"Stewart go get the hammer and some nails out of the garage. And a two by four while you're there."

While Stew ran off his dad walked over and stood next to me. "Mike if you could hold that for thirty seconds, I'd appreciate it."

"Yes, sir."

He held a kitchen towel towards me. "Got a bit on your face."

"Thanks."

"When I was about your age my dog got in a fight with a raccoon. My grandpa said it had hydrophobia and left me to take care of him. I did the same thing as you, just not in the front hall. It isn't easy killing animals just for being animals, but sometimes it has to be done." He clapped my shoulder as he walked past me. "Grab a towel to throw on there and then check on your runner girl."

"OK Mr. Coleman."

I stood up and started off to get a towel when Mr. Coleman called out to me from where he had joined Mike holding the door. "Dave, you can call me Sam."

After I had thrown a towel over the puddle of vomit and squirrel, I got my first good look at Runner Girl. I had been spot on with my casual label for her. The girl turned out to be the captain of the girl's track team, Meagan Thomas. She had an athletic body, a cocoa complexion with shoulder length black hair in a ponytail.

"Oh shit! I had no idea Meagan lived around here."

Stew had stopped to stare on his way past delivering the supplies his father wanted.

"Focus boy! Monsters at the door are a bit more important than you oogling girls."

"Yea, sorry dad."

I returned to assessing Meagan. She didn't have any deep wounds except for one on the side of her face, which had already clotted up. The rest were just scrapes and scratches. She did have a giant bump on the side of her head, opposite the scratch, where she had hit the doorjamb.

"Hey, uh, Sam. Do you guys have any butterfly bandages?"

"In the medicine cabinet."

I nodded my thanks as he returned to supervising Mike and Stew in securing the door. As I passed Soccer Mom I saw she had quit sobbing but her rocking had only slowed a bit. Baby was still happily yanking on her necklace.

In the bathroom, I washed my own wounds quickly. The bite wound looked better than I had thought so I just put a regular bandage on it. I grabbed the box of butterfly bandages and a bottle of hydrogen peroxide. Back downstairs I threw some ice in a clean hand towel while a bowl filled with warm water. Juggling all of it I managed to grab a few clean washcloths and stepped around the towel covered puddle.

After setting everything down I started to clean her arms. They went quickly, nothing unexpected, just scrapes on her toned arms. While I was moving on to her face I heard everyone else finishing up on the door.

I removed the wet cloth I had covered the wound on her face with and started gently dabbing at it. Letting the cloth sit there had loosened the blood and dirt so when I dabbed most of it came up without wiping. Sometimes having an ex-nurse for a mom can come in handy.

"Ah man. Dave why did you leave this mess here? I almost stepped in it."

"Because I told him to Stewart. Now go get a mop and bucket so that can be cleaned up. Mike, will you help me move the lady and the squirt into the living room."

Sam squatted down and started talking to Soccer Mom while Mike stood a few feet away.

"Yes dad." Stew reluctantly headed off to get the cleaning supplies.

When I turned around I looked right into Meagan's brown eyes. They were very deep and amazingly similar to a high quality milk chocolate. I love chocolate. That's why I stared so long.

"Sorry. I thought you were asleep. I was cleaning your wound...I got ice for your bump." She raised an eyebrow but took the makeshift icepack I had made.

She hissed at touching the bump but breathed easier once she settled the ice on it. "So what's going on?"

"Something changed everything and then monsters started attacking people."

I got a really good look at her when she rolled her eyes. "Yes I was there for that part. I meant here, now."

I indicated the wound on her face and resumed cleaning at her nod. "Door got blocked to make sure nothing would follow you in. Mike and Sam, Stew's dad, are trying to help Soccer Mom and her kid."

"Is she injured?"

"Not as far as I could tell." As I finished cleaning her wound and picked up the box of bandages, I got a notification.

‡ Basic First Aid Skill Unlocked ‡ ‡ Basic First Aid - Applying pressure and covering it up works on everything right? Reduces healing time by HP amount bandaged. ‡

I felt a bit of confidence as I shook the bandages into my hand. Most of that disappeared when only two bandages came out. "I don't think two will be enough, but it seems like it's all we have."

"Better than nothing right?"

"It might reduce healing time a bit, maybe reduce the scarring. My mom said super glue was made for closing injuries, maybe we could try that?"

"I think I want to stick with the bandages for now. Besides, I hear some guys like scars. Adds a distinguished look."

"The way you look it wouldn't matter if you had no scars or a dozen."

I looked down as my cheeks warmed up.

"Oh?" I could see down the wide neck of her jersey. Her sports bra was black with a subtle lace. I felt like my face was on fire.

Stew broke the silence when he came back with a bucket and mop. "Aren't you done yet Dave? I could use a little help cleaning this up."

"Almost done." I thought I saw a smile on Meagan's face when I looked back, but if I did she hid it quick. "This might sting a bit."

"Sting?" I could definitely see a bit of a smile from where I sat.

"Hurt then."

"Go ahead."

As I reached forward with the bandages I could feel knowledge urging me on where to place the bandages. As gently as I could I aligned the edges of the wound and placed the bandages.

‡ You have successfully bandaged Meagan for 3hp, +10XP ‡

‡ {Gentle Hands} Unlocked ‡

‡ Meagan has gained Gentle Blessing ‡

‡ First Spell Unlocked! +1 Skill Point ‡

‡ Congratulations! Basic First Aid is now level 2, +1 Skill Point ‡ ‡ {Gentle Hands} - Because you care, Infuse your ministrations with Mana and increase your targets HP Regen. Cost: Varies per target, Reduce casting requirements and Mana requirements at higher levels ‡

"Cool."

"Yea it is." Meagan agreed as Stew snapped "What?"

"I guess I can do magic now." I couldn't help grinning.