Only the best (closed)

[Niceandbrutal]

Mark slept heavily at first. His dreams were filled with images of Sasha. Sasha wanting him, needing him in oh so many ways, Sasha's breath changing as she rustled somewhere near him, Sasha touching him and whispering his name, touching him an calling more loudly... And Mark's eyes flew open. She was in front of him smiling, smiling like she was happy to see him. Mark sat up, blinking like a myopic owl. "I fell asleep," he commented rather stupidly.

Sasha apparently had been thinking a bit, her head clearer now, it seemed. He listened with rapt attention as she laid out the plans for the day, seemingly chipper and full of plans and energy. He liked her openness and her stated willingness to be aboard as far as security went. All this caused him to smile a warm and genuine smile. As she unselfconsciously and with no inhibitions straightened her clothes, Mark managed to get a word in edgewise. Smiling still, he told her: "I'm glad you're being honest with me. I am, as a former medic, not crazy about the idea of you taking tranquilizers every time you fly, but that is outside the scope of my responsibility. There are courses in autohypnosis I'd recommend to you, though. They do the same job as tranquilizers, or hypnotica, if you like. But there are no side effects. And I love the idea of breakfast and a talk with Mr. Roberts."

They ordered a sumptuous breakfast and they invited Mr. Roberts to eat with them in Mark's suite. Just as they sat down to eat, there was an almost timid knock at the door. Mark went to open it, and it was Alec, with shopping bags brimming with clothes. There was an awkward pause as Alec and Mark stared at each other, then Mark said "Thanks, Alec" in a polite but curt manner before closing the door.

As Sasha used Mark's shower, Mark levelled with Mr. Roberts: "I'll be honest with you, Mr. Roberts. You rub me the wrong way. I don't think you mean to do it, but you do. And if I have the same effect on you, I'm sorry. But we have at least one thing in common," Mark nodded towards the bathroom. "Her safety and wellbeing. She trusts you, and I think she trusts me as well. She has been forthcoming about everything as far as I can tell. Now, I get the feeling you don't trust me, and that you're withholding pertinent information I need to do the job. It needs to stop. I'm here to make sure no harm befalls Sas- Miss Hart, and I can't do that when you don't tell me everything I need to know. I am not a tattletale running off to the press every time some ugly little crisis rears its head, Mr. Roberts. In fact, I made sure my firm alerted the police, seeing as they have contacts I don't have. I'm assured the police won't release any information until a culprit has been apprehended."

Mark paused for effect: "Now, as I told you yesterday, I need to know about ALL persons that have been with S- Miss Hart since before her eighteenth birthday and later..."

 

[zydrate]

James took in what Mark had said about not going to the press about all this. Deep down, he knew he was right. He realized the night before that Sasha was going to be OK. Which met his investment would be OK and that made him feel better about the whole situation with hiring Mark. James had his secretary work with human resources all night to get files of all those that would be working on this tour. It was difficult and a lot of overtime would need to be paid but it was going to be worth it. It had to be.

There were 3 bankers boxes of files that needed to be perused. It didn't matter how insignificant it seemed, they needed to go through every one and eliminate those who were a threat.

"So, of course, when someone is hired, they go through a basic background and credit check. The basic background check is just what it is. Basics looking for any current warrants or criminal records. Now, depending on the criminal record, some are ignored such as misdemeanors and small things like parking tickets. If it's something more than that, then we don't waste the money on getting an in depth record, so we simply just don't hire them."

James took a sip of his coffee and continued, "Now, I'm not sure if you've read some of Sasha's preferences about hiring people but she has 'insisted' on hiring at least 25 locals in each city we stop at. Now, each of these 25 locals must be either homeless or have been unemployed for at least 6 months. This of course is something that's never mentioned to the press. And I only found out this morning that these locals don't go through the necessary checks. Only basic information is taken."

"As for Sasha's entourage, well, it varies. She has a personal assistant. If that means anything, this person gets her drinks, carries her purse...basically a gopher, whom you've already met Alec, I'm sure." He went on to mention others in the group that hung around Sasha at her concerts, a hair dresser, a make up artist, a clothing stylist and her vocal coach.

In the bathroom in Mark's suite, Sasha was going through the bags of clothing Alec had brought. Like it or not, she had to admit that she relied on him to make her look good. The clothing he picked out proved that but then again, it was all a little risque than usual.

She pulled out some underwear...all thongs...what the hell? She made a face and sighed. There was no time to complain about it now. After tossing her hair in a ponytail, Sasha emerged from the bedroom and clapped her hands together, "Shall we get to work?" She asked as she made herself a plate and saw the boxes that James had set on the table. "Oh, but before we," she regarded Mark, "I noticed something from the past few days and that is you keep calling me Miss Hart. I want that stopped Mark. I'm Sasha, please, call me Sasha because the next time you call me Miss Hart, I'm going to fire you." She tried her best to look serious at Mark but only ended up smiling, "Please?"

 

[Niceandbrutal]

Sasha emerged from the bathroom, looking refreshed and bright, the clothes accentuating her young beautiful body. Mark couldn't help but smile a little when he saw her, and he smiled a little wider when she insisted on him calling her "Sasha". He practically beamed at her as he replied: "You got it, Sasha." They finished their breakfast together with civil conversation, the air being somewhat cleared between Mr. Roberts and Mark. Mark found himself envious with Mr. Roberts because of the easy rapport between him and Sasha. But they'd known each other for years. Still, as Mark sat there chatting with them before the workday began in earnest, he noticed how mature beyond her years Sasha was, and it irked him that Mr. Roberts didn't see that. But he'd said what he had to say on that matter already. And if she liked the tone she had with Mr. Roberts, why should Mark complain?

After calling for a security guard to stand outside the door, Mark went to take a shower and change his clothes. He had to use the same bathroom as Sasha. Entering it, he was struck by the unfamiliar scents that still lingered after she'd showered and freshened herself up. It was a fragile delicate flowery fragrance he hadn't smelled since he shared a dorm room with his college girlfriend. With a pang, Mark realised he'd missed female companionship for far too many years as he'd soldiered and worked as a bodyguard. Sure, there'd been flings and one night stands, but the smell triggered memories and longings that had laid dormant for almost a decade.

Returning freshly showered and with fresh clothes, Mark felt like a new human being. He dismissed the guard outside the door and sat down with Sasha and Mr. Roberts again. "So," Mark said as he tried to not be distracted by the beautiful young woman, "what's the first point on our agenda?"

 

[zydrate]

Sasha didn't tell James about Mark sleeping in the same room as hers last night. The only thing she had to explain was the fact that her hand was bandaged up. The thing about it was that James wasn't worry about her hurting herself but more of the fact that she could be scarred from what ever she cut herself on.

During a quiet moment as they were flipping through some of the files in the bankers boxes, Sasha thought of Mark. With so much happening since he came, she was surprised he was still here. Hell, she was more flattered that he had done such a good job so far and seemed more than competant in his job than the previous guys that they hired.

Which, for some reason, brought her back to thinking about Daniel. Her last body guard. He seemed a little bit too infatuated with Sasha. Hell, the whole letting him go process was pretty messy...at least she had heard. He never made any noticeable gestures toward her in front of others but he always seemed to have some sort of sexual comment, especially when they were alone.

But this couldn't have been him... that had happened over 6 months ago. Her birthday was less than 4 months ago.. no, but yet, thinking about him now was giving her an ugly feeling. Earlier James had placed all the files of previous security companies and personal guards on the chair that Mark had vacated earlier so when he was done, he could look over them.

Just as she had gone back to looking at files, Mark came out of his room and Sasha smiled at him. If she were to really look at him, she noticed how handsome he looked and with the confidence he carried, he was a down right sin. She wondered if he had a wife or maybe even a girlfriend. Did he have kids? Of course she wouldn't pry but it was an interesting question. Hell, for Sasha, she had never been on a date. Of course there were rumors of her and some local so-called hot celebrity guy in the news once in a while but the thing was, she had no interest in dating other stars or singers. Of course there were some that tried but none had succeeded. It didn't help that James was over protective of his favorite investment...whiched was good and bad, she supposed.

"So, Mark," James spoke up, "I was talking to Sasha earlier about moving the flight up to tonight and getting her to Germany a day earlier why the rest of the crew gets there on their scheduled arrival date, what do you think?"

 

[Niceandbrutal]

"So, Mark, I was talking to Sasha earlier about moving the flight up to tonight and getting her to Germany a day earlier why the rest of the crew gets there on their scheduled arrival date, what do you think?"

Mark was in deep thought when Mr. Roberts addressed him. So far there was nothing that stood out in any of the files he'd seen. No major run-ins with the law, no history of mental illness. But to Mark that meant only one thing: whomever did this had not been caught yet. That, and nothing more. It took a few seconds before he realized that the room was quiet. He looked up then, his mind processing Mr. Roberts' question.

"Huh? Leave today?" He thought it quickly through. "That might be a good idea, actually," Mark said with a newfound respect for Mr. Roberts. "There's some red tape that needs to be cut through and we need to keep the group down to an absolute minimum. No more than 3-5 persons. My firm and the label can handle the administrative bullshit, I'm sure. I suggest we travel as low profile as humanly possible. Which, Sasha, means that you for your own safety must vehemently deny that you are who you are if anyone asks you. I already have weapons permits for most of Europe so that shouldn't be a problem. Yeah, I think that's a great idea."

Warming to the idea now, Mark continued: "I think it'd be a great idea to mix up the departure dates. We, that is, the three of us, decide when the nucleus of your tour depart and arrive. We can't keep your identity or this ruse secret indefinitely, but we might keep people guessing. It might out or trick potential stalkers, giving us some space to breathe." Mark had really warmed to the idea now, talking eagerly. "We should consider disguising you, Sasha. You do kind of stand out, after all." Mark had spoken without thinking. He'd referred to her beauty, of course, but also to the fact that she was famous. "That is, I mean to say, people will recognise you if, you know, you go as yourself."

Mark could have sworn it had gotten warmer as his face flushed ever so slightly.

 

[zydrate]

"Sounds good." James said, looking at Sasha, "He's right. You probably need to hide your hair and dress it down a bit."

Sasha shrugged, feeling self conscious all of a sudden, "I can do that, I guess." She wasn't thinking of hiding herself at this time, just that in less than 24 hours, she'd be on a plane.

An airplane.

What were the chances of it crashing? Or disappearing?

Those thoughts were more scary to her than some stalker. Hell, right now, she'd rather face the stalker than have to get on a plane which would be flying over the ocean.

Oh God!

Her breathing increased and she stood up, looking at both Mark and James before running into the bedroom and closing the door and locking it. She fell to her knees by the bed and started to hyperventilate. No, she couldn't do this. They needed to cancel the tour! She didn't want to fly to Germany!

"Shit..." James said as he rushed after her but it was too late as he tried the doorknob. "Sasha?" He called, trying to remain calm, "Honey, it's going to be OK!"

 

[Niceandbrutal]

Mr. Roberts seemed to think that Mark's ideas were good, at least. Sasha seemed a bit more stand-offish. And then she paled. And before they realised what was happening, she'd stormed out of the room and locked the door behind her. Again. Mr. Roberts called after her and tried the door to no avail. Mr. Roberts seemed distressed as he tried to talk to her.

Mark walked over to Mr. Roberts. "Tell me, does she do this a lot?" Mr. Roberts looked up at Mark, a puzzled expression on his face. "Do what, Mr. Russel?" Mark calmly nodded towards the door. "Does she storm off and lock herself away like this often? I only ask because she's done that twice to us now in less than twelve hours. If this is regular behaviour, I need to know as it might affect my work."

Mr. Roberts started: "She's afraid of flying, you see-" and mark didn't have the patience for it. "Mr. Roberts, just assume I know about it and answer my question, please. Is this normal, regular behaviour with Sasha?" Not that I'd blame her, he thought to himself. The poor kid is suffocating.

"She's sensitive-" Mr. Roberts started again, and Mark bit him off. "Yes, I've deduced as much myself, thank you. But you've STILL not answered my question: Does. Sasha. Do. This. Storming. Off. Often?" Mr. Roberts seemed upset now, and his face turned red. With a frustrated sigh, Mark sidestepped Mr. Roberts and produced the key to his suite, a key that functioned as a master key to all the rooms in that suite.

He unlocked the door and opened it slightly. "Sasha? I'm coming in." He looked at her sitting on the floor by the bed, hyperventilating. Mark purposefully strode into the room and emptied a small plastic bag he used to keep some of his toiletries in. He placed the bag over Sasha's mouth and didn't let go. "Calm measured breaths, Sasha."

 

[zydrate]

James could only curse under his breath as Mark rushed in to Sasha. He wasn't used to seeing anyone else but himself tend to her needs, especially when she was frightened like this. Perhaps it's why he didn't bother to answer Mark's question about why she did this...this running and locking herself away. He really couldn't explain why she did that. It's something she just tended to do and he usually let her do it until she came out and was ready to talk again. No one paid him enough to tend to her moodiness lately.

"Mark, just leave her. She just wants attention." He shoved his hands in his pockets and stood by the door of the bedroom. "She's afraid of flying and this is her usual antics before we have to leave for anywhere. Which is why I give her a tranquilizer at least 24 hours before we have to go anywhere but now, since we're not leaving as planned, I haven't had time to give it to her." He said, sighing.

On the floor, Sasha did as she was told by Mark and after a few minutes, she calmed down a bit. She hadn't heard all that James said as her mind was reeling with the thoughts she was having about flying. She had been leaning completely against Mark as she tried to calm down.

 

[Niceandbrutal]

Just as Mark thought he might actually start to respect Mr. Roberts, he said something incredibly insensitive. "Mark, just leave her. She just wants attention. She's afraid of flying and this is her usual antics before we have to leave for anywhere. Which is why I give her a tranquilizer at least 24 hours before we have to go anywhere but now, since we're not leaving as planned, I haven't had time to give it to her." Mark cocked an eyebrow and gave Mr. Roberts a cold stare.

"I see," he said, "so her almost fainting from hyperventilation, her running away to lock us out, these are just 'antics' to get our attention? THIS, Mr. Roberts, is a genuine phobic reaction. Phobic reactions, Mr. Roberts are like most stressors. They trigger the fight/flight/freeze response. What we just witnessed was the flight response. Sasha here doesn't need condescending drivel from you, nor is a tranquilizer a good option. She needs therapy to overcome her fear of flying. I'd recommend the label invest in a therapist to join the tour, but they'll probably deem it too expensive." Mark's voice was starting to rise. Without knowing it, he'd embraced Sasha with one arm as she leaned on him, giving her a reassuring hug.

"Let me ask you a question, Sasha: How well do you perform when you're on tranquilizers? And do you really want to pop pills almost daily every time you're on a tour? You know of course that far too many artists have succumbed to drugs, don't you? Do you want to end up like Whitney Houston, Elvis Presley, Amy Winehouse Jimi Hendrix or any of the other famous dead people? I don't think you do. I think you're stronger than that. I think you're stronger than Mr. Roberts thinks you are." Mark stopped abruptly. He had far overstepped his bounds, but he felt extra protective towards this young woman.

Noticing that she had calmed down, he let her go from his grasp. "But of course, that's none of my business," he muttered.

 

[zydrate]

“Oh God..” James said under his breath. This guy was fighting him on everything having to do with Sasha and he was getting tired of it. Hadn't Sasha survived this long with James watching out over her? He hated it when the label did this sort of shit. Thinking that extra protection was needed when all their star needed was a good ass kick and reality check.

Still on her knees on the floor, Sasha calmed down a bit, feeling a little foolish for letting this happen. The words from James earlier were still ringing in her ears, 'She's just doing this for attention...' But the thing was, she wasn't! She knew she wasn't. She just really hated to fly and if she could, she preferred to be drugged during the entire flight so that she didn't have to deal with it...with any of it.

“I'm OK...” Sasha muttered as she tried to stand up. She wobbled a bit and hung on to the dresser. A few more deep breaths and she was feeling a lot better. Looking at Mark, she felt sheepish as she spoke to him, “I'm sorry Mark.” she told him quietly, “I need to use the bathroom...excuse me..”

“You know...” James started as he approached Mark, “If you want to fall for her shit... baby her, that's fine, but don't talk to me like that in front of her again. Maybe this stalker shit is just what she needs. A sort of slap on the face to wake her ass up to all this. She needs to know that other people are counting on her and that her success employs many other people besides her skinny little ass!” James hissed, as he stood eye with Mark.

With that, James turned on his heel, “I still have actual work to do, so if you want to baby-sit her, do that. Make sure she gets to Germany on time. My secretary is sending over both your tickets and your flight leaves at 8PM tonight.” And then, he was gone.

In the bathroom, Sasha looked at herself in the mirror. Unfortunately for her, she could hear everything that James had said. She had been using a cold wet cloth to wipe her face with and try to freshen up. Fortunately, during her off time, her make up use was kept at a minimal amount, so she still looked OK. The cool cloth made her feel a lot better...that is until she heard what James said.

 

[Niceandbrutal]

“I'm sorry Mark. I need to use the bathroom...excuse me..”

"No need to apologize, Sasha," Mark replied as she all but staggered towards the bathroom. He watched her go with a furrowed brow, worrying about his charge. She clearly was scared out of her wits by the thought of flying. And then Mr. Roberts chimed in.

“You know... If you want to fall for her shit... baby her, that's fine, but don't talk to me like that in front of her again. Maybe this stalker shit is just what she needs. A sort of slap on the face to wake her ass up to all this. She needs to know that other people are counting on her and that her success employs many other people besides her skinny little ass!”

For a second, Mark just blinked. How the Hell does his mind work!? Then he got angry. "Mr. Roberts, I'll talk to you any way I Goddamn please in front of her or anyone else as long as you behave like an insensitive prick. And I have seen phobic attacks before, Mr. Roberts. Believe me, she's not faking anything, and if you call administering first aid to prevent her from collapsing 'babying her' then you really don't know SHIT. And you calling obsessive stalking a 'wake-up call'... were you born stupid or did you have to work to achieve this degree of stupidity? She is well aware that people depend on her! And you treat her like a slab of meat, an annoyance when she's having a bad day! Nobody deserves to be treated the way you treat her!" Mark drew his breath. He was about to lay into Mr. Roberts about mental and physical cruelty as well, but Mr. Roberts beat him to it:

“I still have actual work to do, so if you want to baby-sit her, do that. Make sure she gets to Germany on time. My secretary is sending over both your tickets and your flight leaves at 8PM tonight.”

"Yeah, get out of my sight," Mark growled as Mr. Roberts left. Mark was so angry that he felt and heard his own pulse. It had taken all of his self control not to hit Mr. Roberts. He used a minute to calm down, and then he heard sobs from the bathroom.

Damn it. She'd heard. He chanced opening the door and looking inside. Seeing her cry was nothing short of heartbreaking. Mark stood in the doorway for a heartbeat, then he moved to her side and sat down beside her, careful not to touch her. "I'm sorry you had to hear that, Sasha," he said softly. "I don't know why you're so afraid of flying, but I know an addiction to tranqs can sneak up on you if you're not careful. If you're willing to give it a try, I'd recommend short-term hypnosis and a confidence tour around the airport. Drugs... they come back and bite you in the ass if you're not careful."

 

[zydrate]

"Well, I feel great.." Sasha said sarcastically after she calmed down a few minutes later. With a hard sigh, she stared down at the floor as she collected herself, "Mark's right you know...he's told me this before and gotten after me about doing this and yet, I can't help it..."

She was quiet again for a long while, "When I was 10...my parents and I were flying from Texas to Florida and the plane we were in had to make an emergency landing.. when the captain came on overhead to inform us, we were over the Gulf of Mexico at the time and the first thought I had was, 'Oh God, we're going to crash into the ocean!'" She stopped and leaned her elbows on her knees as her face rested in her hands, "It turns out of the engines had decided to die...this I didn't find out until later but then, we hit some rough turbulence and the entire cabin shook and rocked... even throwing some passengers out of their seats."

"So, thankfully we landed safely but that day... that little episode still freaks me out! I mean, we're going to be over the ocean for several hours Mark! All I know is that is what's really getting to me! So I really don't think a trip around the airport is going to help..."

 

[Niceandbrutal]

Mark winced. She'd had real bad luck. "I could sit here and spout platitudes about things you probably already know about Sasha. I could tell you you're more likely to die in a car accident than in a plane crash and so on, but I don't think it'd do any good. A phobia is more often than not an irrational fear with a basis in a real and frightening incident. I'd be scared too if I'd experienced anything like that. That's normal. That's SMART! But do you know what bravery is, Sasha? Bravery means doing something you're afraid to do. Bravery is mastering your fear."

There was a knock on the door. Mark went to open it, finding Alec waiting outside. "I- I was just wondering if Sasha needed anything before her flight," he said, handing Mark the airplane tickets. Mark thought for a second. "No, I think we're good," he replied. "I'll take care to pack her luggage," Alec all but stammered nervously. "Yes. Thanks," Mark said, growing testy. Something about the kid bothered him. He shut the door.

Returning to Sasha, Mark asked her: "So, how can I convince you to get on board that plane without a tranquilizer? I could of course tell you that tranqs will make you sluggish and slower to respond, which MIGHT present a problem if we are to crash into the ocean. Not that that is likely to happen, of course. But the odds of surviving an emergency landing in the ocean may dramatically increase if your senses and reflexes are sharp. Think about it."

Mark hated to be so brutally direct, but he did not want to see this promising young woman succumb to addiction. And that gave him some pause. Why did he care so much about her? Then a thought occured to him.

"Listen Sasha, I'll make you a deal. I have some tranquilizers in my bag of toiletries. TRY to get on board that plane clean, and I'll have the tranqs as a backup, allright?"

(He had some pills that looked remarkably like Valium. But they were placebos.)

 

[zydrate]

Not liking what she was hearing, Sasha nodded at what Mark was saying. After Alec had left, Sasha shrugged at his question about what could he do to convince her otherwise. But she didn't know.

"Listen Sasha, I'll make you a deal. I have some tranquilizers in my bag of toiletries. TRY to get on board that plane clean, and I'll have the tranqs as a backup, alright?"

Sasha thought about it and then nodded, “I'll try Mark.” She said. “I'll try.”

Later, in her old suite, Sasha looked around and tried to salvage what she could. The door to her room was blocked with police tape which was fine, she didn't want to go in there anyway.

Alec had been kind enough to gather some of her personal items and set them in the living area of the room.

A different guard had been assigned to watch over Sasha while Mark went to take care of the transportation to get her to flight on time.

“You OK, Sash?” Alec asked as he folded one of her new tops and placed it in a carry on for her. “You seemed stressed.”

Sasha sighed as she arranged some of her toiletries in her make-up case, “Oh, you know, just the usual. Mark and James had a disagreement about whether I should take something to relax me for the flight or not. I'm supposed to try not to but you know me...I'm still scared shitless just thinking about it.” She looked at the time. They needed to leave for the airport in an hour. “Oh and top of all that, my head is pounding, so...yeah...that's all.”

Alec zipped the bag closed and walked over to Sasha and put his arms on her shoulders, “Hey, it'll be OK...if you want, I have some left over Oxycontin from my backache last week.”

At this point, Sasha was desperate. She remembered her promise to Mark but the temptation...well, it wasn't tranquilizers she was going to take, just something for the pain. "Yeah, sure, thanks Alec." She told him as he went to get it from his backpack.

He handed Sasha one, "Here you go, I can put the rest of it in your carry on if you need it?"

"Thanks," she headed over to the bar where she helped herself to a bottle of water from the small refrigerator. Opening it, she popped the pill in her mouth and took a drink of water. "Hopefully it'll go away soon." With that, she went back to packing and making sure everything was accounted for.

 

[Niceandbrutal]

“I'll try Mark. I'll try.”

"Good," he responded. "Like I said, it's not really any of my business, but I'd really hate to see you grow dependent on drugs."

Mark was actually happy to place Sasha under the care of another guard for a short time. He needed to clear his head. As he went through the route with his driver, he cast his mind back to the last episode in his suite. He'd far overstepped his bounds in there. If Sasha or the label were to complain to Mark's firm, he'd be off this assignment like a shot.

But still... There was a vulnerability to her that made Mark want to protect and shield her. A gross injustice, of course. Mark guessed there was more to her than met the eye. But she'd been made dependent of others, Mr. Roberts in particular. It was sad.

Returning to his suite to pack his own stuff, he bumped into Alec. The gopher seemed as skittish as before. "Oh, hey, Alec! I've been meaning to talk to you." Alec all but jumped when Mark adressed him. "Y-yes?" Mark seemed almost as intimidated by Mark as he seemed around Sasha. Strange.

"Yeah, I might need your help, Alec. As you well know, Sasha has a stalker after her. If you notice ANY odd behaviour in the entourage, tell me straight away, okay?" Alec stared blankly at Mark for a second before slowly nodding. "Sure thing, Mark!" Was that the flicker of a smile?

Mark went to collect Sasha when it was time to leave. They used the VIP elevator down to the garage. Sasha seemed somewhat subdued and pale. Guiding her to the car, he noticed too that she seemed somewhat sluggish. Damn. It seemed like she'd taken something after all. Oh well, if she didn't want his help it was not for him to press the issue. It saddened him, though. He'd thought her stronger than that.