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John took a swig from his bottle of whisky, and as it burned its way down his throat, he pondered what to do. He
didn't want to make a scene, so he decided to follow her, and bide his time, wait till nightfall, then make his move. He would teach her not to leave him again.

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Race and Panda had been walking for a long time, and they finally got to Tibby's. Panda took one more nervous glance around, and then followed Race inside.

They were at Tibby's for the better part of an hour, and then Dusk (who had gone even though she was still feeling bad) started feeling sick again, and decided it would probably be a good idea if she went back to the Lodging House, so she left.

Spot was across the room talking excitedly to Specs, and she didn't want to take the time to tell him she was leaving, so she just left.

About fifteen minutes later, Spot realized she was missing. "Hey, where's Dusk?"

"Wasn't feelin well, she went back," called Bumlets over to him.

Spot got up "I'm gonna go back now, too, anyone comin'  wit' me?"

Race stood up and stretched. "I'll go." He looked at Panda "Comin'?"

She shrugged, then nodded and got up.

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Dusk was walking slowly along, carefully holding her stomach. She was almost to the Lodging House, when she was hit from behind. She fell, rolled over, and was back on her feet, in almost one fluid motion. She stared at her attacker.

A man in his early forties, minus a few teeth, with shoulder length stringy black hair, holding a bottle of cheap whiskey. He was obviously drunk.

Under normal circumstances, Dusk could have put up a good fight, if not taken him down completely. But these weren't normal circumstances. She was sick, and rather weak.

He swung at her, and she managed to duck. He recovered, and swung again, and again she managed
to duck. "Anne! Anne!!! You behave yerself an take it like a good g-"

He was cut off when Dusk kicked him in the stomach "I don't know who you're talkin' about, but leave me alone, 'cause I ain't her!"she yelled at the top of her lungs.

He swung yet again, and this time she was hit square in the face. She reeled backwards, then fell down. It was then that she knew that she had a definite problem. It wasn't long before she was unconcious.

John staggered to stay standing, then he looked down at her "I don't feel so good no," he slurred "I'll come back when I feel better and finish da job" then he wobbled off unsteadily.

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Spot was walking quickly towards the Lodging House, and was the first to find Dusk laying on the floor about ten feet away from the steps. He could tell she was unconcious, and had apparently recieved a good beating. He ran over and
yelled for Race and Panda.

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Dusk woke up in a hospital bed, similar to Panda, with people crowded around her. She smiled slightly "What? You're havin' a party, an ya didn't wake me?"

Spot was the first to do anything. He dashed across the room and gathered her into a hug, his reputation momentarily forgotten. Others soon followed.

Panda sat in a corner, looking at Dusk apprehensively. Everyone was laughing and talking, and Panda couldn't help but feel like an intruder. She was just getting ready to quietly slip out the door, when things quieted down long enough for Jack to ask the question on everyone's mind. "Who done dis ta ya, Dusk?"

Dusk thought for a minute, then responded "I don't really know, he was some middle aged guy with stringy black hair, and not a lot a' teeth."

At this Panda sat up straighter.

"Yeah" Dusk continued "And he kept callin me Anne, an' sayin' sometin' 'bout me runnin' away."

As soon as Panda heard this, she turned and fled the room. Everyone stared after her in silence, then Race shrugged, got up, and followed her.

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Panda got to the Lodging House, out of breath from running, and oblivious to the man standing in the shadows, waiting for her. She got inside, and flung open the door to the bunkroom. She was leaving. She only caused trouble for people who she finally believed had done nothing to deserve it.

She was searching frantically for her old clothes, when she heard a noise, coming from behind her. She turned around slowly, somehow knowing what she'd see. There in the doorway stood her father.

"Didn't I tell ya I'd be back ta finish da job...?" he slurred drunkenly. "Ya left. Why'd ya leave me like dat?" he asked "You're an ingrate, dat's all ya are."

She backed up against the wall, and then he hit her, hard, with a closed fist.

She fell down, knowing things were hopeless. But then came a sharp intake of breath, and then a voice "Whaddaya t'ink you're doin'!?!"

Panda recognized Race's voice and panicked. She didn't want him to get hurt. She tried to motion for him to go away, but he ignored it. Then she tried to get up, but her father kicked her, and she collapsed again.

He whirled around and looked at Race uncomprehendingly. "Who're you?" he mumbled.

Race ignored the question, and started towards Panda. "Panda! You ok?"

John snorted. "Panda? What da hell kinda name is dat? She ain't Panda. She's Anne...Hey!
Whaddaya think you're doin'?" Race was almost past the drunken man. "Get away from her!"

Race glared at him. "Ya'd better get outta here, 'fore I call da cops on ya."

Pandas father looked at Race for a minute, then shrugged "Okay." He turned, and Race thought he was leaving, but Panda knew better.

She wished she could warn Race, but all she could do was watch helplessly. As John turned to go Race started to walk by him to get to her, but Panda's father suddenly whirled around and threw a suprisingly accurate punch that caught Race in the jaw, and dropped him like a ton of bricks. John, in a drunken rage, forgot about Panda, and concentrated totally on Race, ignoring the fact that he was down and not moving, John began kicking him, sparing no force. Panda staggered to her feet, but he didn't even notice her. She made her way, supporting herself on the wall, the door, praying for help the whole time.

She made her way, painfully slowly down the steps, and out the door of the Lodging House. There she was lucky enough to
see a policeman a few yards away. She ran over to him, and the look on her face must have told him something was wrong, because it took very little gesturing for her to persuade him to follow her. So she led him into the Lodging House, up the stairs, and into the bunkroom.  (She would have been feeling strangly like Lassie, if Lassie had been around then.)

The cop managed to subdue John, with a few well placed blows with the butt of his gun. He hancuffed him, and turned to Panda "I have to take this guy in. You'd best take care of the boy." He motioned
to Race.

Panda was standng frozen right inside the doorway, staring at Race, lying motionlessly on the floor. She
didn't even glance up when the policeman and her father walked by.

She didn't know how long she stayed like that, frozen.
Finally, she gasped, and her eyes filled with tears. One of the few people that cared what happened to her at all could be dead, for all she knew. Without even realizing it, she opened her mouth.
"Race" she whispered.
Then she said it louder. Then louder, until she was screaming at the top of her lungs. She dashed across the room, and dropped to her knees beside him. She put a hand on his shoulder, but he didn't move. She looked at his blank face, and then started crying, crying so hard she couldn't stop. She was crying uncontrollably for the first time she could remember. She was kneeling there crying for a long time, and then he started to move, but she was so hysterical, she didn't notice.

Race slowly, painfully opened his eyes, and saw Panda kneeling there, crying silently. He moved
again, adjusting to a more comfortable position, and she didn't even look up.
"Hey..." he said hoarsely "Hey, its all right Panda..."

Panda jerked suddenly, and yelped when she looked at him, then she resumed crying, harder than before.

Race reached over instinctively, and hugged her.

She stiffened for a momen, then went limp, burying her head in his shoulder.

He put a hand on her head, and brushed her hair out of her face, then hugged her again, and said softly, to himself "Well, dat's a start."