"Sarah, you hungry sweetheart? There is some maple sugar oatmeal on the stove." Mercedes called out from her bedroom. 

"I'm going to be late for work," Sarah mumbled through the bobby pin in her mouth as she fumbled to pin her hair up. She adjusted her nursing uniform skirt. Grabbing her purse, she headed for the door, passing Mercede's room. She stopped.

"Hun, you okay?" She paused.

Mercedes sat crossed legged on her bed. In her hand was a coffee tin can which they used to stash their savings since the banks went under. 

"We have only $20 dollars left," Mercedes frowned. "I really want to take up Don HooLZ offer...you know he will take care of us...and you know how I feel about him."

" I will get paid soon," Sarah pleaded. 

"I know but, it's better than me working at the club, ya' know?" Mercedes stared at the stacks of dollar bills and coins on her blanket forlornly.

"Allright, we can talk about this when I get back."

Mercedes nodded.

Detroit Downtown Medical Center

Sarah arrived at the hospital, a line waited outside. Many were passed out from heat exhaustion or starvation. She quickly jumped in to help out.

"Not today, Sarah," the charge nurse walked up to her, "Dr. Carrigan wants you on the 3rd floor."

"You sure?"

"Yes, we can handle it here."

Sarah went to the intensive care unit, Dr. Carrigan looked up from his clipboard. 

"Sarah, good you're here. We have a patient with a gunshot wound, head trauma. He will be discharged soon, I need you to dress his wounds."

Sarah looked at the patient chart.

"John Doe?"

"Yes, that is why I called you up here. He won't give out his name, apparently there are men guarding him...but at least we were able to kick them out during surgery. Very threatening group, but, he can afford a private room, paid everything upfront, we really had no choice but to help him."

"Oh." Sarah said. She nodded, heading for the patient's room. She walked in seeing two large, rugged men in suits. She caught the last bit of what they were saying.

"...allright boss, we'll get em." They stopped abruptly as she drew the curtains.

"Hey toots, you got some food for us?" One man joked to the other who grinned.

"I'm here to dress his wounds," she looked over to the man wrapped up in bandages. She felt goosebumps; her body could feel his gaze even from behind her.

"Leave us." A low rough voice commanded.

The two men stopped smirking, adjusted their suits, got up and walked out shutting the door behind them. Sarah turned around, her heart beat faster. She couldn't understand why. Maybe it was the way those men dressed or hearing the patient's voice.

"He's just a patient." She reassured herself.

Sarah started to setup a cart of fresh bandages, sterilized sponges, a water basin, and antiseptic.

"What's your name?" He asked.

"Sarah."

"Sarah," he repeated back which made her blush. 

"Are you able to sit up?" She grabbed a few pillows to help prop him up. He groaned as he got up and sat at the edge of the bed. 

"I'm sorry, we have to change the bandages out so it doesn't get infected."

She unwrapped his head bandages, his face was swollen and purple, unrecognizable. His piercing eyes stared at her as she gently cleansed his face with antiseptic dipped cotton balls.

"Sorry this is gonna sting alittle," as she dabbed it across the bullet wound that grazed his face. 

He groaned.

"I know," she whispered soothingly. She noticed he gripped the edge of the bed with his hands tightly as she stood in front of him. "Almost there, then I move on to your chest and we're done."

She leaned forward as she wrapped her arms around him to untie his patient gown, smelling his body scent. She flushed bright red, uncovering his chest. His broad shoulders were rock hard and his arms were cut and muscular.

"You okay?" He quietly asked her.

"Yes, I'm fine." She snapped a little too quickly.

As she unwrapped his chest bandage she refocused, seeing the swollen area of his gunshot wound. He growled as she sponged him.

"You like working here? He asked to ignore the pain.

"Yes, I do."

"Why?"

"Because I like helping people."

"They pay you well here?"

"That is none of your business."

She felt his hand grip hers as she held the sponge over his chest. She gasped.

"I want to take you away from here."

"What? Do you want me to get the doctor?" She froze unable to pull away from his gaze.

"I'd like to take you out," his grip became softer.

"Sir, You're in no condition to take me out!" She pretended to laugh and continued to sponge him, relieved at her own response.

"Just wait then."

Sarah rewrapped fresh bandages around his chest and helped him lay down. 

"Thank you Sarah."

"Rest well, Sir."

Mercedes stares trance-like out of her bedroom window. She and her roommate Sarah were honest, hardworking people who continued to struggle in order to make ends meet. Sarah was a nurse for God's sake, you couldn't get any more noble than that. Mercedes worked double shifts at a local club. The pay wasn't great but the tips were fantastic. They'd be a lot better if she was willing to remove certain things, or perform certain things, but there was a certain man that...eh, neither here nor there. No one has time for courtship or dating anymore. It was too hard just to make ends meet or even pay the rent, particularly for two women.

Countless times, she'd seen even the youngest of mafioso strolling the streets in their tailored suits and Italian shoes. Was there even a place in that life for women? And if so, how many ethics would be erased, or lines crossed? 

God didn't play favorites. The vast majority were suffering out there, doing whatever it took to feed families and put clothes on their children's backs. She wasn't any different. No reason she'd get special treatment in life.

But didn't God help those who helped themselves?

With that thought in mind, she grabbed a pen and pad and started jotting down convincing arguments with the intention of luring Sarah to the darker side of life.

Sarah got home that night not exhausted as she usually was. She opened the door to the lights not on, Mercedes was working that night at the club. She worked double shifts, so it was rare to see her.

"Drats," she thought to herself, dissapointed she couldn't tell Mercedes about the man she met earlier. She changed out of her uniform, lit some tea candles around the bathtub, and drew herself as nice hot bath.

"Leave us," she mockingly imitated his low voice and giggled, playing with the bath foam. She sighed. Don't be stupid, Sarah. People shot at him for a reason. Pouting, she got out of the tub, wrapped herself in a towel, and changed into silk pajamas. While brushing her wet hair, she walked over to the kitchen to eat the leftover oatmeal. Starving, she didn't eat all day, and made her way through the dark to open the refrigerator. Shocked, the fridge was stocked. A whole chicken, rosemary garlic sauteed potatos, asparagus, wine, four whole glass jars of fresh milk, fresh vegetables, cannolis, a cheesecake, various assorted gourmet cheeses, eggs, and wow...real churned butter! What a luxury. She looked in the icebox and found several frozen meats and salmon. Baffled, she flicked the kitchen light on, seeing an enormous bouquet of roses on the kitchen table, next to it, a bowl of fresh fruit and a basket of baguettes. 

She made herself a plate of cold chicken, potatos, and asparagus. Sitting next to the bouquet of roses, she didn't have to read the card. Mercedes had many suitors, but she knew. Don HooLZ. She smiled. There was no way she was going to convince Mercedes otherwise now.

After washing the dishes, she went to bed. She noticed a letter Mercedes left for her listing all the positives of turning to a life of crime. She laid there, thinking about the man she met earlier. She didn't even know his name! Stop thinking about him. She could take care of herself. She gripped the blanket, worried for the future, then drifted off to sleep.

The next morning she arrived at the hospital, excited to see the patient again. To her dismay, she found out the man was discharged early that morning. 

"Why so soon?" She asked Dr. Carrigan.

"He requested it. We told him it was not advisable, he had a few more days until the swelling went down. He said he had important business to attend to and I Iet him go because his private doctor called in saying he would watch over him."

Sarah hid her unhappiness, which eventually turned to anger. He didn't even leave a note, jerk. Or a name. Eh, forget about him. Distracting herself with work, from the corner of her eye she noticed two menacing figures looking around. She didn't know if they were visitors, but they reminded her of the men she met the other day. They were speaking to one of the nurses who ran off to get the doctor. Sarah pretended to do work nearby so she could hear.

"No gentlemen, the patient was discharged earlier today by his request."

"No address?"

"I'm sorry, we can't give that information out. Even if I did have it, the patient refused to give out his information." The doctor stepped back timidly. 

The two men said nothing and walked out, one of them stared at her while passing. Sarah quickly looked down, pretending to read a medical chart. Their open trenchcoats swayed behind them down the hallway as medical staff rushed around them. Sarah felt a dreadful gut feeling, but continued to work. 

She came home that night to find the house swarming with bodyguards. Sighing, she knew this meant Don HooLZ was visiting. A bodyguard opened the door for her to the sound of blasting music. Mercedes tipsy, was laughing with Don HooLZ as they sat on the couch, Paranoid was leaning by the fireplace with a drink. 

"Sarah!" Mercedes called out delighted. "Come have a drink with us, relax!"

Don HooLZ quickly could tell Sarah went through alot that day. 

"Everything okay?" He asked. Dealing with all types of people, Don HooLZ could tell something was serious on Sarah's mind. 

After changing into a cocktail dress, Sarah returned back to the parlor and told them everything that happened. The patient she met, and the men looking for him. Don HooLZ looked over to Paranoid who nodded, saying they would look into it. 

"Any activity like that in our cities will be looked into," Don HooLZ said reassuringly. "As highwaymen, we make sure of knowing who goes in and out of our territories."

"You liked him didn't you," Mercedes teased.

"Me? No," she blushed, a few drinks warming her up, "I didn't get his name."

 "Have you thought about what I asked you?" Mercedes added.

"Yes, I want in." Sarah decided. 

Mercedes got up and hugged her. Sarah flashed back to the patient. She wanted to be a part of his world, but as an equal. This was a way in. 

"A toast! To our family! The Highwaymen!" Don HooLZ announced with everyone raising their glasses.