Unexpected Kindness

Damian hadn't left his room since the news of Abigail's death had reached him. No matter how many times the workers tried to get him to leave, he refused. Only coming out to eat and that was it. All he did was sit or lie in bed, or sit in the nook at the window.

He had no idea how much time had passed, but he didn't particularly care. His peace was interrupted by a knock at his door.

Probably just another one of the staff

The knocking continued then a muffled voice could be heard, "Damian, I'm coming in."

Damian could hear the click of the door opening but paid no mind. He kept looking out the window, watching the leaves outside slightly sway with a breeze. It was peaceful and all he wanted to do was be able to find that peace again. The nightmares had come back with full force, and that meant sleep was only a concept, not a reality.

The footsteps stopped beside him, he was aware that the person was also trying to find what Damian was looking at. Turning his head slightly to see the intruder, he instead came face to face with Hannibal Lecter, dressed in a dark grey three-piece suit.

"Good to see you, Doc," Damian spoke turning his attention back to the window

"Good to see you too, Damian." A pause, "How have you been feeling?"

"The staff should have told you how I've been feeling." Damian clenched his teeth, "I'm in a void between fear, anger, and sadness. I feel lost, Hannibal."

"I understand the feeling," Hannibal said as he pulled a chair to sit beside Damian

Damian slid his knees up to his chin and laid his head on his knees. He was trying to hide. The pain he felt was overbearing, a pain he hadn't felt in so long. He hadn't felt this pathetic and worthless and so empty since Marcy's death...

"I almost forgot what it felt like to feel lost and alone." Damian let out a pathetic chuckle, "I forgot how crippling the feeling can be."

Another pause before Damian continued, "Dr. Bloom said that I should try and accept how I felt. That letting these feelings drown me will do more harm than good, but...I can't."

"Why can't you?" Damian lifted his head and ran a hand through his hair

"Be...Because i-if I do...then she'll be gone." That familiar sting of his eyes came back, as he tried to blink it away, "Abigail will be gone, forever. Nothing more than a memory, someone people will talk about as if they were talking about a fond memory...

It would become 'Do you remember Abigail Hobbs?' Nothing more."

"Memories can be forgotten."

"I don't want to forget her. I don't want to forget everything about Abigail, I don't want to forget our friendship." Damian again tried to blink away the tears, but it was a futile effort, "I'm so scared to forget and to lose her forever."

Damian let out a strangled sob, "I should've been more aware...I should have seen that Will was acting weird when he took her away...I-i"

He choked out another sob, and he curled his arms around himself trying to hold himself together as he sobbed. As he cried, Damian felt arms wrap around him, an embrace telling that it was okay to cry. That it was safe to just feel, so he did.

It was strange, he never thought that Hannibal Lecter was capable of something other than a reassuring shoulder squeeze. But the hug was different, it was almost paternal, the kind a mom or dad would give their child.

The feeling brought back new flashes of his old family, and he sobbed again. He was mourning not just Abigail's death, but his family's. The people he cared most about were gone...taken, and Damian sobbed harder. The hug tightened, another reassurance that it was okay to cry.

So he did.