Room 25

This is why you do as I ask

"You have got to be kidding me!" Chris was awoken by Gunter shouting out the now-opened door. 'The hell?' she thought to herself. She heard a familiar voice chuckle. "Hey, don't talk to your work parent like that! I came here on my day off, Jackson called in sick last minute, and no one else was available. You're lucky I was!" Chris watched as Gunter sighed and gestured to the person he was talking to to come in. "Thank you." The person who entered was a kind-looking colored person who was slightly taller than Gunter. They looked to be in their 40s and had short, dirty-blonde curls that rested on their shoulders. Their brown eyes were inviting and bold. They looked at Chris, who was now propped up against the wall and sat on the bed. They walked over to her and sat on the edge of the bed, extending a hand. "I'm SOA Esme Esparza, they/them. You must be Chris. I don't need to introduce POA Gunter Mcdonald over there, so how bout you tell me a bit about you? We're gonna be together for quite a while, so we might as well try to get along." They threw Gunter a glance as they said this. Chris took Esme's hand and shook it "Chris Daley, She/Her, I'm a therapist, and I'm quite concerned that I'm being kept here against my will and being referred to as a terrorist by your partner over there." They let go of each other's hands. Gunter walked to the door, obviously annoyed. "I'm going to take a break. You take your shift, and I'll be back in an hour to start the interrogation." With that, he opened the door and left the room. Esme sighed. "Don't mind him, hun. He has a deep connection to this case." She flashed a quick smile before sighing again and moving towards the kettle. "comemierda!" Esme muttered, fustrated at the kettle. Chris turned to Esme, confused. "hablas espanol?" Esme looked to Chris, smiling slightly and nodding their head."Sí, looks like you know some yourself Pata!"

"Cuban?" Chris asked. "Sí! How'd ya guess that pettle?" Esme walked over to Chris, holding a cup of newly brewed coffee in her hands, and sat back down on the side of the bed. "Just a hunch," Chris replied with a slight shrug. After a few seconds of silence, Chris spoke again, "Esme, right?"

"That's right, don't wear it out."

"Could you take these off?" Chris presented her hands to Esme, who sighed. "Sorry pata, it's procedure. They're not hurting you, are they?" Chris brought her hands back down, resting them in her lap. "No, they're just annoying." Esme laughed. "No tener pelos en la lengua! Good trait that is pet!" Chris giggled in response."I'd hope I am, being a therapist and all." Silence. "How long will you be here?" Chris was the first to break the silence. "No saber ni papa de algo pata, depends on that comemierda out there." A small smile washed their face as they stared into their coffee cup. "Been a while since I've spoken normally." Chris looked at them confused. "What do you mean?"

"Usually, I have to stop myself from going into Spanish. But talking to you pata, I didn't have to." They took a sip from their cup before setting it down on the coffee table. "You never did answer my question. Bout where you picked up that Spanish of yours. It's quite fluent from what I've heard so far." Esme looked down at their watch. "You may have to tell me later, looks like he'll be back any minute now."

"But, it's only been around 15 minutes? I thought he said he'd be back in an hour?"

Esme smiled. "That baboso likes to be early." Suddenly, the door swung open and Gunter stepped in. "Hablando del Rey de Roma! Look who it is!" Gunter closed the door, confused. "Hola, Gunter?" Esme shook their head in their hands "Papa frita." Chris chuckled. 'Ok, I like them' she thought to herself. "You're different in person" Chris chimed in. "I get that a lot." Beep, beep. A phone began to ring, Esme quickly grabbed their phone and excused themselves, taking the call in the ensuite; leaving Gunter and Chris alone.

"You and Esme seemed to have hit it off." Gunter broke the silence, moving to his bag. He began to search through it. "They treated me like a human being." Chris' fear had now gone, the knowledge that this wasn't a kidnapping but a legal arrest had erased it. Gunter chuckled. "someone's getting comfortable."

"Don't get me wrong, I'm still worried, and I'm still pissed off. But now I know I'm not going to die, so I don't have to tiptoe round you, scared to be stabbed at any moment." Gunter made his way to the side of the bed and sat down, looking into Chris' eyes. "Don't worry, I'll make sure that fear returns." That same shiver from before jolted Chris' body, threatening to bring with it the lost fear. "DAR LATA!" The ensuite door flung open, a very angry Esme bursting through it. "What's got your Knickers in a twist?" Gunter asked, both worriedly and jokingly. Esme sighed, leaning against a wall. "You got your wish niño. I've been reassigned. And when I told them I was keeping tabs on you." Esme closed their eyes and sighed again, gritting their teeth together. "They told me 'he'll be fine, he's been in the field before, we'll just send another agent over in a few days just to check in.'" Gunter looked shocked. "Hold on, few days?"

"Yup, been told they're taking her to Wellston branch." Gunter's jaw dropped. "Wellston!? Esme, that's a 4-day trip!"

"I know."

"So I gotta hold tight here. For 4 days!?"

"Unfortunately so. And it seems they want you to go solo, despite the fact that breaks almost every procedure and rule ever written." Esme turned to look at Chris, flashing her a warm smile. "Sorry pata, looks like you'll be stuck with this un-depre." Before Chris could protest, Esme gathered the little things they had and walked to the door. "Hola! Tía!" Chris turned to Esme. "No te preocupes. ¿sí?" A quick smile washed over Chris' face. "sí." Esme nodded before turning to Gunter "I'll see you later, phone me. Ok?"

"Will do." Esme lent to whisper something to Gunter. "That kid? She's not our guy kiddo. I've seen evil, and her?" Esme looked over to Chris, still making sure their words did not reach her, "She's anything but, so don't let that ego of yours destroy her." With that, Esme finally left, leaving Chris to the mercy of Gunter.

"Right, I think we should get on with the interrogation now all distractions are gone." He walked over to Chris and pulled her over to the chair. He then repeated the same steps he did yesterday, confining Chris to it for a second time. "You remember what I said yesterday, don't you? When I ask a question, you answer. And if you don't" Gunter paused, taking out the same scalpel that had sliced her skin only a few hours before, only now the blood that had decorated the blade had vanished "Well, I don't think we need a recap." He gestured to the scar that now marked her arm. Chris gritted her teeth as she scowled and scoffed at the man before her. 'fucking asshol-AH!'  before Chris could finish her thought, the familiar warmth of blood and jolt of pain struck her left cheek. Gunter tutted, waving a finger in front of her. "Ah, ah, ah, don't be short with me." Chris looked at him, shocked, the fear now slowly rising from her stomach like a receding sea preparing for a tsunami. "That's your one and only warning, next time, I won't be so nice." Silence. There it was again. Tho it only ever lasted a few seconds, it granted a moment's peace to Chris every time it came back. It was quickly interrupted by Gunter. "Right, let's start easy, shall we? First, tell me your name, age, and occupation."

"Arn't you supposed to record this?" Gunter chuckled, tapping a pen on a notebook that was on the floor beside him, "I like to do things a little differently."

"You can't use my answers as evidence unless they're recorded."

"Evidence? That's not our department. We already have all the evidence we need."

"What? Then, why are you doing this!? Why put me through this hell if it's not g- FUCK, YOU ASSHOLE!" Chris shouted as Gunter plunged the scalpel into her leg and pulled it down from her knee before pulling it back out a few inches down, making her drop her head in response. "Name, age, occupation. I won't ask again." She looked up, ready to scream obscenities at him, only to be frozen by that now-familiar feeling. Fear. The fear had now fully returned, making her body tremble. Gunter smirked in response. "This is why you do as I ask. Now. Answer."