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When Will had heard that Frederick had woken up from the medically-induced coma the doctors put him in, he smiled. While they were not on the best of terms with each other, a mutual respect between them had been reached.
And, if Will was being honest, you don't ignore a fellow member of the 'I know he's a fucking Cannibal' club. You just don't.
But, and here's the thing that is a little bit of a pain in the ass to get around, said cannibal has superhuman senses and he never. Fucking. Sleeps.
Thus, the gifts.
Small things, at first.
A crossword puzzle book, and the typed note
"keep yourself sharp. BSHCI will need you after you heal"
No signature. Frederick needed to see support. It didn't matter who gave it.
They started getting bigger with each milestone that passed; one gift for every single one, no matter how small.
A 6 pack of pop for when he graduated to non-essential foods being allowed back into his diet.
"because fuck hospital coffee"
A pack of cards for when the bandages from his eye came off.
"Nurses tended to not want to chat with me when I was in. Here's something functional to pass the time."
The graduation to being able to walk mostly unassisted netted Frederick a fancy new cane, complete with a concealed sword.
"this is just because it's bitching , and i know for a fact you've always wanted one. If you say you haven't, you're a liar. Everyone has. "
When he drove past Frederick's rehab that week, a sign was posted on his window saying
THANK YOU
Seeing those two words was worth draining his savings account.
And he hasn't been buying food anyways, what with Hannibal inviting him over every night. Will tells himself it's for the case that he responds 'yes,' but truthfully? It's because he wants to.
That doesn't mean that he's going to stop giving Frederick Chilton gifts, though.
William Shannon Graham will never escape Hannibal Lecter, and maybe that's just fine.
But Frederick Chilton can, and Will can try his very best to make it happen.
If it's just by giving a lonely, proud, survivor morale boosting? Then, by God, he will boost the hell out of Dr. Chilton's morale.
The very week that he's officially arraigned by the court, Frederick gets a package from Amazon.com for books and magazines, customary little notes included.
"insert tired cliché here "
" have you tried making a sculpture out of your mashed potatoes yet? "
"this author is so full of shit, laugh at them with me"
Will hopes they bring him comfort in his cell.
He feels guilty, eating Ortolans and drinking wine. He cried himself to sleep last night, in Hannibal's arms, in Hannibal's bed. Hannibal Lecter assumed Will Graham mourned his surrogate daughter.
And he did. But he also mourned the passing of any chance at real friendship with another 'survivor.' He also mourned the death of the William Graham that was.
From what their shared lawyer had told Will, though, Frederick was getting better, slowly but surely. He always asked who was footing the bill. Will reiterated that Leonard never say a word beyond 'interested parties dedicated to freeing the innocent.'
Leonard always came with the same note, each time. Two small words with big meaning; thank you.
Then things escalate, and Hannibal figures out his deception. And there is Abigail, Alana, and a knife, searing hot across his abdomen. Gentle hands caressing his ear, and sadness that he will never see his daughter or another 'thank you' again.
And then there is nothing.
__
And then, only a couple of weeks after he wakes, there is Frederick.
With a small smile, and a big bouquet.
He says, "Thank you."