Callen slept through the night after his ordeal in the shower with his partner Sam. He actually felt relaxed for the first time in years. Another man had lovingly washed his entire body and it felt good. Maybe he did have a tendency toward men. Or maybe it just felt good to be touched by a man who truly cared about him. He could not stop thinking about Sam's hands stroking his body, washing him with soap, washing his hair with shampoo. Callen placed his clasped hands under his head and sighed.
"You awake, G?"
"Yeah."
"Talkative."
"Yeah." He rolled to his side and faced his partner. "That's the best night's sleep I've had in… I don't know when."
"You enjoyed the body massage?"
"That's what it was. Yeah, I got it."
"You needed it. You were wound tighter than a fined tuned tympani. I agree with your assessment on your sleep. I'd estimate that ever since we've worked together you've never slept that well."
"Three years and half years?"
"Yeah."
"Thanks. What was with the water torture though?"
"You were being stubborn as usual and thought I was coming onto you. I wasn't and only wanted to give you a massage."
"So you utilized water torture?"
"If you wish to call it that."
"It felt as if you were trying to drown me or water board me."
"You resisted my ministrations."
"Sorry. I didn't get it until this morning."
"You're slow, G."
Callen lightly punched him in the left arm.
"You want to wrestle?"
"No. Remember you promised."
"Sure did, G." Sam rolled on top of him.
"Sam."
"Yes?"
"You promised."
"That I did. You punched me first. My turn." He stretched his body lengthwise on Callen's until he heard him sigh. "There you go, G relax."
"You know what this feels like? One big huge massage."
"Interesting, I'll need to remember that when you're stressed. Massage works well on you. Do you wish to talk to me about what transpired last night?"
"Oh hell, you would have to ask me that." He closed his eyes and sighed. "This is all I want right now."
"Not enough information, G."
"Pushy."
"Sure am, talk."
"Flashbacks."
"Talkative."
"Thanks."
Sam pressed Callen's arms above his head.
"Sam, you promised."
"And I asked you a question. You are debriefing with me. Get to it, G."
"You know how I feel when you put me in this position."
"No, tell me."
"Stressed."
"You are quite verbal this morning, G."
"Can you release my arms?"
"Talk and I'll think about it."
"Okay, this is going to sound weird."
"Try me."
"When you do this, damn I hope Hetty's not listening in."
"Because she'll think what?"
"I'm gay. I feel turned on sexually when you hold me down like this."
"Interesting. I'd say it's probably due to what happened to you and not something you truly feel."
"So a memory?"
"I would guess so."
"Great, another damned memory."
"Only when I hold your arms above your head and lay on you?"
He nodded.
"Let me see if I can accentuate the feeling for you."
"No! Wait! I don't know if I want that right now."
"I think it deserves consideration."
"What?"
Sam got on his hands and knees and leered at his partner, pressing G's hands further apart.
"Stop!"
"I think I hit a sore spot."
"I'll sore spot you! Get off!"
"Tell me what you're seeing."
"Screw you!"
Sam laid down on G again pressing his heftier body into his partner's.
"You bastard get off me!"
"Talk."
Tears formed in his eyes.
While holding G's arms with one hand, Sam reached for the two pairs of handcuffs in the night stand.
"No, please don't do this to me. You know that triggers me."
"Yes, and that is why I'm doing it to you." He clasped one set of handcuffs on G's left hand to the headboard.
"Bastard!" Callen thrust his body upward trying to unseat his partner. "Stop this."
"Tell me what's happening inside your head."
"You."
"I'm in your head?"
"Damn you, stop this preposterous crap, Sam."
Sam clasped the second pair of handcuffs on his partner's right hand and secured it into the headboard.
"I'll kill you mother fucker."
"Spread eagle gets you riled up doesn't it, G?"
"Bastard, don't you dare do this to me. Not after last night in the shower. Please."
Sam climbed off the bed and pulled a pairs leather cuffs attached to metal cuffs out of the drawer.
Callen saw the devices in his partner's hands and yelled. He twisted and pulled and jerked on the handcuffs on his arms.
"Easy, G, those metal cuffs will cut into your skin if you pull too hard."
"Take them off!" Watching Sam with the leather cuffs made him feel as if fire ants were crawling all over his body. He yelled and kicked trying to prevent his partner from attaching the cuffs to his legs.
Sam grabbed G's left leg, held it steady while he secured the leather cuff on the ankle. "Yes, spread eagle ought to get a rise out of you, G." He attached the metal cuff to the bed frame.
"I'll give you a rise, asshole!" Callen kicked his right leg toward his partner.
He ducked, G's foot narrowly missing his head. "I'm quicker though." He switched sides of the bed and grasped his partner's kicking foot.
"No! You bastard!" Callen screamed and jerked his foot trying to escape his partner's hold. "Why are you doing this? What did I do to you, asshole?"
"Easy, G."
"Easy, my ass, don't do it."
Sam clasped the leather cuff around G's right ankle and attached the metal cuff to the bed frame.
Callen lifted his head and glanced down at his body. "I'll kill you, bastard, kill you."
"Get it out, G, tell me what you're seeing and going through."
"I tell you all right, I'll kill you. I'll go downstairs and get my armor piercing bullets and shoot right through your damned, bulletproof vest, bastard."
"Who would you like to do that to, G?"
"You!" He spit in his partner's direction. "Don't come near me." Tears flooded his eyes.
"You need to tell me who did this to you."
Callen yanked on his arms.
"That's going to leave marks."
"Who gives a damn!"
"Easy—"
"Don't easy me, bastard."
"If you would be forthcoming."
"You love that word don't you?"
"Not necessarily. I could use another word if that one bothers you."
The bedroom door opened. Hetty. Callen startled and strained his head to see where she was headed. Then he saw Nate. "No, no, no. You don't need to. I'll calm down. Damn it, please. What are you doing here? What are you doing to me?"
"Mr. Hanna has followed the orders I gave him last night while you slept."
"What? What the hell? What orders? Restrain me like this?"
"Yes, Mr. Callen."
"Then what? What are you doing to me, Nate?"
"He's tranquilizing you so some work can be done on your skin and on your body."
"What the hell? What do you mean? Sam? Sam, please tell me what's going on?"
"I'll see you in a couple of hours, G."
"What the?" He lifted his head, straining again to hear their conversation. "Don't leave me with this psychopathic bitch."
"You need to relax, Callen." Nate approached the bed with a syringe in his hand and an alcohol swab.
"No, please, I'll stay calm."
"Fat chance, Mr. Callen. Go ahead Nate."
Nate swabbed Callen's neck and injected the medicine.
"That's dangerous there."
"Dangerous if there are bubbles, Callen."
"What are you doing to me? Please tell me. I have a right to know."
"You certainly do, Mr. Callen, and when we start placing the transponders I will tell you all about them."
"Transponders? What the hell?" He yanked on the handcuffs.
"Shouldn't do that Callen. I can give him something directly into his hands to relax them."
"Please do."
"No, don't. Please. Nate, please don't do this. Nate." He screamed watching Nate fill two syringes with a light colored yellow medicine. "Nate! Sam, please, somebody help me. Please, somebody help me." His head swimming from the tranquilizer, Callen could no longer lift it to see what Nate was doing. His eyelids fluttered several times before feeling as if Sam were sitting on them.
