Chapter 4
Eddie had one last interview to go, one Doctor Hannibal Lecter. It was this one that had Eddie slightly uncomfortable, he knows what he was like before Venom and he doesn't know how much of that would be noticeable to someone with a trained eye for these sort of things. He was a mess.
It took him some time to get himself together, some days he really does credit most of his newfound stability in life to Venom. And even to Anne who remained a friend, not to mention Dan. Eddie knows how lucky he is.
But he knows that there are still issues, things to be picked apart. And Dr. Lecter was a renowned psychiatrist. A lot of his peers spoke volumes on how great of a man he was. How great his work is, his dinner parties, how he donates to charities. An all-out saint as most makes it sound like.
However, something seemed off.
Death Eddie.
“Yeah.” Eddie agreed, wherever the doctor lived for a decent length of time there seemed to be dramatic deaths. Dramatic because they were all staged. The skill level wasn't as great as the latest serial killer. But it still raised some concern. But good chances are, it could very well just be bad luck.
Eddie thought back to his previous interviews and questioning. Refining his notes. Jack Crawford was a determined man, but a very flawed one at that. He had a habit of pushing forward to get his man, kind of like Eddie with his stories. The only difference was it wasn't usually a serial killer on the other end of his pursuit and he wasn't putting rookies or unstable teachers out in the crossfire. Will Graham seemed like a half-decent guy, just an asshole who had a fondness of not saying things straight. Always twisted metaphors by the sound of it. His conversation with Will being a rare exception by the sounds of it.
This morning he had a brief phone call with Freddie Lounds, something that was a mistake. Of course, it started out fine, but his displeasure with her and Venom's disapproval with her made getting off the phone with her a near must. It was sad, to see what became of a girl he used to know.
People change. We did.
“We became better though, she became worse. But then, so did Jack from what I gathered when I questioned people about him and our conversation with him. So did Will, gone from being a guy who couldn't pull the trigger to a guy who pulled it nine times and has a growing taste for what he sees.” Eddie said as he packed what he would need for this conversation. They were meeting him at his office. He cleared a spot or two for them. And from what he found out about the doctor, he hated rudeness. So being too late or too early was something he might want to avoid to make good impressions during this interview.
They still had time before their scheduled interview, so they stopped at a McDonald's and had a few burgers and fries before snagging a small jug of chocolate milk to drink before their meeting.
With a sigh, Eddie figured they better get this over with. Then they can either write the story here or take it back home to write.
Zoo then home.
“You want to go to the zoo?” Eddie asked Venom did make it an option they could do instead of the interviews even before they spoke with Jack. Either the zoo or the aquarium.
Yes.
Eddie thought over the pro's and con's on this visit. On the one hand Venom might be tempted to eat something and on the other hand, they could actually enjoy some of this trip.
“Okay, sounds fair. How about tomorrow?” Eddie asked mind made up on agreeing with Venom. Worst case scenario he spends the whole time trying to convince Venom that just because they were animals they weren't edible.
They'll write at home, tomorrow is a visit to the zoo and the day after the trip home. A hum of agreement soothed some of Eddie's apprehension as he got on his bike and headed towards Dr. Lecter's office.
He was impressed with the sheer size of it, it was obvious that this guy wasn't a five dollar therapist. It was more like five hundred per hour kind of therapist. Maybe he was in the wrong profession?
The waiting room even had an expensive feel to it. He looked down at himself, maybe he was under-dressed?
You look fine if he doesn't like how we look. We eat him.
Eddie checked the time.
2:50 pm
Ten minutes to go. Eddie sat down, looked over his questions and waited. It was five minutes before three when the door opened revealing none other than Doctor Lecter. There was a sound of a door closing, it was clear that there was a separate exit for his patients so they didn't have to bump into each other on the way in or out.
“Doctor Lecter, I'm Eddie Brock. We had an appointment? For your interview.” Eddie introduced as he stood up to greet the man in a dreadfully awful suit. But then when you were made of money from what it looks like, you can afford horrible expensive suits. There was a friendly albeit closed expression on Dr. Lecter's face that warmed some as he greeted Eddie with a firm handshake.
“Please, call me Hannibal. Come right in and make yourself comfortable.” Dr. Lecter voice was warm. Eddie thanked him and found himself sitting in one of the chairs using one of the side tables to put his recorder on. He didn't press play yet, instead waited for Dr. Lecter to sit. Something he didn't do, instead went to a small fridge tucked out of site and pulled out a bottle of wine.
“May I interest you in a glass?”Dr. Lecter offered, Eddie considered it for a moment. He was trying to do less drinking, mostly because if he tried to drink too much the bottle or glass would be flung to the side or across the room. Venom hated the taste of some of the drinks he had. He wondered how Venom would like wine.
“Please.” Eddie accepted politely, remembering what Anne used to tell him about how to hold the glass back in the honeymoon stage of their relationship. Eddie would purposely hold things wrong just to tease her. The memory of her laughter floated through his mind only to drop with sadness. Venom shifted inside of him. Eddie was tempted to rest his hand over his heart to reassure his other. Taking a tentative sip, he found he sort of liked the taste. Venom wasn't too picky about it but stayed quiet.
It quickly became apparent to Eddie that Venom was observing the entire room and the man before them as best as he could.
I don't trust him Eddie, I think we should just eat him and be done with it.
Eddie was curious about why. What has Venom so concerned? Beyond what their research showed in possibilities.
He's fake Eddie.
“Problem?” Dr. Lecter asked and Eddie cursed himself. He got caught up in Venom and pretty much zoned out.
“Uh? No, sorry just a thought that uh required attention.” Eddie tried to explain, cursed himself too.
“I see, if you don't feel up to it then we can always reschedule for when you feel more up to it?” To an outsider, it may sound considerate, but Eddie knows a passive-aggressive jab when he hears one. He's sometimes famous for them. Especially when interviewing assholes or questionable individuals.
“No, no. It's okay, I'm here and fully able.” Eddie smiled in return.
“Very well.” Dr. Lecter accepted as he sat down across from Eddie. One leg folded carefully over the other, hands in his lap and full attention on Eddie. It gave Eddie a moment to observe the man, eyes nearly red and not even a hair out of place. All carefully designed. It had him agreeing with Venom, this man looked like a lie personified.
He could feel Venom looming just an inch away from showing himself, to Eddie it reminded him of someone trying to dare someone to do something stupid as they stared their opponent down.
“Let's start simple.” Eddie suggested, and the psychiatrist before him agreed. They spoke about the man's career, and how he came to work here in Baltimore. It all sounded perfect and those accomplishments came with very little struggle.
Ask him why he stopped being a surgeon? Death doesn't seem to bother him toomuch since he agrees to help investigate it. Ask him why death scared him from being a surgeon.
Good questions, and valid ones. He gave himself a few minutes, wording the upcoming questions. Once satisfied he paid close attention to the man before them. Venom shifted inside of him.
“What made you stop being a surgeon?” Eddie asked, yes they already asked a question like this already. But that was regarding the why, this was regarding what. There was a shift, he was being studied even closer and it was almost like the room went cold for a moment.
“I wasn't as strong as I had initially thought myself to be, the deaths affected me more than I planned or hoped they would. I still wanted to help people, which is why I became a psychiatrist.” Dr. Lecter answered it was silky smooth. Eddie wondered if someone asked him these questions before.
“Sounds fair, so why do you willingly go face to face with death. Some arguably would say worse most other deaths? I've read about the cases you've been helping the FBI with.” Eddie asked if what Eddie saw so far it wouldn't be a problem for the doctor to answer.
“As I said, I wanted to help people. And although these deaths are horrible, I wouldn't wish them on anyone. So if I can help catch the killer so no one else gets hurt. Then I will gladly do so.” Dr. Lecter stated, Eddie still felt like he was being studied. It made him want to flee, however, it made Venom want to lash out. Which could mean bad news for one Doctor Hannibal Lecter.
Eddie was glad for his clothing, he felt thin tendrils spread out across his skin. The ghost sensation of his own teeth growing deadly points.
He needed to get out before Venom decided this guy was edible. Despite their research and Venom's own observations, Eddie didn't really think that it all warranted Venom coming out. Eddie wasn't in danger. Or at least he didn't feel like he was.
“Are you alright?” Dr. Lecter asked concern spread across his face.
We eat him or we leave, We don't like him.
“Do you have a bathroom?” Eddie asked, body tensing up because he feels like he was seconds away from unleashing holy hell on the man before him. Research and observations didn't mean they were right because none of it was concrete evidence. Just speculations until proven otherwise. He would need a lot more time to investigate to be sure. Not give himself a day to look the man up. It wasn't enough time to decide something with a finality like the possible outcome that was seconds away.
The second he was informed where it was Eddie almost ran towards it. Door slamming behind him, he winced because that may have come across as rude.
“What's the matter?” Eddie asked as he stared into the mirror. He sees himself but it almost feels like it was Venom staring back. It made talking into mirrors feel more normal than it would look to others.
Do you not see it?
“See what?” Eddie asked he knew where this was going.
He's a killer Eddie. His room is designed to give him maximum control over whoever is in there. Heavy objects. Pointed objects. Wide spaces so no one – especially him gets caught up on something.
“That -” Eddie started and for a moment he felt like he was still new to this job. It reminded him of the time he investigated murders – with Freddie Lounds. It was them that figured things out, they got it wrong of course. And it put an innocent man behind bars. Eddie with his anger and guilt opted out of chasing those sort of stories and instead turned to deal with stories about corruption and human rights. Freddie Lounds chased killers despite their failure.
Your research, our research backs it up. He's looking for weakness in us Eddie. Think Eddie.
“I got it wrong then, and like now everything I had was just speculation and observations.” Eddie said, washing his face for the third time. He wasn't here for a smear campaign or to put killers behind bars. He was here to a job he wouldn't have picked for himself.
Silence for a moment.
Moron. You know we're right. Last time you had her. This time you have us, we don't make mistakes in this sort of thing. We know bad when we see bad.
“Is everything okay in there?” Dr. Lecter asked, close to the door and Eddie cursed. Black spread across the backs of his hand and in the mirror he could see black tendrils spreading across his neck and curling over his jaw.
We eatbad.
Yeah, they do, but this was out in the open. This was leaving evidence and a name, they had an appointment and their name was in the book no doubt on Doctor Lecter's desk. It would be careless. Foolish and it would put too much attention on them. Regardless.
“Yeah – yeah we're fine. Be right out. Thank you.” Eddie answered only moments after he stopped speaking did he realize that he said 'we'.
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