"That tickles" I said with a laugh as Mina, the speechless mystery girl, touched my highly visible ribs.

She shook her head, brow creased with worry.

"Yeah that's what happens when you don't eat for a week" I explained.

Mina cocked her head to the side.

"Can you use the board?" I asked her. Mina picked up the small slate and chalk and wrote 'why?' on the board. So glad she decided to bring that. That's how I learned her name. Mina had been the only visitor I had received for the last few days, and as much as I liked her, I couldn't quit my starvation methods, despite how much she begged.

"Because I need to get out of here and 'The Boss' man leaves my hands tied. This is the only way" I explained.

'He is going to get mad' Mina wrote.

"Good. Man needs to feel some emotions. It's healthy" I pouted, looking away.

'He feels' Mina stepped sideways so that her board was in my line of sight.

"You don't know him like I do. If you think he feels, you're wrong. It's a deception" I sneered.

'Bitter' Mina wrote, giving me a bland look.

"Maybe" I grunted. Mina took a deep breath and pulled out a syringe.

Tranquilizer, usually knocked me out for an hour. Long enough for Mina to unlock my shackles and give me a shower. She gave me a sympathetic look and injected me with the serum. The world became fuzzy and I slipped into darkness.

___________________

I woke up a little groggy, but I was clear enough to know that I was re-chained to my chair.

"You know, other than the horse tranq to the neck, this is convenient. Go to bed smelly, wake up clean" I joked, slowly looking up at Mina.

Something wasn't right. Mina's eyes were wide with fear and she was subtly shaking her head in warning.

"What's-" I was cut off by a large hand gripping my jaw at the hinge, forcing it open.

Using a cup, Brock poured some sort of liquid down my throat, which I sputtered and coughed at trying to keep from going down. Unfortunately, most of it went down. He then stuffed bread in my mouth.

"Chew" he snapped. I clamped my jaw down. He back handed me in the face and my nose started bleeding. It didn't stop either, because I wasn't healing.

"Chew" he repeated, getting in my face, looking me straight in the eyes.

Pure rage.

I chewed the bread slowly, my jaw growing sore from his hold and hit.

"Swallow it" he growled. When I didn't, he wrenched my mouth open again, pouring more liquid, which was just chicken broth, down my throat, forcing me to swallow. Once it was all out of my mouth, he wiped his hand on his pants and turned to Mina.

"If she stops eating, come get me" his tone was softer, less volatile. Thank goodness because poor Mina would probably die if he yelled at her, big and scary as he was.

"Another round like that and you'll end up choking me to death anyways. Didn't know you liked it like that" I said breathless.

He slid his cool gaze to me, then turned and left.

I could literally feel the little cells in my body throwing a party because of the nutrients in my system. The pain in my jaw lessened slightly and my nose stopped bleeding.

"Can you believe him? He hit a girl. Who raised him" I said, trying to keep my humor up.

Mina sighed slightly and donned a motherly expression. Grabbing a wet cloth she cleaned the blood off my nose and mouth. She then used her thumb to wipe a tear I hadn't realized escaped off the corner of my eye.

"Whatever" I said, pulling my face away from her petite hand.