Meeting the doctor 049 x oc)

Chapter 11

Eleanor reached out her hands to touch this person. She had to prove to herself that this moment was real. Though she doesn't recognize this person, she felt a sense of familiarity with them. For some reason, she felt safe. There was a mysterious presence pulling her closer to him.

She felt compelled to touch his face. Gently placing her fingertips on his mask, she studied him. This mask felt different. It had the texture similar to bone. Her eyes bore into his, delivering nothing but an emotionless plea.

The doctor noticed something amiss the moment he entered the manor. He knows about the abuse Eleanor had been subjected to throughout her life, but to think he would find her on the ledge of the window shattered him. He was disappointed in himself that he wasn't able to protect her from the pain that brought her to this.

When their eyes met, he saw someone who was lost. There life behind her eyes was gone, replaced by a void of nothingness and sorrow. Eleanor had a light that her presence gave off, a warm, radiant light. Even that was diminishing. 

The doctor placed his hands over hers. It was clear from her appearance that she was malnourished. Her hands felt like and bone. Her face began to cave in. The dark circles under her eyes revealed her lack of sleep. Her complexion was that of a dying flower, withering away from no food, water, nor love. 

The doctor removed her hands from his face and leaned in towards her. He placed his forehead on top on Eleanor's. 

"My love, you haven't been sleeping, have you?" He strokes her long hair. 

Eleanor remained silent. This person's touch was gentle. It eased her spirit and brought calmness to the storm. She wanted more. Without a thought, she leaned in and hugged him, tightening her arms around his torso, as if she would never let go. 

The doctor returned her embrace, completely engulfing her small body. He could feel her spine and ribs from her back. This brought more disappointment to himself. She was nothing more than a ghost, pale and dreary.   

"Eleanor dear, please tell me your thoughts." The doctor asked as he continued to stroke her hair. 

Still, she remained silent. She didn't know why, but this person made her feel safe. During her confinement, she was conditioned to seek Henry as refuge. No matter how many punishments or 'interventions' she went through, she never felt safe with him. 

The doctor embraced her for a bit longer before trying to pry her away from him to examine her. She did not allow him this action. Her grip tightened, frightened of what would happen if she were to let go. 

The doctor felt her pulse increase. It was clear she felt nervous. Judging from her lack of speech, this abuse affected her mentality severely. Along with her malnourishment, he suspected a conditioning method could have been used. This method would often use a means of torture until the person became compliant. He's seen the same symptoms from past patients. 

"Darling, you are safe. I am here." He soothed with his metallic voice. "I am here. I will take care of you."

This helped Eleanor relax enough to let him go. Now he was able to give her a proper examination. He had to take great care during this exam as to not scare her. He checked her eyes, breathing, and pulse again. She was incredibly weak. 

Turning to his medical bag, he noticed a bowl of, now cold, soup that was left for her hours prior. It seems that she herself did not want to eat. Her depression had her trapped in her terrors, unable to remember to take care of herself. 

The doctor took the bowl of soup and went back to Eleanor's bed side. The first step of her treatment was to bring her strength up. Her body desperately needed nourishment. 

Eleanor seemed to catch on because when the doctor brought over the soup, she turned her  head away, refusing to eat.

"My love please, you must eat. Your health is very low. I promise you no harm." 

For some reason, it was easy for Eleanor to believe his words. Usually, the nurses would become impatient and their response would be to force feed her. Sometimes, they didn't allow to her time to process. They would just come and tie her down immediately. 

She felt something on her hand. She quickly turned her head and saw that the doctor had put  the bowl of soup down on the nightstand. Both of his hands grasped hers, squeezing them a little but not enough to hurt her. He brought her hands up to his chest and pleaded, 

"Eleanor, please. Please my darling, you have to eat, even if it's just a little. I am deeply worried for your health, my love." 

Eleanor felt the sincerity in his voice. She did not sense any ill-will nor deceit from him. Something told her that she could trust him. It was a strange feeling from within her. Hesitant at first, she lightly nodded to the doctor. 

"Thank you, darling."

The doctor once again picked up the bowl of soup and began to give Eleanor small servings. It was important to start small or her body would reject large amounts of food. Though she could only consume small bits of food per minuets at a time, this very much pleased the doctor. The most Eleanor could eat was half the bowl, but it was still the most she ate in a while. 

The doctor put the bowl down and turned to her. 

"Great job, my love. I am proud of you." 

She teared up at this. No one had ever praised her like this before. Fear was always used to motivate her. The doctor open his arms to offer a hug to which she gladly accepted. After the embrace, he gently laid her down on her bed. As much as he wanted to take her elsewhere to care for her, she was far too weak to travel. 

The doctor joined her and laid himself beside her in the bed. He brought her back into his arms, the place where she felt the safest. She snuggled into his chest, finding peace and warmth. He placed his arm protectively around her waist and kept her close. He used his free hand to continue to stoke her hair. Not before long, her eyes began to close. Her breath steadied as slept for the first time in days. 

The doctor lowered his head to give her a kiss on her forehead. 

"I love you."