Courting the Architect

Courting the Architect Part 2

It was half an hour later Sam entered the room where Louise was, he was carrying a tray with food o it and had a pad of paper tucked under his right arm.

"Good morning, good t see you are awake, hope you are hungry," he said warmly.

"Famished. I'm Louise Carter." Louise replied.

"Sam Wilson, Now, Louise? I'm going to take the restraints off. I want to help you, I do, right now I don't trust you. So let's build on that." he approached her carefully, undoing her left leg cuff then her right arm cuff then vice versa till she was free of the restraints.

"May I use the washroom?" Louise asked.

She looked antsy, Sam knew that look his youngest nephew had that look when they were at the park having fun until nature came to call.

"Go ahead, the door stays open," he said firmly but as gently as he could.

"I will comply." the words were out of her mouth without even thinking, Louise speed walked to the bathroom flung open the door, and made it to the toilet just in time.

A minute later she was back on the bed, munching away at the toast while she gave the bowl of steaming porridge the stink eye.

"Something wrong?" Sam pressed.

"I don't eat porridge, it's vile, it smells and looks like school paste," Louise said showing her disgust.

Sam wasn't going to make her eat something she clearly disliked, the moment he reached for the bowl, Louise jolted off the bed, and cowered on the floor tucking herself into as tight a ball as she could.

On one hand, Sam was grateful she had not attacked him, on the other, it was disheartening to see that Louise clearly expected a violent reprisal for her refusal.

Sam picked up the bowl silently gave it a stir and dug in. He ate quietly watching as after several minutes Louise peeked up at him.

"It's okay, you don't want to eat it, you don't have to. I don't want to hurt you Ms. L. I want to help you." before taking another big Bite, Sam watched the dark-haired young woman in the coveralls crawl back on the bed finish the toast and apple slices.

*This is going to be a Long process, poor woman, what did they DO to you Miss L * Sam thought silently.

He set the pad of paper on the foot of the bed.

"Now, there is something, I'd like you to do for me. I want you to write down all the things you don't like to eat. Then everything you DO like to eat. Ok?" Sam asked her.

Louise nodded quickly, she felt a little shaken, like she had made a mistake but had no idea what it was. She was used to being beaten for refusing to eat what she gave. Only there had been no reprisal, no violence, not even shouting.

Louise waited till she was sure Sam had left before she picked up the pad of paper and the pen. She started making the lists, her mind kept wandering, she flipped over to a clean page and started to draw.

She could never quite explain how the ideas came to her they did just DID and she was always able to draw them out piece by piece until the contraption was on paper.