Heart Still Intact

7. Protein Scramble

It wasn't the noise or feeling of being touched that woke him up; but the lack of it. Unless plagued by the horrifying nightmare, Will's sleep would often be interrupted by his dogs wanting their owner's attention. When Will felt no fluff or wet nose near him, it raised multiple alarms in his head. Jerking awake, Will sat on the bed, a bed too comfortable for Will to afford. It was then that the memories resurfaced, the alert shifted into panic as Will covered his face with his hands. That was when he felt the rough texture of the gauze. Remembering what happened last night, Will couldn't help but groan into his palms, his ears burning with embarrassment. He had tried to find comfort in his tormentor and what was even worse was that he succeeded. Not only had he sobbed like a little child, but he also let Hannibal soothe him. Cradle him till sleep took over.

The silence creeped him out. Either Hannibal chose to give him his space or he wasn't here. Regardless, Will was grateful. He wasn't in the mood of talking to the doctor. Not after last night. Even when Will was at their "sessions", he never shed a single tear. Back then, he knew Hannibal's concern was sincere. That he actually cared for Will. Now, it all might be just some ruse to try and get Will to drop his guard down. The Chesapeake Ripper was one to play games with his victims and Will wasn't going to fall for it. He would try to escape and if he fails, he'll try again.

Not wanting to dwell any further on his memories, Will stood up, testing his balance. Within no time, he had managed to make it into the bathroom. The bathroom was exactly identical to the one downstairs, minus the razors and other sharp objects. After finishing his business, Will stepped out, only for his heart to skip a beat. There, seated on his bed was Hannibal. Gone were the messy sheets, now neatly arranged on the bed. On the bed lay a small wooden tray holding a plate of breakfast.

"Good morning Will," Hannibal greeted, a polite smile on his face. "A simple protein scramble."

"Is this in tribute to our first meal together?" Will retorted, a frown taking over his expression. He was starving. Seeing as how exhausted his body and mind were, he couldn't afford to skip meals, regardless of how he was feeling. If he wanted to get out of this wretched place, he was going to have to build up his strength. Unfortunately for Will, it was at this moment that his bastard of a mind decided to piece together another part of the puzzle.

Meat. Missing organs. Extravagant dinners. Complicated dishes. Hannibal.

Eyes widening with realisation, Will felt his stomach lurch as he turned and threw himself onto the toilet. What little content was in Will's stomach emptied itself out, the realisation hitting him a little too hard. He couldn't help but flinch when he felt a warm hand on his back, tracing circles, almost as if Hannibal was comforting him. That made Will even more nauseous. Once there was nothing left, Will sat back, wiping his mouth with the tissue that Hannibal gave him.

Not only was his therapist, ex-best friend and captor a killer, but he is a cannibal. A cannibal who had been feeding his close friends and colleagues the very people they were trying to save. Another, not so overwhelming but gruesome nonetheless, realisation hit Will.

"You were making puns about it, weren't you?" Will asked Hanibal, watching as amusement flooded the doctor's eyes. Without thinking twice, Will accepted the hand extended to him. Lifting himself off the ground, Will followed Hannibal into the bedroom. Looking away from the plate, Will decided to focus on the intricately detailed wallpaper.

"I'm finally glad that someone finally noticed. They always went unnoticed by everyone." Hannibal finally answered. The amusement in his eyes faded into something more serious, something more sombre with a hint of regret. "I truly apologise about the manner in which you figured it out. I was going to tell you but I didn't want it to further disrupt our relationship.

A grimace covered Will's face. "Was this after I realised that you killed the people I was tasked with saving? Or was it after I found out about your little hobbies." The snark and sarcasm in Will's voice surprised even the profiler. Yesterday, he was carefully putting out his words, trying his best not to anger Hannibal but now, it seems like whatever he said wouldn't matter.

Hannibal stayed quiet. Whatever he said wouldn't matter to Will. The tense silence did nothing to help the situation. All Will wanted to do was wrap himself into a cocoon of sheets and sleep till he couldn't sleep anymore.

"I sense that you will not eat the food I have prepared," Hannibal spoke, his voice calm and intuitive.

Will merely shot him a look that screamed 'no shit sherlock'. Sighing out loud, Will sat on the bed, not watching as Hannibal picked up the tray and walked out. Finally, Will was alone. He could now succumb to his thoughts. The nausea returned when he thought about the food.

Hannibal disappeared for quite a while, giving Will time to think. He still hasn't made any solid plan to escape. Not when he's chained to the bed. At some point, he's going to have to convince Hannibal to remove the cuff. To do that, he needs to gain the doctor's trust. Shutting his eyes tightly, Will braced himself to all the fake mannerisms he must adopt. It was going to be hard to pretend like everything was going to be fine. Hannibal had managed to fool some of the finest FBI agents and even managed to gain popularity amongst the upper class of Baltimore. He fits the Ripper's profile very well and Will couldn't help but feel ashamed at how he didn't see it all before. He had been charmed by Hannibal's charisma, to the point where he subconsciously looked the other way.

If Will wants to get out of this alive, he was going to have to think carefully about the way he acts. All his words but be strategically placed in a way that he doesn't raise any suspicions. All he has to do is get away from Hannibal, find someone and call Jack.

When Jack crossed his mind, Will couldn't help but think of everyone at the BSU. Alana. Beverly. They must be searching the country for him. Part of Will believed that they were relieved that he was finally gone. Shaking his head, Will stood up and stretched. All the sleeping he has been doing in addition to whatever Hannibal dosed him with was taking a toll on his body. The only problem was that Will didn't think he would have the ability to eat whatever Hannibal served him. He had never had a problem with Hannibal's cooking but this just takes the cake.

Will missed his dogs. He hoped Alana was taking good care of them. The dogs love her and they'll be alright if she has them. Will just wishes that she keep them so he can have his army of fluff back.

Deciding to look around, Will decided to head towards the window. Maybe, he would be able to reach the curtains and get a general idea of what he has to deal with if he got out of the house. Just as Will reached for the curtains, the door opened. Hannibal walked in with another tray. Will watched cautiously as Hannibal placed the tray on the study table.

"Just a simple omelette," Hannibal chimed, looking at his dish with some satisfaction.

"I'm still not eating that," Will spoke as he eyed the plate. It looked alright. Like something even Will could make but the fact that it was made with Hannibal's hands didn't sit right with the profiler.

"Will," Hannibal sighed. "You're terribly macilent. I wouldn't recommend skipping meals."

Will bit his tongue. He wanted to retort back but if he wanted to gain Hannibal's trust, then he was going to have to play along. He didn't want to anger Hannibal but Will found it physically impossible to even consider eating. At least for a while.

With a pained expression on his face, Will turned towards Hannibal. "I'll eat something later. I don't have much of an appetite right now."

The profiler watched as Hannibal slowly caved. With a bit more pleading, Hannibal finally surrendered. He watched as the doctor formed a different plan, the cogs in his brain turning in desperate need to find a solution. "I understand. However, I will have no choice but to make sure you have dinner. It would be a sin if I were to let you go on without food for more than a day."

Glad that he didn't have to eat anything at the moment, Will nodded. He'll cross the next bridge when he comes to it. All he had to do was play along and make sure that he gets on Hannibal's good side. He'll try to escape, even if it means ending all of it. All Will has to do is endure whatever Hannibal has planned for him.