Death's Hitman

Chapter Twenty Three

If Hitman had hoped that sleep would help her to overcome what she had been through in the Black Room he was to be disappointed. If anything Hope seemed even more cowed the following morning. He woke to find her at his side, staring up at the ceiling, clearly having been awake for some time. She didn't look at him and didn't react when he leaned across to kiss her cheek.

"You want to go use the bathroom?" he asked. Hope got up like a robot and walked to the bathroom as he watched, scowling. Her nightmares of the night before had been about him and that wasn't a great feeling either. Getting up he grabbed his visor to check on Kane and was amused to see the Fire Lord still hanging in his cage cussing up a storm while several Demons panicked, trying to help him get loose while trying to avoid the random fireballs he was throwing out. Chuckling to himself he removed the visor only to freeze when he saw Hope standing silently observing him, not a trace of emotion on her face. "Come sit with me," he said, softly, patting the sofa. Again she obeyed him without question. He was careful not to touch her as she sat down,  but turned his head to face her.  "Can you talk to me Hope? I just want to know how you're feeling."

Her eyes flickered towards him briefly and then she looked away without answering.

"Can you answer my question ?" he asked, gently. But she carried on staring away from him mutely and he sighed. "Get yourself something to eat. We've a way to go today but you should be with your mother and father by the end of the day."

Something in her gaze shifted a little when he said this and seeing it he carried on.

"You want to see your mom again don't you?" he tried, watching her face, but the emotion he thought he had briefly seen did not reappear. She kept her gaze averted and her head down. With another rough sigh he went to the kitchen and made them both something to eat, calling her over to sit with him. Sheamus knocked on the door a few minutes after they'd finished and looked at Hope who was sat at the table, her head bowed, silent.

"Not a single word other than in her sleep since we got her back," Hitman said. "I don't know what to do."

"Black Rooms are notoriously bad," Sheamus said. "I've been reading up on them all night." Hitman looked at him gratefully and Sheamus nodded. "What they do is tap into your greatest fear and exaggerate it, putting you in a state of terror while you're locked away and the after effects of that can be long lasting. It's all for the amusement of the masters. Some folk will scream and rant, tear their hair out while they're imprisoned and for some sickos that's mighty entertaining. Others like our young Hope here though withdraw into themselves; he apparently commented to Juniper and Drew that she wasn't amusing enough in that room."

"Bastard," Hitman muttered. "Anything you read say how I can help her?"

"If you know what fear it triggered that would be a start," Sheamus said.

"I do," Hitman said, frowning as he recollected her telling him she was afraid of the Hitman locking her away.

"Great. So whatever you do you have to try and convince her that her fear is irrational, that it would never happen and she is safe. All you have to do is get her to believe you and gradually she'll heal."

"You make it sound so easy," said Hitman, sighing.

"What is her fear?" asked Sheamus. Hitman looked across at Hope, her pale emotionless face and he sighed again.

"Me," he replied, quietly. "I am her greatest fear; that I'll lock her away in a room again."

Sheamus' eyes widened slightly.

"Ah. Well that might complicate things a little. I guess you've just got to find a way in with her that doesn't unnerve her. Maybe try and keep things as normal as possible. Don't change how you would treat her because I'm guessing that will unnerve her."