Dancing with Danger

Ch 8: The Apologetic and The Kind

"Come in Ms. Amaranth." Dr. Lecter said as he opened the door. "How did your first session with her go, Doctor?" The nurse asked. "It went rather well from my point of view." He replied, ushering Samantha inside. The nurse made a "hmph" noise and walked away, closing the door on Samantha and Dr. Lecter.

"Please sit." He said as she walked over to the couch. He sat across from her. "I've heard that you told someone what went on in our session yesterday. That's not good, Samantha." He said with disappointment evident in his voice. "I'm very sorry, but I took the blame. I said I asked you to remove my straitjacket." She replied looking down at her feet. She couldn't make eye contact with him. His expression was just so cold. "Please look at me, Ms. Amaranth. It shows that the conversation we are having is important to you." He said holding his hand up to his face as to metaphorically bring her face up to his. "I apologize for my rudeness." She said softly while she looked up at him. "You need not be afraid of me. I would not punish you for your actions." Dr. Lecter said smiling.

-flashback-

"Samantha! Are you listening to me?! You don't give a f*** about me, do you?!" Bryan yelled. Samantha cried softly. "I do care about you! I'm sorry baby.." "No! You aren't sorry! You're a rude little b*** aren't you?" He said. He approached her with his fist, but she ran before he could take a swing at her. Samantha ran into the bedroom and cried under the table.

-back to the present-

Samantha stared at the wall with her eyes wide open. "Samantha, are you alright?" Dr. Lecter asked her. Samantha didn't move at all. It was as if she didn't hear him. He wrote down her behavior in his notes. Samantha suddenly snapped out of her flashback and quickly apologized. "It's alright. I'm just glad you're back." He nodded. "I was thinking about my ex-boyfriend..." She muttered. "By your tone of voice, I assume he wasn't a pleasant guy to be around." He said frowning. "You're right, Dr. Lecter. He wasn't. He verbally abused me.." She said, tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm deeply sorry. He wasn't aware of the lovely lady he was mistreating." He replied. Samantha looked up at him and smiled. "Did he ever hit you?" Dr. Lecter asked, concerned for his patient. "No, but he came close many times. I ran and hid from him." She replied, fiddling with her thumbs. "I'm glad you escaped him." He replied. "Thank you. So am I.." She said. "He used to work out. He'd lift heavy weights and use steroids to make him beefier. His punch could probably have broken a bone." She continued. "Oh my. Well on a lighter note, your prescription should be here tomorrow morning. If you don't feel better, we can try something new." He said smiling. "Alright. Thank you. You're so kind to me." She replied, smiling softly. "Of course I am. I don't know any other way to be." He smiled. "If you won't tell anyone, I'll allow you a break from the straitjacket while you're in here under my supervision." He said. Samantha's face lit up. "Oh thank you so much!" She exclaimed happily. "It's not a problem. While I'm here with you, I trust that no harm will be done." He replied standing up and walking to her.

She turned around slightly and he unbuckled her jacket. She smiled gently as he shed her jacket. He walked back to his seat after laying her jacket next to her. She was in utter disbelief that they would trust the two of them together. She was supposed to be restricted due to her recklessness and violent tendencies. He freed her without much hesitation. He trusted that she couldn't do anything under his watchful eye. She was lost in thought again until a foreshadowed remark broke her from her trance.

"I now see why you are restricted." "Excuse me?" She asked, looking at him with wide eyes. "Your arms are lined with scars. Are they self-inflicted?" Samantha looked down and had realized that she wasn't wearing any sort of covering anymore. It had completely passed her mind that she would now be exposed without her jacket. "They are.. I'm sorry.." She whispered. Her eyes welled up with tears again. 'Crybaby!' Her mind shouted at her. 'Am not!' It remarked. 'Are too!' Samantha began to cry and curl up into a small ball of arms and legs. Her head was hardly visible now and her arms were wrapped around her legs which were pushed up to her chest. Choked sobs came from her as her body shook.

"It isn't your fault. I know you cannot help it." He said. He got up from his chair and stood by her. He didn't wish to get too close, seeing as she was in a fragile state, but couldn't act out on it. She had just warmed up to him. He had remembered her reaction when he first came close to her. She was quite scared and she shrank back. He now knew why she was so afraid. "I won't hurt you. You are not at fault here. I won't disclose anything said here to anyone else. Anything mentioned in here is between you and I." "Do you understand?" He asked. Samantha nodded her head as her body unfolded. She looked up at him and held out her hand as to signal she needed help getting up. He took it and gently helped her up from the couch. She was sitting up once again. "Thank you..." She murmured. Dr. Lecter put her straitjacket back on her as their session came to an end.

•Dr. Lecter's POV•

'You mustn't let yourself get attached to her.' He told himself. 'She's much too young for you and a relationship with her would be very unprofessional. You are her psychiatrist and her therapist. That is all you are to her. You cannot be her friend. You cannot be her lover. The Oakwood staff would not hesitate to fire you if anything were to happen. They mustn't know how you feel and they mustn't know what you do. She mustn't know what you do.' The voice in his head echoed these words as Samantha walked out the door.

(Disasterology by Pierce the Veil)