Love is Always Write Anthology Bonus Volume

but when I roused him, he started screaming and pleading with me not to take him to the hospital. Said they'd kill him if they found him and they'd be sure and look there first. So I picked him up, carried him out and brought him home. He's so badly beaten. I think they kicked him half to death. I have to examine him, but he's so scared. I'm not sure if he's been raped or not but how do I get him to trust me enough to even check?
    Please help me put this beautiful, battered boy back together again .
    Sincerely,
    Mod Lori

    genre: contemporary; thriller
    tags: medical personnel; military men; first time; hurt/comfort; slow burn; unresolved sexual tension
    content warnings: descriptions of post-violent-attack first aid and medical care; non-graphic discussions of off-screen sexual assault; gun violence (non-sexual)
    word count: 70,078
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WHISTLE BLOWING
    by Ada Maria Soto

Author's Note
    This is for Roane, who waved pompoms, kicked my ass, cleaned up my mess and worked so hard for this to be better.

CHAPTER 1
    Sebastian sipped his glass of whisky; he'd been nursing it for close to half an hour. The ice cube had long since melted, and the drink had gone warm, but he didn't want to get drunk, and until his new job started, he couldn't really afford it. However, he had once been told that he had the looks for sipping whiskey, dark hair and eyes and just a little rough around the edges.
    A young man stepped into the bar, the noise and lights of the nighttime city chasing him in. Sebastian looked the kid over, and he did look like a kid, with tight jeans, a suede jacket, and spiked bleached hair. Even in the dim light, he could make out perfect, pale skin and a fine-boned profile. The young man looked around, squinting into every dark corner before sliding up to the bar. The bartender carded him then poured him a drink. Sebastian could not believe whatever ID the kid had shown could be real. No way the kid was old enough to drink. If it weren't for the reasonably developed muscles noticeable under a tight black T-shirt, Sebastian would have a hard time believing he was old enough to drive.
    That d idn't change the fact that the kid was damn good-looking. He was just Sebastian's type and about a mile out of his league. He drained the last of his whisky and motioned for a second, knowing he would need a little more courage if he was going to make a pass. That is, after asking to see a real ID for himself.
    The kid threw back two whiskies of his own without a wince before looking over his shoulder. Sebastian figured he was probably waiting for someone. And he would be. That was Sebastian's luck: every guy who caught his eye was taken or straight.
    The kid threw back a third drink, then turned and started walking towards Sebastian. Sebastian tried to school his features into something that looked cool as the kid walked right by him and towards the men's room. Sebastian sighed and sipped his drink, keeping one eye on the little hall that went back to the restrooms. By the time his drink had gone warm again, the kid had yet to reemerge. Probably slipped out the back Sebastian thought to himself. It had to have been at least a half hour. Probably way too young for me anyhow.
    Sebastian drained the rest of his drink and headed toward the men's room himself before heading home.
    He blinked in the yellow fluorescent light, which was piercing in comparison to the dim light of the bar. A small moan came from the far end of the row the stalls. Someone's getting lucky, Sebastian thought. There was another moan, this one sounding more of pain than pleasure. He moved silently down the row of stalls until he got to the last one. There was a thin stream of blood coming from under the door. He pushed it open.
    Curled against the wall was the kid, though Sebastian barely recognized him. He was nearly naked, his clothing in shreds and his limbs twisted at strange angles. His blond hair was stained red; half his face was bloody and swelling. Every visible inch of skin was covered in blood or red marks that were bruising. Near him was a short length of pipe, one end covered in blood. Sebastian scrambled for his phone.
    "Don't worry, hold on, I'll call an ambulance!"
    The swollen eyes sprang open as far as they could. One eye was blue, the other was bloody. "No!" The kid shouted through swelling lips. "They'll find me there. No hospitals. People talk. No doctors!"
    "You need to get to a hospital."
    "No." The kid shoved