Trust Us 2a End of Part 2 from February

Author: greenbrownblue
Title: Trust Us 2a (End of Part 2 from February)
Date: 24 April 2011

This had been cut off.

The leather cuffs were not sending any tingles up Ryan’s spine this time. They were making him mad and frustrated.
It had also taken a few moments for Mark to recognize Ryan. As soon as Joey had stepped away from blocking his view of Ryan, Mark had realized that whoever was visiting him was extensively strapped in the brown leather wheel chair Mark had been so expertly restrained in the first day he got there. Once Mark’s eyes moved past the leather restraints and up to the victim’s face, his head filled with hope and regret that it was Ryan. Mark was so glad someone he knew and trusted was feet away from him and so frustrated and scared that he was also fully restrained. Mark fully remembered that wheelchair and knew there was no way out of it.
“Could you let me out of this chair now?” Ryan anxiously requested looking up to Joey. Joey had not yet responded when Ryan continued, “please Joey.”
“Nah,” stated Joey as he shook his head, “not until after the visit. Remember what we talked about, no conflicts.”
“Mark. Hey…” Ryan began as he attempted to lean forward as best he could. The straps around his chest did not allow him to get far. Having trouble breathing, Ryan returned his chest back to its original position.
Mark tried to communicate his knowledge of an urgent message to Joey through his eyes. Ryan could sense that he had something desperate to tell him.
“Can, can, you at least let him talk?” asked Ryan.
“Of course,” Brian answered, “but let’s just give you guys a few more moments to adjust to each other. It’s best to take these things slow.”
With great hope Mark started thinking of what his first words would be. He was still not feeling any effects of the drug.
“Just relax guys,” Brian soothed, “just relax. It’s been a while since you’ve seen each other huh?”
“Yeah,” Ryan quickly responded, “It’s been two weeks now.”
Mark wondered if his head was beginning to feel heavier or if it was just his own brain playing tricks on him. Thinking that Brian might be waiting to see signs of the drug working, Mark slowly closed his eyes and gently opened them half way. Brian’s only response was placing his hands on top of Mark’s shoulders and gently rubbing into his back, firmly kneading his shoulders like he had done so many times before. Soon Mark began to feel a lot weaker and he knew it must be the drug. Brian’s hands moved from Mark’s shoulders to the back of his head and slowly began unlocking and unbuckling the strap that held Mark’s gag firmly in place. Mark tried to fight the sedative that was making his brain increasingly foggy and his whole body weak. “You feeling okay buddy,” Joey offered. Mark hated how they constantly asked him how he was doing when he had a gag in his mouth and could never respond. Soon the strap of the gag was loose but Mark didn’t have enough energy to try to force the gag out. He needed Brian to tug it out for him and then he’d scream at Ryan to get him out of there. Recognizing that Mark needed some help, Brian slowly moved his hands to Mark’s mouth and slowly began working the gag outwards. Then he stopped.
“No, I need it out now,” thought Mark causing a surge of pain to throb through his brain.
Brian looked up at Ryan and asked, “Do you know what you are going to say to him?” Ryan nodded enthusiastically. Brian returned to gently tugging the gag out of Mark’s mouth. The salvia in Mark’s mouth clung to the gag resisting its movement outward. Finally, cold crisp air met Mark’s lips and then his tongue as he began to cough. The gag was out and here was Mark’s chance. Mark tried to scream at Ryan to let him out but his vocal chords weren’t screaming; they were trying to fight against the effects of the drug to even manage the formation of a whisper.
“Ry- Rya- “ Mark began to utter. He couldn’t help but stutter on his own words and wasn’t exactly sure if he was even talking out loud. The drug was taking over.
“Yes Mark? I’m here,” Ryan enthusiastically replied.
“It’s no, It’s not, It’s not righ-,” Mark continued.
“Huh?” Ryan asked.
“Easy Mark,” Brian instructed as he cupped Mark’s forehead and then gently groped his neck in a massaging manner causing Mark’s vocal cords to further relax and give into the drug. “Don’t over-strain yourself. You’ve been very weak today,” Brian continued.

The sedative Brian had administered was almost in full control of Mark’s body and for a moment Mark forgot where he was or what he was doing. But just like your brain can, out of nowhere suddenly alert you that you’ve over-slept, Mark’s brain suddenly jump started Mark’s alertness. “I shouldn’t be here,” Mark blurted. He tried to continue, “I was trick-.” But before he could finish the word “tricked,” Brian’s thick muscular hand had cupped Mark’s mouth shut.
“You’re over exerting yourself and you might faint. Just relax,” Brian ordered. Trying to cope with Brian’s thick muscular hand pressing smoothly into Mark’s lips, Mark’s brain began to drift off. The sedative had become too much for him to handle. His brain left the room completely and his head slowly began to drop to one side. Brian released his grip from Mark’s mouth and gently guided his falling head down to his shoulder.
“What was he trying to say?” Ryan stammered. Joey clamped Ryan’s mouth shut just as Brian had done to Mark.
“Easy buddy, this has become too intense for him,” Joey stated. Joey and Brian exchanged nods. Ryan relaxed his mouth in to Joey’s supple hand.
Finally, Joey slowly removed his hand from Ryan’s lips and Brian started, “Mark thinks he doesn’t have a problem and he thinks he doesn’t belong here. But as you can see, he can barely work up enough energy and selfhood to address his own friend.”
“It’s really sad,” Joey added, “we really wish he would come to grips so we could help him get better.”
Ryan looked down in regret. He wasn’t sure if Mark was in trouble because of what this place was doing to him, what his own mental state was doing to him, or if it was a combination of both. He wished there was more he could do to help Mark’s situation and he felt determined to get to the bottom of it all. Brian unlocked the door and began wheeling Mark out of the room. Ryan watched Mark’s lifeless body disappear into the hallway. Brian closed the door and relocked the deadbolts and gently looked down at Mark who was now sound asleep in the chair. “That was a good boy Mark,” Brian said to himself, “That’s it, let the drug do its job, just relax.”
Back inside, Ryan asserted to Joey, “He said he was tricked?”
“He’s so confused right now Ryan” Joey explained, “He’s said so many things to us that just don’t make sense.” Joey began un-strapping Ryan from the wheelchair. Ryan’s mind was so focused on the state of his best friend that he didn’t even recognize his increased freedom. Soon he was fully unbuckled. Fully concentrated on Mark’s situation and fully free from the confines of the wheel chair, Ryan unconsciously dismissed Joey’s previous actions as playfulness.
After placing Mark back into his leather cell sound asleep, Brian returned to Joey and Ryan and the three of them headed back to room 103. Rick could hear the swing of the three deadbolts. Ryan entered first and a sigh of relief passed over Rick. He was so glad to see his brother all in one piece. Rick extended his hand to Ryan’s shoulder and as Joey and Brian entered the room, Rick asked, “How did it go?” They explained that Mark had been completely out of it and Ryan expressed his concern of how he hated to see Mark like that.
With Ryan and Rick sitting side by side on the large leather couch and Joey snuggled firmly into the couch opposite them, Brian straddled the oversized arm-rest next to Joey and began, “You know Ryan, there is something you could do –.” Ryan eagerly looked up to Brian as Brian continued, “You seem to be the only friend Mark’s got and he really seems to respond to you.”
“Yeah,” Joey added, “I’ve never seen him so anxious and desperate to connect to someone.”
“Maybe you’d be willing to help us with Mark. Stick around for a while or –,“ Brian suggested.
As Ryan’s eyes perked with interest, Joey interrupted, “Hell, work for us for a few days, spend the night here, anything you could do.”
Brian continued, “It would be best if you could be here when Mark has more energy but we never know when that is going to be and as you guys know, visiting hours are so limited here.”
“What are you guys talking about,” Rick interjected, “You want Ryan to stay here and help?”
Brian responded, “Well, we could set something up so you get paid, like for community outreach or something. We’ll think of something. But I really think if you could be here and catch Mark on one of his upbeat moments that you could help us communicate with him and get him back on track.”
Joey asked, “Could you stay the weekend? At least just the weekend?”
Ryan couldn’t get the image of Mark’s helplessness out of his mind. “Can’t I stay the weekend?” Ryan asked Rick.
Rick looked down in hesitation. He was reluctant to leave his bro at this place. “You guys even have a place for him to sleep?” he asked.
“Hell we got tons of beds here,” Joey smirked, “We’re always spending the night here. You know you can trust us both with him, Rick? Didn’t we take good care of you while your bro wasn’t around?” smiled Joey to Ryan.
Immediately Ryan nodded yes. He wanted to help his friend.
“Alright, but you’ve got to call Mom and Dad and make sure its okay with them,” Rick conceded.
“Oh, they’ll love me for doing this,” Ryan exclaimed, “Thanks guys, I really want to help.”
After a quick phone call to Ryan’s parents from the main station where they had first met Brian, Ryan was allowed to spend the night. His dad had to fax in a note giving Rick, who was legally of age, proxy to vouch as Ryan’s legal guardian. Rick and Ryan had to fill out a few forms. Joey and Brian explained that it was just a formality to make sure no one got into trouble and explained that they had extra clothes and toiletries that Ryan could use. They’d plan on him staying for the weekend with the possibility of cutting it short if Ryan needed or extending it if things worked out. Rick told Ryan that he was to call him at any time if he needed to come home. Rick said that Ryan need not feel bad if he needed to come home because he could always come back another time to help Mark.
Once Joey was ready to escort Rick back down to the gate, Rick gave his little brother a firm hug. It was an emotional moment. Rick was giving up his ability to protect his brother and placing that responsibility into Joey’s hands. Rick had hoped he’d be taking his little brother back home with him. He was even going to let him sit in the front seat.

With one last goodbye, Joey led Rick away past his little brother, past Brian who was currently kneading his hands into the back of Ryan’s shoulders, past the small side entrance room, past all the dead bolted doors and gates, and into the small entrance hut which had been completely closed down for the night. Rick was relieved that he did not have to run into the security guard that had searched him. Inside the hut, Joey returned Rick’s items and led him back outside to his car. From inside his red jeep Cherokee, Rick waved one last goodbye to Joey as he veered his car away from the gate and slowly proceeded into the woods down the long windy road.
Joey and Brian found Ryan a room for the night. It was a small bedroom with an attached mini bath, which contained new toiletries wrapped in plastic. Neatly tucking himself into the bed, Ryan had trouble falling asleep. All he could think about was Mark.
Mark’s brain slowly regained consciousness as his eyes slowly crept open. He soon realized that he was not in his strait jacket or his leather cell. Instead, he was laid out on a bed in a small conventional room. His wrists and ankles firmly locked into thick chunky brown leather cuffs that were firmly attached to the mattress. A strap wrapped his chest, his waist, and his thighs. It was the same room he had spent several nights in every so often when Brian had figured his arms were getting too sore from the strait jacket. Soon Mark heard the familiar swings of the door’s deadbolts and wondered if it was going to be bathroom or feeding time. As the door swung open, he was stunned to see a familiar face. It was Ryan. “Ryan!” Mark exclaimed as Ryan quietly closed the door behind him and rushed to Mark’s side.
“Shhhhhhh!” Ryan whispered, “We don’t’ have much time.” With keys in his hands, Ryan swiftly began unlocking Mark but struggled to remove the straps. They were done up way too tight.
“How did you…what are you…what’s going on?” Mark asked.
“I’m getting you out of here, that’s what buddy,” replied Ryan.
“Oh Ryan!” you don’t know what they’ve done to me; you don’t know what I’ve been through. Oh, you don’t know how happy I am to see you! I tried talking to you and telling you but they drugged me. I couldn’t help but fall asleep in front of you,” Mark expressed.
“Look,” Ryan responded, “none of that matters now.” Once Ryan had finally managed to tug out the thick strap around one of Mark’s chunky wrist cuffs from the buckle, Mark finally had a free hand to help Ryan finish getting him out of the restraints. The whole process was arduous because neither of them were very strong, they were both in two much of a hurry, and Mark’s head was still foggy from all the drugs he’d been dealing with.

Once Mark was finally fully free, he asked, “How are we getting out of here?”
Ryan quickly responded, “Both Joey and Brian are asleep. I’ve got all the keys we need and I know the way. We just have to keep quiet and watch out for any cameras.”
“Oh man, I love you dude,” Mark enthusiastically expressed. Mark struggled to make his way off the bed; his body was unfamiliar with the ability to freely move. Once on both feet, Mark’s body instinctively stopped to stretch. It just had to and boy did it feel good. Extending his muscles in all directions, Mark let out a huge sigh of relief: “Oh man, to be able to breathe freely again!” As they both headed for the door, Ryan began searching for the key to release the latch on the door, which had snapped and locked shut once Ryan had closed it. Before finding the correct one, Ryan’s gaze was adverted away from the keys and onto a shiny object that sat crumpled on the floor against the wall. It was thick, supple, black, and leather. It had straps extending from it in all directions, heavy-duty metal buckles, and damn it was so shiny. It was Mark’s straitjacket. Mark realized what had caught Ryan’s eyes and stated, “Isn’t that an insane contraption?”
“Yeah, no shit,” Ryan responded as he bent over to touch the thick supple leather. Ryan went deep into thought.
“What’s wrong?” Mark asked.
“Listen Mark, we’re getting out of here, I know we are. But, I can’t help but think of all those things we’ve talked about. You know…” Ryan expressed.
“Ah, you mean leather and stuff?” Mark responded.
“Yeah, exactly,” Ryan responded. “Listen,” Ryan continued, “I have to say once we’re out of here we’ll never be back.”
“Hell, you’ve got that right,” Mark interrupted. Ryan began picking up the leather strait jacket; its thick leather glistened in the light.
“We’re never gonna see a jacket like this ever again,” predicted Ryan.
“You want to take it with you?” Mark probed.
“No, it’s too noisy. The clanking of the buckles and straps might hinder our escape,” informed Ryan.
“Forget it then dude; let’s just get out of here!” Mark exclaimed.
“I wanna look at this; we’ve got plenty of time. Their shift isn’t for another five hours,” Ryan asserted.
Mark trusted his best friend and was pretty sure they’d be getting out. After all, Ryan had the keys to the kingdom. But Mark was still eager to leave sooner than later. Mark impatiently watched Ryan inspecting the jacket. Ryan opened up the back and moved it towards Mark saying, “Don’t you wanna see how it felt, just one last time?” Mark’s gut reaction was to reject the jacket as he began turning his head away. But his eye caught glimpse of its supple exterior shimmering against the light and caused Mark’s gaze to linger on the supple leather jacket. “That’s it,” Ryan softly responded, “just feel it again Mark; feel into the sleeves.”
“Nah Ryan,” Mark rejected.
“Just have a seat Mark, we need to talk,” Ryan asserted as he began gently moving his body and the jacket towards Mark causing Mark to gently move back and press the back of his thighs gently against the foot of the bed. Ryan slowly continued moving closer causing Mark’s knees to buckle and sit on the edge of the mattress. “I want you to just put your hands in the sleeves again; that’s all you have to do. I need you to prove something to me.” Mark slightly moved his hands forward but stopped short of the jacket’s sleeves.
“What do you need me to prove?” Mark began as Ryan pressed the jacket against Mark’s half extended arms.
“You’ll see. Now just feel inside,” Ryan continued as Mark’s hands made further contact with the thick leather sleeves. “That’s it, we’ve got plenty of time to leave; this will just take a second. Now close your eyes Mark; just close your eyes,” Ryan repeated.
The repeated suggestion caused Mark’s eyelids to slowly close causing his sensations to get lost in the jacket. Ryan eased the jacket’s sleeves up over Mark’s shoulders and Mark once again found his home inside the leather strait jacket. It was cool and soft. It embraced Mark and offered no signs of overt authority. Un-strapped, the jacket was completely harmless and Mark felt at ease. He couldn’t resist the jacket’s innocence. Ryan was being assertive for the first time and Mark couldn’t help but trust him. “I think I should get my arms out now,” Mark began as his brain tried to return to reality.
“No, just a few more seconds, just relax,” ordered Ryan as he moved on to the bed behind Mark synching up the jacket’s sides over and around Mark’s back. “I just want to see how this works,” he informed as he tugged at some of the back straps and looped the middle one tightly around Mark’s back.
“Ryan, don’t be doing that okay?” Mark weakly requested.
“Mark, it’s only one strap, you’re still completely free. You’ll be fine. We’ll never be back here again,” Ryan responded.
Mark wanted to stand up and leave the room. But the door was still shut and he needed Ryan’s keys to unlock it. Hell, his arms were back in leather-covered sleeves. He’d need Ryan to unlock the door even if he had the keys.
"You like the feel, don’t you Mark?” Ryan asked as he strapped up a second back strap.
As Ryan began strapping a third back strap, Mark was beginning to feel uncomfortable about the whole situation and asked, “You’re not going to strap up the whole thing are you?”
“So what if I do Mark? You know I’ll let you out. This jacket is just so intriguing. You have to realize, I mean, you kind of look transfixed in it. I’m beginning to understand why you like leather so much,” revealed Ryan.
Mark tried to process Ryan’s words as Ryan finished the final back strap and clasped his hands over Mark’s arms to begin crossing them around his chest and pull the arm strap around Mark’s back.
“Don’t strap the arms, Ryan, okay?” Mark requested.
Ryan stopped, leaned in to Mark’s ear, and whispered, “You’ll be fine.”
Mark didn’t begin to resist until the strap was firmly pulled into place. Once he began to try to extend his arms away from being strapped, the thick grip of the supple jacket was already holding his arms firmly in place. They were trapped. In defiance, Mark stood up.
“Let me out now. Okay? We need to get out of here,” Mark exclaimed.
“Sure thing,” said Ryan, “All I gotta do is the crotch straps. I’ve come this far with it, I gotta complete it.” Ryan reached around Mark’s crotch and strapped one of the straps in to place. It was then that they both heard a noise from the hallway.
“We gotta go Ryan!” Mark exclaimed.
“Just this last strap, damn I just need one more strap to finish it,” Ryan urged completely transfixed with the jacket and unable to leave it incomplete. Mark couldn’t wait any longer. He turned to Ryan and arched his body to Ryan’s jean pocket where the keys were. Ryan backed his waist away.
“You want the keys?” he taunted. “Go ahead, take um,” he finished as he moved his waist back towards Mark.
Mark bent over to Ryan’s waist positioning the thick leather sleeve that contained his hand up to Ryan’s pocket. He could see the keys budging out of Ryan’s jeans. But his fingers couldn’t even feel them. All his fingers could feel was the thick leather of the jacket. He couldn’t feel the denim of Ryan’s jeans. He couldn’t feel the keys, but he knew the jacket was rubbing against them. All he could feel was the supple leather deep inside the jacket. His attempt was useless.
Satisfied, Ryan laughed, “You can’t get them can you? You’re trapped up in the jacket. Now let me get the crotch strap so we can go.”
Mark reluctantly consented and Ryan grabbed the crotch strap and tugged Mark in. Mark rushed over to the door and anxiously waited for Ryan to unlock the deadbolts. Ryan slowly reached into his jean pocket and took out the keys stumbling to find the correct one. Finally, Ryan got the door open. Fully strait jacketed, Mark desperately peered his head out of the doorway only to see the backside of a beefy orderly walking down the corridor away from the room.
“Shit,” Mark cursed.
Ryan interrupted, “We can still sneak to the elevator; he’s walking the opposite way.”
Mark desperately looked down to the jacket he was strapped in. Noticing his predicament Ryan offered, “There’s no time! I’ll unstrap you once we’re in the elevator.”
As the orderly turned a corner at the end of the long hallway, the coast was clear and the two quietly snuck down the hallway in the opposite direction. Once at the elevator, Ryan hit the “Up” button. After a few moments the door opened.
“What floor leads out?” asked Mark.
“I think it’s L,” said Ryan. Mark impatiently pressed the button with his forehead causing “L” and “G” to light up.
“Fuck,” said Mark.
“Relax, it’s on the way,” soothed Ryan.

The elevator doors slowly closed and they began ascending. “Start un-strapping me,” Mark requested as he turned his back to Ryan. Ryan began tugging on Mark’s crotch straps. Having released one, the strap fell down and loosely hung between Mark’s legs.
“No, no, do the arms first, not the crotch,” insisted Mark. Ryan moved his hand up to the arm strap as the elevator door swung open at “G” revealing a small empty reception style room with two massive black leather couches. Ryan released his hands from the arm strap’s buckle before being able to unbuckle it. He needed his hands to hit the “close door” button. Frantic and distracted, his hands returned to Mark’s straitjacket and began undoing the other crotch strap instead of the arm strap he had been starting to work on. As the elevator rose to “L” the other crotch strap fell loosely between Mark’s legs. As the elevator doors began to open on to floor “L,” Ryan was finally able to undo Mark’s arm strap. Sensing the slack in his arms, Mark quickly began trying to wedge his arms out of their hug as he and Ryan both looked up out of the elevator to discover the same set-up as found on floor “G.”
Two leather couches sat against a wall. With Mark’s arms still fully encased in the leather sleeves, but finally free from hugging himself, Mark began trying to tug on the buckles behind him. As they both stepped into the small room, they noticed two large front doors to their left and a front counter on their right. Mark didn’t recognize the man behind the counter, but Ryan did. It was Rob, the security guard that had searched Ryan. Rob looked up in surprise as both Mark and Ryan sprinted towards the front doors. Of course they were locked but Ryan began fumbling through his keychain to find the correct key.
Slowly getting over the shock of seeing Mark half-way trussed up in a strait jacket being accompanied by Ryan, the little innocent boy he had searched, Rob made his way out of his thick black leather chair and began moving towards them asking, “Hey buds, what’s going on?”
Still frantically searching for the right key, Ryan whispered to Mark: “He may be on our side. I met him at the front gate earlier.” Waiting for Ryan to find the right key, Mark kept prodding at the straps on his back; the thick leather encapsulating his fingers made trying to grab hold of any of the buckles futile.
“I’m not supposed to be here. I was tricked into signing in,” shouted Mark to Rob who was half way across the room.
“Let’s just go back and talk about it,” Rob informed as he slowly neared them.
“You don’t understand,” Ryan added as he finally found the correct key and began sliding one of the two deadbolts into the unlocked position.
“Easy, easy,” Rob informed, “I understand that something doesn’t seem right here, but in order for me to right the situation, I’ve got to figure out what’s going on.” Ryan quickly unbolted the second lock and pushed the front door wide open. By then Rob had gotten too close, his right thick muscular hand firmly clasped hold of the thick double layered leather sleeve containing Mark’s right wrist. Ryan stopped at the threshold of the door anxiously peering into Rob’s eyes. As Rob’s other hand grabbed Mark’s other wrist and tightly swung Mark’s arms around his body in a firm hug, Rob continued, “Just trust me Ryan. I’m on your side. Let’s just have a seat and talk about what’s going on. You can even leave the front door open.”
“What are you going to do with Mark?” asked Ryan unsure of which way to go: towards Mark or out of the front door.
“I’m not going to lie to you buddy, I am going to have to immediately restrain his strait jacket. It’s what I’ve been trained to do and it’s unsafe for Mark and us to have a restraint incompletely strapped. It’s against regulations. But then I’m going to help you guys.” Rob’s face was friendly and his manner was genuine. Rob could sense his gaining of Ryan’s trust and continued, “That’s it buddy, easy.”
“And if I don’t run, what are you going to do?” Ryan blurted.
“I’m going to have you both sit down on the couch so all three of us can talk. Nice and easy. You don’t have anything to worry about,” explained Rob with an assured tone of control.
“Are you going to put restraints on me?” quivered Ryan.
The guard shifted his hips causing the stance of his legs to arch his crotch in a manner that signified complete control of the situation. The guard informed, “Absolutely not. You have my word.”
Satisfied, Ryan released the front door causing it to gently swing closed and latch-lock firmly shut. Rob eased Mark towards the leather couch and Ryan followed. Rob looped Mark’s arm strap tightly back around his body and buckled it shut. He then quickly tugged both crotch straps back in to place. Rob guided Mark’s fully encapsulated body down into the depths of the leather couch. “Now have a seat,” Rob suggested to Ryan. Ryan sat down into the plush leather couch next to Mark and Rob leaned in to the front of Ryan’s body and tugged Ryan’s keys away from him. The guard snapped them into his chunky leather belt and then Rob placed his hands around Ryan’s wrists and guided them upwards to lean them firmly against the back of the leather couch above Ryan’s head. Rob then raised his right knee and firmly slid it in between Ryan’s legs lightly pressing his knee up against Ryan’s crotch to firmly hold his body in place on the leather couch.
“Hey, you promised not to-,” Ryan began.
“Just relax. I’ve kept my word. I’m not putting any restraints on you,” the guard informed, “You need to relax. Just let my body’s firm grip guide you into relaxation.”
It was then that Mark saw two familiar faces approach the room from behind the counter. The leather pants coating their thick muscular legs caused loud creaking noises. The wheels of the stretcher they were pushing squeaked along the hard floor. The guys’ bodies were fit and solid. One was blonde and the other had black hair.
They swiftly approached Mark as he whined, “Nooooooo, please don’t, please.” Taking no notice to Mark’s pleas, they smiled, firmly picked him up, and placed him onto the stretcher. Rob eased and released his restraining grip on Ryan and began helping Joey and Brian restrain Mark’s body into the stretcher’s multitude of straps. Realizing that Ryan was now free, Mark yelled, “Ryan, help me!” Ryan continued sitting and began to cry. “Ryan, run! Go, get help!” Mark shouted. But Ryan continued to sob and remain seated in the supple hug of the leather couch.
Finally, Ryan worked up the ability to say, “I can’t do that Mark.”
“What, Why not?” yelled Mark.
“Because you need help,” Ryan began as his tears flowed, “Don’t you see Mark? It was a test. It was all a test. You had a chance to leave this place and you didn’t take it.”
Joey mockingly added, “Yeah, it was all pre-planned. You were never really going to get out of here, Mark.”
Ryan continued, “You let the jacket control you. I didn’t believe them Mark. I didn’t believe them when they said you had a problem. I began to believe you that they were wrong in keeping you here. But you failed the test. You couldn’t resist the strait jacket. You’re supposed to be here Mark. You need help,” Ryan continued still sobbing and tormented.
Mark was speechless and finally began to softly say, “You tricked me. I trusted you.”
Ryan yelled, “I didn’t do anything you didn’t let me do!”
The stretcher Mark was now completely restrained to was the same one Brian and Joey had placed him into the first night he had arrived at Calm Crescent. Straps covered him in all areas of his body. He was sunken into thick leather pad of the stretcher deeply and the tightness of the stretcher pressing firmly against his leather strait jacket that in turn was pressing firmly into his body felt, regrettably, familiar.
Satisfied with the security and completeness of the stretcher’s hold on Mark’s body, Brian disappeared behind the counter and Joey and Rob approached Ryan. Joey plumped himself onto the leather couch next to Ryan and extended a hand to his face wiping his teary eyes and said, “You did well, Ryan, you did real well.”
Ryan exclaimed, “I don’t want to see him anymore; I’m done trying to help.”
“Ah, there, there,” Joey continued, “It’s okay. We don’t need your help anymore.” Joey moved his hand from Ryan’s face and down to his lap. He gently clasped Ryan’s hand in a comforting embrace.
“That’s right,” Rob agreed as he slowly lowered his body to sit next to the opposite side of Ryan. Brian slowly returned to the room as Rob continued to comfort Ryan. Rob gently clasped Ryan’s other hand and said, “We can take it from here.”
As Brian approached the front of Ryan, both Joey and Rob moved their gentle grips from Ryan’s hands to his wrists. Ryan sensed the tightening of their grips around his wrists and peered his teary eyes up to Brian, who was loosely holding a contraption in his hands. Ryan recognized it immediately but was too overcome with everything to correctly respond. His body simply allowed Rob and Joey to firmly raise his wrists effectively extending his arms up into the sleeves of the contraption that Brian was readily holding open.
The three men worked efficiently and expertly. It was a task they had completed many times before and one that they would complete many times more.
Rob left the group to fetch another stretcher and soon Ryan felt his strait-jacketed body being placed horizontally into the deepness of the second stretcher’s leather padding. Ryan’s brain was completely lost in the sensations of thick leather straps being pulled, re-tugged, buckled, and locked.
Soon Rob went to return to his post at the front counter as Brian and Joey wheeled the two stretchers into the elevator. Having made their decent to the lower level, they placed Mark back into his leather cell and laid Ryan by his side.
Ryan finally understood the fullness of what Mark had experienced: the tightness, the frustration, the gentle tingling, and even that special sense of finally being home.
Before closing the door, Brian began, “Don’t worry guys, we won’t let you leave. And, the state isn’t going to ever make us give you up.
Ryan, your dad gave legal guardian status to your brother, who in turn signed you over to us. And, because you signed too, we also have your full consent.”
Joey continued. “Both of you need help. Mark, you can’t resist a chance to be in leather restraints. And Ryan, bud, you crossed the line when you put one of our patients into restraints. And, I’m not so sure you don’t enjoy them just as much as Mark does. Lucky for you guys, we got you both in here so that we can help you.”
Brian finished, “There’s no need to struggle. No need to fight. This is really the best thing to happen to you guys. You both can trust us.”
“Yeah,” Joey added, “TRUST US BOTH.”

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