The night guard picked up the body of the captive off the floor, and placed it gently on the cot. He continued to clean the blood spatter off the tile walls, and then finished mopping the floor. After emptying and cleaning the pail, he filled it again with warm water. Taking a fresh cloth he carefully began to clean the body. The slicing cuts around the abdomen and neck had already healed and the scars were disappearing. The raw abrasions around the mouth, hips, and thighs were also slowly healing, but the bruising around the eyes had not faded.
He had watched Commander and her consort "instruct" their victim, ashamed of what his species had to. The captive was brave and had resisted long, but that's what his tormentors wanted; time for the pain and fear to fill the mind and sweeten the blood. It was the mental torment and the hormones in the blood they craved, their drug of choice, a cocktail of terror that gave them their golden eye status. The longer their victim resisted, the higher the concentration peaking just before unconscious shock or death. But this one, he thought sadly, this unfortunate soul can't die.
The man began to stir just as he began to clean the shoulders and arms. Chi attempted to move back, but the man gasped for breath, grabbing his arms in confusion. As the captive's eyes began to focus, he realized where he was and then instinctively tried to escape from the guard's grasp. Chi held him still.
Jack's eyes looked up warily, attempted again to move away, but he was still too weak.
"I won't harm you," Chi said calmly. "Let me finish washing the blood away."
Jack looked at the Adyan guard with suspicion.
"Let me finish my duties, and I will leave you in peace."
Jack looked at the cloth still in the guard's hand, and the pail. He stayed still, but his body was still tense.
The guard then relaxed his grip on the Captain, and continued to wash his shoulders, hands, and then the face. Jack's eyes followed every movement, but he still was too weak to move. Finally the Adyan finished washing the clotted blood out of Jack's hair, and put the cloth into the pail.
Chi noted that the man's skin color and muscle tone were returning to normal.
"I would like to change your bedding," he said. "Can you sit on the bed?"
Jack nodded slowly as he continued to watch the guard with suspicion.
Chi helped him to the chair at the side of the bed, and stripped the blood stained linen around him, lifting. Throwing the material in a pile in the corner, he picked up a fresh set he had left on the floor, and remade the bed. After he was finished, he helped Jack lay down again on the bed, and wrapped a fresh red quilt around him for warmth.
He placed a glass of water near the bed. "You will need to drink this when your throat is healed." He pointed to another covered plate. "That one is for sustenance. When you are ready."
Jack struggled to sit up. His body ached from the abuse of his last"instruction."
"What is your name?" he asked in a hoarse whisper.
Chi looked up at the camera eye near the door. He said nothing. The Adyan guard gathered the soiled linen and cleaning materials, and opened the door to leave.
"Guard?" Jack said softly.
Chi looked back.
"Thank you."
The guard said nothing, left the cell, and locked the door.