Pierce was sure he was going to die.
For ages he just lay there, struggling to breathe, choking on blood that he was nearly too weak to cough up. He couldn't move at all without dry heaving, which in turn made him need to dry heave more at the pain. He had no way to measure time, so he had no idea how long he lay in the dark. His own breathing scared him because he was afraid that the noise would catch his captor's attention.
He couldn't tell the difference between his nightmares and his memories. He tried so hard not to pass out like BJ had said, but the pain was too much to handle. Consciousness was so painful. On the other hand, his dreams were just as bad as reality. It was like the man had never left.
He missed his friend dearly. He'd only seen him for a little bit, no more than an hour or so. The man had thought it to be a very clever plan, and it really had worked, but he couldn't wait long to see his terror and pain.
When the pain became overwhelming here and there, he would pray, or cry out, or beg aloud for the pain to stop. He never moved, while awake at least. That was always why he awoke; he'd moved in his sleep and woke screaming.
It could have been forever, but judging by the body's limits, it had been only a few days. When that door opened, he was in the same place, surrounded in blood, covered in it, and filthy. The man pulled in a hose as sprayed him off. Pierce never moved until kicked over, when he'd just moan.
The drain consumed the disgusting water, and finally, he was decently clean. It was easier to see all of his injuries now.
"Make sure he survives the night."
BJ was tossed into the room, the light inside turned on, and the man left. The surgeon pulled himself up and dusted himself off. When he turned around to see his friend, he cried out and ran over.
Pierce didn't even respond to him the entire night, or move of his own volition. He just flinched at every movement and drank or ate on command.
BJ was surprised he did survive the night. He shouldn't have.
The man didn't come back for days.
It was probably a week later, days after the water and bread were gone, that the man did come back. Pierce had barely spoken and still couldn't move.
The man nudged him with his book and looked him over.
"I want your bones to heal. They are so fun to snap."