They came to a rest stop about an hour after they got back onto the state highway--a brown-painted building with vending machines on its porch and a few empty picnic tables scattered about. Electa pulled over behind the building, out of sight from the road.

In the ladies' room, she swapped her torn T-shirt for a fresh one and stood at the sink, splashing water on her face. The mirror was one of those metallic ones that you can hardly see yourself in, but she could see enough to realize that she looked like something out of a horror film. Then her smile faded. She dug her hairbrush out of her bag and combed her hair back, tying it up into a knot before going back out, putting her bag back into the truck, grabbing the first-aid kit

Vex shakily ran his hands through his hair, getting rid of any knots. He wasn't sure how to clean anything else of his but he knew it wouldn't work because his arms where bloody from hugging his bloody torso. He struggled to stay awake, fearing he wouldn't wake if he fell asleep.

"Hey," said Electa's voice. She was standing in the doorway holding a small first-aid kit. "We should probably get your wound fixed up." She had pulled on a blue T-shirt and it was obvious she'd splashed water on herself; her arms and neck were slightly wet, as well as her face.

.

He looked to her and gave as much a nod as he could. "Please." he said softly.

Electa gently unwrapped the strip of the T-shirt. Once she had washed it off, she cleaned it with a tube of antiseptic from the first-aid kit and wrapped gauze around it. Her hands were skillful, efficient.

He stayed as quiet and still as he could for her.

She secured the gauze with tape, firming it in place with a finger. The finger lingered for a moment, and then she let her hand drop. "Okay, I think you'll live."

He had a nice build on his torso as well, he probably could demolish kids his age if he ever fought. "Thank you."

Electa didn't say anything at first and it was a long moment before she spoke. Finally, she said huskily, "You shouldn't have done that, not for me. If anything had happened to you--" She broke off. She was talking about what he had done back in the middle of nowhere

He looked to her in confusion. "But ... I couldn't watch someone else die." he murmured.