Behind Closed Doors

Ch. 2

The next morning, Sal woke up and realized Brian wasn't next to him. He sat up and went to rub his eyes only to pull at chain around his wrist, a bell attached ringing. He tried pulling again before looking at his wrist, following the chain with his eyes and seeing the other end attached to the wall. A heavy dread started to encompass Sal - something didn't feel right. Hell, he couldn't even remember the night before he went to bed. He drank a shot Brian made him as an apology. He started to remember it kind of tasted weird. But he has no clue as to how he ended up with his hand chained to the wall.

Within a couple minutes, Brian came into the room with a plate of breakfast for Sal. He set the plate on Sal's lap.

"Here. You slept in so late, Sally. I've already had time to eat." Brian said. All Sal could do was look down at the food as he worked up the appetite to eat it.

Something didn't feel right.

But what was it?

"Brian, why....am I chained?"

"Oh, the chain? Don't worry about it. Just eat and we can get ready for work." Brian smiled.

His smile looked so wrong. But why?

Sal looked down at the plate and poked at some bacon before picking it up and starting to eat it.

"Sal, what is it? You think I'd hurt you? Do you not like my cooking? What's wrong!?"

Jumping a bit and tensing, Sal looked up at Q. "N-Nothing's wrong, Brian! It's just, I'm a little groggy from sleeping in so late... By the way, what time IS it..?"

"About 2pm." Brian shrugged.

"2pm!? I never sleep in this late! I-I must have really had a tiring day yesterday..." Sal looked down at his food and started to eat again, Q smirked when Sal stopped looking.

"I've kept Joe and Murr up to date. They didn't want me disturbing you."

The younger Joker nodded, eating pretty slowly but almost done with his plate. He was definitely slow, confused, and groggy.

"Sal, are you okay?" Brian asked, his voice etched in a lack of true concern, Sal too groggy to notice.

"Yeah, I'm.. I'm good, Brian. Why do you ask?"

"Because you're definitely not acting like normal.."

"I think it's just because I slept in too late, I'm fine really." Sal looked at Q and gave him a slight reassuring smile.

Sal knew he wasn't well, but he couldn't tell what it was. Brian nodded, and with that Brian let Sal out of the chains so he could take a shower before they'd leave for work.