Page 81 of Assassin

Maybe he had faith.

“I won’t hurt myself. I promise.”

That was all he needed to hear. It was clear that they were building trust.

Getting the soap and sponge, he handed the two items to the man.

Here is where trust came into play.

“Give me a minute,” he said, as he left Gamble alone. As soon as he was out of the room, he kept talking to him. “Are you okay, Gamble?” he asked.

Gamble washed his body, and tried to forget how much his heart hurt.

For just a minute.

“Yes, Doc. I’m fine. I’m not lucky enough to drown in the bathtub.”

Like his child.

God.

He wished he could go be with her. That was all he wanted.

Not Storm.

But his child.

Because this man was his responsibility, he peeked his head in, and saw Gamble washing himself.

That was harmless enough.

He wasn’t looking at the razor on the counter, or trying to do anymore damage.

Maybe they might just be okay.

Poe made a mental note that Gamble had moments of clarity where he could function. That told him that they could break through.

That was what he would work on.

“Anyway, we were discussing lunch,” Poe said, coming back into the room. He was barefoot and shirtless. “What would tickle your fancy.”

Gamble was watching him.

For some reason, he felt calmer around this man. He wasn’t sure why, but it was nice not to feel decimated.

“Pizza.”

Poe smiled.

That was also a good sign. He was willingly choosing food.

“Well, Mr. Holloway, I happen to make a mean pizza. Unless you want me to order you one instead. I’ll let you decide. I’m very fond of American pizza.”

Honestly, Gamble didn’t care.

He wasn’t really hungry, but he had to get through the sixty days. In his mind, there was no way this man could fix him.

So, why fight him?

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