Blood

She wakes to the sound of retching
Opens eyes immediately
Windows
Pale light
Curtains motionless in still air
She lifts her head to look toward the bathroom
The Beast sits cross-legged
Shoulders down and face downcast
Eyes hidden in blackness
At first she thinks he is asleep
He doesn’t seem to breathe
Perhaps he is asleep
The sound of retching again
Coming from the bathroom
She pulls her body up to sit
Blinking slowly and intermittently
She brings one hand to her face
Covers one half
Another retch
Closes her eyes
The sound of liquid splashing against a hard surface
And more liquid
The toilet
Or a basin filled with water
Retch
She coughs once
Then stands
Turns to the kitchen and moves
Sounds of coughing from the bathroom
Opens a cupboard that doesn’t contain what she is looking for
Another cupboard contains glasses
She takes one
Fills it with water
Drinks half
Sets it down by the sink
Another retch
Lifts the glass, drinks again
Sets it down by the sink beside two other glasses
One full, the other half
She stares at them
Silence
Stillness
Then a retch
Coughing
The sound of liquid
She moves her left arm and takes the full glass
Turns
Walks across the apartment
Around the sitting man-shape of the Beast
Hands overlapped on his shins
Enters the bathroom
Turns
The wreckage of the building is visible through the hole in the morning light
A young man kneels by the toilet, back to her
He heaves
The sound of liquid
Slowly she walks forward
Sets the glass of water down on the counter by the sink
As she nears she sees red stains around the base of the toilet
Dark, crimson spots and tiny puddles
He retches again
She moves until she can see the side of his face
And into the toilet bowl
Filled with blood
She stills
Stares
He heaves
Blood pours from his mouth
Open her mouth, inhale
– It’s best not to disturb him.
The voice of the Beast behind her
She twists
The Beast’s head, shoulder and arm are in the room
Ice-blue eyes staring at the man
— Do you know him?
He looks at her
– I don’t know that I know him,
Coughing
Spit
Inhale
Exhale
– But I know him.
She turns back to the man
More coughing
Turns back to the counter and lifts the glass
Sets it down on the floor at the edges of the blood spatters
Steps back
Breathes
The man breathes slowly
Coughs once
Breathes
Then again
Raises one hand to his face
Wipes it roughly over his mouth
Slowly he settles back
Then rocks on his buttocks and slowly stands
Facing the hole
Deep inhale
He turns
She watches him without blinking
Wide eyes
The Beast moves his head with the man’s movements also
He moves and stops by the bath
Begins to remove his clothes
Naked he steps over the rim
Turns the tap
Water runs from the spout down by his knees
He stares up at the silent shower head
Then down at the running spout
The woman opens her mouth
Closes it
The Beast turns his head back to the woman
She stares at the blue discs
Then back at the tap
Blink
The woman closes the distance from the toilet to the bath
Reaches forward and moves a lever
The bath-spout ceases
Water now diverted to the shower-head
Her arm and shoulder are soaked
She straightens
Examines the body of the man
Shoulders
Lower back
Buttocks, thighs and calves
His movements are slow
Adjusting the taps until the water is the right temperature
As he twists she sees his face
Brow
Cheekbones and jaw
Blood staining his skin
Chest and midriff
Penis nestled in pubic-hair
Inner thighs hairless
Broad feet and slender toes
— Can he see me?
The Beast turns his head to her
Blinks once
The two discs slowly disappearing in black
Then slowly unshuttered
She turns back to the man
He moves slowly about beneath the stream of water
The air smells of damp and steam

Turn around
Kneel by the glass on the floor
Stare at the blood
Pick up the glass
Move back to the bath
Set the glass down on the counter, on the side of the basin closest to the man
She does not release it
Leaving her fingers wrapped around the glass
Watching the man
The water slowly washes away the blood
Pale as it is diluted
She waits