MADMAN'S ARMS

13

( 🎶 Madness - Ruelle )

Once again I was standing in front of the cellar door and I read the numbers loudly in my head a couple of times before I managed to head inside.

401... 401... 401... 401...

I knew Brandon would be better stimulated now because of the medication, compared to our earlier meeting this morning. But I was still afraid, especially after what I was told during lunch hour.

At the same spot as before, he sat with his back against the wall, hugging his knees. The white t-shirt exposed his arms and the marks all over them, and his dark gaze followed my every motion as I walked  into the room, making me feel physically examined.

I sat down on the same chair as earlier and the guard took position in the right corner. I couldn't help but try to imagine the chaotic inside of his brain.

It was so strange that this young, good-looking, destroyed man who was sitting right in front of me, had murdered people, innocent people, children. I could never live with the pictures he must have had inside of his head.

I took a deep breath as I got back to my own brain and I decided to begin to speak with him. I was still here to do my job and I was still curious, despite the circumstances.

"Nice to see you again, Brandon,"

The dark messy-haired man smirked in the exact same way as before and I had to take my eyes off him not to get too disturbed.

"Nice to see you too, Nurse Frazier," His voice was extremely dark and flirty which made me even more uncomfortable, although that was nearly impossible. I looked back at him to give him a smile.

He did really call me Nurse Frazier this time which satisfied me a lot.

"Did you enjoy your lunch?" I asked.

"I did indeed, did you, Frazier?" He moved from his position in his bed and placed himself on the edge of it, with his elbows leaned on his knees and his face placed in the palms of his hands. I reacted to his movements by instinct and he grinned out loud when he noticed my reservation.

"You don't have to be afraid of me," His words were insistent and that only made me feel more frightened.

"This is not about me, Brandon. And I am not afraid of you," I lied and kept my voice determined.

"Good. As you say then, let's talk about me instead,"

Even if I had heard his voice just a second earlier, the lump inside my stomach got heavier every time he spread those full lips. His strong British accent and his dark masculine voice was intrusive and not the one to forget in the first place.

"So, is it something you want to talk to me about? Since I was the one you requested here?" I stated with a little bit too much convenience in my voice. I still really felt the urge to know what he wanted me for. Brandon just laughed at my question.

"Oh, Nurse Frazier. There are so many things I want to talk to you about," I creased my eyebrows in confusion and once again I got scared of the darkness in his already brown-colored eyes.

"We've only just begun, haven't we?" Once again he moved to sit straight up. Now I could see marks around his neck and collar which I didn't notice before. I inspected them with my eyes.

The marks had a light purple-red color and they were almost not visible. I really wondered what he had been through. After witnessing the many scars over his arms and now the marks around his collar, I refused to believe that he was only an evil person who murdered innocent people without reason.

Not that a reason would have justified his crimes, but there was something inside of this man that no one else knew about, maybe something that could be a good explanation for his actions, and I needed to figure out what it was...

"Indeed we have. You're free to talk to me about whatever you want, but I also wish you to cooperate with me so that I can do my job and help you," I tried to use my voice to get inside of him, just like he was trying to do with me. The grin in his sharp, perfect, pale face disappeared and his plump lips turned straight.

He stuck his tongue out to wet his lips as he looked deeply into my eyes. I tried to concentrate but it was hard, those piercing umber eyes would make anyone lose their focus. The room stayed quiet for too long not to make it awkward, and I had to tie my fist to keep control over the both of us. I was determined that I would not let him get to me as easily as he wanted. I wouldn't allow him to get to me at all.

"If you promise to treat me like I'm not the monster everyone else's treating me like, I promise you to do everything you want me to, Nurse Frazier,"

That constant repetition of my name made me frustrated. He was just messing with me since I kindly asked him to call me just that. This guy was just making me feel confused and lost. I hesitated for a moment while still looking into those manipulative eyes, I couldn't comprehend at all what he was talking about.

I was used to patients who tried to take the control out of my hands and thought they could decide the way the sessions would work, and that was something I never fell for. But with this case, I thought it maybe was for the best to actually agree with him and his statement.

If he liked to play his games, I guessed that I would let him, but then he had to be prepared to watch me play along as well.

He wanted me to make a promise, and it would just be a win for me to agree to it. He didn't know if I thought that he was a monster, as long as I didn't tell him or treated him like one.

In this room, I would be the kindest and most respectful nurse just to get him to do what I needed and get along with his therapy. I knew he was smart, and if this was the way to help him get his treatment, I gladly accepted it.

"I promise,"