Once they hit the common area, Holly indicated that Danny should take a seat, even as he stood there, nervously twisting his thumb ring. Anxiety was written across his entire body and the words that spilled from his lips made Holly's heart clench painfully. He acted like some of the POWs she'd seen before; conditioned from abuse into certain behaviours, expecting certain things and she had a momentary flashback to being in Afghanistan, when her unit liberated a group of women who had spent years being held as captives, how they didn't even more when they were free at first because they'd learned that moving meant they got whipped.
She clenched her teeth together and instead of responding immediately she took a seat on the couch and waited patiently for Danny to join her.
"I don't know everything that happened to you before you came to us," she told him, "but if anyone here tries to hurt you..." she ducked so that she was making eye contact with him, "I will hurt them first." And she meant that; the agents under her care were largely capable of taking care of themselves but Danny seemed so child-like and vulnerable. "That doesn't happen here and if anyone in a position of authority tries to abuse that, I will personally see to it that they get what they deserve."
She tilted her head, leaning back into the chair and forcing herself to relax her body language so she didn't look threatening or intimidating.
"I'm here to take care of you," she said. "That means I protect you and make sure that you get the care you need. I'd like you to speak to one of the psychiatrists we have here. Would that be okay?"