Psychopathy

Chapter 62- Safe To Recover

Isabel stared at the gift that her confidant had gotten her. Truth be told, she'd never gotten a gift so thoughtful. And as she stared down at the gift, and then back up at his soft smile, she felt something she hadn't felt in a long time. She felt safe. She had people around her that would make sure that she was safe and secure. And she knew then that if those people stayed with her, she'd be able to fully and truly recover from her time in hell.

**********************

Ciara pushed the oranges on her plate around with her fingers, trying to find the courage to actually eat. She wasn't so much worrying about James- though he was always at the back of her mind. Earlier that day, with Gideon keeping watch over her, she'd managed to eat a few strawberries and an entire sandwich. She'd foregone the condiments he'd provided- but without them, the cheese and bread had stuck in her mouth. But she'd eaten everything she was offered, and not once had she heard James's voice in her head.

Gideon had reported the success to Elizabeth before he said that he had to take off. Before he left, though, he had promised to write to her. He wasn't sure how often he'd be able to write a letter, but Ciara was willing to take anything she could get. She'd gone for too long with no communication from the man she'd looked up to her entire childhood. Even if she only got one letter a year, she'd be okay with it. As long as there was some communication.

He'd also advised that she talk to Reid. He'd advised her to explain to him why she hadn't wanted to see him and that it had been no fault of his own. And if her anger at the world threatened to show, he advised her to let it out and then to let it go. Ciara had decided to act on his advice, but when she'd asked Elizabeth if Reid was around, she said that he had something important to do and that he'd be back later. The knowing look in her eyes had made Ciara all kinds of nervous.

According to the clock that she had started paying attention to, it had been six hours, and Reid still had yet to show, and at this point, Ciara was losing her nerve. To keep that from happening, she had tried to focus on the meal that she was given. She wasn't worried about James. Since Gideon had left, Hotch had taken his spot. He was sitting in the chair next to the bed, reading a book that she hadn't seen the cover of. That was something she'd never seen him do- but it seemed that everyone in the BAU liked books in some way. Since she hadn't seen the cover, she wondered what kind of books Aaron Hotchner liked to read.

But even though he seemed absolutely engrossed in the book, it didn't stop him from doing his duty. She'd been slowly picking at her meal for thirty minutes, and every time she'd heard James in her mind or felt his hands on her shoulders, Hotch knew. He noticed every time she took a sharp breath or tensed up. Immediately, he would put his book down and start talking to her in that surprisingly soothing voice of his. Typically, his voice was hard and a bit intimidating, the kind of voice that made everyone in the room stop and turn. She'd never heard it like this- soothingly telling her that she was safe and that James would never hurt her again, repeating those lines until James faded from her perception.

So no, that wasn't what was bothering her. What was bothering her was that it had been a long time since she had eaten two meals so closely together. Would her body be able to handle it? Back in California when she'd been considering writing a World War II-era book, she'd read reports on refeeding syndrome. She'd read accounts of concentration camp victims who had survived on a potato a day dropping dead after eating the food the Allied soldiers provided them.

Would the same thing happen to her? Even if she stuck with the food she'd been provided in Halsey for a little longer, would the increased rate of meals cause the same thing to happen to her body? Would she fall victim to refeeding syndrome? The rational side of her brain, however small that was, told her that she was thinking in worst-case scenarios. But the other side of her brain, the louder side, told her that it was a very real possibility.