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"Obedient dogs don't bark."
I can see Charles place his gloves back on after wiping his hands off. Seth might be unconscious. It's hard to tell. But I can't hear him crying anymore, and he isn't talking. I'm not sure why Charles told me to come down here with them in the first place. This was Seth's punishment, apparently, and I don't even know what he did. When Charles looks back at me he has the same cold look as always.
"Take him to the infirmary, please. Be sure they look at his arm."
I nod. I'm not particularly afraid of him, but it's unnerving to see him just as cold and emotionless after he'd literally beaten someone into submission not a minute ago. He leaves me with Seth, who moves only a moment after Charles is gone. I kneel down to him, sure that the basement floor is uncomfortable.
"Are you alright?"
He looks almost like he wants to cry again, but simply nods, head against the ground. He doesn't let me help him up, but has a hard time putting any pressure on his arm.
"Why did he do that?"
Seth waits, shakes his head this time around. He starts crying again, sobbing even, and I can't imagine what would make him do that. For as long as I'd known him, he seemed solid. No fear, no regrets. That's what he told me, anyway. All of it looks more like a farce all of the sudden, that Seth was someone else. That Seth was a far cry from what I was seeing in front of me now. While he was shaking, trying to compose himself, he wouldn't let me help him. That was familiar, at least. He seemed independent.
Or maybe he still couldn't trust me.
"We need to go to the infirmary."
"I'm fine."
"Let me see your arm."
"No. It's fine."
"Tell me why he was hitting you."
It's hard for me to notice how used to obedience I am, and I get frustrated that he won't be honest with me. Seth just pauses and runs his hand along the injured arm. It looks like it's swelling.
"I was wrong."
This time I wait, hoping maybe he'll tell me something. Clearly, he wants this to be over. If we're going to keep working as partners, I need him to believe in me.
"I should have just listened to him, it doesn't matter."
Nothing. I can't reach him. He leads the way back upstairs, going to the infirmary without me having to take him there. The nurse looks like she was waiting for him to show up, and immediately goes to work examining his arm. It's fractured, not seriously, however, and she places it into a cast. The ordeal doesn't seem to take very long because I'm focused on Seth. His eyes are downcast the entire time. Shame, maybe?
"Try to stay off of this arm, okay? It should heal up in a few weeks, no problem."
She offers him a smile. No painkillers. But he probably expected that. Drugs negatively affected proficiency.
It's his right arm, I noticed, and if he plans on doing any work he'll have to rely on his left. That seems familiar somehow.
"Does it hurt?"
He responds, but doesn't answer me.
"I'm going back to my apartment."
I can't imagine he wants me to follow him.
"Fine. I'll let you know if anything comes up."
"I can't do anything with my arm like this, can I?"
"You'll be fine."
"Come with me."
He stops to call up a taxi. It takes me a moment to realize he'd made a request of me. The taxi door opens, he gives me a look.
"Why?"
"It's fine if you don't want to."
He's making his way into the car, his expression something I can't read. It wouldn't make the first time I'd ever been to his apartment, but it's weird to ask at a time like this. I want to ask him why he wants me there. Make a deal, maybe, that I'll go if he tells me why Charles had to "punish" him. Instead, though, I get into the taxi next to him.
I want him to trust me.