Lisa watched as Alex slept, Alice was curled up next to him drifting off herself.

She was thinking long and hard about the deal. One gun, 6 bullets, for one Vicodin. And possibly a hot meal for 3, a place to sleep, future transactions with the matron....

It was sounding better. And Alex and Alice had been prodding her to do it.

Lisa got up, walked out the bathroom door to find Shelia approaching, carrying her dried clothing.

"Shelia, right? Do you know where Maggie went?"

The girl pointed to what Lisa assumed was Maggie's bedroom.

"And thank you so much for the laundry, you're a life-saver" she said as she walked down the hallway.

"Maggie?" she knocked on the door softly, and waited for the reply.

"'Sat you doll? Come on in Crissy." Maggie called from her bed. She was lying there, scrawling in a large notebook, probably a diary of sorts. "What's it you need?"

"I'd like to.... make a deal. About the Vicodin."

Maggie readjusted, putting the notebook aside, listening with her business face on now.

"I was wondering..." Lisa was beginning to lose her nerve. "... if um... well..."

"Oh, spit it out little 'un. Ain't nothing you cain't say to me."

"It's about the offer. A gun's a lot to give up for one pill. With the ammo too, I mean, we talked it over and I was wondering if we could maybe sleep the night, get a meal, along with the pill. Do that and we've got a deal. One handgun, loaded."

She felt awfully sick all of a sudden with anxiety.

"You've got it. We like ourselves some guns. And I like you three. What you've got, it's sweet. I'd like to see more a' that around here. And when you's leave, now, you best make yer way back to us every now and then. I'd like to know yer all alright."

Lisa let out the breath she'd been holding.

Maggie smiled, standing and said "Now if you'd turn your back a second..."

Lisa clamped her hands over her eyes and turned, quickly. Pain shot through her at the sudden motion and she winced. Oops.

Maggie rustled around some drawers, probably her stash of meds.

"Alright Chrissy, here yah go."

She handed Lisa the and Lisa handed her one of her s, with 6 loaded.

"Gotta keep 'em hidden from my boys. Tough 'uns, good for image you know, but they cain't handle themselves around pills. And I better not be gettin' this request from YOU very often. I WILL cut you off you know."

"You don't have to worry about me, honest. Thank you Maggie. And, you can call me Lisa, or Chrissy, I like that actually."

They both smiled and said goodnight, and as Lisa walked back to the bathroom to sleep next to her friends Maggie called down the hall, "Breakfast'll be eggs and sausage we got off a farmer, I'll tell Shelia to expect three more at the table deary".

Lisa's stomach grumbled at that and she downed the knowing that the morning would be a better day.