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to think of a
    response. Dr. Ahim entered the room, talking on his phone. He ended transmission
    with a tap of his finger on the earpiece and focused his attention on Andreas and Jabez.
    “Patient‟s already out of bed, I see. Good.”
    He briskly tended to Jabez, removing the bandages on his arm and around his
    middle to find the cuts almost completely healed into clean pink seams. The miracle
    rejuvenator, Flex-seal, had also been injected into Jabez‟s cracked ribs. A handheld
    scanner revealed the bones were knitting together nicely.
    “Amazing stuff, Flex-seal. Makes my work almost obsolete.” The doctor placed his
    implements in his bag and snapped it shut. “I don‟t need to bandage this wound again.
    The bruising should fade, and you‟ll be as good as new by tomorrow.
    “You have a spa?” he asked Andreas. “I recommend a soak to ease his muscles
    and a shower afterward”—he winked and grinned—“for the stench.”
    With that, the doctor swept out of the room, leaving the two men alone again.
    “Are you tired? Do you need to rest again?” Andreas asked, almost hoping Jabez
    would say yes. He was at a loss whether his role was host, nurse, or employer, and he
    needed a break from the warrior‟s silent intensity.
    “No.”
    The brief answer left him scrambling for what to do next. “All right then. If you
    like, I‟ll show you the rest of the house.”
    He went to the closet and the door slid open. “I ordered you some clothes until I
    can take you shopping to choose your own. Hope something fits.”
    Jabez had followed him across the room and stood in the doorway staring at the
    shelves and drawers and racks for hanging clothes. The closet was mostly empty, but a
    few shirts and trousers hung on hangers.
    Andreas opened one of the drawers containing underwear. When Jabez continued
    to stare at the open drawer, Andreas selected some boxers and a pair of socks and
    handed them to him.
    “There are casual clothes, T-shirts, sweatpants, and shorts in the other drawers,”
    he suggested.

    Cage Match

    23
    “You bought me clothes.” Jabez smoothed his hand over the socks.
    Andreas smiled. “Great as you look wearing only briefs, you need more clothes
    than that.” He stooped and picked up one of the pairs of shoes he‟d chosen. “Do these
    look too large?”
    The other man frowned and glanced at the shoes. “They‟re fine.” His voice was
    even rougher than usual, and Andreas understood the frown wasn‟t about the clothes
    chosen, but that he‟d been given a gift.
    Jabez caught sight of his reflection in the full-length mirror on the door of the
    closet and stared, transfixed, as if he‟d never seen his reflection before. Maybe he
    hadn‟t.
    A minute slipped past before Andreas touched his arm. “Are you all right?”
    “Yeah.”
    “I‟ll leave you alone so you can get dressed.” He picked up the breakfast tray and
    walked to the door, but glanced back to see Jabez still poised in front of the closet,
    staring. There probably weren‟t a lot of mirrors or clean clothes in the cells at the Fight
    Palace.
    In the past two days, Andreas had often imagined what Jabez‟s life was like. Prior
    to that, he‟d never even considered the conditions the fighters lived in. They were just
    another form of entertainment to fill a boring afternoon or evening. It made him
    ashamed to think of all the years he‟d wasted on finding frivolous ways to pass his
    time, while people like Jabez struggled just to survive life.
    Andreas was almost to the kitchen with the tray when his phone rang. He slipped
    the earpiece in his ear. “Hey, Timon.”
    “Where were you yesterday? I‟ve been trying to reach you. A group of us is going
    sailing later today, racing Simeon‟s new yacht against the boat I won from you. It‟ll be
    fun.” Timon talked loud, competing with music and voices in the background.
    “Can‟t. I‟m busy.” Andreas wished he‟d kept his phone switched off.
    “What‟s up? You