Man in the Box (The Kid x Reader)

Chapter 1

"He'll be here in a few minutes. Are you ready?"

You nod earnestly to your nurse aid as he exits, leaving you to prep for your new patient. Not much was known about him – just that he had been accidentally discovered in an abandoned section of the building, locked away in a cage like some kind of animal. From what you had heard he was in extremely poor condition and you were preparing yourself for the worst. You could only imagine what being isolated for god knows how long could do to a person, let alone in a place like this.

So many questions raced through your mind as you gathered your things for your initial inspection. How could this have happened? Who was this man and how did he end up down there? Was he originally a prisoner who had gotten lost and had accidentally locked himself in a cage? No, not possible. You had overheard the guards talking about his imprisonment and it was clear that someone had put him there for their own sick form of entertainment.

The sound of the door opening interrupted your thoughts as the aid spoke again. "He's here, Doctor. Are you ready to begin?"

"Yes," you replied over your shoulder, reaching for your rubber gloves above the sink. "Thank you, Andrew. Bring him in, please."

Several pairs of footsteps could be heard entering the room along with the rattling of metal, which you had recognized as the clinking of handcuffs. You turned around, preparing yourself for what you were about to see, but even still, your breath hitched slightly at the sight.

Towering over the guards and your aid was a very malnourished, pale, and solemn-looking man with an overwhelming deeply seeded sadness in his sunken green eyes. His full lips were dry and chapped from what you could see through the dirty, unkempt facial hair that adorned his face. His shoulders hunched as if he were trying to make himself smaller and less noticeable - as if that were possible.

Breaking the tense silence that fell between you, you spoke softly, "Hi there. I'm Dr. Y/N. I'll be taking care of you today." His eyes refused to meet your own as they seemed fixated on one particular spot on the floor. "Please, have a seat," you instruct, pointing to the examination table.

He doesn't move at first, as if he's unsure as to whether or not he should follow directions. A moment later, one of the guards behind him shoved him harshly from behind, grunting impatiently, "Move your ass."

"There's no need for that," you insisted calmly. "Just give him a moment." It was then that his eyes met yours only briefly as they flickered to you before settling on the examination table. It took only a couple of steps due to his long legs for him to reach it before he sat down as previously instructed.

"Thank you," you stated as you pulled your tools closer to the table to begin. Before you started, you halted for a moment, still inspecting him until you asked, "What's your name?"

"He won't give us a name," one of the guards answered for him. "The Kid won't say anything at all."

"Is that true?" you asked him delicately, not sure what to expect. Still, he avoided your gaze as his eyes darted back and forth around the patterns on the floor tile.

"Some of us have been calling him Nick," the other guard implied.

You turned around to look at him questioningly, only then recognizing him as Dennis Zalewski, one of the kinder guards at Shawshank. "Nick?" you asked, eyebrow arched in confusion.

"Yeah, uhh, because, you know. Nick Cage?" he hinted, clearly hoping that you would understand the reference.

Fighting the urge to roll your eyes you turned back towards The Kid. "Is that okay with you for now? May I call you Nick?"