Ch3

Aiden pov: I enter Sally's room slowly, I can hear her heart thrumming like a rabbit as soon as my hand turns the handle. My eyes scan over the empty bed and land on the girl folded up against the far wall. I took a few steps into the room.

"Hi, I'm Josh's friend. We work at the hospital together, I'm a nurse." I paused to measure her reaction, nothing happened "My name's Aiden. I'd like to look you over and get you cleaned up." At that her tension increased, but she remained silent. "Can you hear me?" I added, reminded of Bishop's rules. 'Only speak when spoken to.'

"Yes sir" she whispered, shaking now.

"ok" I smile softly in an attempt to reassure her as I step closer to her corner. "I'm here to help. Why don't we start with an easy one?" I crouched a few feet away. "Can I have your hand?"

Immediately her head went down and her arm shot up. Gnarled wrist in full view, with fresh blood seeping slowly out of new breaks in the scabbing. A pang of guilt twisted my gut. "oh no, I'm. .. I'm not thirsty.. I ate this morning. Thank you."

She looked confused panic dancing through her wide eyes. She raised her head, swept her hair to one side, the skin on her neck revealing another larger bite mark. But more than the bite, the bruises troubled me. Purple, blue, and green finger marks along her shoulders and neck told the story of her treatment. A few of the thumbprints on her jaw were still swollen.

This girl wasn't going to be easy to win over. She far too well who and what I was. When I repeated myself "I'm alright, thank you, I've already eaten," she began whimpering.

We can't smell fear, but anyone can feel it. She was a mess vibrating before me, eyes darting back and forth between my hands and her own feet. Clearly terrified of what happens next, her body's defenses were on overdrive, trying to prepare for every option.

I took a deep breath and sat on the floor in front of her. I knew the two things Bishop required of his girls. If she wasn't able to feed me, from her perspective, there was only one other 'use' for her. I had no intention of using her in either capacity but in her current state, she wouldn't believe me if I explained.

"This all must be pretty confusing." She froze. "It seems like you might know who I am already. Did Bishop tell you about me?" She nodded eyes brimming with tears. I sighed, "Did he train you?"

"Yes sir," she said too quickly.

"Did he train you for me, specifically?"

"Yes.. Master Aiden," She whispered.

"No" I said furrowing my eyebrows. At that she closed her eyes and covered her face with her arms, I could see how the bruises lined up. The thought of Bishop caning her made me sick. I swallowed hard and tried to explain "You don't have to call me that. I'm just Aiden." I looked at her hidden face and sighed, "Tell you what, this will make more sense after you get some sleep." I rubbed my face, "Let me give you a quick exam. Josh will bring you some food. We can talk about it tomorrow, okay?"

I expected her to brighten at the idea of food. She instead brought her arms down, but shrank further. Interesting. Did she think I would keep it from her? Trick her in some way? There was really no way of convincing her otherwise. Only time would tell. Eventually, it would become clear that he meant her no harm, and that here she was safe and taken care of. But until she decided that was true, there was no argument. I could make that she would believe. I couldn't blame her. I had seen the damage he could do.

"Seems like you've had a rough couple of weeks. Are you in any pain?" Her silence lingered but her breath hitched and her hands shook like leaves. "It's okay if you are." I kept my voice quiet and gentle "Can you tell me where? I might be able to help." I tried to say in the least threatening way I could manage. She in turn looked like she wanted to throw up, and still hadn't answered my question. Her eyes darted behind me, looking for any escape, and finding none. "Why don't I just have a look? We'll see what I can do."

Her heart sped up. I paused and caught her eye for just a moment before she went back to staring at my hands, her chest rose and fell too quickly now.

"First though, I think it'd be a good idea if we took a couple breaths." I put my hand on my chest. "Look at me," I said softly. I immediately closed my eyes, not knowing if she had listened, and breathed in loudly through my nose. I blew the same breath dramatically out my mouth. When I opened my eyes hers were still wild, but fixed on my chest. "Now you try. in …." Her breath was ragged and short but she tried.

"Good!" I praised, "... and out." She couldn't control her exhale and it came out a cough. Immediately she stiffened, threw her hands up in front of her face again, and apologized.

Or she tried to, but only managed "I-Im Sorr.." before coughing again. That's when, between coughs, the pleading started. Her hands dropped to the floor revealing the tears that had begun to roll down her cheeks. She hurriedly pushed herself back farther into the corner. Scrambling, she pushed up from the floor as far away from me as she could manage. Fully pressed against the wall, she looked as though she wished the corner would swallow her up. All this, to keep her safe from me. All because she thought I would be angry...because she had coughed.

I couldn't just let her wheeze and wait to be punished. So, I got up and stepped into the bathroom, grabbed a Dixie cup of water and headed back into the room. It seemed the coughing fit was done, by the time I returned. The shaking however, hadn't reduced in the slightest.

"Okay okay." I showed her my hands but did not lift them for fear. She would think I'd strike her. "That's alright, you did well!" I said smiling, "do you want some water?"

With wary eyes she looked from my hands to my face and back down to my hands. She eyed the cup suspiciously. "It's okay," I tried to convince her. As she took her next breath though, the weeze of another cough broke in and she launched for the cup snatching it up and swallowing it's contents quickly. She ducked her head and took a few clear breaths before chancing a glace at me.

It was clear she was afraid to look me in the eye. A lovely side effect of Bishop's thorough training regimen. Eye contact was a big No-No, receiving anywhere from a slap to a full blown "session" as punishment. That was the thing about Bishop that I think got to all of these girls so quickly: he was inconsistent. One day forgetting to address him as sir, would be met with only a verbal jab, but the next time he would leave them gasping for air after the repeated use of a cattle prod.

I would need to check her for electrical burns. That reminded me of the task at hand. Where to begin…

I knew her leg was going to be a bit difficult. Likely broken, it was swollen and would need to be addressed but I didn't want to do that first. If I had to reset or worse rebreak.. her fracture she'd never let me touch her again. Unless we had an understanding. We needed some trust to fall back on, that kind of trust was hard fought but crucial to establish early. So I would hold off on her leg.

I'd Show her that most of her fears wouldn't be substantiated. I wouldn't hit her, there wouldn't be yelling or punishment, and if I could help it I wouldn't cause her pain at all. Unfortunately considering her current state… well if I was going to help some of it would hurt. I would start on her wounds. The ones I could see, at least. Again, I wouldn't ask her to reveal any more than she had just yet, for fear she'd think bedding her was my only priority.

If Bishop hadn't hurt her this would be so easy. If do a quick physical, clean a few wounds, and set that leg. A few uncomfortable moments would come, but they'd pass. She'd trust me as her physician, that I wouldn't cause any unnecessary pain, and it'd be over with quickly.

Not so in this case. She had lived in pain with a man who took pleasure in her fear. He used it to controll her, using her pain as a strategy to cultivate submission and compliance.

The smell of fresh blood brought me back to the present. "You're bleeding. Let me see?"

This could go only one of two ways: she'd throw her self at me assuming again that I wanted a drink, or she'd hide. Her eyes widened as one shaking hand flew to her neck the other stayed clenched by her side. She hesitated, confusion filled her expression, quickly dissolving into panic. It took me a moment to put things together. She touched her leg then her wrists, then afterwards briefly touched her neck again. In between though, she glanced quickly at her fingertips. It occurred to me then, she hadn't known she was bleeding.

I looked her up and down. Blood dripped out of her clenched fist. I gently tapped the top of her hand. That stopped her movement abruptly, and she looked as though she was holding her breath.

"I think it might be coming from here." I said quietly trying to lessen her panic. She opened her palm stiffly. There was skin packed under her nails, and her fingertips were wet with blood. Four halfmoons weeped red at the base of her palm. There was a look of horror on her face.

"I'm so sorry sir. I didn't I d-didn't know...I'm sorry," her heart rate was skyrocketing.

"Its alright, may I?" I cut in, reaching for her hand. She predictably flinched away and cried.

"PLEASE… please I'm sorry," she screeched and my heart broke. She began to frantically wipe her palm on her dirty shirt. Clearly more concerned that she'd damaged my goods, and not at all that she'd harmed herself. "P-Please," she whimpered, "it won't happen a-again. I'll do better, I'll..."

I had heard enough, "I'd like to wrap that. If you'll let me." I interrupted her pleading. She abruptly froze but slowly and deliberately brought her arm back down to her side. With her eyes screwed shut, she held out her bleeding hand, still half closed. "Ok let's look at this." I took her shaking hand in mine and gently pushed my thumb under her fingers to keep her palm visible.

"What's your name, kid?"

There was silence for a beat "Whatever name you choose master" her tone was even and practiced suddenly. Her eyes were now tightly shut.

"Id rather not reinvent the wheel here. If you've already got one, I'll happily use it." I reached beside myself into Nora's bag and she jerked against my hand. I looked up to see her open eyes locked on my other hand. Her heart rate was steadily increasing. I found what I needed and slowly pulled the small bottle of disinfectant out of the duffle. I looked right at her.

"We alright? I'm getting some gauze and tape next, cleaning and wrapping. Just like I said." She kept her eyes on my hand as I looked for the remaining supplies. Her heartbeat slowed marginally when the items I pulled out were what I had said they would be. Her restrained hand though, did a few more quick jerks when I poured the alcohol on a wad of gauze and began wiping the blood from her hand.

"I know it stings, this is as bad as it's gonna get." I hoped my tone conveyed compassion but I doubted she'd register it. "Ok. Ok ... we're done with that," she had her eyes screwed shut again. "This part won't hurt." I said as I wrapped her palm with gauze and taped it in place.

"So your name?" I asked again. Partly to distract her as I moved up her wrist to clean her bite.

"Anna.. sir" she said nervously.

"It's nice to meet you Anna." I smiled warmly

Glad she had answered, I wanted to see how much I could find out.

"Do you know how long you were with Bishop? Today is…" I looked down at my watch, "August 5th."

Anna Pov: no. Heat rushed to my face and my stomach hollowed. I had lost track of the weeks somewhere along the way. I was fairly sure it was still July. But that hadn't been what he asked. He wanted me to tell him how long. . . Last I recalled looking at a calendar it had been the last week of June. That meant it had to have been more than the three weeks I had tracked.

My head swam, and I realized he was waiting. Focus. Focus, master asked you a question you must answer. Ok. He had taken me sometime between then and 4th of July. I had no memory of the holiday this year. That's almost a…"A month sir?" I said nervously. Hopefully it was close. I couldn't remember, but it couldn't be too far off. I waited for his correction, my jaw clenched.

Instead, he tilted his head slightly and looked at me with what could only be described as … concern?

"That's a long time." He sounded sad. Maybe it was disappointment, that would make more sense… yes. He must be disappointed that it'd taken a whole month to train me, and still I was useless. But instead of making me feel his anger, he just continued to clean my arm. It wasn't pleasant, but I was mystified that it hadn't hurt yet.

"And when did you last eat?" His question dropped like a lead weight in the pit of my stomach. I knew this was a trap. If I answered he'd withhold my meals longer, but if I didn't... There was no telling the punishment he'd choose if I refused. To complicate things further I genuinely wasn't sure, time passed so differently now. I started to panic. I racked my brain, 'When? When! … When was it?' I began fidgeting nervously, realizing he would hate that, I forced myself to instead ball my hands into fists. Alarm bells started sounding in my head. 'Answer!' I berated myself, 'He has been waiting!' But I didn't know, I couldn't remember. I remembered what it was, an apple when Bishop had returned, but that wasn't the answer to his question.

"I …um …I ..yes sir I have eaten," I blurted out uncertainly. Playing dumb almost never works but it might buy me some time.

Aiden pov:

I leaned back a moment and paused my cleaning.

"Anna look at me"

She was shaking violently and her hands were again balled into fists. The one I was holding was clenched so tightly that her nails dug right back into her bandage.

"Anna." I repeated quietly to get her attention and catch her eye. "Look at me please." Fear was in her eyes but she looked at me, and we locked eyes for a just moment before she dropped her gaze to my chin instead.

"Have you had anything to eat today?"

"No!" She sounded scandalized, "no sir." She whispered mortified, as if she wouldn't dare.

"Ok, and yesterday?"

"...Yes sir." worry colored her tone

"What did you eat?" I probed suspicious.

"An apple sir." She took a breath and quickly added,"It was very good I am very grateful."

I closed my eyes and took a long slow breath in to steady myself. Getting upset would only scare her. 'That's it?!' I thought, 'In 48hrs he's given her an apple? And what's worse is that she felt honored to have it!'

I finished cleaning her wrist and asked for the other one. This time she looked a bit shocked but didn't hesitate. Offered hand down wrist up I couldn't tell whether she was offering me another drink or obliging my order. It didn't matter much, I cleaned that crater, as I had the other.

"As soon as I'm done with this," my tone casual, "I'd like to move you back up into the bed. We'll finish up the exam, then Josh will bring you a proper meal. I think it'd be best to look at your leg last and keep you off of it for a while."

Anna pov

'Oh no. No it's so dirty.' I screamed internally. I hadn't had time to strip or hide the sheets. Day one I sullied his property and I was about to find out what punishment looked like in this house. My head began to spin. Why did he even want me in the… the realization hit me like a truck. Why else would he want his new slave in bed but to sample his new toy. 'no please no it's so soon, I'm not ready,' my thoughts plead for mercy. The mess would make him angry and that would make him rougher. Desperation lead my next few words to my new owner.

"Please don't… sir I promise… p-promise I'll do better. I can do better…."

"You've done fine." His eyebrows knit togrther, it made him look confused. "I just think this would be more comfortable in the bed." there's no way out of this. He would see, I would be punished, and afterwards when I'm too broken to fight he would take me. I knew what to expect & it would hurt, he'd scream at me, I'd hold my breath and wait til he finished, then I'd need to clean it up.

He was a bigger man than Bishop, he had prepared me but he hadn't taken me in about a week. Insisting on torture play instead, to up my pain threshold. He said he wanted me tight for Aiden. I could still hear his voice reprimanding every sound I made. "That's two more strokes if you don't settle down." "Move again and I'll give you a reason to flinch." "Not a sound or I'll make you scream"

I watch paralyzed with fear and silenced as Aiden stood abruptly and pulled down the covers.