After a few moments he heard the distinct sound of heels clicking on tile. The door creaked loudly as it pulled open to reveal a curvaceous red-head. She was all woman, tall enough to almost meet his own six foot and three inches. She had a tight blue button down blouse, the top three buttons left open to reveal ample cleavage along with some rather nasty scars running across her chest. She had a black skirt that barely covered her thighs and legs that went on for days.
A coy smile played on her face as she saw who their visitor was. “Well hello Jean, it’s been awhile. What brings you here?” She clutched a jar against her chest, the liquid inside a murky brown, something was floating inside it as well.
He stepped up, their bodies nearly flush as he grinned. He knew there was nothing friendly in his expression though. “You know why I’m here Honey, where is the Doc hiding?” The term wasn’t used as an endearment. No one knew her name and it became common to call her that. She was sickly sweet and stuck to the Doc like honey.
Her fingers pressed against his stomach before sliding their way up to rest on his chest. “Do you have an appointment Jean? You know he is a very busy man and can’t be bothered for one of your whims.”
“Save it.” He pushed past her, choosing to ignore how light she felt when he shoved her against the door. He walked down the hall, noting how the lights flickered. How the walls were covered with stains of what he knew was dried blood. He could hear her following him, hell he could smell her. It was floral and soft. Nothing like the woman that scent belonged to. She was a she-devil to the core, at the Doc’s beck and call. She cleaned up after his messes and had helped him do his dirty work countless times with no questions asked. She was also the only person the dear old doctor showed any favor for.
He swung the door at the end of the hall open, nearly retching on the spot from the smell. He covered his nose and mouth with his arm, eyes watering from the smell of the dead. He blinked a few times to clear them so he could see what was causing the smell.
Not that he was surprised in the least at the sight of a mangled and dismembered corpse laying out on a rather shaky looking table.
“Oh Jean my boy! How utterly pleasant for you to stop by and see me! Please do tell me it’s personal and not just for work.” The voice was raspy, like someone who had just been punched in the throat one too many times.
The sound of it always caused a chill to roll down Jean’s spine, turning he faced the man. A real sight to behold what with his ash colored hair and skin the color of a dead man. He looked younger than Jean despite having been around for as long as anyone could recall, he wore small round spectacles and beneath his worn out lab coat he had on pressed black slacks and a black button down. Even his eyes were a murky blue, cloudy and always appeared to be looking past you. He was also a few inches shorter than Jean and looked mostly to be skin and bones yet never seemed to have any issues holding his own.
“The day ever comes that I show up just to exchange pleasantries is the day I get a full transplant of my brain.” He hated this man, more so since the Doc always seemed to enjoy his visits. No matter the circumstances.
The thinner man waved a hand at him, a smile stretching across his face. Stretching it as though unaccustomed to taking that shape. “I assume you are here about the girl then? Quite adorable that one, little young for you though Jean.”
That was it, that kind of nonchalant attitude was what set his teeth on edge. “She is twelve. She is trying to take care of her mother Doc, but she doesn’t need to be coming here.”
“Oh but Jean she seems rather fond of my company, just a few hours ago she was here. We had a lovely chat and even shared some coffee.” He took a few slow steps to sit at the edge of his desk, head tilted and hand clasped neatly on his lap.
“She doesn’t understand what kind of a monster you really are.” He spat the words out, anger he usually kept a tight lid on was now boiling to the surface.
“Monster?” Doc raised a brow. His features were still and carved into a smile, though his eyes held a hint of something far more deadly. “I give her a discount Jean. I have fed the girl, let her linger here when she is clearly too afraid to return home.” He made a show of releasing an overly exaggerated sigh. “I think perhaps you have the definition of a monster confused Jean.”
Jean closed the short distance between them, reaching out to grab at the Doc’s collar. “I don’t know what game you are playing at or what you want from a twelve year old girl but it’s over. If her mother wants drugs, she can get them herself. End of story.”
It was then he felt it, the soft curve of the blade pressing against where his kidney was located. Her soft smell dancing up to tickle his nose, the gentle press of her breasts against his back as she leaned into him.
“Oh kitten, we both know you don’t come into somebody’s place of work and attack them. It’s just poor etiquette.Her words were teasing while her voice was cold steel. She dug the blade in a little more as she slid her other hand up to his chin, tilting his head back to kiss the lobe of his ear. “Can I trust you to behave yourself if I let you go now?”
He grimaced as the point of her knife started to be less of an irritation and more of a genuine concern. He darted his gaze back to the Doc who looked unphased by the whole ordeal. “I don’t think I have much of a choice now do I?”
She smiled wider, almost purring in his ear as she pulled back, tucking the knife away as she straightened her blouse. “I appreciate the positive attitude Jean.”
“I stand by what I said Doc, leave the girl alone. She deserves a chance in this world.” He met the man’s blue eyes with a steely determination.
Doc smoothed his coat down and sighed. “Jean let me make this very clear to you, I offer services to those who pay. It makes no difference to me how old they are or what kind of a chance they deserve. She pays. I provide.” He held up a hand before Jean good start in on him. “I will ask you only once Jean, please leave.”
Make no mistake, Jean was not a coward by any means. But there would always be lines you don't cross and people you didn’t step up to unless you had a very good reason. People didn’t cross Doc.
He had no words, he turned and shoved past his psycho sidekick once more and headed for the exit. Making his way out into a world that offered no relief from the one he’d just left. He had to clear his head, to get away from the one man he wished he could kill in cold blood.
He was aimless as he walked down the broken cobblestone styled road, unwilling to think about how he couldn’t even help one young girl.
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