Dealing (River)
Hannibal had taken River from the jail and gotten good food into her, made sure that she ate until she couldn't manage to do it anymore. From there, they had gone by her apartment, and his room at the Bates Motel to gather up things that they both thought they might want close at hand. Hannibal had found a very nice suite at a very nice hotel and gotten them set up inside. He doted on River and made sure she wanted for nothing.
After getting her cleaned up with the shower and then insisting that she also take a nice long soak in the giant spa tub, Hannibal had needed to leave. It was an interruption that he didn't want to have, but was necessary. He needed to at least make an appearance at the gala for Carmen's opening night. He had convinced River to take a sedative and sleep, and he would be back before she woke. With the happenings of Erik that night, he had managed to keep his promise and woken her to inform her of the surgery and to give her instructions to continue the sedatives and sleep more, leaving her a bottle by the side of the bed.
He had let her sleep on and off for a couple of days, waking her to make sure that she ate and bathed. Plying her with the richest foods that he could find, buying her exotic scented oils and bubbles for her baths. Spoiling her as much as he could, knowing that once they finally got down to business, it would be an unhappy task, and wanting her to have as much downtime as possible before she had to face the truth.
Now, with Erik's needs behind him, Hannibal returned to the suite once again. It was time, he knew, to help River with her needs. He had not supplied her with more sedatives in the past 12 hours, wanting her sleep to be more natural and her head to be clear when she woke. In his hands he carried a gourmet breakfast, which he began to set out at the nice little dining table that their suit contained.
He would let these things happen as River dictated them, but they would happen today. He didn't think it wise to let it linger any longer.
"River?" He called quietly as he placed the silverware.