Page 23 of Sin

Mend rolled an office chair over to sit in front of me and pulled a notepad and pen out from his pocket. “I’m aware you received routine examinations while incarcerated, but I feel it might be important to have a more in depth one before you leave on your mission.”

Fidgeting with the hem of my shirt, I avoided Mend’s calm gaze and tried really hard not to think about London listening to this. “Okay.”

I could hear a smile in his voice as he said, “Great. Let’s start with some basic questions about your mental health, all right? Have you been feeling stressed or anxious recently?”

Shrugging, I said, “Yeah, I guess. But that’s not too uncommon when you live in prison.”

Mend nodded and wrote something down on his notepad. “Yes, I can definitely see how that could make someone feel stressed and anxious. How about sleep? Are you sleeping well?”

“Um, I don’t sleep the best, no.”

“How much sleep would you say you get on average?”

I thought about it. “Well, I didn’t have a clock in my cell, so I can’t say for sure. I don’t get a lot, but it’s enough.”

“Any reason in particular why you’re struggling to sleep?”

Will you be brave? my mother asked… Three little words mouthed just for me… Blood splattered my cheek… A bloody hand held a mangled heart… A metal pole protruded from my stomach…

My throat thickened, and I fought the rising panic as memory after memory flickered across my vision. “I, um, have bad dreams,” I rasped.

Mend paused. Even London had stopped pretending to be working, no longer typing, though he still hadn’t turned around. For a few beats, the only sound was the hum of electronics and the screams from my memories.

“How often would you say you have these dreams?” Mend asked softly.

I didn’t want to talk about this anymore. My voice was tight when I spoke again. “I don’t know. Most nights.”

Nodding, he scribbled something else down. “Just a couple more questions and then we can move on, okay? Have you been feeling down or depressed? Had any feelings of hopelessness recently.”

I squirmed, really wishing London wasn’t in the room right now. “Not really. A little down, but I’m okay.”

Mend studied me, probably sensing my lie. Because honestly, I knew I’d been depressed for a while now. But it wasn’t something I wanted to talk about to a stranger or in front of my ex-boyfriend. No, even though Mend seemed like a decent guy and I’d heard good things about him, I didn’t know him.

“I see.” After a moment, Mend placed his notepad back into his pocket along with the pen. He turned to London who glanced over at the pause in conversation.

“Is there a problem?” London asked.

“Yes, I’m afraid there is. I understand your earlier concern about leaving Sin alone in my care, London. But you must remember that I am not defenseless and am fully capable of helping myself if something should happen. So, I’m going to have to insist that you step outside while I finish Sin’s exam.” When London opened his mouth to argue, Mend held up a hand and shook his head. “Look, he’s obviously extremely uncomfortable having others in the room for this, and since you’re the one who asked me for a personal favor to perform a thorough examination of his well-being, I must insist you let me do my job. And the only way I’m going to get any honest responses is if he feels comfortable.”

London stiffened, obviously displeased at being dismissed or perhaps being told he was making me uncomfortable. “Might I remind you that I am the one in charge of Sin’s care. I’m just following President Osborne’s orders. We can’t risk him attempting to escape.”

Mend sighed. “London, look at him.” He waved at me, and I flushed with self-consciousness. “He’s not getting past me. He has as much muscle as my four-year-old nephew.”

“Hey!” I said, mildly offended.

Mend shrugged, unapologetic. “What? It’s true. Even without my MD, I’d be able to tell you’re malnourished.”

I scowled at Mend while London contemplated how he wanted to proceed. He definitely didn’t want to leave, but what Mend said made sense. I still wore my dampening cuffs, so it wasn’t like I could use my power on him. Mend was like four times my size, so I couldn’t fight him. Plus, the house had so much security and passcodes to get around that even if I managed to incapacitate Mend, I wouldn’t be able to escape.

Finally, London stood, his posture tense. “Fine, I’ll leave the room. But I’ll be waiting right outside the door.” He pointed at me. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

I grinned, though it didn’t feel very genuine. “I’ll try my best.”

He hesitated once more before slipping out of the room. There was a click of a lock and then several beeps as he entered a passcode for extra security. I didn’t understand why he thought I’d try to escape. Not only did I have a tracker, but I also wouldn’t do anything to affect his career.

Mend folded his hands in his lap and smiled kindly at me. “Now, let’s try this again. Everything you say will stay between the two of us. I don’t share what my patients confide in me with anyone without their permission. Not their family, their friends, nor their very concerned exes.”

I snorted at that last one because I was pretty sure London was snooping right now through one of his many security cameras in the room. “What about nosy presidents?”

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