Her muscles were tense, expression blank. She didn’t want to be there.

“C’mon, Pam. You have to be able to do this.”

Her movements were slow and reluctant, but she widened her stance.

Nick ran at her, telegraphing his intent so she would get a chance to react. She fell back an instinctive step. He froze, then sighed.

“Sorry.” She hung her head.

He shook his head and walked past her toward the water fountain. She turned to keep him in sight. He got a cup of water and offered it to her. She took it.

“Thanks." She huddled over the cup.

As she drank, he moved away. It was easy to let her think he was done for the day. She was used to people taking pity on her.

When he came up behind her to pin her arms, she dropped the cup and tried to struggle. He let her try, moving away a moment after her body went limp with defeat.

“If you get hurt because you didn’t want to learn self-defense, your husband will have us both whipped,” he hissed.

“If he so much thinks of raising his hand to me, I’ll gut him."