Tick Tock Part Four - The Mouse Fell Down

The Phoenix

Gavin opened his eyes groggily, taking in a tired breath as he stretched. He blinked and sat up as he realised he'd been moved. The last thing he remembered was resting his chin on the porcelain edge of the toilet bowl, fully expecting another bout of violent vomiting. He'd been a weak, shivering wreck, suffering the aftershocks of multiple panic attacks. Even now, he felt like shit. His head was dull and foggy as he tried to figure out exactly what had happened. It didn't take a genius to figure out it was probably the Jack android who'd moved him.

He was still fully dressed, only his jacket had been removed this time, along with his shoes. The duvet had been tucked up to his chin and fell to his waist as he pushed himself up. The lights were still on, so he had no trouble seeing as he looked around the deserted room. There was a domed metal cover the size of a plate on the small round table. He paused warily, distrustful of whatever lay beneath. It wouldn't make sense for them to poison him, so the food was probably safe to eat. Should I, though? Was it a sign of giving in to eat the food they gave him? He'd already given in by agreeing to go along with this. It also made sense to keep his strength up in the event he got the chance to escape. With that in mind, he padded across and lifted the dome.

There was a bowl of soup beneath. It was still warm as he touched the side of the bowl. Barely. It had clearly been sitting for a while. He sat and lifted the spoon, hating the fact that it actually tasted good. It was a hearty cabbage and beef soup made with thick stock. There was bread and butter to eat with it, too. It was heavy enough to be filling, but not so heavy that it would upset his already sensitive stomach. He wasn't sure whether the sickness came from his panic attacks or the drug he'd been dosed with earlier. Either way, eating seemed to help.

After eating, he took a more thorough look at his surroundings to confirm there was no escape route. Opening the drawers and wardrobe, he was disturbed to find his own clothes, or clothes that looked like his usual daily choices. There were V-neck tops made of the same soft wool, all in the same muted colours he liked to wear. The jeans were in his usual straight-legged style, in the same dark blue colour. Even the socks and pants were all his chosen brands and styles. He slammed the drawer shut and took in a deep breath as he moved across to the bathroom.

Bathrooms usually needed extractors or vents, so they didn't steam up and let mould fester. Looking up confirmed there was an extractor fan. Unfortunately, it was tiny. Even if there was a vent behind it, it would be too small for him to climb into. The tub was solid and sealed, so no way for him to get beneath that and under the floor. There probably wasn't much of a space there anyway, and even less likelihood he'd be able to crawl through it and get out somewhere else. Same for the sink and toilet. Tapping the walls pretty much confirmed they were solid stone, built into the foundations of whatever sat above.

Going to the tiled room next door was worse. Tugging the chains, he found they were strong and heavy, with thick shackles at the end. They were bolted to the wall with thick screws, more than strong enough to restrain a human, maybe an android, too. The tiles had been cleaned, likely with bleach, but he swore he could still see the barest hint of pink between some tiles, especially those around the small drain. The drain was barely big enough to fit his fist through, so absolutely not an escape route. There was no extractor in this small room, making the air feel thick and stale. The thought of what happened in there sent a shiver down his spine.

He sighed as he shut the door and returned to pace his bedroom. Should I even be trying to escape? I promised to give myself over completely...That was the deal. That he'd come voluntarily and accept whatever this sicko wanted to do to him, and in exchange, Nines and everyone else would be safe. The Hickory Killer and his pet android wouldn't go after them. Did that agreement extend to after he was dead as well? Phck, I should have thought of that...He had no reason to believe the Hickory Killer would do something so devious though. He'd have no reason to. The only time he'd gone after Nines and the others was to get to him. There'd be no payoff doing it once he was dead.