Authors: Cassandra Cole
She had made another mistake. It was so difficult trying to get to him! What did she have to do to get him to open up?
“Yes, yes, you’re absolutely right. I’m just so excited that I get to talk to you, to one of you, and I forget myself sometimes.” She honestly tried to make it right.
“So, that’s why I’m here??” He asked.
“Well, yeah.”
“And you couldn’t have told me this before?”
“We weren’t exactly on speaking terms before, you know.”
This was familiar ground for her. Arguing with a guy who thought he was right. Yup, right down her alley.
“I would have told you, if you weren’t so busy breaking people’s noses and threatening to kill everyone.”
She concluded victoriously. But, he wouldn’t let go.
“And I wouldn’t have done all those things if you people hadn’t kidnapped me in the first place to do crazy experiments on me!”
“OK, I see this isn’t working.” She was about to do the only thing she ever knew how to do in a relationship: throw in the towel. “We’ll just leave Rorschach for some other time.” She headed towards the door. Just as she turned the nob, she heard his voice.
“No, wait.” Pause. “Don’t leave. I can’t stand the silence.”
She understood and even sympathized with him, remembering how she always hated her empty apartment and always wished there was someone there, someone to fill the void, to speak into the silence and make it go away.
She pulled up a chair next to him and explained how the Rorschach test worked.
“Basically, I just show you inkblot pictures and you tell me what you see.” She even managed to smile. He nodded in agreement.
They went through all the ten plates, and he’d give the usual, common answers such as butterflies, female figures, a standing figure of a man, etc. Though she did find some indications of him having trouble relating to people. This of course, she dutifully kept to herself, noting down everything she found worthy of remembering.
“So, did I do good?” He smiled, which surprised her.
“Yes, you actually did great.” She returned the smile easily.
“Is there anything else we need to do now?” He asked.
“Well, I’d like to draw your blood, but if you feel like it’s too much, that can wait.” She was hesitant to go so far so early, despite the fact that she was dying to see if there was anything remarkable about his DNA.
He seemed to think about it for a while, before giving her an answer.
“Are you going to do it?”
“Well, yes.” She replied. But, then quickly added. “But, I can have a technician do it instead, I don’t have to do it.”
“I’d rather you do it.” He concluded.
She wanted to smile, but thought maybe it wasn’t appropriate. So she kept her delight to herself. She went to lab to get all the necessary stuff. Sure, it would have been easier for someone else to do it. Usually, a doctor wouldn’t bother with something as simple as drawing blood, but Dr. Hadley wasn’t just any old doctor.
Neglecting the fact that she was the authority on this project, she was still the kind of person who liked to do everything on her own. Never the one to ask for help, she considered being helped as a weakness, especially in the male-dominated world of medicine. So, nothing was too small or too insignificant for her to do herself.
“After all, if you want something done well, you have to do it yourself.” She’d often think.
She returned shortly after, and placed all the necessary instruments on a nearby table. Once it was all in place, she turned to him and seemed to wander about something.
“What is it, doc?” He inquired.
“Well, I’m thinking what would be the best way of going about this.” She turned around, as if to acknowledge that they were still alone. Sure, the guard was just outside, but still. He was outside, and she was inside, and there was a huge difference between the two.
“What do you mean? You’ve drawn blood before, right?” He joked.
“Sure I have. But, I can’t do it with your arms bound like this. I’d need to…” She paused before continuing. “I’d need to release one of your arms.”
She looked at the bulky arm, protruding from a rolled up sleeve. The veins seemed to be popping out like geysers, and she knew that he could easily break her neck with just one arm. Or at least hurt her badly. She still wasn’t sure if he would refrain from doing so.
“And you’re afraid I’d hurt you?”
She remained silent, looking at his arms.
“Would you feel safer with someone around?” He asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe.” She was unsure. She knew that this was the moment that would either make her or break her. He was urging her to trust him, even though he hadn’t really said he wouldn’t do anything to harm her.
But, would he? He was still the prisoner, and she was still the reason he was locked up here, and not free to do whatever he wanted.
“No, no. It’s crazy… I can’t do this. He’ll tear me to pieces…” She kept thinking to herself.
Then, something clicked inside her.
“A doctor has to take chances, risks even. And you haven’t taken any so far,” she thought again. “This is your choice. Are you a real doctor?”
“Listen to me very carefully now.” She tried to sound as serious and as authoritative as possible, because she knew her life depended on it. “I will release your left arm. You are free to do as you wish. You may hurt me if that’s what you feel like doing. I won’t put up much of a fight, I’m sure you know this. But, you won’t escape. You won’t help yourself in any way if you do so. I don’t have all the keys necessary for you to leave this facility. No one does. We all have a different set, and whoever enters or leaves, does so accompanied by guards. Do you understand?”
He just nodded.
“I’m doing this because I appreciate all your cooperation. And if you continue to do so, I’m sure I can do something about these locks and chains, so that you can walk freely, at least in this room again.”
He smiled. “I’d like that.”
She approached the handcuffs slowly. Her fingers were shaking. As she handled the cool steel, she could feel his burning skin against her fingertips.
She wanted to release him. To take off all the chains. But, she didn’t dare.
Once his arm was free, he stretched it out.
“Feels good to scratch my nose.” He smiled.
“I’m sorry about all this. I was hoping we could offer you a royal treatment before… but, you know, things somehow got out of hand, with you attacking the technicians.”
“Yeah, I still think I had every right to do so though.”
She pretended not to hear him.
“Just relax. This isn’t going to hurt.” She tied a rubbery ribbon around his arm, just above the veins. As soon as she did so, the vein popped up, blue like a royal diamond. The syringe was there and ready. He looked straight at her.
She had no idea why she was hesitating. It’s not like she hadn’t drawn blood before, countless times. But this time, it was different. She wanted to be extra careful, extra patient. She didn’t want him to feel the slightest pain at the needle entering his flesh.
His comment hinted at the idea that he understood what she was feeling.
“Is everything ok, doc?”
This pulled her out of her confusion.
“Of course, of course. Here we go.” And without any further hesitation, she slid the needle inside, as gently as she could. She drew enough blood, and carefully placed a cotton ball on the entry point.
“Finished.” She showed him the small tube which contained his blood. His shapeshifter blood.
“So I guess that’s the only reason you find me of any interest?” He asked, almost mischievously, his free arm dangling in midair, enjoying the freedom.
She felt like he was pushing her to say something, to reveal herself, to expose the totally unacceptable and completely wrong feelings she had for him.
No! He was just her test subject and nothing more. That’s all there could ever be.
“Well, it’s true that your blood makes you unique, but only up to a certain extent. Another specimen would do just fine.” Once she said it, she realized how horrible it sounded. And it was obvious he thought the same way, because he immediately placed his arm back into the bound position, waiting for her to lock it back again.
Quickly, she thought of excuses and reasons to wash herself off of this horrible comment, but in the end, opted against it.
“It’s for the better. We’ve gotten too close. Much too close for a doctor and… not even a patient, but a mere subject. Enough of this.” She told herself angrily.
“Thank you for your cooperation, Thorben.” She said formally. “You were most helpful and I’m really grateful for that. I’m sorry, but I have to bind you again.” She concluded with leaving him in the same position as she found him.
Once behind closed doors, hidden from his view, she took a deep breath. Her heart was racing. Her palms were sweating like crazy. She could barely catch her breath.
“I need to bring this to an end. This is ridiculous.” She clicked her heels down the corridor and locked herself inside her office.
*****
During the next couple of days, she avoided spending too much time with Thorben. And when she did, she was acting more formally than the situation required and she seemed silly even to herself. He on the other hand, remained casual as before. She knew there was anger brewing, but what he was probably hoping was that they’d get close and she’d help him escape.
“Well, tough luck!” She almost screamed inside her mind. “There’s no way I’m throwing away this once in a lifetime chance of becoming a famous researcher in the field of shapeshifting. And for what? For some arrogant, aggressive, sleazily charming Adonis-like bear shifter who thinks he’ll sweep me off my feet like that? Well, no, no, no and a thousand times no!”
Still, no matter how many no’s her brain spoke, her heart raced at the very thought of him, at her memory of what his skin felt like against her fingertips. How his smile revealed deep dimples in his cheeks. How his voice sent shivers down her spine, all the way down.
*****
Finally, she knew she couldn’t go on like this anymore. She was a professional after all, and professionals didn’t behave in such a childish way. So, she decided to make a peace offering. She brought him some food, something she remembered he enjoyed. And a Coke. She knew he liked it, and she also knew he hadn’t had one in a long time. Maybe that would loosen up things from last couple of days.
She entered the room and looked through the window at what was his prison. Still bound to the chair, he seemed drained of energy.
Neglecting the button which she initially wanted to press, she boldly walked through the door, carrying a tray with food.
He lifted his gaze and as soon as he saw her, he brightened up.
“I thought we weren’t talking.” He greeted her. “But I’m glad you’re here. And with food! To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Well, things have been a bit… strained. And seeing the situation is already weird enough as it is, I thought I didn’t have to make it even more difficult on you. So, here,” she revealed the food and the Coke. “A peace offering.”
He smiled like never before.
“I’d kiss you if I could!” His reply made her blush.
“Here,” she placed the food on the table before him, and released one of his arms. The same one she poked a few days ago. “Bon appetite!”
He ate with great relish, she had never seen anyone enjoy a simple hamburger and Coke so much. He was stuffing the food into his mouth, and basically, was done in a few minutes.
“Whoa, that was fast!” She laughed.
He coughed a little.
“Yeah well, it was awesome. Don’t know how to repay you, doc. This was really something.”
Then, he did something that frightened and excited her at the same time. His hand touched her elbow. It was like a surge of electricity went straight through her body, and she thought she was going to faint.
“Sorry,” he let her go immediately, thinking he frightened her too much.
“No, no…” she turned to him and touched his arm. “It’s fine. I’m not afraid anymore.”
“I’ll show you something, but don’t freak out.” He told her, as he started twisting his other, bound hand. In a matter of seconds, the other hand was free as well.
“What…? How…? How did you do that?” She stepped backward.
“Calm down, it’s fine.” He tried to soothe her. “I’ve been able to do this ever since they bound me the first time.”
“So, you could have done this at any point when we were alone together?”
“Of course.”
“But, you didn’t. Why?” She needed to know.
“Because I’m not sure I want to go… yet.” He replied, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her straight into his lap.
She could feel every muscle in his body tense up, as he locked her inside his embrace. She knew he could crush her if he wanted to, but at this moment, she didn’t care. She was melting and losing control at the same time, as she felt his lips on her own, tasting, biting, licking.