"I'm..." Pause. "Can you heal people besides you yet?"

"What? No, not nearly, I wouldn't dare, what happened? Should I take you to the health office? What are you feeling? What happened?"

"No I'm fine I'll be fine it's just kind of - never mind," says Jackson.

"Jackson, tell me what's wrong."

"You don't wanna know," he mumbles, and he looks past her at Isabella and shuffles towards his room.

Sadde looks over her shoulder then closes the door after her—she's in a nightshirt but it's early and it's not like she's indecent. "I do wanna know. Jackson, talk to me."

He sighs. "I'll be fine. You said you didn't want to hear it."

"I—" Pause. Remember. Process. "What," she hisses. "Forget what I said. What did he do?"

"He was punishing me and I lost count a couple times and I kind of don't want to sit but I can just cut class and lie down today and I'll be fine tomorrow," mumbles Jackson.

"...why are you here? Why isn't he taking care of you? He should be taking care of you. You don't just punish your sub and then let them go away."

"He had stuff," says Jackson vaguely. "And I thought maybe you could fix me and I could go to class but it's okay if you can't."

"I can't, but if it's bad enough that you need it you should go to the health office. You're going there with me."

"They'll make a huge deal out of it. You're making a huge deal out of it," says Jackson, shaking his head.

"Yes I am, because your dom is supposed to take care of you, it's called aftercare, it's a thing. You don't start anything if you have stuff after."

"This was last night! He can't just hang around all the next day."

"Then he shouldn't have done it in the first place!" She puts a hand on her face. "Look, the health office won't make a big deal out of it, they'll think it's just a fun night gone a bit too far, just don't make a habit out of it."

"I wasn't trying to earn a punishment," says Jackson. "And I don't want to go to the health office."

"It's not about the punishment, he has to take care of you after it, did you never go to any sex ed classes?"

Blink. "I was kind of in virtuality around then? But like I said this was last night."

She runs a hand through her hair. "Jackson," she pleads.

"I don't want to go to the health center! They'll make it into a big thing and interrogate me and if they want to know his name it's on my neck! I'm going to go lie down." And he limps to his door and pulls it open.

She sighs again. "Just—be careful. Take care of yourself. And maybe read some sex ed pamphlets."