingly harmless girl still sent shivers through him it was the other voice he could still hear, the fingers touching him that nearly made him sick again.
Only his brother's hand on his neck kept that from happening even though the piece of Sam that was still alert could see the rage building in the back of those same bright green eyes. "Not Becky," he whispered, not wanting the sip of water from the bottle pressed to his lips but knew better than to refuse as memory and reality mingled for just a moment. "…'Melia."
The whispered name went straight through Dean but unlike the other times his brother had said the name, though never shortened like this, and he felt the brief stab of betrayal that Sam had chosen a chick over looking for him, this time something turned that betrayal to anger.
Sam didn't show fear like this often and there was a huge dose of fear mixed in with everything else he could see and feel radiating off his brother right then even if it didn't make sense.
"When did you talk to her, Sammy?" as far as Dean knew his brother had cut off all ties with the woman when he'd come back the last time.
Dean had finally given in to the fact that his brother wanted out and had given him the option to walk away but Sam had stayed and never mentioned the woman again.
Though for that matter it was after his last encounter with Amelia Richardson that Sam began acting a little weird. His nightmares had started coming back, he seemed to forget things from that time Dean was gone and whenever Dean let out a little dig about his year of normal while not looking for him it seemed like all Sam wanted to do was either run or curl up.
"Sam! When did you talk to her again?" he asked again when it was clear his brother's eyes had glossed over too much and wouldn't answer unless pushed, which never usually brought good things for either of them.
A small version of Sam's bitch face appeared but left it as he moved in the chains but there wasn't a lot of give which seemed to actually relax him.
As relaxed as a guy could appear while chained to a wall in a dark dungeon in only his boxes while surrounded and covered in his own vomit could be or so Dean figured while noticing that Sam's gaze had shifted to where his cellphone laid on the floor across the room.
"Didn't talk to…her, De'n. Don't wanna talk to her," Sam seemed to shake harder as something came back to his mind and it was only the chains that kept him standing when his body looked like it wanted to bow in the middle as if was protecting himself. "Stoopid…voicemail."
Sam's tone was dropping and the second his brother began messing his words up Dean knew something was going on and a sinking feeling, the same feeling he had when his baby brother had been a cocky sixteen year old who thought he knew everything, began settling in his stomach.
"Stay here," he didn't think how stupid that sounded until Sam offered a smirk that showed how far in shock he was since Dean knew his brother wasn't drunk.
"Chained…can't go anywhere," Sam shot out, giving another tug then whimpered and closed his eyes as if trying to force whatever memory was there away. "Hate chains," he muttered, opening his eyes to try to see his brother through the fog of whatever was in him right then. "But…don't mind being chained….if you're here."
Dean nearly lost his balance as he was bending over to snatch the phone up when that comment came and it might have been comical to him any other time, especially when he glanced back to see Sam had his scrunched up face of utter concentration on while sticking his tongue out to do…the older hunter had no idea what the hell he was doing and wasn't sure he wanted to right then.
"Um, okay well unless you have some serious kink issues that I haven't known about in all these years I think we might have to talk about that later," he replied, blowing out a breath while adding with a mutter. "Much much later when you're back to your own sweet and bitchy self."
"Huh? Noooo, not like that…pervert," Sam tried to roll his eyes but only half succeeded. "Meant…I feel safe being…chained up with you. Cause you won' hurt me…won't make me…do stuff or…"
Narrowed eyes shot up to look and immediately caught the way Sam's eyes had moved down so that his lashes were covering his eyes but the tone and the way his brother's hands were clenching into fists told him to get him the hell off this subject and onto safer ground.
"Well then we're back to the kinks cause if I find out you let anyone chain you up and made you do stuff then after I kick their asses I'll kick yours, Sammy," Dean was trying to figure out the contraption his brother called a phone and almost missed the next whispered comment.
"I…don' think…I let her…exactly. And that's…why I have to stay chained…here so…she can't find me and make me go back."
The same creepy feeling he'd had when Sam was sixteen was turning his blood to ice when he finally found the voicemail section to notice several recent ones from the same number and took a stab in the dark. "How many times she call you?"
"Uhhh, sixteen I think," Sam wasn't sure what he was looking at but he knew how he was feeling and so decided to stare at the walls or the ceiling but not the floor since it was sort of gross. "De'n? Can I ask you anything?"
Snarling at the phone and swearing he was buying Sam a nice simple one, Dean didn't immediately catch the question and nearly tossed off a basic 'yeah' when something pulled him back. "That kinda depends on what it is," he'd known from the time when Sam was eleven and just noticing things that giving his brother an open pass on questions often led him into trouble. "What?"
His heart still racing from his body's reaction to those damn messages and the fear they'd instilled in him, Sam tried to focus on his brother's deep voice and the knowledge that Dean was in this room with him…unlike that other room when it had only been him and…her or mostly just her.
"You and Caleb ever…do it?"
"We did a lot of things so be a bit more specific, Sammy," Dean replied, deciding to try to get his brother to drink more water before listening to what had been said that had caused this reaction in Sam. "Sip while I try not to break this thing."
Tossing a small scowl that was without heat, Sam took a sip from the bottle while considering with a brief burst of childhood innocence to blow bubbles but a warning look made him swallow as his question returned to him with a nod. "Dad always said Caleb was horny enough to fuck anything, human, vegetable, mineral or Wendigo and you guys hunted a lot together without me or Dad or Jim so…did you guys ever have sex?"
"Ex-cuse me?" the water bottle dropped from Dean's limp fingers, bouncing on the cold concrete floor and he made a grasp to keep the phone from following suit as his eye brows nearly crawled back on his forehead while whirling to face to strangely calm chained up little brother.
Dean now recalled why he hated it when his brother got drunk, stoned, drugged, or whatever the hell was wrong with him this night.
Normally Sam knew what to say or what not to say but when he reached a point like this anything he thought of, good, bad, or both would come pouring out of his mouth…which is why Dean had always gotten the kid drunk when needing him to spill his guts about something.
This time however Sam had managed to floor his big brother and it took several stunned seconds before Dean found his voice while shaking his head back and forth in a negative gesture. "No, no, no, NO," he refused, swearing once he got Sam back to normal that he'd kill him for this. "That is so not what Dad meant and hell, no. Caleb wasn't a chick, dude and chicks are the only thing your big brother's into as a general rule."
"…Cept for that time…in Dallas?" Sam let his eyes drop again so he missed the hard clench of his brother's jaw but even as confused as he was right then he knew this line of talk would make his brother run and he didn't want to be down here alone. "Sorry, De."
"You don't know anything about that, Sam," Dean still refused to recall the time he'd been eighteen and needing a fast buck to feed his brother until their Dad got home the next day after being a week overdue but right then Sam had his head spinning in to many directions and it was hard to focus as he figured out how to work the phone and heard the first message come to life.
He'd never seen the woman up close, had never heard her voice before now but as he listened to Amelia Richardson speak.
At first the messages didn't seem to be anything but a sad, lonely and almost desperate attempt to convince Sam to come back to her.
As they went on every message seemed to get darker with much more explicit wording. Words that made Dean step away from his brother as if to shield him from the woman's voice but as she went on his eyes shifted to lock on Sam and didn't move.
Listening to them all, Dean went back to listen to the last few so he could be sure that he wasn't misreading what he thought he'd just heard.
"'Why don't you pick up, Sam? You know you want to. You know you want me and you know the longer you put this off…put me off that harder I'll make it when I get you back.
"'Sammy, pick up. You're being a bad boy, Sam. I'll have to punish you when I get you back. Remember how much you fought the chains for the first week or so, Sam? How you bucked in them the first time I drugged you and used that vibrator on you before I sucked you off while you tried to beg for your brother? I'm going to do so much worse to you this time, baby.
"'Sam, I'm tired of playing this with you. I told you before that you were mine and nothing, not your brother or my husband, will keep me from having what I own. That's my mark on you, Sammy. I bet you can still feel where I put that little brand on his hip as I rimmed you while you hung so beautifully against those rough walls in the basement before I let my assistant have a turn. I'm so close I can feel you and I'll own you again soon so come to me. You can't resist it, Sam. Even though the drugs have lessened in you…you can resist it when I order my pretty little slave to come to me. I've texted you the address of a nice little place where we can be alone and play…Excalibur.'"
Forcing himself to take several deep breaths in order to even see past the fine film of red haze that had misted over his eyes as it slowly sank in just what the woman was saying and suddenly why his weakened little brother was reacting like being chained in their new dungeon was his only salvation.
"Sammy?" he knew his tone was jagged, more husky than usual but he couldn't even begin to find a normal one as he slipped the phone into his own back pocket while slowly stepping closer to where his brother was still chained. "Look at me, Sam."
When Sam didn't move except to try to drop his head lower to avoid what he assumed would be in his brother's eyes he first felt a firm grip on his jaw to lightly nudge his chin up but it wasn't until he felt the other hand lay on the right side of his waist that his eyes, still glossy, popped open.
"No…no…De'n, let go," he tried to say but nothing came out of his suddenly dry mouth but a whimper as he noticed the firm look in his brother's eyes then his body reacted on instinct to try to move away even as the waistband of his boxers was slid down just enough to bare his right hip. "Dean! Stop!"
"Sammy, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm not going to…" Dean had to focus on gritting out the next part because even the thought of it, of Sam being afraid of that, made him sick. "…touch you."
These were the shorter chains which gave Sam almost give to move as he wanted to deflect his brother's hand when it hit him what Dean was looking for and couldn't hold in the whimper as a light touch just brushed over the jagged small brand on his hip.
"A.R.?" Dean could still see what was on Sam's skin even in the dim light of the dungeon and felt the snarl that was working its way out of his chest. "The goddamn bitch branded her initials on you?"
It was suddenly hitting Dean that since he got back from Purgatory that he'd hardly seen Sam without a shirt on or if he did it was only his chest and never his back.
Things were beginning to pop now that the elder Winchester didn't much care for as he seen the way Sam's chest was heaving again and how tense he was as he now tried to twist in the chains until a hand laid on his chest right over the anti-possession tattoo and Sam began to calm again.
"Sam, I'm going to ask you a couple things and right now I just want you to either nod or give a yes or no reply, alright?" deciding if he pushed too much right then that they'd both probably break, Dean knew he needed to see how far this went before he could decide how best to help his brother.
Letting the waistband ease back up to cover the brand, Dean picked up the bottle of water to lightly press it to Sam's lips and for a moment was afraid he'd have to force his brother to drink but nodded as Sam slowly drank in a few gulps as if to soothe the burning in his throat.
Taking his time to douse one of the rags he'd brought with water he carefully showed Sam the cloth before beginning to wipe some of the drying vomit from his chest and not missing the pained whimper or the light scar that ran across the muscles of Sam's stomach.
"How long between when Cas and I got sucked into Purgatory did you get sucked into the Black Widow's web?" he asked, this time making certain to keep his voice pitched lower while considering what else he'd heard on the messages.
Since he knew his brother needed to know he wasn't alone but wouldn't stand being touched too much right then, Dean stepped up close enough so that Sam would feel him as well as hear him while cleaning his up a little.
Waiting to see if Sam would answer him, Dean didn't miss the pressure on his shoulder as Sam let his drooping head rest on it. That was also the only way Dean would've heard the response since his brother's voice was nothing but a whisper now.
"One month, fourteen days, seven hours and forty-eight minutes. I…looked for you, De'n."
A little of the sting of betrayal left Dean as he stepped just a little closer so Sam's head could rest more easily while gently moving the hand that wasn't using the cloth to lightly touch the back of his brother's neck like he used to.
"You hit the dog on your way through that town to follow a lead, didn't you?" he asked, feeling the shudder but not saying anything about it and just waited to feel a slight nod. "You took the dog to the clinic for help and that's when she first nailed you, right?"
Sam had a soft spot for any animal and Dean knew his brother would have been wracked with guilt for hitting a dog and if he hadn't been sleeping much his defenses would have been down even more which would explain how this seemingly harmless woman had gotten that close to Sam.
Another short nod but as it seemed like the closer Dean got to the point of this exercise the tighter Sam was getting as he turned his face so he could bury it against his brother's neck like he had a kid running from nightmares.
The mention of drugs easily explained how the woman had got Sam to go with her since Dean wasn't stupid to think that someone with training as a vet wouldn't know the right drugs to use to douse someone with so he skipped that question.
"She drug you, Sammy? Is that why you stopped looking because this bitch drugged you and chained you up in a basement to…" he felt Sam bite his lip and could feel the hot tears through his t-shirt while letting his hand move to run through hair slicked with sweat. "Sam…I know what I think from what she said on those messages but I need you to give me a reply this time. Were you…raped?"
The moment he felt his little brother's whole body go rigid and heard the sob muffled by his own neck, Dean dropped the cloth to force Sam's face up and saw the glassy eyes that looked so broke when he merely mouthed a single word. 'Yes.'
But the second a flash of anger lit in Dean's eyes Sam tried to reach for him but couldn't and shook his head. "But…I fought it…fought her even though she said not to. She told me to stop but I didn't so she did what she had to then…I stopped fighting cause it hurt too bad and the drugs made me…" he had to suck in a breath before rushing on, trying to make Dean not be angry at him or leave right then.
"I…I wanted you, I just wanted to find you but she said I…was meant to be hers and she didn't start using the full drugs for about a week cause I…think she liked seeing me try to break free, to fight it the first time she…turned me and used this…thing and…" Sam broke off in shame, trying to turn his face only to feel the strong fingers tighten enough to keep his face turned towards his brother. "De'n…I'm…but I gave in. I couldn't fight it anymore even though I knew I wanted to so…it wasn't…rape then, was it?"
Dean had been hustling in bars long enough to know the types of drugs that were available these days that made the victim feel just like Sam was describing and he also had enough experience to know how easy it was for a skilled sociopath to make his or her victim believe they deserved the treatment and had given in to it.
His little brother was a walking, talking example of long term exposure to drugs and abuse. Sam was smart, hell he was smarter than Dean or so he let people believe and Dean knew his brother should know this but the fear, loss, and shame shining from this too huge mostly pupil hazel eyes were saying this bitch and whatever the hell else she'd done to Sam had really fucked with his head.
"You really think so, baby boy?" he offered a soft smile while gently brushing at the tear tracks staining Sam's face with his thumb. "Sammy, she drugged you and regardless of if you stopped fighting or not you weren't in control. By the time I called you she'd had you doused and conditioned to believe whatever she said but…you've been away from her so…"
That was when something else dawned on him. "What does Excalibur mean?" he asked, frowning at the way Sam's whole body jerked and he hissed sharply between his teeth like he was in some form of agony. "Sam?"
"Don't…don' say that, please?" Sam's teeth were clenched and only Dean's body was keeping the younger man from actually trying to slide down the wall even though with his hands chained he couldn't move much. "Too hard to move…to think after…God, it's like she's still controlling me or…"
A light bulb went off in his head and it all began to click with Dean. Between the drugs, the abuse, being dependent on Amelia or whoever else she might have had with her, it was no fairly clear to him that the damn bitch had also managed to sneak a trigger word into his brother's subconscious and it was that word that must have set Sam on this path of locking himself down here to try to fight it.
"Hey, Sammy?" he forced Sam's head back up to lock eyes with him. "It's gonna be alright. I'm going to take care of you and this," he promised firmly in the tone that he only used with Sam when his brother was scared.
"How?" that piece of Sam that was fighting, clawing, for control sounded doubtful since he didn't want his brother to leave him much less to go near Amelia. "She'll find…I don't wanna go with her, De."
Biting the inside of his lip to cover how the break in Sam's voice was hurting him, Dean's smile turned a bit darker while lightly squeezing the back of Sam's neck but pulled back at the hiss and realized just how deep the woman's hold really was. "You trust me, Sam?"
Slight bitch face came as even feeling as hurt and confused as he was that seemed like a stupid question to Sam. "Always…trust you, De," he whispered, not feeling the pain as bad as his brother's fingers began to lightly squeeze his neck. "Why?"
"Cause to do this I'm going to have to leave you here," Dean was already grabbing the straining shoulders before Sam could fully lose it at the thought of being chained down here alone. "Hey, hey! You won't be alone, Sammy. I wouldn't leave you here by yourself like this."
"No…don't wan' nobody 'cept you," Sam sounded like he had as a cross toddler but Dean smirked. "Don't want Garth or…Kevin or…"
Rolling his eyes at either of those suggestions, though calling Garth would be the smartest thing in this case, Dean shook his head while pulling Sam's phone back out to go through the list of numbers. "I'm not leaving you with them, little brother," he reassured Sam, keeping his hand on Sam as he heard the phone ring a few times before it was answered warily. "Hey, where are you?"
Dean blinked while refusing to even ask the question that came to mind while carding his fingers back through Sam's hair and noticing that Sam was slowly drifting to sleep though he hated to see the kid sleep like this. "Well, I need you to ditch the harem, your royal Highness and get your cocky hacking butt back here cause I need to do something and you get to Sammy-sit."
Listening to the squeak of surprise that got he sighed. "Charlie, Sam's in a bad way and I can't leave him but I can't take him near the bitch I plan to gank now just get here and I'll explain it," he tried not to snap at the young woman who was nearly as big a geek as his brother but she made it so hard not to at times. "Um, no. The whole height and weight thing won't exactly be an issue this time and you've got two hours cause I need this over as of yesterday."
Disconnecting the phone, he checked the text to see where the bitch had decided would be a good place to resume hurting his brother to sneer.
The address was only about a day away if he pushed the Impala but he knew he'd do that and whatever else was needed to try to put an end to this, even if it meant breaking one of the few moral rules he still allowed himself to have because this little demented vet had made the same mistake so many others had made over the years.
She's put her damn hands on his baby brother and while that would've been bad enough given what she'd clearly done but to drug Sam and make him doubt himself, to try to control him in the way she was had pushed all of Dean's buttons in a way that usually promised a slow and painful death.
"…no…stop…" Sam whimpered in whatever sleep he'd drifted into but the strain showed on his face as his full weight put too much pressure on his arms and shoulders.
A look at the chains sowed Dean that while he couldn't release Sam at the moment he could lengthen the main chain on the wall hooks so at least Sam could ease down into a slouched position even if his arms were still slightly over his head.
"It's going to be okay, Sam. I'm going to make this better," he spoke softly, while trying to ignore the whispered pleas that came from his brother as his cloudy mind brought back those memories that he'd been either burying or that had been buried for him. "I'll fix this and hopefully your bodyguard doesn't blow this place up while I'm gone."
Dean eased down to the floor next to Sam so he could be there with his frightened sibling as long as possible before Charlie came and he could go to pay a visit on the person who'd kept his brother like a toy for over a year.
Seeing his knuckles go white as he clenched his fist, Dean pushed the hate aside for the moment in order to plan because to make certain Sam was fully free of this influence he'd have to work fast and quick.
"She pays, Sammy," he murmured, unaware of when his voice went dark and only aware of what Sam was saying in his sleep and how he was twisting as much as he could. "She pays big time."
A/NII: How Amelia's fate will turn in this one I don't know yet since she plays a bit more active part in the next chapter. We'll see. This one took a couple weird turns on me so I hope you guys will stick it out for the next chapter and as always feel free to look me up on Facebook under morgana07 for questions or concerns. Thanks.


text:
Click on the "Convert & Download Video + MP3" button to start the video conversion. After the video conversion is finished, you can download the converted video in the formats MP4 or 3GP (for mobile phones) or you can download the converted audio as a MP3 music file. This online service is completely for free.
Immortal Technique Dance with the Devil hidden track FULL SONG NOT ON YOUTUBE jedi mind tricks music video underground rap hip hop dancing
DMCA: Are you the owner of this convertable material and do you want to disable the conversion of your media on clip.dj? Then you can request a conversion block for this video.580
An Immortal Technique classic.
Dance With the Devil by Immortal Technique. To my understanding, this is the official video.
This is the animated version of Immortal Technique's song "Dance with the Devil" from the album Revolutionary Volume 1.
Dance with the devil by Immortal Technique full Song and Lyrics.
Dance With The Devil - Immortal Technique (Music Video) *Unofficial Directed by Daniel Zhao Produced by Willis Chung Iron ...
fantastic song with lyrics that show what the possible consequences could be of those who are desparate to fit in with the wrong ...
Dance With The Devil single Hidden Track. Immortal Technique & Diabolic freestyle. High Quality! Enjoy.
Made with the game- The Movies- to the song Dance with the Devil by Immortal Technique.
Immortal Technique Dance With The Devil, Revolutionary Vol 1.
Instrumental freestyle beat, for the rappers out there. Song: Immortal Technique's Dance with the devil.
Dance With The Devil - Immortal Technique on-screen lyrics - this song made me cry the first time I listened to it.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
(if this is a private computer)
Yes please, register now!
Start a Conversation
Add A Photo
When you purchase a digital subscription to Cake Central Magazine, you will get an instant and automatic download of the most recent issue.
1/2 sheet is choc. and the Noah's Ark is Yellow Cake all Butter Cream....I covered the Choc in white icing and then sprayed the color mist on it..
Noah's Ark Baby Shower Cake
Surfer Girl Cake
Noah's Ark
very cute cake....good job!


text:
flipjenny Review
Great product...out of 4 one was missing a screw
I am a coca cola collector and I bought these stools as an add on to my eat in kitchen. They look great, and the quality is very good. If I had more table space or a bar ledge I would have bought more. The colors are vibrant and the stitching on the seat is superior.
- How accurate was the sizing? very accurate sizing
- Please tell us about the quality of the product. the quality of the stools are great. I found the table that I wanted them for was a little short so to compensate I used a pipe cutter to shorten the stool by about 1 1/2 inches and they are perfect
- Was the product free of any manufacturer defects? I was missing a screw for the padded seat. I went to lows and found a metric screw that worked
Was This Review Helpful?


text:
Phonoscope Communications Ltd.
6105 Westline Dr Houston, TX 77036-3515
Technologies: Phonoscope Communications Ltd. is using 3 Technologies.
Employees: We found 0 verified contacts and 5 unverified employees.
Social Media: Phonoscope Communications Ltd. has 18 social media shares and likes.
We have 14 emails for Phonoscope Communications Ltd..
Verified Contacts from
Frameworks Technology
Javascript Technology
Unverified Contacts
These are contacts we've discovered through publicly available sources and might be outdated.
Use our PerfectLink™ Contact Finder to verify contacts.
phonoscope.com Emails
Sign up to get full access to all the phonoscope.com emails we have.
Find emails for Phonoscope Communications Ltd. executives, including the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Marketing Officer.
Note: Only company contact information will be added. To discover and add individual contacts to My Prospects, please click though to the Company Profile page.


text:
Sherry Lankin
Africa Specialist
The travel industry was a natural for me. Bitten by that "travel bug" as a young child has caused a need in me to learn and share with others my fascination with different destinations and cultures and how life changing travel can be.
Over the years, I have studied and traveled extensively throughout Europe and the Middle East, Scandinavia, Mexico, parts of Africa, and sailed many islands. However, working for DSA and South African Airways Vacations has expanded my wealth of information and given me an even greater perception of the world.
Being very service and detailed oriented, I pride myself on being able to describe the essence of African travel to my clients. I specialize in South Africa and Botswana. Painting a picture with words creates the magic that I have experienced and makes clients want to become part of this remarkable destination.


text:
Erectile dysfunction
I had been taking dariten till 4 days ago. Had been suffering from urinary tract infection for long whoch was recurring and therefore to end it once and for all i wont on a course of antibiotics. The first day after dariten stopping dariten was fine and the urine speed had increased. However now, i get a very thin stream and split stream of urine at times. This has been happening for the past 4 days and also have been suffering from erectile dysfunction. The stream is very narrow at times and sometimes it is just normal. I also get a very queer feeling after urinating which is not exactly burning at the tip of penis. What to do?
Answers (1)
Like the answers? Chat privately for 24 hours with the doctor of your choice
Dr. Chethan R S
General Physician Bangalore
Free 3 day follow up
Chat Now
₹250 for 24 hrs
Hi...., for your UTi, Drink plenty of water. Water helps to dilute your urine and flush out bacteria. Avoid drinks that may irritate your bladder.Avoid coffee, alcohol, and soft drinks containing citrus juices or caffeine until your infection has cleared....... Depending on the cause and severity of your erectile dysfunction and any underlying health conditions, you might have various treatment options....Consult sex therapist...
Flag this answer
1/1 people found this helpful
Was this answer helpful?


text: UPDATED 12:00 28th November 2016 Hulking striker John Akinde joined Barnet from Alfreton Town in the summer of 2014 and top-scored for the Bees, while winning the club's Player of the Year award, en-route to the Vanarama Conference title.An incredible 31 goals – enough to break Gary Bull's Conference record for the club – were followed by another 24 as the Bees returned to the Football League.John's career began at Gravesend and Northfleet where he played against current Barnet assistant manager James Russell and won the FA Trophy in 2008.His form for what became Ebbsfleet United earned a move to Championship side Bristol City, decided by MyFootballClub members – the first transfer of its kind. John scored on his debut for the Robins against West Country rivals Plymouth Argyle in a 2-2 draw before the first of a flurry of loan moves took him to Wycombe Wanderers.He enjoyed a productive time with the Chairboys, netting seven times in 11 outings, but failed to build on that when he returned, or in subsequent stints at Brentford, Bristol Rovers and Dagenham & Redbridge.In 2011 he left Ashton Gate for good, joining Sussex side Crawley Town. However, a return of one goal in 31 league outings – 24 of them from the bench – was not indicative of what was to come.After a brief stop at Portsmouth John signed for Alfreton in August 2013 and bagged 18 goals in 41 league starts. A switch to Barnet followed and John has been the Bees' talisman ever since.PLATINUM SPONSOR: Michael HagonGOLD SPONSOR: Fusion Consulting www.fusionconsult.co.uk


text:
They're back again. The lads over at Trollstation have taken their stunts to new heights by pulling off a pitch invasion during Tottenham's Europa League game again Partizan Belgrade.
The aim of the Pitch Invasion Challenge was to 'see who lasts longer on the pitch' with the three participants being Nathan, Gomesz and Jarvo.
Nathan went first and absolutely smashed it, covering more ground than Soldado did the whole game and also exposing some huge flaws in the Spurs security team.
The other two weren't so glorious, but maybe they'll get another chance to impress if they pull off this stunt at another stadium:
The question is Emirates stadium or Stamford Bridge ?
— TrollStation (@TrollstationYT) November 28, 2014
They're currently getting quite a bit of hate on Twitter for the stunt, mainly from Spurs fans, but what do you think?


text:
Adria B. Martinelli will present Pregnancy Discrimination Claims Flood EEOC: How to Counter New and Aggressive Enforcement on July 23, 2009.
Pregnancy discrimination lawsuits are on the rise and the courts are ruling against employers:
- In the May 2009 AT&T v. Hulteen case, the court ruled that employees who took pregnancy leave before the effective date of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act should be eligible for the same retirement benefits as those who took leave after the law was enacted.
- The Seventh Circuit Court recently recognized the applicability of the PDA to the "potential pregnancy" after an employee claimed she lost her job because she had taken time off for fertility treatment.
- And now that the new ADA Amendments Act has gone into effect, the interplay between the ADA, PDA, and the recently-revised FMLA has further complicated compliance issues for employers.
Learn how to make sense of the overlapping complexities of the PDA, FMLA, and the ADA, and how to accommodate pregnant employees without risking discrimination claims, as well as these other critical and timely topics:
- Key rulings made recently against employers regarding pregnancy discrimination claims, including the U.S. Supreme Court's
interpretation of the PDA in AT&T v. Hulteen
- How do you know when employees are protected under the PDA? (Hint, they're not always pregnant.)
- How the new ADA Amendments Act comes into play
- New discrimination risks employers need to consider when training supervisors and managers
- EEOC guidance on family rights discrimination
- Practical advice for day-to-day issues involved with managing pregnant employees
- The kind of accommodations that should and should NOT be made for pregnant workers
Register for this employment law seminar at HR Hero.com


text:
A Tribute to Stesha: The Russian-Gypsy Diva [CD]
- Artist: Talisman
- Release Date: 04/19/2005
Best Buy is dedicated to always offering the best value to our customers. We will match the price, at the time of purchase, on a Price Match Guarantee product if you find the same item at a lower price at a Designated Major Online Retailer or at a local retail competitor's store.Here's how:
- If you find a qualifying lower price online, call 1-888-BEST BUY and direct a customer service agent to the web site with the lower price, or when visiting a Best Buy store, one of our employees will assist you.
- On qualifying products, Best Buy will then verify the current price to complete the price match.
Exclusions apply including, but not limited to, Competitors' service prices, special daily or hourly sales, and items for sale Thanksgiving Day through the Monday after Thanksgiving. See the list of Designated Major Online Retailers and full details.
- Khelebnitko (Dance Tune)
- Ivushka (Little Willow Tree)
- Uzh Kak Pal Tuman (As the Mist Rose)
- Mar Dzhandzha (Dance, Dzhandzha)
- Luchinushka (Little Light)
- Syr Mange Prikhaiape (Tired of Fighting)
- Ia Ne Znala Ni O Chom (I Knew No Worries)
- Shel Me Versty (I Walked Many Miles)
- Akh, Kogda B Ia Prezhde Znala (Ah, Had I Known Before)
- Akhti, Matushka, Golova Bolit (Ah, Mother, I Have a Headache)
- Chernobrovyi, Chernookii (A Dark-Eyed Lad)
- Chaso Palo Chaso (Hour After Hour)
- Ia Tsyganka Molodaia (I Am a Gypsy Girl)
- Syvo, Syvo (My Horse, My Horse)
- Chem Tebya Ia Ogorchila? (How Did I Upset You?)
- Variations on 'Luchinushka'
- Golubchik (My Little Dove)
- Ia Po Tsvetikam Khodila (I Walked on the Flowers)
- Kaj Jone Romale (Where Have the Gypsies Gone)


text:
Trey Ratcliff
I'm a warm-hearted, old-school gentleman explorer with really cool toys. INTJ. Browncoat.
937 / 2804
The Forest on the Mega Volcano
I would guess about 50% of people know this, and I should not take it for granted that everyone does. But Yellowstone sits on top of a giant caldera, and it's due to go off any time (at least, geologically due!) If you look at a map of Yellowstone from above, you can see the clear outline of the caldera. When the mega-volcano strikes, it'll be a doozy!
- Trey Ratcliff
The rest of this entry is here. There's also a review of the new Nikon 200-400mm lens and an interview at Trip Atlas! Full day!
MontanaStuckInCustomsYellowstoneAmericaunitedstatesusaWyomingnational parkYellowstone national parkwestwesternMontanacalderacauldronvolcanicvolcanogeologiccooking potgeologyerupteruptionsupervolcanohotspotmantlemagmasteamforesttreessmokehotdayaftertomorrowhydrothermalrupturemountainjuly2010Nikon d3snotdone77BigRetag


text:
Sign up for email alerts below and we will automatically email you when we find similar listings.
Get email updates for John Deere 872D
craig snow wing rear ripper pins & bushings good for number of hrs
sp2 hours: 2998 | features: cab w/ ac tall cab 14' blade 17.50 tires front scarifier ether start aid air suspension cloth seat engine block heater | condition_info: used / on lot | hours_updated_at...
description: lopro enclosed cab, air conditioning, 14 moldboard accumulators, ripper, pushblock, fair 550/65 r 25 tires, good paint, good cosmetics.9 valve hydraulics.
john deere 6081h (205-235hp) diesel engine; direct drive powershift transmission; cab c/w air conditioning; 14' moldboard; 17.5x25 tires; positive air shutoff; pro heat; three bank axillary hydraul...
2006 872d bell grader for sale


text:
A generation of boys is turning its back on university in the wake of the rise in tuition fees to up to £9,000 a year, according to figures released today.
Final figures for this year's university intake, published by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), show a 54,000 slump - 13 per cent down on the previous year (higher than earlier predictions)..
A breakdown showed that the gender gap in entrants had reached an all-time high with the fall in the entry rate being four times higher for men than women.
Overall, it has meant that 18-year-old women straight out of school are 34 per cent more likely to apply to go on to higher education than men. The difference in application rates is 10.1 percentage points with 40.1 per cent of women applying compared to just 30 per cent of men.
Today's report shows for the first time that women are more likely to enter higher education than men are to apply.
Mary Curnock Cook, chief executive of UCAS, described the figures as "a striking and worrying finding", adding: "Young women are now a third more likely to enter higher education than men, a difference that has increased this cycle."
Dr Mark Corver, head of analysis and research at UCAS, cited the fact that girls had higher qualifications than boys on leaving school as a contributory factor.
However, other sources suggested that - in the wake of the tuition fees rise - some boys could be more likely to seek apprenticeships or immediate employment to avoid plunging into debt.
Introducing the report, Dr Corver said: "Demand for higher education has been weak in 2012. We've seen this weakness in applications and we've seen this weakness in acceptances - that's also down."
The figures show the biggest slump in entries was amongst universities in England - which charge higher fees - where the numbers fell by 51,200 (13per cent). Welsh universities also saw a fall by 3,000 (12 per cent).
Earlier predictions of the fall in numbers - based on this September's intake - suggested a lower drop. However, the new figures, which cover entries throughout the year, show the fall-out has "more or less doubled", said Dr Corver.
The figures also surprisingly show a slight drop in the percentage of students with three straight A-grades at A-level gaining access to university - in spite of government attempts to encourage universities to offer more places to those with A.A, B passes and above.
Higher education experts predicted this was due to students who were refused their first choice university - i.e Oxford or Cambridge - ruling out apply to what they considered a less prestigious university in view of the fees. They may, instead, try again next year, it was thought.
One bright spot of the horizon was a rise in both applications and entrants from students from disadvantaged groups. Within England, the entry rate to more selective universities from 18-year-olds from, disadvantaged communities went up by 10 to 12 per cent. That meant they were between 40 and 60 per cent more likely to enter university than in 2004.
Professor Les Ebden, director of the Office for Fair Access - the university access watchdog, said: "Although university applications fell this year, I am pleased to see the continuing rise in the proportion of disadvantaged 18-year-olds entering higher education.
"But there are still wide gaps in participation. Overall, entry rates for 18-year-olds from advantaged areas remain three to four times higher than for those in disadvantaged areas."
Shabana Mahmood, Labour's higher education spokeswoman, described the drop in overall numbers as "a massive blow for people and communities across the UK".
She said the rise in fees "has put a brake on aspiration and has led people considering applying to university to decide against doing so at precisely the time that higher level skills have never been more important to secure their future".
Pam Tatlow, chief executive of the university think-tank million+. added: "There is no getting away from the stark truth that numbers of full-time students are down and the evidence collated so far for 2013 suggests the downward trend is continuing."
Universities Minister David Willetts said last night: "We expect that the total number of full-time students in higher education this year will be bigger than in any year before 2010."
- More about:
- Apprentices
- Higher Education
- Schools


text:
bring the thunder
Did you know that American Apparel makes a shoelace that perfectly matches my Dieppa Restreppo oxfords?
Well, now you do. It is perhaps a tiny bit disturbing how much pleasure this fact brought me.
I don't know what else to say.
It was 103 degrees in New York City today, I think my face melted off somewhere around 23rd Street.
7 comments:
- Isabel said...
Ahh, the "lace-y shoelace". I know it well.
- July 6, 2010 at 9:28 PM
- Desert Rubble said...
I hear ya, it gets pretty hard to think rationally here in summer, too!
- July 6, 2010 at 9:34 PM
- Atif said...
What a post! I wish I could post like you. Nice gud job! :).
Hi! frndz plzz must visit here
computer solution visit here okkay! thnk U!
- July 9, 2010 at 11:54 AM
- Annabelle said...
Ayyy, those shoes are gorgeous? How'd you get them, they don't stock in America! Mmm, I want some :)
And the shoelaces look awesome with them. I would have been the same way.
- July 9, 2010 at 11:42 PM
- Online High School Diploma said...
I am completely energetic to include my remarks here in light of the fact that you have a magnificent stuff and it is not difficult to discover such stunning composition ability on line.
- February 17, 2015 at 12:55 AM
- Accredited GED Diploma Online said...
Great Post! It's a watch gap to all and I'm a great deal appreciative that she wrote her expertise for us to let recognize them severally.
- May 2, 2015 at 3:12 AM
- 艾丰 said...
coach outlet
ralph lauren outlet
timberland shoes
ugg outlet
beats headphones
louis vuitton pas cher
converse shoes
longchamp outlet
longchamp handbags
lululemon pants
ugg outlet
longchamp outlet
michael kors handbags
moncler outlet
ralph lauren shirts
nike blazer pas cher
mulberry handbags sale
coach outlet clearance
longchamp handbags
michael kors factory outlet
lululemon uk
burberry sunglasses
oakley sunglasses
ugg boots
supra shoes
longchamp outlet online
canada goose jackets
lebron shoes
fitflops clearance
true religion jeans
true religion jeans
- August 15, 2016 at 4:27 AM


text:
The concept of fast track rehabilitation program has been recently introduced in colorectal surgery. It is basically a multidisciplinary perioperative care strategy for patients after resection of colorectal cancer.
A research article to be published on February 7, 2011 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses this question. The authors compared the complications, restoration of gastrointestinal functions, and hospital stay time of postoperative colorectal cancer patients after fast-track rehabilitation program and conventional care.
The results indicate that fast-track rehabilitation program can significantly accelerate the restoration of gastrointestinal function and reduce the postoperative complications as well as hospital stay time of patients after resection of colorectal cancer.
Story Source:
Materials provided by World Journal of Gastroenterology. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
Cite This Page:


text:
Dr. Sharon Orrange - August 20, 2015
Sexual problems are common in both men and women. These problems take different forms including lack of desire (decreased libido), inability to achieve erection or orgasm and impaired arousal.
New approval Addyi may be able to help women with low libido, like Viagra can help men with erectile dysfunction, but what if the culprit is one of your current prescriptions?
Medications are a common and easily treatable cause of sexual dysfunction—and these drugs are the most likely to cause problems. See More
Do Herbal Meds Work for Enlarged Prostate Symptoms?
Dr. Sharon Orrange - June 23, 2015
Symptoms from an enlarged prostate are a common complaint in older men. While we don't know exactly what causes it, the changes in male sex hormones that occur with aging appear to play a role.
Urinary symptoms and sleep disturbance from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) may be easily remedied with medications. The prescription options, like tamsulosin (Flomax), finasteride (Proscar), and Rapaflo, among others, do work but may lead to side effects. See More
What You Need to Know About Medication Allergies
The GoodRx Pharmacist - April 08, 2015
When you drop off your medications at a pharmacy you may notice that the technician, intern, or pharmacist who greets you and takes your prescriptions may also ask you for an updated list of your allergies.
I have seen some patients annoyed by this life-saving question, while others seem to blow it off. Some of the remarks I have heard include, "It's on file, I told you last time," to "You don't need to know this information. See More
Kidney Stones – Ouch!
Dr. Sharon Orrange - June 12, 2013
This too shall pass—or will it?
Kidney stones are painful. Childbirth painful. In addition to pain meds, how can we help you pass that stone quickly? Now we may know.
Kidney stones (nephrolithiasis) occur in 5% – 12% of the population and frequently on Friday afternoons. Eighty percent of them are calcium oxalate stones and interestingly, 20% are in the ureter at the time you come to the ER for help. See More


text:
Efficacy & Safety Comparison of Epiduo With Doxycycline Versus Vehicle With Isotretinoin in the Treatment of Severe Acne (POWER)
This study has been completed.
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
First received: November 16, 2011
Last updated: November 22, 2013
Last verified: November 2013
|Tracking Information
|First Received Date ICMJE
|November 16, 2011
|Last Updated Date
|November 22, 2013
|Start Date ICMJE
|November 2011
|Primary Completion Date
|July 2013 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Current Primary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|The primary outcome is overall success, a composite endpoint including efficacy and safety measurements [ Time Frame: Efficacy: end of treatment & Safety: treatment phase ]
Overall success is reached when the 2 following criteria are fulfilled :
|Original Primary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Same as current
|Change History
|Complete list of historical versions of study NCT01474590 on ClinicalTrials.gov Archive Site
|Current Secondary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Original Secondary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Current Other Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Original Other Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Descriptive Information
|Brief Title ICMJE
|Efficacy & Safety Comparison of Epiduo With Doxycycline Versus Vehicle With Isotretinoin in the Treatment of Severe Acne
|Official Title ICMJE
|Efficacy and Safety Comparison of Adapalene 0.1% / Benzoyl Peroxide 2.5% Gel Associated With 200 mg Doxycycline Capsules Versus Vehicle Gel Associated With Isotretinoin Capsules in the Treatment of Severe Acne
|Brief Summary
|Non-inferiority, randomized, controlled, multi-center, investigator-blind, parallel-group comparison study in subjects with severe acne vulgaris on the face.
|Detailed Description
|Not Provided
|Study Type ICMJE
|Study Phase
|Phase 3
|Study Design ICMJE
|Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single Blind (Investigator)
Primary Purpose: Treatment
|Condition ICMJE
|Intervention ICMJE
|Study Arms
|Publications *
|Tan J, Humphrey S, Vender R, Barankin B, Gooderham M, Kerrouche N, Audibert F, Lynde C; POWER study group.. A treatment for severe nodular acne: a randomized investigator-blinded, controlled, noninferiority trial comparing fixed-dose adapalene/benzoyl peroxide plus doxycycline vs. oral isotretinoin. Br J Dermatol. 2014 Dec;171(6):1508-16. doi: 10.1111/bjd.13191. Epub 2014 Oct 28.
* Includes publications given by the data provider as well as publications identified by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number) in Medline.
|Recruitment Information
|Recruitment Status ICMJE
|Enrollment ICMJE
|Completion Date
|August 2013
|Primary Completion Date
|July 2013 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Eligibility Criteria ICMJE
Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
|12 Years to 35 Years (Child, Adult)
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers
|Contacts ICMJE
|Contact information is only displayed when the study is recruiting subjects
|Listed Location Countries ICMJE
|Removed Location Countries
|Administrative Information
|NCT Number ICMJE
|Other Study ID Numbers ICMJE
|Has Data Monitoring Committee
|U.S. FDA-regulated Product
|Not Provided
|Plan to Share Data
|Not Provided
|IPD Description
|Not Provided
|Responsible Party
|Study Sponsor ICMJE
|Collaborators ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Investigators ICMJE
|Information Provided By
|Verification Date
|November 2013
ICMJE Data element required by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors and the World Health Organization ICTRP


text:
urBeats 2 headphones deliver excellent quality and control for the music on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
Exclusive driver design pumps out the deepest bass, soaring highs, and ultra-clear midrange
Lightweight design is ideal for listening during exercise, travel, or for everyday wear
Hard chrome earphone finishes for rugged durability and everlasting shine
Precision-machined single-billet metal housing prevents vibrations and unwelcome sonic artifacts
Built-in mic lets you talk hands-free on your Apple device
Also works with online voice and video chats on iPod touch or iPhone
Sealed in-ear construction and multiple eartip designs block out external noise
Solid housing
Precision-machined single-billet metal housing prevents vibrations and unwelcome sound from tainting your listening experience.
Whether you keep urBeats pristine or throw them in and out of your bag, you don't have to worry about them breaking or fraying anytime soon.
In-line mic for calls
Switch easily between music and incoming calls. No need to take off your headphones or talk into the phone like a walkie-talkie.
urBeats2 in-ear headphones
In-line remote and mic cable (features may vary)
Storage pouch
Four pairs of ear-tip fittings
Form Factor: In Ear
No. of Microphones: 1


text:
Here is a casting call for Episode 1.15, which has yet to be given a title.
[RHONDA CECIL] Female. 18 or older to play high school. Any ethnicity. Plain but atractive. Recovering from a car accident. Befriends ETHAN...RECURRING GUEST STAR. TOS.
[LOUISE COLLINS] Female. Early 40s. Caucasian. Blonde, WASPy, old money elegance. Surprisingly warm but can turn. TYs mother...POSSIBLY RECURRING GUEST STAR. TOS.
[WILLIAM COLLINS] Male. 40s. Caucasian. Barrel chested. Impeccably groomed. High society. TYs father...POSSIBLY RECURRING. 1 DAY GUEST STAR. $1k.
[DR. ERIN SURREY] Female. 30s. Any ethnicity. Attractive and kind looking. Intelligent and sweet...1 DAY GUEST STAR. $1k.
[NIKA] Female, submit PERSIAN ONLY. 18 or older to play high school. Attractive and cool. Unique...7 LINE 3 DAY CO-STAR OR 1 DAY GUEST STAR (depending on spread). POSSIBLY RECURRING.
[WAITER] Male. Early 20s. Attractive...2 lines. CO-STAR. Scale + 10.
[CHEERLEADER] Female. 18 or older to play high school. Any ethnicity. Cute and popular...2 lines. 1 day co-star. Scale + 10.
[DOCTOR] Male or Female. Any ethnicity. 30s...1 line. Co-star. Scale + 10.
[MAID] Female. 30s. Any ethnicity. Attractive...1 line.sptv050769 1 day co-star. Scale + 10.
[CUTE GIRL] Female. 18 or older to play high school. Any ethnicity...2 lines and a reaction shot. 1 day co-star. Scale + 10.
Source: SpoilerTV
90210 - Episode 1.15 - Casting Call
Here is a casting call for Episode 1.15, which has yet to be given a title.
Name-calling, personal attacks, spamming, excessive self-promotion, condescending pomposity, general assiness, racism, sexism, any-other-ism, homophobia, off-topicness, acrophobia, ailurophobia and destructive (versus constructive) criticism will get you BANNED from the party as will creating multiple accounts, actor abuse along with any other trollish behaviour. All comments in ENGLISH please.
Where appropriate please use the new Spoiler Tags if posting spoilers outside the scope of the article that you are currently on. See here for details.
If you have a problem with a comment, DO NOT REPLY TO IT. Instead Click the Dropdown Icon/Arrow to the right of the offending comment and click the Flag link from the dropdown. Our Moderation Team will then deal with any inappropriate comments.
Problems, Issues and Suggestions
If you have a technical issue please email firstname.lastname@example.com
If you have any suggestions or feedback on the site please use our Feedback Form.
If your Disqus account has been blocked from commenting you can try Requesting an Unblock


text:
Mossi Women's Lotus Jacket - $99.99
With an active and feminine fit, the Mossi Womens Lotus Jacket works hard to keep you warm and looking great. The heavy-duty polyester shell is made of a combination of 600- and 550-denier fabrics. Mossi Weather Protection insulation is quilted throughout the entire jacket with a polyester mesh lining for comfort and breathability. An integrated, snap-down snow skirt helps keep the snow and wind out. Tall 180-gram fleece and neoprene-trimmed collar provides all-day comfort, especially when youre wearing it with a helmet while snowmobiling or skiing. Reflective piping on the the sleeves, front and back ensures that youre seen at night. Two outer zippered pockets and one inner storage pocket with Velcro closure. Wide Velcro-adjustable wrist cuffs. Imported.Center back length: 29.Sizes: S-3XL.Colors: Black, Fuchsia, Powder Blue, Pink. - $99.99


text:
Compost tea is a great way to feed your plants the natural way. Compost tea is simple to make. All you need are some worm castings, burlap, and a bucket of water. Take the burlap and form a sack. Fill the sack with worm castings, and place the sack filled with castings in the water. Let soak over night.
The next day you will have some great liquid fertilizer when you remove the sack from the water. Pour the water in your house plants and on your vegetables. You can also make tea out of fresh manure.


text:
Sir, Daniel Finkelstein invites alternative suggestions to a "hypothecated tax" to pay for increased spending on the NHS ("It's time for a separate tax to fund the NHS", Mar 8). The alternative I have proposed would build on the distinction the public makes between tax and contributions. Recent polling found that while 42 per cent of voters would support an increase in tax to pay for a larger NHS budget, this figure climbed to 53 per cent once voters were asked about an increase in national insurance contributions.
Public support for this reform would be cemented if the contributory base was made more progressive. Likewise the inclusion of pensioners' incomes would make it a serious runner for the longer term.
A national mutual that consulted the electorate regularly on the costs of health, and the level of contributions required to meet those costs, accompanied by a continuing efficiency programme, could see the NHS through the next generation.
Frank Field MP
House of Commons
London, SW1A 0AA


text:
This is a discussion on New to Forum, Just another Open Carrier within the Open Carry Issues & Discussions forums, part of the Defensive Carry Discussions category; Hey folks, Just wanted to drop in and say hello. I am 23 years old and have been OCing for about 4 months now. Have ...
Hey folks,
Just wanted to drop in and say hello. I am 23 years old and have been OCing for about 4 months now. Have CCed since I got my LTCF. Only place I don't carry is to work because they don't allow firearms on the property. Yes, I have considered parking off property...
I have never had an LEO encounter, and majority of regular citizen encounters are just usually looks or honest questions. I have never seen anyone else OC.
My latest mission has been to get my Fiance to start Concealed Carrying. At our local sheriffs office it is pretty easy to get your LTCF, just need 1 form of Picture ID and about 15 mins of your time. I bought her a Kel Tech P3AT for her purse but she still hasn't made it to the sheriffs office. She used to not like me OCing because she thought someone would either shoot me instantly or try to steal the gun, but she quickly got over that after a few times in public with me.
"One of the greatest delusions in the world is the hope that the evils in this world are to be cured by legislation."
--Thomas B. Reed, American Attorney
Second Amendment -- Established December 15, 1791 and slowly eroded ever since What happened to "..... shall not be infringed."
Welcome from Michigan!
*WARNING - I may or may not know what I am talking about.
Welcome aboard.
I have a very strict gun control policy: if there's a gun around, I want to be in control of it.
Clint Eastwood
Hello! Welcome from Southeast Kansas!
Welcome from Virginia.
Freedom doesn't come free. It is bought and paid for by the lives and blood of our men and women in uniform.
USAF Retired
NRA Life Member
Welcome to the forum.
"She used to not like me OCing because she thought someone would either shoot me instantly or try to steal the gun,..."
Yeah, that's a popular line of thought that isn't very well supported in truth. But folks are free to believe as they wish. As for her permit, don't pressure her. She either will or won't. It doesn't need to become an obstacle betweent the two of you.
Retired USAF E-8. Curmudgeon at large.
Lighten up and enjoy life because:
Paranoia strikes deep, into your life it will creep. It starts when you're always afraid... Buffalo Springfield - For What It's Worth
Welcome from South Carolina...
Sometimes in life you have to stand your ground. It's a hard lesson to learn and even most adults don't get it, but in the end only I can be responsible for my life. If faced with any type of adversity, only I can overcome it. Waiting for someone else to take responsibility is a long fruitless wait.
Welcome from Mesa, Arizona via Fort Bliss, Texas
Welcome from Colorado, I just signed up today myself!
Welcome to DC. I agree with OldVet. Don't make a big deal of carrying with your fiance. She will do it if/when she is ready.
Welcome from SW Lower Michigan!
Good to have you aboard.
The United States Constitution © 1791. All Rights Reserved.
Welcome from Wisconsin!
USN Submarine & UDT/SEAL Veteran
1SG, US Army Retired - Airborne Infantry All the Way!
Retired PI/Armed Security
Welcome from Alabama
A real man loves his wife, and places his family as the most important thing in life. Nothing has brought me more peace and content in life than simply being a good husband and father.


text:
Episode 1
Just when you thought it was safe to go back on the beach ...
Boredchurch 2.0 – the return
I Ext day
THE DOCTOR (can't remember his character's name): I hate to say it but I think there is only one solution.
GWEN: you mean … take off and nuke the site from orbit?
THE DOCTOR: that isn't what I meant but now you mention it.
GWEN: well, what did you mean, clever dick?
THE DOCTOR: now you mention it, that is what I meant.
GWEN: I'm so glad we agree on something.
II Boredchurch Community Hall.
A large sign has gone up in the window: JE SUIS ANASTASIA. Along with a smaller one, CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE and an even smaller one, THIS IS NOT THE FURTHER NOTICE YOU ARE LOOKING FOR.


text:
BLIND runner Tracey Hinton, 42, is the first British woman to compete in six Paralympics.
Trace The Ace, as she is known in Team GB, is competing in the T11 100m and 200m races for the visually impaired.
Tracey, from Cardiff – who went blind aged four as a result of cancer of the retina – runs with a guide runner, Steffan Hughes, who is her eyes during races.
In her Paralympics career, which began at Barcelona in 1992, she has won three silver and three bronze. Tracey says: "Steffan is the eyes for me during a race so there's a lot of responsibility on his shoulders.
"He talks me through a race and tells me where I am on the track. It takes an awful lot of concentration on his part."


text:
Special Election Will Cost NJ Taxpayers - But How Much?
Gov. Chris Christie has agreed to reimburse counties for the additional costs of holding two special elections to fill a Senate seat in New Jersey. But taxpayers are still footing the bill.
The Office of Legislative Services has estimated the cost for renting polling places, transporting voting machines, printing and mailing ballots and hiring additional staff will be close to $24 million. But at a recent news conference, the governor said he's still not sure what the actual costs to each county will be.
"As soon as they send in their bills, we'll audit them, look at their books to make sure no one is trying to play games with us and get something for nothing," Christie said.
The Division of Elections expects to reimburse counties before Dec. 31. 2013.


text:
Need an online lab test in Ames, IA? Simply order the online lab test you want and get tested at a lab in Ames, IA (Find More Locations):
How much does an Online Lab Test cost?
Our Online Lab Test prices include the doctor's order that you need to get tested in Ames, IA, all lab fees and taxes, and a pdf copy of your results. For current prices in Ames, IA, please CLICK HERE.
What does a report for your Online Lab Test look like?
For a sample report of one of our popular panels, please CLICK HERE.
We are glad we can help people in Ames, IA get an Online Lab Test.
Online Lab Test in other cities near Ames, IA:Alleman | Cambridge | Elkhart | Gilbert | Huxley | Kelley | Luther | Maxwell | Mc Callsburg | Nevada | Randall | Roland | Sheldahl | Slater | Story City


text:
Scarlett VaughnMature
"I guess the first time I met Alexis was at a book signing. It was summer, I remember the birds singing and the beautiful flowers - it was the perfect day. He had just written this book - I don't remember the name now; that was years ago! I had already bought all of his other books and loved them, so when I heard that he was in town, I thought that I should go and say hi!"
Alexis was getting bored. He had been sat at that stupid table for hours on end, signing each book with the same message. He'd even been in a couple of photos, wearing his fake smile. His agent had told him that signings were important - he needed to spend more time making his readers feel important; in fact, he needed to spend more time trying to find friends. He could have been out in a bar or something. He wished he was out in a bar or something.
The next person along was a teenage girl, no older than 16. She had long black hair with a couple of dangly earrings that Alexis couldn't help but look at. As he tried to figure out what they were supposed to be in the shape of, he scribbled his name and some other words down on her copy of the book. She smiled as she left, turning away from him. Dolphins! He smiled to himself and greeted the next one.
This one was a man. He must have been nearing retirement age and so Alexis thought that his book might give him some sort of enjoyment in what must be a boring life. To Alexis, work was more or less everything and the thought of leaving it behind terrified him. Thinking about sitting in his flat, waiting for death to take him was something he tried to avoid; he made death chase fictional people instead, hoping that it might get death on side and give him a few more years. Silly really.
"And then it was my turn. I handed over his book and told him how much of a fan I was. I remember being so excited when I shook his hand - I hadn't seen anyone else get the chance to do that! He smiled at me but it was different - that smile looked sincere compared to the other fakes. I posed for a quick photo and he put his arm around me. I didn't complain! I caught him looking at me as I walked off."
The signing was over and so he was free to do what he wanted. He went to a local bar, trying to drink away some of the boredom. As he reached the bar, he recognised the barmaid instantly - it was the beautiful woman from the signing. She got him a drink, on the house, and they started chatting with Alexis turning on the charm. She told him that she got off her shift in an hour's time so he waited. The two of them walked out of the bar together, hand in hand.
"We just hit it off straight away. It wasn't the money or the fame that did it for me. He was a sincerely nice bloke. Different from all the rest I suppose. We had a lot in common but enough of a difference, if you know what I mean. They say opposites attract don't they? Well that's not always true. I've stuck with him ever since. He's changed, haven't we all? But I think it was the accident that changed him the most. It changed everything. The nice man started to fade away. I suppose the niceness was him making up for his earlier life and now that he had been dealt a bad hand, I suppose he just gave up repenting for his sins. Sad really. But I still loved him. Alexis was good to me and I don't want anyone saying to the contrary!"


text:
You are currently using an unsupported web browser.
We support the latest versions of these browsers:
If you have any problems while attempting to download a browser, you should contact your organization's system administrator.
For any questions related to Cvent, feel free to contact our Customer Care team.
The Hotel Colorado is a modern structure which is constantly updated and improved to make your stay with us as comfortable as possible. Guests will enjoy the relaxed family atmosphere which makes the hotel so special.
Thanks to its unique position, Hotel Colorado offers its guest...
You must be logged in to view contact information for this supplier. Sign up for a free Cvent account today.


text:
Chapter 5: James Franco is Smiling at MeMature
I hate awkward silences, which is ironic because the majority of my last four years has been silent. You can only ask your dogs about their day so many times before you get sick of imagining their responses. I used to talk aloud to myself just to hear something, but I ran out of things to say. I even tried singing to myself for a little while, but decided suffocating silence was more tolerable.
"So, uh...what's the plan?" Felix asks. I couldn't be happier for the conversation.
"Well, the first thing is to unload the supplies and get them put away. Then we need to take care of Allis's foot and get ourselves cleaned up. Good thing I picked up more bleach."
"What do you mean?" He looks confused.
"We'll have to take bleach baths. It's the best way I know to prevent becoming infected. Kills all the germs, washes away the blood, sterilizes everything," I explain.
"I've always found a place to wash off with plain water," says Felix. "I always just got clean. I never thought about how clean."
"I'm not sure it's foolproof, but I figure it can't hurt to be extra safe."
We fall silent again. Come on, don't I have anything to talk about? In all this time, I've got no good stories? "What's the funniest thing that has happened to you since the outbreak?" I ask. It's sort of random and I expect Felix to be confused, but he doesn't bat an eye.
"Hmmm...the funniest thing?" He takes a minute to think it over. "A little while after I left the city, I came to this suburb. It had some shops and I desperately needed new clothes, so I figured I'd look around and see if I could find a clothing store."
I turn left at the traffic light and speed up. The sun is sinking and I want to be at home and locked down before dark. Felix continues.
"I found one and went in. I grabbed a shirt and pair of jeans that looked like they'd fit me and dropped trou right there in the middle of the store. No one was alive to see me so why go into a changing room, right?"
"Right," I agree, grinning.
"So there I am, standing in the middle of an abandoned clothing store, during the freakin' apocalypse, buck-ass naked, and wouldn't you know it, I've got an audience!"
"Someone was watching you?!" I can't decide if I'm more amused that Felix was caught au-naturel or interested in this other person.
"Not someone, something," he clarifies. "I turned around to grab my new pants and there were about 30 pairs of eyes staring at my ass. Apparently, every cat in the neighborhood had come out of hiding for the peep show." Through his laughter, he says, "They all started meowing at me and I couldn't decide if I was more flattered or creeped out."
We're still laughing as I swing into the driveway. We get out and set about unloading the car. I unlock the door to the mudroom, wiggle the boards out of their brackets, and prop them against the wall. We haul everything into the kitchen, panting as we drop the last bag of dog food atop the pile. I go back to the car and let Mack out before gently sliding Allis off the seat and onto the ground where I can get my arms around her. Once again, she is propped on my hip and I shuffle into the house. I pause in the kitchen.
"The bathroom is through the doorway and to your left. Take the bleach with you and you can have the first bath."
"How much bleach is safe to use?" asks Felix, picking up the jug.
"About half a cup," I tell him. "Will you bring out one of the bath towels for me? I'm going to get Allis fixed up and it might make a mess."
"Sure thing." He walks away and returns a moment later with a towel. He spreads it out on the floor for me. "Do you need help with her?"
"No offense, but I don't think helping me yank glass out of her foot would be the best first impression for you to make on her," I chuckle.
"None taken." He smiles and returns to the bathroom.
I lay Allis on the towel and try to figure out the least painful way to approach her injury. "This is going to suck," I warn her. I grab the gauze, medical tape, and antibacterial ointment from the countertop and peroxide from the cupboard. "This is really going to suck."
Upon closer inspection, I see that this is going to require stitches. The wound isn't too deep, but it needs more than a bandage. "Stay." She gives me a look of defiance but does as she is told. I go to the spare room at the back of the house and grab grandma's old sewing kit. I dig through it until I find some bright yellow thread and a needle. I also grab one of my grandfather's belts. Then, I run upstairs to the bedroom and steal a pillowcase from my bed.
Back in the kitchen, I wash my hands at the sink. Before I start fiddling with the glass, I fold my pillowcase into a blindfold and lay it over Allis's eyes, hoping that if she can't see what I'm doing she'll be less stressed. Then I pull a steak knife from the drawer to my right and slip the belt under her leg to use as a tourniquet. I pull it as tight as I can and stab a new hole for the buckle. That should help with the bleeding. Now comes the hard part.
With my left hand I start to wiggle the glass out while with my right I hover the peroxide over her paw pad. It starts to give and I pull the slightest bit harder. So far, she hasn't even whimpered. Mack is pacing circles around the kitchen table. The glass slides out an eighth of an inch. I keep wiggling and it finally comes loose. Thanks to the belt-tourniquet the bleeding isn't so bad. I set the shard aside and splash some peroxide into the wound. Now Allis has some complaints. She twitches her foot as the liquid fizzes uncomfortably. While the peroxide does its thing, I use a little more to sterilize the needle and a length of thread.
I tie a few knots layered over each other at one end of the thread until I have a yellow bulge big enough to keep it from sliding through the entry point and feed the other end through the eye of the needle. For this, I decide it might be best to straddle Allis's torso so I swing a leg over her and contort myself so that I can still see her paw well enough to stitch it up. I try to be quick. Allis kicks and whines every time I get close, but she can't do much the way I've got her pinned.
I weave a tight zig zag line from one side of her paw to the other and repeat the same layered knotting process when I'm finished. The yellow color has been overdyed with blood and deepened to a burnt orange. I reach for the gauze and wrap Allis's paw as best I can, tape it up, and remove the tourniquet. I know she'll just lick at the gauze until it slides off, so I look around for some kind of covering. I spot my grandfather's old velcro sneakers and a dish towel. Perfect. I grab both and get crafty.
With the steak knife, I pry the stitches loose around the velcro fasteners on the sneakers. I fold the dish towel over Allis's foot the long way so that it goes up her leg as far as possible. I tape around the top to hold the edges in place. Now there are gaps at the front and back of Allis's leg that need to be closed. I sew the soft side of two velcro strips, one above the other, onto one side of the gap at the front of the makeshift cast. I pick up the knife again and slice an opening on the other side of it and slip the rough side of the velcro strips through them, folding each one over to meet its corresponding soft side. I repeat the process with the gap at the back. When I finish, it almost looks like one of those boots they give you at the hospital for bad sprains.
"All right, girl. Give it a try," I say, tugging the pillowcase away from her eyes. Allis is only too eager to hop up. She winces and yelps. She is only too eager to sit down. "You gotta take it easy," I chide. The bathroom door squeaks open. I look up to see Felix, his hair spikey and damp. He is clean shaven.
"I hope you don't mind, but I borrowed some shaving cream," he explains, running a hand over his chin. "It's been a long time since I could shave without having serious razor burn afterward."
"That's fine. Do you want some clean clothes?" He looks like he might fit into grandpa's old stuff.
"Do you have anything in a seven?" He asks in a fake valley-girl accent.
"Let me check the back," I joke as I pass him. Felix follows me past the bathroom, through the living room, and stops when I turn left through the doorway to the spare room. I pick through a stack of t-shirts and find a plain white one.
"What's your pants size?" I call out.
"34-30," he calls back.
"34-30, 34-30," I mutter to myself while meticulously checking for a match. The closest I can find is 36-30. I take the jeans and t-shirt out to Felix.
"You'll have to wear a belt," I say as I hand him the clothes. "Sorry."
"Don't apologize," he says. "I'm not about to complain about a belt. I haven't had clean clothes in such a long time."
"Too afraid of cats watching you change?" I smirk.
"No!" Felix mocks offense. We laugh as we walk back through the living room.
When I see the stairs, it occurs to me that Felix will need to sleep at some point. "If you go upstairs and turn left at the top, there is a bedroom you can use," I tell him.
"Oh, uh. Thank you," he looks confused.
"Well I … I just wasn't sure if you wanted me to stick around," he looks away.
"It's up to you whether you want to stay or not, but I'm not about to send you out there again this late. You can stay the night and leave in the morning or you can stick around for a while."
"Are you sure? I mean, we just met."
"I'm sure. Just don't make me regret it," I say a little too sternly. Felix nods.
"I appreciate it and I think I'll stay for a while if you don't mind," he replies. "I'd like us to be friends and then maybe this whole apocalypse thing won't be so daunting anymore." He looks hopeful.
I'm not sure how to respond to this sentiment, so I just go with, "Alright then. Go put some pants on," and point him upstairs. He smiles and leaves me standing in the living room. Mack and Allis come out to meet me. Allis hobbles along partially supported by her brother.
"Hi, pups," I smile and crouch down to pet them. With a jolt, I remember all that I still have left to do before lockdown. I stand and go to the kitchen to pick up all my tools from Allis's pseudo-surgery. That done, I go into the mudroom and slide on my rubber boots and grab the milk bucket. Belle must be pissed. The dogs follow me out the door.
I jog to the garage/barn and open the door. Belle greets me with an angry huff and a long, low groan. "I know, I know. I'm late." I slide the bucket beneath her and in a few minutes, she is feeling much better. I check her food trough and find that there is still plenty of grass there. "I'll make sure you get to go out tomorrow," I assure her. Usually, Belle spends her days in the field behind the house. On shopping days like today though, she has to stay in where I know she'll be safe while I'm away.
I trudge back to the house with the milk bucket and let the dogs back inside. I set the bucket down to lock and board the door before I take it into the kitchen to fill two more empty jugs and bring them to the coolers in the basement. Felix is sitting on the couch when he sees me come out of the kitchen with two gallons of milk. He gets up and asks if he can help.
"You can open the basement door for me," I answer, nodding my head toward it. He opens it and stands aside.
"Thanks," I say when I come back up. I look around the living room where most of the windows are. Everything is boarded up and locked just as I left it this morning. I sigh.
"You okay?" Felix asks.
"Yeah. I'm going to go take my bath and then we can make dinner. You got any requests?"
"Caviar?" He tries to look serious, but can't hold a straight face.
"Okay, smartass," I grin.
"Seriously though, I'm not picky. Whatever you've got is fine with me," he says.
I go upstairs for a clean outfit. I pick out an old concert t-shirt and a pair of sweats and head down to the bathroom. Felix left the bleach jug in here for me. Once the bath is drawn, I measure out a half cup and add it to the tub. The warm water feels so good after today. For the first time, I realize that my muscles are aching all over. I tip my head back and submerge it for a moment before surfacing and picking up my shaving blade from a shelf to my right.
About and hour later, I'm clean, smooth, and hungry. I get dressed and call the dogs into the bathroom. Mack jumps into the tub and I lift Allis in. "Stay." I go to the kitchen for a grocery bag to put over Allis's bum leg and a rubber band to secure it. Felix is standing in the kitchen staring at Jim. I remember then that I have a bone to pick with Jim. I approach the guys.
"Hey, my name is Ayva! Thanks for asking, dick!" I spit. Felix looks alarmed. I glance up at him. "Two years! Two years I've known this guy and he never even asks me my name!" I explain. "Rude, right?" I glare at Jim before stomping back to the bathroom.
The grocery bag works well. I turn the water on and pull the tab for the shower head. I pour some doggie shampoo over Mack and Allis's back and work it in with a scrubbing brush. There are sliding glass panels on the outside edge of the tub. I close them to contain the suds and let the dogs handle it from there. They roll around and rinse themselves off while I go out to make dinner. I figure they'll be ready to get out by the time I'm done cooking.
Felix is still studying Jim when I return to the kitchen. When I come out he glances at me, then at Jim, then at me again. "Uh, Ayva?" His voice shakes a bit.
"You know that Jim's not … um. He's not --"
"He's not what, Felix?"
"Real," he says. "Jim isn't real."
"What do you mean? Of course he is. He's right there. Felix, are you okay?"
"Am I okay? Ayva, this is just a chair with James Franco's picture taped to the front of it!" He exclaims. I'm wondering if it was a mistake to bring Felix here. He and Jim aren't exactly hitting it off.
"Did Jim do something to upset you?" I ask.
"Upset-wha-but, ugh," Felix sputters. With a deep breath, he tries again. "Ayva, look at Jim. Describe him to me. What does he look like?"
"But you're looking at him right now," I object.
"I know," Felix replies, suddenly much calmer. "Just try. Humor me."
"Okaaay. Uh, well he's … kind of thin, but that's just because he doesn't eat much."
"Uh huh, go on."
"And um … he has a nice tan, sort of a light bronzey color, which is impressive because he never goes outside."
"What about his clothes? Does he have good fashion sense?"
"Not really. His outfit is olive green with golden floral patterns." My heart starts racing and I'm sweating. I don't know why.
"Mmhmmm, and?" says Felix.
"And -- and uh …" A memory flashes at the edge of my mind.
It's February, 2018. I'm at the general store in town. Alone. There is a movie poster for my favorite comedy. James Franco smiles at me. The poster is on my wall. Alone. James Franco smiles at me. Alone. Scissors. Alone. James Franco smiles at me. Alone. I bet his friends call him Jim. Alone. Jim is in the kitchen. Jim and I are friends. Jim smiles at me. Jim never asked me my name. Jim doesn't care. Alone. Jim never asks me anything. Alone. Jim doesn't eat. Alone. Jim never moves! Alone.
I turn and bolt up the stairs, burst through my bedroom door, whip around to my left where James Franco is -- Not smiling at me. There is a movie poster for my favorite comedy. James Franco's face has been cut neatly from the center. There is a head-shaped hole through which I can see false wood paneling. I'm trembling as I stutter-step down the stairs. Felix meets me in the living room.
"Ayva?" He looks shaken, though not as much as I probably do. I push past him and go to the kitchen where James Franco's picture is smiling at me, taped to a chair that is stained a sort of light bronzey color with olive green upholstery featuring golden floral patterns. Felix enters behind me. "It's just a chair, Ayva," he says gently.
"Yeah." The room is spinning.