Stockholm Syndrome

Harry felt something warm and soft underneath him. It felt like a cloud cushioning his body and after – however long it had been on a chair or the cold hard ground he was thankful for the small bit of comfort.

He moaned in contentment, his head swimming with an odd sense of euphoria. He didn’t feel anything, he didn’t even realized he had fallen asleep.

“Where am I?” He asked tiredly, opening his eyes.

There was no immediate answer but he saw that he was on a mattress – also set on the ground. It smelt a little moldy but he was thankful for the kind gesture.

“Hello?” He called out, sitting up as he did so.

“I’m here.” Sorrow answered, coming into his line of vision. She wore a deep worried frown as she knelt down to check the IV William had inserted. It contained three small bags. One with antibiotics. One with fluids and the other with enough pain medicine to sedate a horse, so she didn’t even know how Harry was able to sit up.

He smiled stupidly at her, his eyes glassy and hazed over with drowsiness. He clearly was drawing a blank at what happened and Sorrow was going to leave the explaining up to William. She wasn’t involved and she wasn’t getting involved.

“How ya feeling?” Sorrow asked, adjusting the IV line and handing Harry a bottle of water she had brought in.

“You’re glowing.” Harry chuckled bringing his hand over the top of Sorrow’s head a few times.

“Oh great.” She muttered, keeping eye contact with Harry. “Harry? You need to lay down you’re-“ She stopped talking when he put a finger up to her lips.

“You’re beautiful, do angels glow? You’re glowing.” Harry rambled, the complete peace he felt was indescribable. He wasn’t in pain, everything was right with the world.

“Angels don’t exist. Come on Harry, I’m not playing.” Sorrow sighed tiredly, having not been able to sleep fully for the past few days that Harry had been unconscious.

“They exist, they have to. You’re standing here in front of me-glowing. That means something.” Harry insisted reaching to touch her cheek, seeing the lightly fading scars.

“You’re on three pain medications-I’m not glowing, you’re just high.” Sorrow told him factly, looking at William who had just walked in. She took that as her sign to leave.

“How’s he doing?” William asked lightly, smiling at the annoyed look Sorrow was giving him.

“Can you take charge? Explain to him about his-“She stopped when William nodded and reached to preen a hair behind her ear. “Go on Sniffles, go rest. You look like you need it more than anyone.”

Sorrow reached and kissed William’s cheek gently.

“You really are the best Will, thank you.” She smiled and left the room to sleep. Which left William to give the news to Harry.

“Hey Harry, how are you feeling?” William asked, coming to kneel beside him so he was eye level. He needed his prisoner to see him as a non-threat and at the moments Harry didn’t seem to be seeing much, which would make the news a little bit more bearable until the singer got his wits about him. Then it might not go over so smoothly.

Harry just stared at William with a frown. He wasn’t sure why Sorrow left but he liked her company-he didn’t know why but he did.

“Are you in any pain? Can I get you anything?” William asked, watching Harry’s shackled ankle move up and pull the chain the furthest it would allow.

“Pain no. Pain’s gone,” Harry replied, looking past William and off toward the door. “Can I ask for anything?”

“Within reason, yes.” William agreed, seeing Harry’s eyes go to his shackle.

William shook his head.

“Nope, that one won’t be happening.”

Harry seemed to sober some but he still wasn’t completely with it. He understood enough to know he was fucked.

“What’s the point? What’s the point of any of it?” Harry asked, laying down back on the mattress, the tiredness overcoming him. He was only thankful they had managed to get rid of the pain – whatever they had done with it.

“I came in to discuss something serious with you. It’s about-well, when Christian crushed your toe with the hammer, it was shattered and you were right about that. The thing about small bones and bone fragments is that if small pieces break off they’re carried away by the blood stream and since blood recirculates in the heart, if a bone fragment got carried to the heart it could cause major damage to the organ so we had to remove the bone before fragments had a chance to move to the blood stream-luckily all were accounted for.” William explained, gesturing nervously as he did so.

Harry just looked up at him before looking at his bandaged foot, not really comprehending but not completely oblivious either.

“So you had to fix my toe?” Harry asked, his glazed eyes looking back up to William in confirmation.

“We had to remove it, Harry. You’re one toe short. I’m sorry.” William announced it to him like pulling off a band aid. He literally flinched but became confused and somewhat concerned when all Harry did was laugh.

“Nine toes?” Harry confirmed with a laugh, sitting up to touch the small patch of bleeding gaze where the toe would be, feeling nothing but space.

“Harry, maybe you should rest right now and we can discuss this when you aren’t on a complete narcotic high.” William suggested delicately, trying to help Harry lie back again.

“No, I do want something.” Harry said decidedly, his fogged eyes going to William. “I want a radio so I can have some idea what’s going on in the world. That’s not too much to ask, right?” He asked hopeful, lying back on the mattress.

“No, it’s not.” William replied at a loss, knowing Harry’s mental state wasn’t at complete working level, he would try again later.

He turned to leave but Harry’s voice stopped him. Whether it was asked in clarity or asked in a sparse thought, whatever the case it was something no captive had ever asked of their captor.

“If you had a wish, just one – what would it be?”

William thought on that for a moment before replying with finality.

“To be free. I suppose it would be what you wish, huh?” William asked, probing just a little to see if he’d clarify.

Harry shook his head.

“You can’t wish for something you’d never get. I’d be happy just hearing my mum’s voice one last time.” Harry replied honestly, sobering up a little more, lying his head back down on the mattress and closing his eyes. A few small tears escaping.

William didn’t say anything to that, he made sure the singer was comfortable before going toward the door – turning back only once.

“Goodnight Harry, rest well.”

With that he was gone.

Notes

Sorry for a short chapter hit a bit of writer's block, we're gonna skip some time now. Next one starts with Harry and then goes back to One Direction sorry it's so short but I've been suffering from major writer's block. On the plus side I found some older completed stories lol I'd be happy to share after changing the characters in them - eh just a thought. Sorry for the delay.