Worthless (Camren)

"Would you like to watch?

Lauren closed the kitchen's door behind her and joined her father in the living room. Mike had turned on the television but Lauren could tell he wasn't paying attention to the muted ice hockey game. SHe dropped down on the couch next to her dad and let her head fall on the older man's shoulder.

"How's it going in there?" Mike asked quietly, draping her arm around Lauren's shoulder.

"I don't know. She sent me out. I'm guessing it's probably to examine her in ... to examine her", Lauren felt herself blush from embarrassment "her private areas." SHe continued quickly. "There are bruises and whip marks everywhere and she's so thin, dad, she looks like she's about to collapse any minute."

"Is that why you got her?" Mike frowned at her son. Lauren shook her head.

"Someone gave her syphilis, they were gonna kill her right there. They had her on the ground and" Lauren paused, taking a deep breath, she felt sick "and one of them was going to stick a needle in her. I had to get her, dad." Her voice broke, the image was too fresh and too vivid in her mind.

"Please don't be mad at me."

Mike's arm tightened around Lauren pulling her in closer.

"You did good, baby." SHe whispered, pressing a kiss on the top of Lauren's head. "We'll keep her here for now, set up the guest room for her."

Lauren sighed in relief, she hadn't doubted that her father would allow her to keep Camila, but she had been worried that her father would insist on sending Camila to the garage, where the other slaves who were currently in the Jauregui possession lived. Mike had converted the second story of the building into a huge apartment that the slaves shared. Most of them had their own rooms and they all shared a big bathroom and a small kitchen. Clara and Mike brought groceries and other things by twice a week so they could look after themselves and be at peace there.

While Lauren liked the other slaves and trusted them, she felt personally responsible for Camila and wanted to keep her close. SHe wanted to be the one to take care of Camila, to make sure that she would get better.

"Lauren, would you mind coming back in for a bit?" Doctor Holland called from the kitchen 5 minutes later. SHe was up in a flash, leaving her dad on the couch.

Camila had drawn her knees up to her chest (Lauren wondered if the position was hurting her) and had her face buried in the palms of her hand. "What's going on?" SHe asked the doctor urgently.

She sighed, looking over at Camila with a pained expression on her face. "I'm afraid Camila isn't very fond of needles. I have to draw some blood to test for sexually transmitted infections again" she added at Lauren's confused look "Maybe you could try to calm her down a bit, I don't want to have to sedate her."

Lauren nodded gravely, and she pulled up her chair in front of Camila once more and sat down.

"Camila?" her voice was soft enough not to startle the other girl. "Look at me, please?" Camila's hands dropped immediately, revealing her pale face and tear streaked cheeks.

"I'm sorry, I didn't... I'm..."

"You have nothing to be sorry for", Lauren assured her. "Did Dr. Holland explain what the needle is for?" SHe asked. Camila nodded, her eyes darting towards the doctor uncertainly.

"I promise this is not a trick or something, this is just so you can get better. We need to see how long you've been infected with this STD, so the doctor can treat you properly. The needle is going to sting, but it'll be over fast and then you can put your clothes back on and we can get you something to eat. Does that sound okay?" Camila's eyes fixed on her intently as she nodded.

"You've done very well so far." Lauren praised, she extended her hand to Camila  "How about you take my hand and look at me while Doctor Holland draws some blood from your...arm?" SHe asked looking at the doctor who nodded in response.

Camila looked uncertain, but she tentatively inched her hand towards Lauren's until their palms were touching, just barely. Lauren wrapped her fingers around Camila's hand slowly, giving the other girl plenty of time to pull away.

"You know, when I had to get shots when I was little my dad always used to tell me about..."

Camila yelped and tore her hand from Camila's with so much force that it almost sent her flying off the other end of the exam table when Doctor Holland swabbed her arm with disinfectant.

"Please! No! Oh god, please don't!" Fresh tears were spilling down her cheeks. SHe curled up into a fetal position on the table as if to shield herself from blows that wouldn't come. Lauren's heart broke for her and she exchanged a helpless glance with Doctor Holland.

An idea shot through her mind and on a whim Lauren rolled up her sleeve, hoping with all her heart that this would work.

"Doctor Holland? Would you mind drawing a vial of my blood as well?" Lauren asked. Doctor Holland frowned for a moment before catching on.

"Of course, no problem at all." She said. "How about you sit down on the table?"

Lauren did as she told her, sitting in a way that gave Camila a clear few at her outstretched arm. The girl met her glance, her eyes wide. "Would you like to watch?" Lauren asked conversationally "It's not that bad, I swear. I've had blood drawn before, it's a little unpleasant, but I promise it won't be too bad."

"The sling is used to make the vein bulges so the doctor can see where to put the needle", she explained, she wasn't sure whether that was really the reason but she decided that it would probably be best to give Camila a running commentary of what was happening, so she could see that they weren't going to harm her.

"The swab is to disinfect the area where the needle's going to go in." Lauren said, her eyes fixed on Camila while Camila's where fixed on Lauren's arm.

Lauren didn't as much feel the needle going in as she could see it on Camila's face. The girl's eyes were wide in horror. That is, until she looked up at Lauren's calm face. Lauren smiled at her reassuringly "It doesn't really hurt, I promise. " The look on Camila's face was unreadable. SHe averted her gaze back to Lauren's arm and uncurled from her position slightly to get a better look, watching the vial fill with Lauren's blood. When it was full enough the doctor removed the needle and immediately pressed a piece of gauze to the place it had been in. Lauren took a hold of it and pressed down hard. "This is so the wound doesn't keep bleeding. It'll stop in a minute." Lauren explained.

"Mi-Lauren... I think I can do ... that", Camila whispered.

"Really?" Lauren asked smiling brightly when Camila nodded carefully.

And she did. After the doctor had replaced Lauren's gauze with a band aid a few minutes later Camila was sitting on the edge of the exam table once more, holding her arm out bravely.

SHe didn't watch the doctor draw her blood though, her eyes were fixed on Lauren who told her about how her dad used to distract her when she had to get shots as a little girl. Lauren wasn't sure whether or not Camila was actually listening to her story, but it didn't matter because the girl was holding onto her hand and looking at her as though Lauren had hung the moon in the sky for her.