Behind blue eyes, Shane watched dispassionately as hospital staff moved in and out of her body’s field of vision, and relaxed into the gauzy calm of The Safe Place. She’d forgotten how comfortable it felt to be here, where she could be untroubled by feelings of any kind, physical or emotional.

She’d made this space for herself a long time ago, to escape all those touches that were less gentle, their purpose less noble. Where no one could hurt her. It had been years since she’d come here, not since that last time she’d been attacked on the streets. That had been….

“Ten years ago,” her sarcastic 16-year-old self answered.

“Harky! You’re still here.”

“Of course, asshole. Where else would I be?” Harky punched her fists into her pockets and scowled.

Shane almost laughed. Was that what she really looked like at that age?

Harky shifted her weight to one foot, then the other, popping her skinny hips out this way and that. “What do you think? I just pulled this look out of my ass?”

Shane couldn’t help but laugh, knowing that her body’s face would remain as blank and unfeeling as before.

“So. Shithead! That was some fucking stunt you pulled out there!”

“What?”

Harky gave her a disgusted look. “Playing Love’s bitch! What was that, anyway? You know better!”

Even here, Shane felt a slight emotional twinge but it quickly passed. “I guess I forgot how bad it could be.”

“Forgot!” Harky’s face twisted with contempt. If she’d been able to, she would have spit. “I don’t believe you!”

“Believe what you want,” Shane said in a tired voice. “I just….”

“You wanted. That was it, wasn’t it? You wanted.”

“All right, yes! I wanted. I wanted love. I wanted affection. I wanted comfort and caring and respect. I wanted to go to bed with the same woman at night and wake up with her in the morning. Yes, I wanted!”

Like an angry cat, Harky turned her back. Shane could almost see her hair bristle. She reached out toward her 16-year-old self but Harky shoved her hand away. “Do you know what you’ve done?” she thought loudly. It made Shane’s head wince. “You put us all in danger.”