A Psychopath's Heart

2

It was the next day and I couldn't be more ready to start my day. I went to my closet and picked out a white button-up shirt and a black skirt. I made breakfast and took some to-go, I figured I would share some with Archer.  I hopped in my car to head to work. I walked into my office to see my boss in there waiting for me.

"I'm impressed. Most shrinks are dead within the first hour," he stated nonchalantly.

"You are a man with words, how kind." I blurted back. His attitude towards me was really annoying.

He snorted, unamused. "Just be careful Ms.Jones."

I take a quick glance through Archer's file again to see what we should talk about today. I have gathered a few topics in mind and with that, I leave and head to the interrogation room. Seeing him in those binds hurt my heart again. I know he was deemed legally insane, but it still hurt. I sat down and laid the breakfast out for him to eat and asked the guards to unbind his hands but keep his feet strapped down.

The guards unchained him from the table but kept his feet tethered together like I said. As Archer sat down and started eating I noticed he seemed less angry, less cold, maybe even a little less dangerous than before. I felt in control of him.

"Do you like it?" I asked, in hopes he would.

"Yes, it's quite good." He nodded his head, even his smile was a bit less sharp. I noticed with every bite of food he took, he seemed to become less dangerous and more like himself. When he finished he looked up at me.

"I have a few topics I would like to discuss today with you."

"Sure, what's on your mind?" He had finished eating the food, and the smile was still on his face, a bit less sharp than before. It was clear he was starting to like me, in a nonromantic sense. But he also liked me..in a different way.

"The patient Elizabeth. You had broken out of your room multiple times and started a relationship with her. Can you tell me more about that?" I asked while grabbing my notebook.

The smile disappeared from his face entirely, he went back to being serious. His face darkened, and he looked down at the table as if he was deep in thought. He was thinking about the Elizabeth situation, whether he wanted to revisit that thought or avoid it completely, whether he wanted to tell me about it or keep it a secret. After a moment he spoke."She was probably the only one who ever treated me..with respect."

I write this down in my notes. "How did she treat you with respect?"

"She never tried to change me or fix me, she didn't care that I was labeled as insane, she didn't care that I was dangerous even." He thought about it for another moment."She didn't really care about anything except getting to know *me*, the person behind the label. She liked *me*, not this fake 'fixable' person that everyone else wanted me to pretend to be."

I pause at his statement. How sweet he has felt this before. "Has anyone else ever shown this type of affection to you?"

"No." The words were sharp and short. Elizabeth was probably the first one he'd ever let get through to him like that. He continued eating and thought for a minute before his face darkened again. "She's dead." Those words were said with a bit of sadness."I guess I was too attached to her, too dependent. I lost my temper, lost control, and I killed her. After that event, I decided to never let myself get attached to anyone again."

I stiffened a bit at his remark, but I am a professional so I cant allow it to get to me. "Tell me, what caused you to get angry?"