Okay, well, here comes chapter seven. I apologize for the length of time it took me to get it posted, but I've had lots of work to do. Thanks for reading! c.
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As Lecter drove, they sat in silence. Lecter could understand why she didn't exactly wish for conversation right then, and he respected it. She sighed heavily. It never really occured to her that he seemed to know exactly where he was going, something that would have truly perplexed her alert self. Lecter heard Clarice sniffle a bit. He looked to her and saw tears running down her cheeks. "What is it, Clarice?" he said soothingly.
"I don't know. I've made up my mind and I know I'm going to be happy with the choice I've made, but I just don't know how to feel right now."
"You don't have to feel anything at all, if you do not wish to." A flash. She remembered Crawford saying something like that to her after he'd told her that Miggs was dead.
"Mr. Crawford!" she gasped. "Doctor, I can't go away without saying good bye. I would hate myself for it. I have to say good bye, I just have to. You understand, don't you?"
"Of course I do, Clarice. That's why we're going to the hospital tomorrow morning before we leave."
"Doctor, where are we going to go?" His answer was one she anticipated.
"Never ask. It spoils the surprise." He smiled.
"Why can't you tell me?"
"Because you will find out tomorrow morning." Clarice felt anger rising from the pit of her stomach.
"Why can't I find out now?" Her tone was beginning to match her level of anger. "What if I don't WANT to go? Maybe I'm happier here!" Now she was nearly screaming. "Why do you always do this to me? Why do you have to make me wait? Is it because you think you're the superior one here? Do you delight in my torment? Do you actually LIKE to see me suffer?" She had stopped crying. Rage set in. He now knew that the fact of their destination was trivial. She was angry because she thought he liked to hurt her. How could she think such foolishness? Worse still, how could he ALLOW her to think it? "And how do I know that you're going to let me see Mr. Crawford? You're probably going to lock me in a room and keep me there until I -"
He held up a hand. "No more of this," he said calmly. She stopped. In the silence, he could hear her heaving breaths. His tone had frightened her. It was one of complete control. He DID have the upper hand. He was superior. Clarice was now very close to hyperventillating. "I will not allow you to think these untruths any longer. I will not stand for it. It will go on no more." His voice was kept at a pleasant volume, as though he were having afternoon tea. "Understood?" He shot a quick glance at her, wondering why she was so quiet. He could barely hear her breathing. His eyes returned to the road.
He knew then why she was so quiet. It seemed to hit him suddenly. She truly thought he wasn't going to allow her to see Crawford. That was logical. Lecter wished to clear that up immediately. He took an exit that led to the hospital where Crawford was being kept. In so much despair, Clarice almost didn't notice the 'wrong turn' on the way to her home. Her brow wrinkled in thought. "Where are we going?" she asked very timidly. Lecter could tell that he had frightened her.
"We are going to the hospital."
"To see Mr. Crawford?" She was quieter than before.
"Yes, my dear." He reached over with his free hand for hers. They looked at each other. Clarice hesitated as Lecter took her hand. He could see how afraid she was. "Clarice, I did not mean to frighten you in any way. You know I would never hurt you intentionally. I've told you that, and I do not lie." Clarice swallowed a lump that had formed in her throat. They pulled into the hospital parking lot. "I want you to remember that." Lecter removed the key from the ignition. He sat and looked at her for a long moment. Clarice fumbled for the door. "Allow me," Lecter said as he gracefully climbed out of the car and walked around to her side. He opened the door and offered his hand. She graciously accepted it and he helped her out of the car. Her jaw dropped suddenly. "What is it, Clarice?"
"How are we going to get in? I mean, he'll recognize you and we'll never get out! You'll get caught! And it's after visiting hours! We can't just -" Once again, he held up a hand.
"It's alright, Clarice. I've planned for all of that. You will get in to see your Jack once more before we leave." Clarice thought she sensed irritation in Lecter's voice.
"You don't mind this, do you? I feel like you don't want me to do this."
"Of course I want you to do this. If I did not, I would tell you. You forget that I'm a man who speaks his mind, my dear." He smiled.
"I know you would, but I just wanted to make sure." Lecter placed his arm around her waist as they entered the hospital.
As they approached the nearest information desk, the clerk looked up. A young woman looked up from her papers. Lecter figured that she hadn't been on the job long. If she had, she was just a naturally friendly, pleasant person. "Hello! What can I help you with?" she asked cheerfully. Before Clarice could open her mouth, Lecter answered.
"We're looking for a Mr. Jack Crawford's room. Do you happen to know where we can find him?"
"Oh, yes, as a matter of fact, I do! Down this hall, take the first hall on the right, his room is second on the right." She smiled. "Oh, and just in case you're interested, the doctors have said that he's doing much better. In fact, he's due to be out Sunday morning. You know, they didn't think he was going to make it at first. It's amazing what doctors can do, isn't it?." A smile spread across Lecter's face. Clarice saw it, and trying desperately hard not to laugh, she turned away.
"Yes, it most certainly is," Lecter replied. "Thank you very much for your help." Another smile from the young woman.
"Anytime!" Clarice nodded and gave the woman a friendly smile. Lecter escorted Clarice down the hall and around the corner. Crawford's door was closed and Clarice was worried about intruding.
"I'm sure he'd much rather you bid him farewell than not, dear."
"Oh, I know, but what's he going to do when he sees you with me? He could call security! He could, oh, God knows what he could do! Why aren't you worried?! How can you not be worried?" She wondered if Crawford had heard her.
Too bad if he did.
"Everything will be fine, Clarice. We will not stay for a great length of time, just enough for you to say good bye. Ready?" She nodded. Lecter put his arm around her waist as he opened the door with his free hand. Clarice took a deep breath as they stepped inside. She noticed that the TV was turned to CNN. The door slammed behind them.
"Mr. Crawford?"
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Sorry - didn't mean to leave you guys hanging like that...okay, well, I did. Thanks for reading! I'm gong to start on chapter eight RIGHT NOW! :)
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As Lecter drove, they sat in silence. Lecter could understand why she didn't exactly wish for conversation right then, and he respected it. She sighed heavily. It never really occured to her that he seemed to know exactly where he was going, something that would have truly perplexed her alert self. Lecter heard Clarice sniffle a bit. He looked to her and saw tears running down her cheeks. "What is it, Clarice?" he said soothingly.
"I don't know. I've made up my mind and I know I'm going to be happy with the choice I've made, but I just don't know how to feel right now."
"You don't have to feel anything at all, if you do not wish to." A flash. She remembered Crawford saying something like that to her after he'd told her that Miggs was dead.
"Mr. Crawford!" she gasped. "Doctor, I can't go away without saying good bye. I would hate myself for it. I have to say good bye, I just have to. You understand, don't you?"
"Of course I do, Clarice. That's why we're going to the hospital tomorrow morning before we leave."
"Doctor, where are we going to go?" His answer was one she anticipated.
"Never ask. It spoils the surprise." He smiled.
"Why can't you tell me?"
"Because you will find out tomorrow morning." Clarice felt anger rising from the pit of her stomach.
"Why can't I find out now?" Her tone was beginning to match her level of anger. "What if I don't WANT to go? Maybe I'm happier here!" Now she was nearly screaming. "Why do you always do this to me? Why do you have to make me wait? Is it because you think you're the superior one here? Do you delight in my torment? Do you actually LIKE to see me suffer?" She had stopped crying. Rage set in. He now knew that the fact of their destination was trivial. She was angry because she thought he liked to hurt her. How could she think such foolishness? Worse still, how could he ALLOW her to think it? "And how do I know that you're going to let me see Mr. Crawford? You're probably going to lock me in a room and keep me there until I -"
He held up a hand. "No more of this," he said calmly. She stopped. In the silence, he could hear her heaving breaths. His tone had frightened her. It was one of complete control. He DID have the upper hand. He was superior. Clarice was now very close to hyperventillating. "I will not allow you to think these untruths any longer. I will not stand for it. It will go on no more." His voice was kept at a pleasant volume, as though he were having afternoon tea. "Understood?" He shot a quick glance at her, wondering why she was so quiet. He could barely hear her breathing. His eyes returned to the road.
He knew then why she was so quiet. It seemed to hit him suddenly. She truly thought he wasn't going to allow her to see Crawford. That was logical. Lecter wished to clear that up immediately. He took an exit that led to the hospital where Crawford was being kept. In so much despair, Clarice almost didn't notice the 'wrong turn' on the way to her home. Her brow wrinkled in thought. "Where are we going?" she asked very timidly. Lecter could tell that he had frightened her.
"We are going to the hospital."
"To see Mr. Crawford?" She was quieter than before.
"Yes, my dear." He reached over with his free hand for hers. They looked at each other. Clarice hesitated as Lecter took her hand. He could see how afraid she was. "Clarice, I did not mean to frighten you in any way. You know I would never hurt you intentionally. I've told you that, and I do not lie." Clarice swallowed a lump that had formed in her throat. They pulled into the hospital parking lot. "I want you to remember that." Lecter removed the key from the ignition. He sat and looked at her for a long moment. Clarice fumbled for the door. "Allow me," Lecter said as he gracefully climbed out of the car and walked around to her side. He opened the door and offered his hand. She graciously accepted it and he helped her out of the car. Her jaw dropped suddenly. "What is it, Clarice?"
"How are we going to get in? I mean, he'll recognize you and we'll never get out! You'll get caught! And it's after visiting hours! We can't just -" Once again, he held up a hand.
"It's alright, Clarice. I've planned for all of that. You will get in to see your Jack once more before we leave." Clarice thought she sensed irritation in Lecter's voice.
"You don't mind this, do you? I feel like you don't want me to do this."
"Of course I want you to do this. If I did not, I would tell you. You forget that I'm a man who speaks his mind, my dear." He smiled.
"I know you would, but I just wanted to make sure." Lecter placed his arm around her waist as they entered the hospital.
As they approached the nearest information desk, the clerk looked up. A young woman looked up from her papers. Lecter figured that she hadn't been on the job long. If she had, she was just a naturally friendly, pleasant person. "Hello! What can I help you with?" she asked cheerfully. Before Clarice could open her mouth, Lecter answered.
"We're looking for a Mr. Jack Crawford's room. Do you happen to know where we can find him?"
"Oh, yes, as a matter of fact, I do! Down this hall, take the first hall on the right, his room is second on the right." She smiled. "Oh, and just in case you're interested, the doctors have said that he's doing much better. In fact, he's due to be out Sunday morning. You know, they didn't think he was going to make it at first. It's amazing what doctors can do, isn't it?." A smile spread across Lecter's face. Clarice saw it, and trying desperately hard not to laugh, she turned away.
"Yes, it most certainly is," Lecter replied. "Thank you very much for your help." Another smile from the young woman.
"Anytime!" Clarice nodded and gave the woman a friendly smile. Lecter escorted Clarice down the hall and around the corner. Crawford's door was closed and Clarice was worried about intruding.
"I'm sure he'd much rather you bid him farewell than not, dear."
"Oh, I know, but what's he going to do when he sees you with me? He could call security! He could, oh, God knows what he could do! Why aren't you worried?! How can you not be worried?" She wondered if Crawford had heard her.
Too bad if he did.
"Everything will be fine, Clarice. We will not stay for a great length of time, just enough for you to say good bye. Ready?" She nodded. Lecter put his arm around her waist as he opened the door with his free hand. Clarice took a deep breath as they stepped inside. She noticed that the TV was turned to CNN. The door slammed behind them.
"Mr. Crawford?"
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Sorry - didn't mean to leave you guys hanging like that...okay, well, I did. Thanks for reading! I'm gong to start on chapter eight RIGHT NOW! :)