He realized he was shirtless, the cold floor rendering his back numb. And he realized he wasn't alone.
Standing above him with a few feet of distance were two men. The harsh overhead lighting of the windowless room cast them somewhat in silhouette, but he could tell one was broad and had exceeding tidy hair and clothes, while the other was slim and kind of scruffy. He seemed to have something on his neck as well, something the other man was touching...or maybe he had him by the throat…
"I'm sure you're feeling very disoriented, Mr. Caroll," said the broad one, in a thick accent of some kind. "It can be frightening to wake where you didn't fall asleep.
"The drugs likely don't help. Paralytics, local anaesthetic… without control of your body, you become a simple, pulsing thing. A container for viscera."
The other man twitched at that.
"Please, please, come on already. I know you're only talking to him to draw it out."
Hannibal smiled down at him. The man could break free at any moment to do as he pleased, and yet still he heeled at Hannibal's request, even as he trembled with impatience. Will was utterly perfect.
"That's hardly fair to our guest." He turned once more to the prone body. "I assure you …show more content…
The scalpel would be best. He picked up the gleaming band, remembering not to hold it with his index finger at the top of the blade, the way Hannibal taught him. He carefully took the tool to the man's left pectoral, just under the clavicle. The flesh parted in a smooth, unhesitant diagonal line, just to the base of the chest. He moved up to the other clavicle, doing his best to replicate the action. Hannibal should have drawn dotted lines for him beforehand. Will flushed lightly, feeling guilty for asking more from his gift, even in his own mind. But sure enough, the V wasn't perfect. The first line had been too long, it didn't quite intersect the way it should
Standing above him with a few feet of distance were two men. The harsh overhead lighting of the windowless room cast them somewhat in silhouette, but he could tell one was broad and had exceeding tidy hair and clothes, while the other was slim and kind of scruffy. He seemed to have something on his neck as well, something the other man was touching...or maybe he had him by the throat…
"I'm sure you're feeling very disoriented, Mr. Caroll," said the broad one, in a thick accent of some kind. "It can be frightening to wake where you didn't fall asleep.
"The drugs likely don't help. Paralytics, local anaesthetic… without control of your body, you become a simple, pulsing thing. A container for viscera."
The other man twitched at that.
"Please, please, come on already. I know you're only talking to him to draw it out."
Hannibal smiled down at him. The man could break free at any moment to do as he pleased, and yet still he heeled at Hannibal's request, even as he trembled with impatience. Will was utterly perfect.
"That's hardly fair to our guest." He turned once more to the prone body. "I assure you …show more content…
The scalpel would be best. He picked up the gleaming band, remembering not to hold it with his index finger at the top of the blade, the way Hannibal taught him. He carefully took the tool to the man's left pectoral, just under the clavicle. The flesh parted in a smooth, unhesitant diagonal line, just to the base of the chest. He moved up to the other clavicle, doing his best to replicate the action. Hannibal should have drawn dotted lines for him beforehand. Will flushed lightly, feeling guilty for asking more from his gift, even in his own mind. But sure enough, the V wasn't perfect. The first line had been too long, it didn't quite intersect the way it should