Room 25

This is why you sleep

An awkward silence filled the room as the pair stared at each other. "Are you?" Chris retorted. "If not, you should be." Their eyes were still locked; it was Gunter who was the first to falter, dragging both his hands down his face. A groaned sigh escaped his lips as his hands reached his neck and grasped the back, his head rested into them. "Proof again that I didn't lie when I said therapists are just professional drug pushers." Chris went to respond as Gunter turned and walked toward the kitchen area, but was stopped by the realization that he was technically right, but also incredibly wrong. However, this was something Chris didn't have the energy to delve into right now. Right now, she needed food and sleep. When Gunter had grabbed her from her home earlier, she had been making pasta. But she never got to eat it. 'I am so glad I turned off the stove' her thoughts were interrupted by a hand smacking the top of her head. She turned to see Gunter holding out a plate with a sandwich on it. He then crouched down in front of her, picked up the sandwich, and held it to her mouth. "Eat," he said, pushing the sandwich to her lips. Chris stared at the sandwich for a few seconds before taking a cautious bite and swallowing.

'What the hell is his goal here?' Chris thought, finishing the sandwich and looking at Gunter as he walked away with the now-empty plate. After washing the dirty pots, Gunter turned to Chris as he rested against the countertop. "Right, here is how this is gonna go." Chris swallowed, her heartbeat thumping through her body. "I'm going to uncuff you from that chair so you can actually sleep. Floor, bed, I don't care. As long as it's in this room where I can see you and you sleep, understood?" Gunter looked at Chris for a response, she nodded and he continued. "Now that's sorted, here are the rules. I already gave you the rundown of some, but I'll now give you the full rundown. So make sure to listen, got it?"

"Got it" Chris responded.

"Good, so. Rule number 1. Cuffs must be worn at all times. We aren't in a secure location and you're a high-risk detainee, we can't risk having you run off in the middle of the night so the cuffs are a precaution. Having said that, I'm not a sadist, so if they're causing discomfort let me know and I'll do what I can to make it a bit more comfortable. I can't do anything if I don't know there's a problem."

'what the hell' Chris thought to herself. 'His whole demeanor and attitude have changed. Did that person on the phone threaten him or something?'

"Hey." Chris flung her head up. "You still with me?" Chris nodded her head. "Right then, rule number 2. As you probably heard on that call earlier, we'll be having another agent join us by tomorrow morning. You'll have either me or them with you at all times. We'll guard you in shifts, so I hope you didn't get used to my pretty face." Gunter let out a slight chuckle. 'An attempt at a joke I'm guessing' thought Chris. "And finally, rule number 3." Gunter moved towards Chris and bent down in front of her. "I'm the lead agent on your case, meaning I get to designate who does what. And since we seem to have a good rhythm going here." He leaned in closer so his face was almost touching hers. "I've put myself on interrogation, so don't think I won't make up for the lost opportunities to make you pay for what you've done." Chris felt a shiver shock her body. A realization hit as Gunter walked to his bag to pull out the keys to the cuffs before returning to uncuff her from the chair. "The marks."

"What?" Chris looked at Gunter who had momentarily stopped what he was doing to look up at Chris. "Well, answer, what the hell does the marks mean?" 

"You don't care if these cause me any harm, you only care if they cause marks. After all, you can't have the other agent getting suspicious." Gunter returned his gaze to Chris's ankles, finishing up and moving to her wrists as a slight 'tsch' left his lips. "Thought you were a therapist, not a profiler." Gunter finished with the restraints and pulled her up out of the chair before re-cuffing Chris' wrists so they were in front of her. "There, now, pick a spot and sleep. Tomorrow's gonna be a long day after all." With that, Chris walked towards the bed and fell onto it. She then pulled the covers over her and stared out the window opposite her. She watched the light drain from the room as Gunter turned off the light and rested on the other chair in the room.