“This will be done in two phases,” the man is saying. River blinks himself back to the moment. “Phase one will take place today, within the next couple of minutes. Once they’re ready for you, a team will come in. The first phase will be fast but will be uncomfortable. Phase two will begin in a couple days. You don’t need to concern yourself with the details.”
River is concerned with the details, but with the gag and the drugs and the bruises, there’s little he can do to alert this team to that fact.
“If you do well, you’ll be treated well,” the woman says. She smiles again and takes a tentative step toward him and River, against his will, pulls back.
“We don’t mean to scare you,” she continues. “There is not an option for you to do poorly. We aren’t interested in subjecting you to torture for torture’s sake. You’ll do well, because that’s the only possible outcome, and you will be treated well during your recovery.”
Recovery, River thinks. Over the last six months, he’s been subjected to every kind of pain imaginable. He has survived them all, and he will survive this. Whatever 'this' turns out to be.
