Alice part 1

Alice awoke unsure where she was. She was seated with her head and arms on a table. She slowly realized the table was wet. She raised her head a bit and tried to focus as she scanned her surroundings. It looked like the Old 22 Saloon. 

A glass was on its side resting against her arm. The events started to come back to her now. She had been drinking with that young doctor, Jack. He had the accent from Britain and was always chatting with the working girls from Elizabeth House. 

Jack was good for a few drinks now and then but then he would try to get it for free because "I been so nice to ye, love."  The girls would slap him or tell him off and he would go back to his room to pout. At least that's what Alice would imagine. 

She put her head back on the table to piece together what happened. She felt the left arm of her dress was torn open and she realized she'd been cut.

A booming voice caused her to sit up at attention, "Alice, you can't stay here anymore. I seen you wake up now." It was Fred, the owner of the Old 22. "After what that Limey tried on you I reckoned you needed the rest."

"What'd he do? I don't remember anything." It was a struggle to get the words out.

Fred stepped over to the table and picked up the glass. He started wiping the spilled liquid with his rag. "You were lucky, that's for certain. The Limey was getting you well lubricated with my special juice and tried to talk you into servicing his needs in the alley."

"Shit..." Alice put a hand to her forehead. 

Fred continued his retelling of the events. "But you weren't having none of it and told him to piss off back to London. I don't think he's from London but who can tell, right?" He stepped over to the bar and put the glass down. 

"So there he was turning red as a mad ass when he pulls this little doctor knife and cuts your arm there." He pointed to her torn sleeve. "So I grabs my stick and before I got around the bar you'd punched his face near half a dozen times. Everybody cheered for you and the Limey ran out with a bloody face from where you hit his nose."

Fred went behind the bar tidying up some more. "So old Jeffy Heidrick bought you another drink and then a couple other boys did too."

Alice shifted in the chair. She didn't know whether to believe him or not. Although it did sound like something she'd do.

Fred coughed to get her attention. He pointed to the door, "it's been a lovely evening, dear, but it's time for you to skedaddle back home."